Meet each of the various types of knives existing in the kitchen and their uses, learn how you should use them correctly here in this article
Knives types
When we are in the process of equipping our kitchen to be able to cook, it is necessary to get some knives that are up to our needs. That is why it is necessary what are the types of knives, what are their functions and how can we choose the best ones.
The choose the types of kitchen knives It can be a somewhat complicated task if we do not know what type of blade, handle, thickness and thickness it has and what each one works for. That is why today we show you what are the types of knives that we need in our kitchens.
the handle of the knife
One of the first features a kitchen expert notices is the handle or hilt that a knife has. Between the types of chef knives It is common to see different materials for grip comfort of this kitchen tool. Among the materials we find wood, gummed coatings, metal, plastic, polyoxymethylene, micarta, among others.
The important thing when we choose any type of knife is to take into consideration how it feels in the hand, since it should feel comfortable, not so heavy to avoid tiring us but not so light that we have no control. Everything will depend on how the movement and the grip you have.
the blade of the knife
The best types of knives have been made respecting the weight and balance they should have. Since it is the perfect proportion to make cooking simple, easy and fast. Just as there are different types of handles for knives, today we have a significant number of different materials that show us the different types of blades that a knife can have, which are classified as:
- Stamped sheets: which are manufactured by casting different metals and that by means of a tonnage press the desired shape is achieved.
- Forged Blades: This classification of daughter of knives is characteristic thanks to the fact that they are made of steel which is red-hot and that is shaped by means of a hammer that can be manual or hydraulic.
Types of kitchen knives
Since we know that there are different handles and knife blades, it is necessary to understand that there are different types of knives to use in the kitchen, which depending on their size and shape are used for different cuts, below we explain each of them:
Paring or lace knife
It is a multipurpose knife in the kitchen and is one of the types of knives that cannot be missing in any kitchen, either professional or home. This type of knife is small and very versatile, thanks to the round blade at the tip which allows us to cut, peel and shape fruits and vegetables. In professional kitchens we can see this type of knives when removing fruit peels or when making fruit arrangements.
onion knife
These types of knives are also known as the chef's knife, it is one of the most versatile cutting tools that we can get in the kitchen of any amateur or chef.
The shape of these types of knives is round and they measure about twenty centimeters, the curved shape that it has in the part that cuts is perfect for cutting, slicing and chopping from vegetables to meat, fish and chicken.
This knife is used in countless recipes such as stews, grilled meats, among others. If you want to know how to make any of these recipes, we invite you to enter the following link Beef Stew
These types of knives come in two presentations: the German and the French, where the first is characterized by a much more cast and rounded blade while the French has a much straighter blade.
Kinds of boning knives
They are some types of knives that are used in the kitchen for boning, as their name indicates. They are characterized by having a leaf between twelve and seventeen centimeters.
It is a knife that is used to separate the bones in a single piece, like those used in chopping chicken and removing the breasts in a single piece.
filleting knife
If we are looking for a knife that allows me to make precise cuts of meat and fish, these are the types of knives that we need in our kitchen. They are knives that are characterized by being extremely thin, long and very flexible, which will allow us to comfortably fillet pieces of meat and fish.
Ham knife
They are some types of knives that have a sharp point and that are precise and necessary when we want to cut raw ham or large pieces of meat. They are characterized by being longer blades than the filleting knife, but share the particularities of thinness and flexibility that are necessary to make extremely delicate cuts to respect the products with which we are working.
Knife for capaccio or salmon
It is one of the special types of knives for cutting fish, it is made up of a long blade with a round tip that contains alveoli that prevent food from sticking to the blade. This knife is also flexible but firm enough to remove skins from fish and make precise cuts.
Types of knives for bread or serrated
This is one of the easiest types of knives to describe as everyone has seen at least one bread knife. They are characteristic for having a long, strong blade with a serrated edge, this is so that we do not have problems when cutting bread.
Having this cut on the leaves allows us to respect the texture of the bread when cutting the crust. These sheets must be this way to break the hardness of the crust of the bread and the soft interior will not lose its shape.
Santoku Knife
This is one of the types of knives that are especially seen in Japanese kitchens, which need precise and delicate cuts due to the type of presentation that is made in this culture.
The Santoku knife is very similar to the onion knife, it has a flat base with a round tip and a blade that measures between twelve and twenty centimeters. Like the onion knife, it is very versatile and Japanese chefs use it to chop, slice, cut vegetables, fish, meat and fruit.
cheese knives
This is one of the types of knives that we are going to get the most variety. It is a knife that is used to cut slices or pieces of cheese, it depends on the type of cheese that we are going to consume, but as a basic rule they are defined by two textures.
If we are going to consume cheeses with hard textures, it is necessary to have large, flat-bladed knives with a serrated blade to make slicing easier. On the contrary, if we consume creamier or softer cheeses, we must acquire some types of knives with perforated blades to prevent them from sticking to the blade of the knife.
We recommend that to avoid mistreating the cheeses with the knife, we use this tool with a blade at a warm temperature so that when it is going to be used, it better fulfills the objective of slicing.
Maintenance of the different types of knives
As we have already defined throughout this article, knives are necessary tools in any kitchen, it does not matter if it is for a chef or at home, good knives are necessary to cook and treat products with respect.
One of the recommendations that we can give you for the good maintenance of the different types of knives that we have is to use them for what they are made for. Let's avoid using our knives for other purposes than cutting, such as opening cans or cutting things that are not food like metal or wood.
Another of the recommendations that we can give you to maintain the good maintenance of our kitchen pieces is cleaning. When we are cooking, clean the knives with a clean cotton cloth that we will pass over the entire surface of the edge. Having this technique prevents the flavor of other foods from permeating our leaves and transferring the flavor to other foods.
In the same way we leave you this video so that you understand a little better how the care that is done to the different types of knives that we have in our kitchen should be
No matter what kind of experience we have in the kitchen, good knives and a variety of them will allow us to make different recipes quickly and easily. Remember that our knife blades must meet the right edge to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Having a dull knife blade makes us have to apply more force than normal and we can hurt ourselves both in the hand that has the blade and the one that holds the product.
So we invite you to make the investment of some good knives, that although there are some that are high cost, we can find others of better access that will last us for many years with the correct care. Remember to check the types of handles and blades that are on the market and with which of them you feel much more comfortable to handle food.