Which Knife Is The Right Knife?

 From slicing and dicing, to carving and paring, every kitchen needs a professional set of knives. 

Now we understand there are heaps of different knives on the market for heaps of different purposes and we don't blame you if you're a bit confused as to what knife you need for what job.

That's why we've created our very own 'Knife Guide' for you to read thoroughly now and then quickly glance at every time you go to make meals for your family or a feast for the dinner party you're hosting. 

Whether you're a professional or just starting out on your culinary journey, we're here to help make your time in the kitchen easier with leading cookware brands such as Global and Scanpan. 

Once you've got your knife skills mastered, why not try making Jamie Oliver's Roast Lamb & Vegetables?

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 Chef's Knives 

This multi-purpose knife was originally designed to primarily slice and disjoint large cuts of beef but is now more commonly used as a general utility knife. In other words, a chef's knife is basically your go-to as it can be used for many different cooking tasks from mincing and cutting, to chopping vegetables and slicing meat. 

Length Range: 15 - 35cm

Ideal for:

• Cutting meat
• Dicing vegetables 
• Disjointing some cuts 
• Slicing herbs
• Chopping nuts

 Characteristics:

• Wide blade
• Pointed tip
• Granton or flat blade
• Heavy, hard steel

Utility Knives 

Longer than a paring knife but shorter than a chef's knife, the utility knife is a solid all-rounder in the kitchen. Available in both a serrated and straight blade style, they are sometimes referred to as "sandwich knives" and are great for cutting larger vegetables and sandwich meats that are too small for a chef's knife. 

Length Range: 10 - 18cm 

Ideal For:

• Slicing meat
• Slicing bagels and buns
• Cutting sandwiches
• Chopping vegetables
• Slicing herbs
• General kitchen tasks when no other knife will do

Characteristics:

• Smaller blade
• Pointed tip
• Lightweight

 

Paring Knives 

Perfect for any delicate kitchen tasks, the paring knife is designed for easy handling and used for intricate cutting, peeling, mincing and dicing. The blades are simple, sharp and precise. 

Length Range: 6 - 10cm

Ideal For:

• Peeling and cutting small fruit and vegetables. 
• Deseeding fruits 
• Deveining prawns 
• Cutting vegetables & herbs such as garlic

Characteristics:

• Short, narrow blade
• Pointed tip 

 

Vegetable Knives 

As the name suggests, a vegetable knife is primarily, or even exclusively, used to cut vegetables. Though most kitchen knives, particularly paring knives and chef's knives, are used to cut vegetables, this knife is designed specifically for the task. 

Length Range: 10 - 18cm

Ideal For:

• Preparing vegetables
• Cutting, chopping, slicing and dicing both small and large vegetables. 

Characteristics:

• Smaller blade
• Pointed edge
• Lightweight

 

Cleavers

The cleaver, also known as a 'butcher's knife', is a thick, heavy-set knife with a sharply beveled edge. This knife is largely used as a kitchen or butcher knife intended for hacking through bone. The back of the cleaver can also be used to tenderise meat. 

Length Range: 15 - 30cm

Ideal For:

• Splitting meat from bone, used typically for beef, pork, chicken and other thick types of meat. 
• Splitting larger and thicker vegetables, such as melons and squash.
• Smaller cleavers are used for quickly dicing vegetables and fruits. 

Characteristics:

• Wide square blade
• Straight tip
• Heavy stainless steel

 

Bread Knives 

Try buying am uncut loaf from the bakery this time and slice it yourself with a bread knife! The serrated blade ensure smooth slicing that won't crush the loaf or tear it to pieces. Maximise your slices and use on any food that is soft on the inside and hard on the outside. 

Length Range: 17 - 25cm

Ideal For:

• Cutting bread
• Cutting through food items such as tomatoes or vanilla slices (soft on the inside but hard on the outside).

Characteristics:

• Long blade
• Rounded tip
• Serrated edge

 

Carving Knives 

Carve your next Sunday roast with ease using smooth blade of a carving knife! Use the pointed tip for cutting around a bone, and the rounded tip for large boneless pieces of meat like a ham or roast beef. 

Length Range: 30 - 35cm

Ideal For:

• Finely slice hams or turkeys
• Carve beef or lamb

Characteristics:

• Long medium thin blade
• Rounded or pointed tip
• Granton or flat blade