Every home and professional cook will vouch that having a good knife is essential in any kitchen. Picking the right set of knives can be challenging due to the variety of Kitchen Knives available, as different types of knives are designed to serve different purposes. From paring knives to utility knives, let's look at the most commonly seen knife styles and the most popular kitchen knives in 2023.
Most popular knife styles
European and Japanese knives are the two most commonly seen knife styles. Each knife has its distinct style with unique characteristics favoured by chefs and home cooks worldwide.
European KnivesKnown for their durability, robustness, and versatility, European knives typically have thicker, heavier blades ideal for tasks requiring more force, such as chopping through bones or tough ingredients. The blade edges are often less acute, making them more forgiving and easier to sharpen.
Japanese KnivesOn the other hand, Japanese knives are renowned for their precision, sharpness, and craftsmanship. They feature thinner, lighter blades with sharper angles, allowing for effortless slicing and delicate cuts. Japanese knives excel in tasks that demand finesse, such as intricate vegetable work or precise fish filleting. The blade steel used in Japanese knives often boasts exceptional hardness, ensuring a long-lasting edge.
Which are the most used knives in a kitchen?
Chef’s Knife
A chef's knife, also known as a cook's knife, is one of the most important kitchen tools thanks to its versatility. It is commonly found in any kitchen, ideal for a wide range of cutting tasks.
The chef's knife normally has a broad blade with lengths ranging between 15cm and 30cm, with 20cm being the most common and popular length. It is tapered upward to a point for stability and balance for swift slicing. You can use it to dice vegetables, cut meat, peel fruits, or chop herbs and nuts.
Here are some popular Chef’s Knives:
Global Chefs Knife G-2 20cm
With Global’s Chefs Knife on hand, slicing, dicing, and chopping will be a breeze. This Global knife is crafted from high-carbon stainless steel forged with the same skills that produce samurai swords. The seamless construction prevents food or dirt from being trapped anywhere on the blade or handle, so it remains hygienic with every use.
Shun Classic Chef’s Knife 20cm
This classic chef's knife from Shun Knives is skilfully forged with 32 micro-layers of Damascus steel to strengthen the VG-10 cutting core. As a result, it provides the blade with added durability and a beautiful water ripple design. The ebony Pakkawood handle offers a comfortable grip and will remain pristine for years to come, thanks to its moisture-resistant characteristic.
Victorinox Rosewood Chefs Knife 20cm
Made in Switzerland from high-carbon stainless steel, the blade of this knife provides maximum sharpness and edge retention. The contoured Victorinox Rosewood handle features an ergonomic design for comfort and is triple-riveted for durability.
Wusthof Classic Ikon Chefs Knife 18cm
The blade on this knife from Wusthof Knives is ground thinner to minimise resistance when cutting for better slicing performance. The Wusthof Ikon knives are forged from a single stainless-steel piece and feature a classic, smooth, durable triple-riveted handle. The rounded spine adds extra comfort, while the contoured handle provides an ergonomic and comfortable cutting grip.
Paring Knife
A standard paring knife is a small multi-purpose knife with a 7cm to 10cm slightly curved blade profile. It is best used for peeling small fruits, deveining prawns and even trimming excess fat with precision and ease. A paring knife is the best tool for intricate cutting, so if you enjoy making lovely garnishes, you will come to appreciate having a paring knife in your kitchen.
Here are some popular Paring Knives:
Victorinox Paring Knife with Straight Blade 8cm Black
Don’t let the simple design of the Victorinox Paring Knife fool you. Its high carbon stainless steel blade is finished by a skilled Swiss craftsman. The razor-sharp edges make peeling and slicing effortless, whilst the textured fibrox handle provides extra grip and resistance.
Global GS-38 Paring Knife 9cm
Forged from high-carbon stainless steel, this Japanese knife has been ice tempered and hardened to Rockwell C56-58, resulting in a razor-sharp edge that will easily slice through any food. It retains its cutting edge for longer and will not easily stain, rust or corrode easily.
Wusthof Classic Ikon Paring Knife 9cm
Dubbed the second most important in the kitchen, the Wusthof paring knife features a small narrow blade with an easy-grip handle that makes peeling and slicing small produce a breeze. Its versatility makes it ideal for mincing shallots, onions, and herbs and cleaning and cutting vegetables.
Shun Premier Paring Knife 10cm
Handcrafted in Japan, the blade of this Shun Premier knife is thin and lightweight, delivering razor sharpness and precision when trimming, peeling and slicing fresh produce. The contoured Pakkawood handle is perfectly balanced for a secured grip when held by the handle or a pinch grip.
Bread Knife
If you’re wondering why a bread knife is included in this list, here’s why. A good bread knife is multi-functional thanks to its serrated blade. It complements and, to a certain extent, completes every cook’s knife collection. It effortlessly slices through crusty loaves of beautiful artisanal bread and is excellent for slicing delicate cakes, soft bread, and biscotti, slicing tomatoes, trimming a melon, shredding cabbage, and even carving meat. All those tasks are handled with just one knife!
A serrated knife will work wonders on hard, soft or slippery foods due to its ability to grip and pierce into surfaces that a straight and smooth edge is inadequate to achieve. Have you ever tried slicing through a soft loaf of bread or tomato but found yourself ruining it? A serrated knife will prevent that from happening.
Here are some popular Bread Knives:
Victorinox Swiss Classic Ergonomic Bread Knife 21cm
Manufactured in Switzerland, this bread knife by Victorinox Knives features a razor-sharp serrated edge that will easily slice through the toughest of crusts and glide through the soft interior. The textured fibrox handle is ergonomically designed to provide a comfortable, sure grip when slicing.
Wusthof Classic Ikon Bread Knife 20cm
This bread knife is part of the Wüsthof Classic Ikon range and is excellent for slicing through crunchy hard-crusted bread and even a birthday cake. It is forged from a single steel piece with a razor-sharp edge double grounded to 14° on each side. The half bolster makes it easy to sharpen the knife all the way to the end of the blade for easy single-motion slicing.
Global Bread Knife 22cm G-9
Crafted from high-quality CROMOVA 18 stainless steel, this Bread Knife from Global Knives is a large serrated knife that will effortlessly slice through thick crusts of artisanal bread or tough rinds of melons and gourds. It is perfectly balanced with a seamless construction, so food doesn’t get trapped, allowing you clean slices every time.
Santoku Knife
A Santoku Knife and a Chef’s Knife look so similar that it can be hard to tell apart to the untrained eye. They share similar physical traits and the same versatility that allows both to accomplish a wide variety of cutting tasks.
The main differences between the Chef’s Knife and the Santoku Knife are primarily in the origin and blade’s shape. The Santoku Knife originated from Japan and employs a single downward cut method, which some may point out as a faster and more efficient way of cutting. It is particularly ideal for creating wafer-thin slices required for garnishes. Here are some popular Santoku Knives:
Shun Classic Santoku Knife 18cm
Handcrafted in Japan, the Shun Classic Santoku Knife is forged with 32 layers of Stainless Damascus Steel. The blade is hand-grounded to a 16° bevel edge, while the D-shaped ebony Pakkawood handle offers ergonomic comfort while cutting. The width of the blade makes it great for transferring chopped ingredients from the chopping board to your cookware.
Global G-80 Santoku
Large Granton 18cm (G-48)
Global’s Santoku Knife is crafted in Japan from the finest stainless steel material, which is ice-tempered and hardened to deliver its razor-sharp cutting edge. The Granton edge on this knife allows you to create wafer-thin slices quickly and efficiently without anything sticking to the blade. Its seamless one-piece construction ensures you won’t have to worry about food getting stuck when chopping.
Wusthof Classic Santoku Granton Edge 17cm
Styled after the Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife, this Classic Santoku Knife is designed with a thinner blade at a 10° cutting edge. The blade has a hollow edge that creates air pockets to prevent food from sticking to the knife when slicing extra thin or soft slices. The perfectly balanced full-tang construction and innovative handle design provide ergonomic comfort to the user.
Furi Pro East West Santoku Knife 17cm
This Santoku Knife by Furi Knives combines the very best of unyielding sharpness from the East and unrivalled blade strength from the West. The scalloped indentations on the blade reduce friction and drag when performing fine chopping or thin-slicing tasks. Its one-piece construction keeps the knife free from harbouring bacteria, whilst the broad blade allows quick transfer of chopped ingredients when you cook.
Utility Knife
Also known as a “Petty Knife”, the Utility Knife falls somewhere between a Chef’s Knife and a Paring Knife. It typically has a fine thin blade with lengths between 10cm to 18cm and comes available in both serrated and smooth edge options.
Lighter than a Chef’s Knife and longer than a Paring Knife, the Utility Knife is perfect for cutting medium-sized produce such as apples, potatoes, pears and peppers. It can also be used for slicing sausages, hard cheeses, and even a sandwich if you have a serrated Utility Knife.
Here are some popular Utility Knives:
Furi Pro Utility Knife 15cm
This 15cm Utility Knife hits the sweet spot for efficiently executing daily prep tasks. Furi Pro knives are specially designed with professional chefs in mind. And now it has become a favourite amongst home cooks. The thin and light construct makes it nimble for swift slicing, whilst the reverse wedge handle provides a secure grip even when handling with wet hands. The 20° edge gives this knife the perfect balance of sharpness and stability, and it can be easily sharpened at home with a knife sharpener.
Global GS-14 Scalloped Utility Knife 15cm
Global’s Utility Knife will make a great addition to your knife collection. The scalloped edge keeps air out between the food and the blade with every slice, allowing wafer-thin slices to slide right off. The serration makes it ideal for slicing bread or trimming fruits and vegetables with thicker rinds. Crafted from a single piece of steel, the blade is ice tempered and hardened while the handle is filled with sand to achieve optimum weight for the perfect handle.
Wusthof Classic Ikon Utility Knife 12cm
This excellent German Utility Knife features a double bolster with synthetic handles and performs exceptionally well in slicing meat, vegetables and hard cheese. With a thinner grounded blade, there is lesser resistance when cutting, allowing you to create precise slices every time. The longer blade profile makes it suitable for cutting through larger food items such as bread, papaw, or pineapples.Having an array of knives in your kitchen will make your prepping life much easier. Need to peel shallots? Use a Paring Knife. Planning to cut some apples for your child’s lunch box? Let the Utility Knife help you with that. Attempting a one-pot meal with lots of ingredients to cut? A Chef or a Santoku Knife will look after those cutting tasks.
At Everten, you will find a wide range of kitchen knives that will cater to your different cutting needs. From a versatile Chef’s Knife to a modest Paring Knife, you will be sure to find what you need with us.
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