According to one survey, about 53% of Americans actually enjoy cooking.
Whether or not you are part of the population that enjoys cooking as a hobby, you’ll need some tools to be able to make everything you want.
Do you want to make sure that your kitchen is well-equipped? We’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about the essential kitchen knives to have on hand!
1. Chef’s Knife
A chef’s knife may be one of the more important knives you should own. This is the one that you will most likely use the most, so you should make sure you get one that is high-quality.
It may be a little bit more expensive, but if you treat it well and take care of it, then you’ll be able to use it for years to come.
A chef’s knife is used to slice, chop, and julienne almost anything. You can even cut watermelon or carve a roast with this kind of knife.
This knife is strong but also lightweight. It has a long blade and a handle that fits perfectly in your hand.
You should shop around when buying this kind of knife. You want to make sure you’re buying a good brand, and you want to buy one that fits your hand and that you feel comfortable with.
Chef’s knives normally come with either an 8 or 10-inch blade, so you should buy whatever is comfortable for you to handle.
If you want a good, high-quality chef’s knife, check out this Foxel Knife.
2. Santoku
The santoku is also an important knife to have in your kitchen, and it is a Japanese workhorse knife.
This is similar to a chef’s knife, but there are a few differences.
These knives are normally shorter and have more compact blades. Their blades are only about 6 to 7 inches long.
If you want a shorter downward stroke, this will help you achieve that. With the chef’s knife, you’ll have more of a rocking and chopping style.
This knife was designed to be between a Western double-bevel and a Japanese chisel.
When choosing a good santoku knife, you should look for one that is incredibly sharp but still lightweight. You should also find one that is comfortable for you because everyone has their own preference for the type of knife they want.
3. Paring Knife
A paring knife is also important.
This might be the second-most important knife you can have in the kitchen, but you may not use it as often as the chef’s knife.
If you need to cut something small or fragile, you should use this knife. If you’re peeling a lemon, for example, you would use this paring knife.
A paring knife has a narrow blade that lets you accomplish all the odd cooking things you need to do.
Don’t pay too much for this kind of knives because you won’t have to use it too often. You should find a really sharp one, but since you won’t use it a lot, it will last you a long time.
4. Serrated Knife
You can use this knife for either hard or soft foods. If you want to saw through something gently while not squishing the interior of the food, you should use this.
You can cut crusty bread or tomatoes easily with this kind of knife.
The knife has small grooves on the blade to help it keep its sharpness. You may use this knife more than the paring knife, and a good one will be able to last you a long time.
5. Cleaver
Depending on what you’ll be cooking, you may also need a cleaver.
This is a knife with a really heavy, rectangular-sized blade. If you need to cut through large chunks of meat (or possibly even bones), this knife may be perfect for you.
It kind of looks like a small hatchet, and will be able to get the job done that your other knives can’t.
However, you shouldn’t confuse this with a Chinese cleaver, which is used for vegetables and more precise cutting work.
6. Carving Knife
A carving knife isn’t always necessary, but it can be really helpful to have.
These are longer and a little bit thinner than a chef’s knife, but they can really carve up a Thanksgiving turkey for you and your family.
A carving knife has a sharp point at the end of the narrow blade, which helps it cut around the cartilage and bones.
7. Bread Knife
You’ve probably seen a bread knife and noticed it because it has a saw-tooth edge to the blade.
This helps it slice through bread without squishing the bread too badly.
The one problem with this knife is that once it gets dull, it’s hard to sharpen. You will either need to get a new knife or to get it sharpened by a professional.
Because it won’t last as long, you shouldn’t spend too much money on a bread knife. Depending on how much your knife was, it may be cheaper just to replace it when the blade gets dull.
Buy These Essential Kitchen Knives Today!
These essential kitchen knives will really help you when preparing your meals and will make your experience in the kitchen a lot more enjoyable.
Before buying a knife, make sure you do your research and then take care of it and sharpen it to make sure it stays sharp.
If you enjoyed this article, make sure you check out our website for others just like it!