Knowing the Function of Each Knife in a Kitchen Knife Set.

What is a kitchen without a knife? Okay, let’s not get carried away; there are a lot of things that a kitchen needs, including stove and utensils, but you have to admit that knives are up there as well on the list of necessities in the kitchen. There is just so much cutting that goes on in the kitchen that not having a knife in your kitchen is absurd. However, although many of us own a kitchen knife set, knowing the names of each of them or even their functions is taken for granted. 

Now it is about time we were able to identify the knives in our kitchen knife set. So, let’s take a look at the knives you are likely to find in your kitchen knife set and their functions.

Chef Knife

This is probably the most popular type of knife and even people who don’t own a knife set own a chef knife, at least. This is because it is one of the most versatile of all the knife types. It can be used for every form of cutting, slicing, chopping, mincing and peeling. Chef knives have curved blades and they come in different sizes; with the more popular ones being around 8"- 12”.

Bread Knife

This probably doesn’t need much explanation as well. Bread knives are made specifically for cutting through the crusts of bread or other similar food like cake or chocolate and are, therefore, not suitable for cutting anything harder. The blades are long and serrated, so they should be used like as a saw as opposed to cutting right through like you would use a chef knife.

Utility Knife

Utility knife looks similar to a chef knife but it is smaller and has a sharper tip, as opposed to the chef knife’s more rounded tip. Utility knife has a scalloped edge, so it comes in handy when slicing fruits and vegetables. Due to its resemblance to the chef knife, it is a useful alternative when you want to cut smaller things that the aforementioned is too big for.  

Paring Knife

If the utility knife can be said to be a smaller though different version of the chef knife, then the paring knife is similarly related to the utility knife. It is small, slim and light, making it easy to handle, especially for tasks like peeling, slicing, mincing and chopping smaller items like fruits, vegetables and a small chunk of cooked meat. 

Cleaver

Cleavers are not as popular in many kitchens like the ones listed above. However, it is a very useful knife if you cook a lot or you are a chef. Cleaver is a wide, rectangular-shaped knife with a straight edge. You would have seen this knife at this butcher’s stall and that’s why it is also called the Butcher Knife. It can be used to crush garlic cloves or ginger and chop raw meat, especially the bony parts. 

Carving Knife

Carving knives are long, slim and narrow. So, if you are looking for knives to cut or slice your food items into smaller or thinner and even chunks, the carving knife is your best bet. 

Boning Knife

As the name implies, this knife is great for meat bones and tougher tissues, cartilages and joints. It features a slim blade with a pointed tip that makes it good for removing meat from bones without wasting so much meat in the process. 

So, that’s it but of course, this list is not exhaustive as there are many other knife types; the listed types are just the more popular ones. And now, you know the function of these knives and can maximise their use in food preparation. If you need a kitchen knife set, you can get one from SellOff.ng.