Cutting veggies and meat is a critical aspect of preparing meals.
Perfect cuts are key to good cooking.
So…
Whether you’re a professional chef or simply enjoy preparing great delicacies for your loved ones, you can improve your game with the right knife. Therefore, it’s essential to learn the essence of various types of cuts and how you can keep them at your fingertips.
Food, according to pro chefs, is relished through your eyes before tasting it with your mouth. Perfectly-diced veggies aren’t better tasting, but more visually-appealing.
However, a perfect dish that’s well-presented, according to the professional chefs, has perfectly-diced vegetables to required size. This explains the essence of this concept if you want to be a pro chef or expert food artist.
You must work with the best kitchen tools and the right blades as a chef or cook to enable your superior skill and precision. Different knives are built for varied purposes.
If you cook on a daily basis and experiment with varied meals, you need a large range of professional steel knives such as the Japanese Honshu knives. However, if you cook occasionally, you may need to pair a chef’s knife with a paring knife to meet your basic cutting needs.
Your cooking field, experience level and the techniques and skill you need from a knife’s blade determine the right type of knives for you.
A good set of kitchen knives make a great companion in the kitchen. They can make a big difference in your kitchen. A life changing difference!
You’ll be able to chop veggies easily and enjoy the entire process all the way. When it comes to kitchen knives, there’re lots of options on the market.
Ranging from dicing to slicing to paring and carving, kitchen knives are versatile and so are the varied types available out there. Whether you’re looking for your first set of knives or simply want to add to your existing collection, here’re some knife types to consider:
6 Kitchen Knives You Can Use to Prepare Veggies from Your Kitchen Garden
- Chef’s knives
A chef’s knife is the most versatile kitchen knife. Built with broad and sharp blades, the versatile knives can allow you to accomplish various tasks in the kitchen. The knives range in length from 6 to 14 inches and thus ideal for getting the finest cuts.
You can use a chef’s knife for:
- Dicing veggies
- Slicing herbs
- Cutting meat
- Chopping nuts
- Disjointing certain cuts
- Utility knives
The utility knife is shorter than a chef’s knife but longer than a paring knife. Also known as “sandwich knives,” utility knives feature both straight and serrated blades. It’s a solid all-rounder in your kitchen.
It ranges in length from 4 to 7 inches and ideal for:
- Slicing herbs
- Slicing buns and bagels
- Slicing meat
- Chopping veggies
- Cutting sandwiches
- Other general cutting tasks
- Slicing knives
Slicing knives, just like carving knives, feature long, thin blades with pointed or round tips. Unlike carving knives, slicing knives have a more flexible blade. The knives are ideal for cutting thinner slices of fruits, roast and vegetables.
The knives range in length from 8 to 14 inches. They’re ideal for:
- Preparing fruit salads
- Slicing and cutting meats into thin carves
- Preparing veggies
- Peeling fruits and veggies and other small precision tasks
- Paring knives
Designed with sharp, simple and precise blades, paring knives are small with short blades. They’re used for intricate peeling, cutting, dicing, and mincing.
The knives range in length from 3.5 to 4 inches. However, some measure 2.5 inches long. They’re ideal for:
- Deveining prawns
- Cutting and peeling small fruits and veggies
- Deseeding fruits
- Cutting veggies and herbs such as garlic
- Vegetables knives
A vegetable knife is exclusively or primarily used for cutting veggies. Although you can use most knives such as a chef’s knife and paring knives to cut veggies, vegetable knives are specifically designed for the task.
For instance, the Japanese Nakiri Bocho with straight edges is designed for cutting veggies only. Ranging in length from 5 to 7 inches, the knives are ideal for:
- Cutting veggies
- Slicing veggies
- Chopping veggies
- Dicing veggies
The vegetable knives can cut both small and large vegetables.
- Cleaver
Also known as a ‘butcher’s knife’, the cleaver is heavy and sharp with sharp-beveled edges. You’ll need this kind of knife in a restaurant or butcher to help prepare meat.
It features thick blades whose thickness vary depending on the type of cuts you intend to make. Ranging in length from 6 to 12 inches, the cleaver is ideal for:
- Faster dicing of fruits and vegetables (smaller cleavers)
- Splitting thicker and larger veggies such as squash and melon
- Splitting thick meat from bone.
The Lengths of Knives
The varied lengths of knives include:
- 3.5 inch knives for general purposes
- 5 inch knives for chopping herbs and veggies
- 7 inch knives for slicing herbs, dicing veggies and chopping nuts.
- 8.5 inch knives for larger food preparation tasks such as smaller precision tasks
- 12 inch knives for cutting thick and dense veggies such as squash and melons
When choosing the right kitchen knife for you, make sure that it meets your specific needs. They may include:
- Everyday cooking
- Beginner chef
- Professional chef
- Pastry chef
- Apprentice professional
Conclusion
Some kitchen knives are general purpose while others specific applications. With different sizes, styles, brands and lengths on the market, choosing the right knife may be overwhelming.
But, you can properly cut vegetables or herbs from your kitchen garden with the right knife. The right knife blade allows you to conquer and control high-performance tasks in your kitchen. You can rest easy when you need to cut or prepare vegetables from your own garden, knowing that you possess the right kitchen knife.