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Kitchen Knife Types and What Each One Is For

Tap a knife type to see what it's built for.

Chef's Knife

A broad, gently curved blade built for a rocking motion, letting you handle vegetables, meat, and herbs with a single knife. If you're only going to own one good kitchen knife, this is the one to start with.

Paring Knife

A short, nimble blade suited to fine, close-up work like peeling an apple or trimming garlic. It's typically used by holding the food in one hand and drawing the blade toward you.

Bread Knife (Serrated Knife)

The fine serrations let you saw through a crusty loaf without crushing the soft interior. It's also useful for foods with a slick skin and soft center, like tomatoes.

Fillet Knife

A long, thin, often single-beveled blade designed to pull cleanly through fish in one long stroke, leaving a smooth cut surface. Sawing back and forth tends to tear the flesh, so a single long pull is the technique to aim for.

Cleaver

A thick, heavy, rectangular blade built for tasks that need real force, like chopping through bone or breaking down a whole piece of meat. The flat side is also handy for crushing garlic.

Utility Knife

Sized between a chef's knife and a paring knife, it suits small produce that's a bit large for a paring knife but doesn't need the size of a chef's knife.

One knife can't do everything well

Each blade shape trades off thickness, curve, and balance for a different job. Matching the knife to the task reduces wrist strain and noticeably improves both cutting speed and the cleanliness of the cut.

A good knife is only half the story

Even the right knife performs poorly if it's dull, so a sharpening steel or occasional professional sharpening matters as much as the knife itself. Storing knives in a block, on a magnetic strip, or with blade guards, rather than loose in a drawer, also protects both the edge and your fingers.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I can only buy one kitchen knife, which should it be?

A chef's knife, since it handles the widest range of ingredients reasonably well and is the natural first knife to build a set around.

Can a bread knife be used on vegetables or meat?

It's designed to saw through soft textures without crushing them, so using it on firm vegetables or meat tends to shred the fibers and leave a rough cut. It's better to save it for bread and similar foods.