Cooking Basics: Knives 101

8 Common Kitchen Knives

1. Chef’s Knife: The blade’s smooth, curved edge and sharp tip make this knife an all-purpose tool. Reach for it to: Chop, dice and mince foods, like fresh vegetables; cut raw meat before cooking; and shred cabbage. Avoid cutting cooked breads and meats with it.

Tip: While carbon steel blades are easier to sharpen, they rust and stain easily. Ceramic knives stay sharper for longer, but are brittle and prone to shattering. For the easiest upkeep, opt for stainless steel or high carbon stainless steel knives (they don’t contain enough carbon to discolor).

2. Bread Knife: A long, serrated edge doesn’t tear or crush bread (or cakes!), yet is still sharp enough to saw through crust. Opt for a long-bladed bread knife—cutting with one that’s shorter than the loaf results in jagged, uneven slices.

3. Paring Knife: Perfect for peeling produce and other precise prep work, it acts as a miniature chef’s knife. Have it on hand for: de-seeding jalapeños; coring apples and pears; de-veining shrimp; and slicing garlic cloves and shallots.

Tip: We think every well-stocked kitchen needs the three knives above, and it’s worth investing in quality models that will last and last. Before buying the specialty knives below, consider how much use they’ll really get.

4. Tomato Knife: Specially designed to slice through the smooth, rubbery skin of a tomato (or even citrus fruits) without crushing the flesh. We recommend the fork-tipped type, as the prongs simplify skin and seed removal.

5. Cheese Knife: The unique texture of cheese requires a special knife. Consider a multi-purpose model—the one we’ve shown can slice semi-soft cheeses, shave hard cheese, spread soft cheese and pierce most cheeses for serving.

Tip: When it comes to handles, choose what feels most comfortable in your palm.

6. Steak Knife: More for the table than the cutting board, it slices steaks, pork chops and other meaty foods like mushrooms. Though they require more maintenance, smooth-edged styles are best. They cleanly slice (rather than tear) the meat, meaning juicier bites and less pooling on your plate.

Tip: Forged blades are hand-pounded into shape, and therefore have a higher price tag. While stamped blades—those cut from a single piece of steel—cost less, they dull and break more easily.

7. Rocking Knife: Like the crescent-shaped mezzaluna, this handheld knife has an extreme curve to its blade, making it easy to rock back and forth. Use it to mince fresh herbs or filet fish.

8. Grapefruit Knife: The dull, double-sided blade easily separates grapefruit sections from the inner membrane. If you enjoy the fruit often, consider a set of grapefruit knives and spoons.

Kitchen Knife Care Tips 
To keep your knives in tip-top shape, follow these guidelines:

• Hand wash. The dishwasher can quickly dull knife blades, so hand wash them with Ultra Dawn®.

• Store properly. Kept in a drawer with no protection, cutlery gets beat up by other utensils. Consider stowing them in a knife block, or—better yet—hang them on a magnetic strip where only adults can reach them.
• Sharpen regularly. When your smooth-edged knives start to dull, grind and hone the edges back into shape with a sharpening stone or electric sharpener. Refer to the manufacturer’s guide for specific instructions. And always have serrated knives professionally sharpened.

Tip: Most knife sets come with a handled, rod-like tool known as a steel. Over time, the center of the knife blade shifts, and the steel helps re-center it: Holding the knife in one hand and the steel in another, carefully draw the knife blade down the steel, working in one direction. Repeat 10 times for each side of the blade. Learn more cooking basics from Home Made Simple.

What kitchen knife do you use most? Tell us why you can’t cook without it, then share your care tips and tricks in the commenting section below.