THE BASICS:
These include a chef’s knife, paring knife, utility knife and serrated knife. they will take you through most food preparation. The main thing is to select the right knife for the job nd for your cooking style.
CHEF’S KNIFE:
A large tapered blade, about 8 inches long, used for chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing.
PARRING KNIFE:
Similar to a chef’s knife with a tapered blade about 3 to 4 inches long, used for peeling and slicing fruits and vegetables.
UTILITY KNIFE:
A larger version of a parring knife, used for slicing meats and large vegetables.
SERRATED or SCALLOPED EDGE KNIFE:
Wonderful for cutting foods with tough skins or crusts such as tomatoes, roasts, ham and breads.
SPECIALTY CUTLERY:
Here are some specialty knives you may want to know about.
BIRD"S BEAK KNIFE:
great for working with round fruits and vegetables. It’s small size makes it easy to handle and a good tool for creating garnishes.
SANTOKU (Japanese cook’s knife).
Makes fast work of large amounts of chopping and the wide blade is a helpful scoop.
BABY CHEF’S KNIFE:
Has an extra wide blade with just the right curve to allow for good rocking motion when chopping and slicing.
CHEESE KNIFE:
Allows air between the food and the blade’s surface so the cheese doesn’t stick to it for a clean cut. The forked tip lets you lift and serve the sliced pieces.