A Chef’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Kitchen Knife
spine handle tip blade bolster rivets c utting edge heel
of a knife handle tip butt blade tang FORGED vs STAMPED FORGED KNIVES are heated and pounded using a single piece of metal. Because STAMPED KNIVES are stamped out of metal; much like you’d imagine a license plate would be stamped theyANATOMY are typically crafted by an expert, they are typically more expensive, but are of higher quality. out of a sheet of metal. These types of knives are typically less expensive and the blade is thinner and lighter.
KNIFEedges
Plain/Straight Edge Granton/Hollow Serrated Most knives come with a plain The grooves in a granton This knife edge is perfect for cutting edge. This edge helps the knife edge knife help keep food through bread crust, cooked meats, cut cleanly through foods. from sticking to the blade. tomatoes & other soft foods.
STRAIGHT GRANTON SERRATED Types of knives PARING KNIFE
99Pairing 99Pairing 99Asian 99Asian 99Steak 99Cheese STEAK KNIFE 99Utility 99Asian 99Santoku Knife 99Butcher 99Utility 99Carving Knife 99Fillet 99Cheese 99Cleaver 99Bread BUTCHER KNIFE 99Chef’s Knife 99Boning Knife 99Santoku Knife 99Carving Knife UTILITY KNIFE
MEAT CHEESE KNIFE (INCLUDING FISH & POULTRY »»PAIRING »»CLEAVER »»ASIAN »»CHEF’S KNIFE FILLET KNIFE »»UTILITY »»BONING KNIFE »»BUTCHER »»SANTOKU KNIFE »»FILLET CLEAVER
PRODUCE CHEF’S KNIFE »»PAIRING »»CHEF’S KNIFE »»ASIAN »»SANTOKU KNIFE »»UTILITY »»CARVING KNIFE BONING KNIFE »»CLEAVER
CHEESE SANTOKU KNIFE »»PAIRING »»CHEESE »»ASIAN »»CHEF’S KNIFE »UTILITY » BREAD KNIFE
COOKED MEAT CARVING KNIFE »»STEAK »»FILLET »»ASIAN »»CARVING ASIAN KNIVES offer a type of metal and processing that BREAD is unmatched by other types of knives typically produced from »»ASIAN »»BREAD the European style of production.
»»STEAK »»CLEAVER »»PAIRING »»ASIAN »»ASIAN »»CHEF’S »»STEAK »»CHEESE PEELING CHOPPING »»BUTCHER »»SANTOKU
»»ASIAN »»STEAK »»CHEF’S »»BUTCHER »»ASIAN »»SANTOKU DICING CRUSHING »»CLEAVER
»»STEAK »»UTILITY »»CHEF’S »»BREAD SLICING »»ASIAN »»CHEESE »»SANTOKU »»CARVING »»STEAK »»FILLET »»STEAK »»FILLET »»ASIAN »»BONING »»ASIAN »»BONING BONING »»BUTCHER FILLETING
»»PAIRING »»PAIRING »»STEAK »»STEAK CORING »»ASIAN DETAIL WORK »»ASIAN
GETTING STARTED WITH A KNIFE COLLECTION WHEN YOU’RE NEW TO THE KNIFE COLLECTION CLUB, OUR CHEFS RECOMMEND STARTING OFF WITH: 8” CHEF’S 3.5” PARING 6” BONING
THE NEXT RECOMMENDED KNIVES TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION INCLUDE:
KITCHEN SHEARS 6” SANTOKU (Granton) 9” BREAD
AND CONTINUE BUILDING OUT THE COLLECTION WITH THESE: 4” PARING (It’s nice to have 2 sizes) 6” CHEF (It’s nice to have 2 sizes) 7” FILET (Flexible) 10” CARVING/SLICING
BASIC KNIFE CUTS chef UNIFORM CUTS batonnet cuts {½” x ½” x 3” { large dice {¾” x ¾” x ¾” { medium dice
make the batonnet cut, allumette {½” x ½” x ½” { then cut into even cubes {¼” x ¼” x 2” { small dice make the allumette cut, julienne {¼” x ¼” x ¼” { then cut into even cubes 1 1 { ⁄8” x ⁄8” x 2” { brunoise 1 1 1 make the julienne cut, then cut into even cubes STICKS CUBES { ⁄8” x ⁄8” x ⁄8” {
PEELremoving the skin from vegetables and fruits IRREGULAR CUTS NOT UNIFORMLY CUT ZESTsmall grates of the skin from vegetables and fruits SLICE chopping the foods into thin or thick slices MINCEchopping foods into very small pieces CHOPcutting into irregular shaped pieces SHRED cutting foods into thin pieces (like with a grater) BIAS CUT CHIFFONADE a cut made in a wave-like motion to ensure similar rolling leaves into a cigar shape, then shredding size slices with irregular shaped foods like carrots
typically found with Asian stir-fried veggies, like carrots and squash, this cut uses the back of the ROLL CUT knife to slice through the veggie; the veggie is then rolled each time a new cut is made to form wedges
A blunt edge of a knife IS NEVER SAFE HONING in the kitchen angles The Blunt too much 30% % A blunt edge with rounded shoulders and irregular cutting angles ideal 20 % Whether it be a burred or wired edge that needs too little10 to be honed or a full on blunt edge that needs to be re-sharpened, here’s what the blunt edge edge Butcher steel of a knife looks like.