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The following descriptions and images of different varieties of knives are general examples only. Although the basics of each knife style is the same, different manufacturers have different design variations for each type of knife.
Bird's Beak Knife (Tourne Knife)
Considered to be a type of utility knife that is used for many of the same tasks as the traditional paring knife. The bird's beak knife, which is also known as a "tournée" knife, has a shorter blade than a paring knife with a blade that is typically 2 to 3 inch long. It is designed to curve upward on both the cutting edge and the top edge. The bird's beak knife is commonly used to make a type of cut referred to as the tournée cut in vegetables such as carrots, potatoes or squash. This cut is performed for purposes of food presentation. This cut is also known as a tourne or tourné cut.
Bird's beak knives may also be used to slice soft fruits such as nectarines, plums or peaches and for peeling skins or blemishes from a variety of fruits and vegetables. It is a knife that is also used for cutting decorative garnishes such as rosettes in radishes or fluted mushrooms.
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A knife with a thin short blade, typically 5 or 6 inches long, used to remove the main bone within a cut of meat, such as a ham or a beef roast. A boning knife will typically have a long narrow blade for ease of manipulation around bones. The blade is rigid and proportioned to the size of the bones being removed. Bigger cuts of meat require a larger more rigid blade that is not too flexible to prevent injury from the blade bending too easily. Smaller meat cuts can be trimmed and boned using a smaller less rigid blade.
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Butter Knife
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A small knife with a blunt edge blade that is used to apply spreads, such as butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese, on bread or dinner rolls. Butter knives will generally be the same pattern as the flatware set they come with but there are also many individual butter knives available with patterns that range from very plain to very ornate.
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A knife with a blade made from zirconium oxide, also referred to as ceramic zirconia, a very durable and hard substance that is only slightly softer than the hardness of diamonds. With a blade harder than steel, knives made from industrial ceramic do not easily dull and will maintain an exceptionally sharp edge before being required to be sharpened. Industrial ceramic, which is made by heating the base materials to exceptionally high temperatures, results in a substance that has a high degree of purity. This eliminates most of the impurities that make ceramic materials brittle.
Ceramic knives are excellent for slicing through a variety of foods, making thin slices an easy task, however, use on harder materials, such as bones and hard textured foods may result in chipped or broken blades. This is due to the hard and rigid blade materials of the ceramic blades that are not as flexible as more common metals. Also, if the blade hits or is dropped accidentally on a hard tile floor, it may chip part of the blade but will not shatter it. Factory repair of the blade is an option if the blade becomes damaged. Ceramic knives will not need sharpening as often as other metal knives, but will require that the person doing the sharpening be qualified to sharpen ceramic materials.
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A kitchen utensil that is thinly shaped to cut easily through soft or hard textured cheese. Bladed cheese knives are typically manufactured with narrow-blades or short wide blades. Quite often, the narrow-bladed version will have a forked tip that is used as a lifter for pieces of cheese as they are cut. This knife may also be referred to as a forked-tip utility knife, which is used as a bar knife for cutting through citrus fruits or spearing garnishes, such as pickles, onions or maraschino cherries, for drinks as may be required.
Wider or heavier bladed knives are generally produced to accompany a cheese plate containing uncut cheese. Since cheese begins to harden as it is exposed to air, cheese is often kept whole when placed on plates or trays requiring the cheese to be cut as it is served. Shorter knives work well for this purpose, enabling the person cutting to slice through soft to firm textured cheeses.
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Traditional Chef's Knife | 
Mini Chef's Knife |
Also called a cook's knife, this knife is an all purpose kitchen knife that is used for most types of chopping, dicing, mincing, and slicing.
Chef's knives come in various lengths of 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. The smaller sized knives are typically referred to as mini chef's knives while the longer lengths are known as traditional chef's knives. The heft, weight and balance of this knife allow it to be used for heavy duty work with thicker cuts of vegetables, fruits and meats. The length of the knife you purchase is significant. The longer the knife, the heavier and more difficult it will be to handle. Small handed cooks should choose shorter blades while large handed cooks will prefer longer blades.
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A kitchen utensil that is used to score the chestnut prior to roasting. By carving a line, a cross or an "X" into the shell of the unroasted nut, it allows it to breathe during roasting and to resist exploding as the steam builds up. The chestnut knife is short shafted in order to keep the cut confined to the shell without going too deeply to pierce the inner skin.
After the chestnuts are done roasting, the knife can then be used to open the shell to remove the meat. To remove the nut, make a single score/cut fully around the middle of the shell. The nut may stick to the skin, but should be adequately separated to remove the nut easily.
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Clam Knife
| A kitchen utensil that is used to pry open the hard shell of a clam or an oyster in order to remove the meat. Typically, the knife will have a beveled edged blade that can be inserted into the tightly closed shell, twisting the blade to pry the shell apart. The sharp edge of the knife is used to cut the clam muscles from the shell. Some knives will have a notch in the blade, which is used to keep the shell open to remove the meat. |
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| A knife with a wide rigid blade that is approximately 6 inches in length and tapers to a sharp cutting edge. This tool is used to chop, shred, pound, or crush food ingredients and materials. The blade of the cleaver is thick, somewhat heavy and well balanced with a beveled cutting edge. The beveled blade allows for ease of chopping through vegetables or hard materials, such as bones. The flat blunt side of the blade can be used to pulverize meat. If the handle is flat on the end it may be used to crush seeds, garlic or other similar ingredients. A hole is typically provided on the top end of the blade to allow for ease of hanging this tool when storing. |
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Designed for thick sandwiches, this knife is made to cut easily and quickly through a variety of sandwich ingredients. The deli knife is manufactured with a carbon steel, offset blade allowing for ease of slicing and handling. The offset blade keeps the hand holding the knife, up and away from cutting boards or counters as the blade is pushed downward through thicker than average sandwiches. The offset makes the knife handling easier to control and better positioned as the full length of the blade can be positioned so it is horizontally parallel with the cutting surface.
Deli knives are available in several different lengths, the most common being 8 inches. Since the blade contains rounded serration, it easily releases resistance as it cuts through foods, resulting in less food being pulled out and away from the thicker, deli-style sandwiches.
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| A kitchen utensil that is used to remove the large vein that runs down the length of a shrimp. A fork can be inserted in the back of the shrimp to pull out the vein or a deveining knife can be used to cut a slit down the length of the shrimp. This tool is inserted at one end of the shrimp and then pushed up through the entire body to remove the vein and the shell at the same time. |
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A knife consisting of a thin flexible blade, typically 6 to 11 inches long, used for filleting fish. The narrow blade enables the knife to cleanly move along the backbones of the fish, in and around areas adjacent to bones, and to evenly slice along the skin, removing it easily from the flesh. |
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Built to cut through hard to semi-hard substances, this utensil is manufactured for specialty tasks. A common cutting blade used for this type of knife is the saw-and-racker tooth which may be called a saw- toothed blade or a coarse saw tooth blade. A saw-toothed blade has tiny but coarse teeth that are closely aligned and formed to cut through materials such as metal surfaces.
Typically, the Frozen Food Knife blade is made of a rigid steel that can withstand very cold temperatures and the heavier than normal cutting pressure required to cut through ice hard substances, such as frozen foods. Simple tasks such as cutting apart a small carton of frozen peas can be easily accomplished with this knife or harder tasks of cutting larger blocks of frozen vegetables and breads can be undertaken with a knife built to cut frozen foods.
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A kitchen utensil that is made for ease of cutting the meat of the fruit away from the grapefruit skin when preparing a half grapefruit for serving. There are several varieties of this tool available, either single or double bladed, each containing at least one serrated blade. The dual bladed knives have serrated blades on each end of the handle. The curved blade on one end is used for cutting the meat away from the outer skin.
The second blade may consist of two closely aligned parallel blades or one blade with a slit in the center, each used to cut between the linings that separate the inner meat into sections. The grapefruit knife effectively separates the meat sections of grapefruits better than the average kitchen knife.
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Lettuce Knife
 | A plastic serrated edge knife that is designed to slice lettuce without causing the edges of the lettuce to turn brown. When cutting lettuce with a metal knife, the edges of the lettuce will turn a light rusty brown after it is stored for a short time. The plastic lettuce knife is efficient at slicing the lettuce and eliminates the edges from turning brown. |
Single Bladed Mincing Knife | 
Double Bladed Mincing Knife |
A knife that can be used to mince or cut food into smaller bits for seasoning sauces, soups, salads, and other dishes. Mincing knives can be either single or double bladed to cut a variety of foods into very small pieces. A mincing knife is also referred to as a Mezzaluna, Mezzaluna chopper or Mezzaluna knife. Another version of a mincing tool is the rolling mincer or rotary mincer. This utensil consists of numerous circular blades, close together mounted on a handle, enabling the user to roll the tool back and forth over the herb as the blades do the mincing.
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| A kitchen utensil that is used to pry open the hard shell of an oyster or clam in order to remove the meat. Typically, the knife will have a short, very strong, sharp, beveled blade that is inserted into the tightly closed shell and twisted to pry the shell apart. The blade is then used to cut through the muscle and oyster membrane. A round shield is built into the handle in order to protect the hand from the sharp edges of the shell if the hand would slip while trying t pry open the shell. It also serves as a spot to place the thumb for a firmer grip when holding both the oyster and the knife. |
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| Traditionally, this utensil is a small knife with a straight, sharp blade that is generally three to five inches long. Its thin, narrow blade is tapers to a point at the tip. It is easy to handle and works well for peeling and coring foods or mincing and cutting small items. Working with small bits of food or small ingredients, such as shallots, garlic or fresh herbs, can easily be accomplished with this knife. |
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A knife with a long slender blade that is used for cutting thin slices of meat from roast beef, roast pork and ham. The knife has a long blade so it can easily cut across a large roast. The roast beef knife is available in different lengths, such as 10", 12" and 14" blades. They are also available with different blade edges. They can be found with a straight edge, wavy edge, or hollow edge. They are designed so that the meat will cut smoothly and not be torn as it is being sliced. |
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A sharp-bladed kitchen utensil used to slice through a medium amount of food ingredients "sandwiched" between two slices of bread. Similar in use to a deli knife, the sandwich knife is shorter in length with a shorter blade depth in order to easily cut through smaller to medium-sized sandwiches. Sandwich knives will typically be made from stainless steel with a serrated blade that works best for slicing bread, soft fruits, soft vegetables, and food dishes such as pies, quiches, and sandwiches. Available in sizes from 6 to 12 inches, the sandwich knife is designed to handle small to medium-sized sandwiches with the small to medium blade sizes and larger sandwiches with the larger blade sizes. |
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A type of knife commonly used to prepare ingredients for Asian food dishes. This knife is very similar to a chef's knife with a wide blade that has a long straight edge curving up slightly at the end. The main difference is that the santoku knife has a wider blade that is thinner in thickness, shorter in length, and curves up very gradually at the end providing a straighter cutting edge. Constructed of high-carbon stainless steel, stainless steel, ceramic, or titanium, this knife will typically be expensive to purchase, since it is precision made to be well balanced and well formed for ease of handling and greater control. With a thinner blade than a chef's knife, the santoku can cut smoothly and more precisely through dense vegetables, which may have a tendency to provide more resistance when using thicker width blades.
Versions of this knife are manufactured with either a standard-edged blade or a hollow ground edge, also known as a granton edge. The purpose of the granton style blade is to assist with keeping particles from sticking to the knife edge as it chops small bits of food as well as a friction reducer to provide less drag when chopping, which enables easier and faster motion. Santoku knives are used for chopping, dicing, and slicing foods into narrow or fine pieces so they can be added as ingredients to enhance the look or flavors of the various foods being prepared. This knife also works well for butterflying boneless chicken breasts, providing a manageability and ease of handling for the cutting required to butterfly poultry.
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A traditional Japanese knife used for preparing a variety of foods quickly and with ease. Exceptionally sharp-edged, the Sashimi knife typically has a hollow-ground blade that is 16 to 18 inches in length. The sharp cutting edge on the Sashimi knife is very thin, providing a blade that can be easily sharpened. Excellent for slicing but not for chopping, the blade of the Sashimi knife is generally not made for the higher impact of the chopping action that dulls or may chip the blade on this type of knife. Slicing or dicing vegetables, fruits, meats and fish are common tasks handled well with this type of knife. |
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A knife with a sharp edge that has saw-like notches or teeth. The blade of a serrated knife is 5 to 10 inches long. Serrated knives are difficult to sharpen; therefore many chefs spend less on a serrated knife and buy new more often.
A serrated knife with a long blade is used to slice through food that is hard on the outside and soft on the inside, such as slicing through the hard crusts of bread. A serrated knife with a short, thin blade is intended for slicing fruits and vegetables.
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A knife used to cut slices of cooked or smoked meat, poultry and fish. There are many varieties of slicing knives, which vary in blade width, blade length, flexibility, pointed to rounded tips, and type of cutting edge. The construction of the knife depends on its use. Frequently the terms slicing knife and carving knife are used interchangeably, but the carving knife is actually a variety of slicing knife. Some common slicing knives are shown below.
Carving Knife - Generally made of a fairly thin blade that is at least 8 inches long and has little flexibility. The blade has a pointed tip designed to aid in cutting meat away from the bone. The carving knife works well to slice hot meats such as roast beef and roast pork. Often the carving knife comes with a carving fork that is used to anchor the meat while carving.
Meat and Fish Slicers - Knives designed for slicing meat, such as poultry, ham, and fish. They have a long narrow blade that is more flexible than a carving knife and generally at least 10 inches long so it will reach across a large ham or roast. They will range in flexibility depending on the type of meat being cut. A slicer used for ham and fish would have a more flexible blade than a knife used for slicing poultry. The slicer can have a pointed tip, used to cut in around a bone or it can have a rounded tip for slicing boneless meat or fish.
General Purpose Slicer - Includes various types and sizes of slicers. They range from 6 to 9 inches in length and their size makes them easy to handle for cutting and slicing smaller cuts of meat. A general purpose slicer can also be used to slice some fruits and vegetables.
Electric Knife - There are also electric knives available, which are used for slicing, carving and cutting. The electric knife consists of two very sharp, thin blades that move independently in a back and forth motion to slice or carve through many different types of food.
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| A knife used for cutting main courses such as steak and chicken. The knife usually has a blade that is 4 to 6 inches long and varies in thickness. Depending on the manufacturer, the blade may or may not be serrated. Since serrated knives cannot be sharpened, they require less sharpening maintenance than the straight-edged blade, but eventually the serrated edge becomes dull and requires replacement. To lengthen the life of the serrated blade, do not wash the in the dishwasher. The dishwasher detergent will dull the blade. |
Tomato Knife
| A serrated edged knife used to slice food that has a tough exterior and a softer middle, such as tomatoes or salami. This knife is similar to a bread knife only smaller. It is used for tasks that a bread knife would be too large and awkward to use. |
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A small lightweight knife used for miscellaneous light cutting. It has a blade that is 4 to 7 inches long, which is slightly larger than a paring knife. This utensil can cut food items that are too large for a paring knife but too small for a chef's knife, such as cucumbers, larger apples, smaller squash, and other mid-sized items. Similar to the paring knife, this knife works well for herbs, shallots, fruits, vegetables, and larger pieces of garlic.
Utility knives are available with a straight-edge blade or a serrated blade. Serrated blades will typically require fewer sharpenings than straight-edged blades. However, they do become dull over time, so it is best to hand wash the blade to eliminate harsh dishwasher detergents from dulling the blade.
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There are several things to consider when you are going to purchase knives, such as price, functionality, maintenance, and comfort. When purchasing knives, always purchase the best quality you can afford. Good quality knives will make the task of using them more efficient and they will last much longer than less expensive knives. When choosing knives, consider the tips below to ensure that you purchase the right knife for you.
Tips for Choosing the Right Knife:
- Purchase individual knives rather than selecting a set. If you do select a set, consider what types of knives are included because many times sets will include some knives that you will not use often. It may be hard to find a set where all the knives have the right fit for you. You may be better off purchasing fewer knives and selecting those of better quality that will fit your needs better.
- Your first set of knives should include the four following items: chef's knife, pairing knife, utility knife and a serrated/bread knife. These knives should take care of most of the basic cutting task. Add more specialized knives as your budget allows.
- Before purchasing a knife, be sure to understand its features to ensure it will perform the tasks desired.
- Be sure to pick up the knife and see how it feels in your hand. It should be comfortable to grasp and it should feel balanced. Be sure it is well weighted. A heavy knife will require less effort when slicing and chopping.
- Consider the type of blade and blade edge the knife has and the care and maintenance involved. Some blades will need sharpening more often than others and some will need professional sharpening because of the type of blade edge they have. See Knife Bladesand Blade Cutting Edges.
Maintaining and Storing Knives
- To extend the lifetime of your knives, wash them by hand. Knives that are washed in the dishwasher are exposed to harsh detergents, which will dull the cutting edge and they are exposed to intense and varied temperatures that can affect the temper of the steel. Damage is also likely to occur to the sharp edge of a knife if allowed to be knocked around by other items in a dishwasher.
- Wipe knives clean immediately after use to prevent the discoloration of the blade. This practice will also help to prevent foods from hardening onto the blade, allowing for easier cleaning.
- When washing in a sink of warm soapy water, do not place the knife in the sink with other items. This will avoid injury to the person washing the knife and it will avoid damage to the blade from the other items. Do not allow the knife to soak in the water. This will prevent damage to the blade and handle. Wash and dry immediately.
| Tip: Safely clean knives by laying the blade on a flat surface and wipe one side with a wet cloth, then turn and wipe the other side. Always use hot, soapy water to clean a knife that has been used to cut poultry, meat, or fish. |
- If available, store knives in a wooden or polyethylene knife block. If one is not available, store knives in a sheath or, at a minimum, store the knives away from other utensils to prevent damage to the sharp edges.
- Make sure knives are kept sharp. A dull knife requires more effort when using and the more effort that is used, the more chance the blade can slip and cause injury. To test the sharpness of a blade, pull the blade lightly over a tomato. The blade should make a clean cut through the skin with little effort. Another method of testing the sharpness of a blade is to take a sheet of paper and try to cut strips from it by slicing with the knife. The knife should cut smoothly through the paper without resistance.
- Use a wood or polyethylene cutting board. Wood and polyethylene cutting boards create less resistance to the knife edge than ceramic, metal, or plastic cutting boards.
Tip: To prevent contamination, wash cutting boards with hot soapy water immediately after use. Periodically, cutting boards should be sanitized by spraying the surface with a solution of bleach and water, letting it stand for a short time, then wiping it with a clean cloth.
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