The chef’s knife is used for various kitchen tasks such as cutting fruits, chopping herbs, julienning carrots, dicing veggies, slicing meat, and mincing garlic. Chef knives can even cut through small or soft bones without much effort. With the right chef knife, you’ll be able to prep your meals quickly and easily.
Choosing the Right Chef Knife For You
A good chefs knife may differ according to individual factors such as the size of your hand, the style of your cooking, and the level of comfort of the handles. It’s also important to note the type of food you often prepare in the kitchen as chefs' knives while being a versatile kitchen knife can vary heavily by brand and construction. When it comes down to choosing a quality chef’s knife, think about how often you will be using the knife. While all knives require a certain level of care, some knives may require extra care due to their material and durability. If you use your chef’s knife daily, your knife will also require regular resharpening to maintain the blade’s edge. Using the right knife sharpener, you can easily hone your blade back to its original sharpness.
The Different Chef Knife Sizes
Typically, a chef’s knife measures between 15 to 25cm. Most professional and home cooks generally go for 20cm knives as it’s the ideal size for big or small kitchen tasks. If you prefer a knife for a more specific use, consider using a shorter or longer blade, depending on the type of food you typically work with. A longer blade (20-25cm) allows you to cut larger volumes of food. Meanwhile, a smaller or shorter chef’s knife (15cm-18cm) is more agile and ideal for slicing fruits, mincing garlic, or dicing tomatoes.
The Most Common Chef Knife Materials
Stainless steel - durable, resistant to rust, has excellent strength-to-weight, it is one of the most common materials for domestic kitchen knives such as chefs knives.
High carbon steel - offers incredible sharpness and is highly durable, easier to sharpen compared to other materials. It does however blunt more easily due to having a generally higher Rockwell hardness and can be prone to chipping if dropped.
Damascus steel - excellent durability, superb edge retention and sharpness, more expensive than other knife materials due to its layered construction that creates a wavy effect. Damascus steel is a style of construction rather than a material type as its material composition can vary between brands.
Ceramic - extremely sharp and can maintain sharpness well, lightweight, easy to handle for a long duration of use, non-reactive to acidic foods, resistant to rust and corrosion, not suitable for cutting through hard ingredients like bones.
The Handle is Important When Choosing A Chef Knife
Your knife handle plays a vital part in your blade. For a start, you don’t want to use a knife with an uncomfortable handle every day. A good handle ensures that your knife offers a safe grip while cutting. A good handle should also have a clear underside so you don’t knock your fingers as you chop. Below are some of the top few categories of kitchen knife handle materials to consider:
Wood Knife Handles - often the most comfortable and reliable handle with superior durability. This type usually holds an aesthetic appearance and features various colours and wood grains to give each handle a unique look. Common wood handle materials are Pakka Wood, African Blackwood, Oakwood, and Birchwood.
Pros:
Comfortable and reliable
Superior durability
Holds an attractive appearance and pattern
Readily available
Cons:
Porous and sensitive to heat and water damage due to prolonged use when exposed
Some wood materials may be costly
Require more care including oiling to maintain their appearance
Stainless Steel Knife Handles - sturdy, durable, comfortable to grip, and steadily built for easy gripping.
Pros:
Excellent durability
Comfortable to hold
Seamless finish
Cons:
Can be slippery and may cause your hand to lose grip easily
Can be quite heavy for some users
Some steel materials can be costly
Not every handle may have a non-slip grip
Synthetic handles - designed to have an attractive appearance, durable and lightweight. Common synthetic handles include plastic and Micarta (a mixture of fibreglass and several plastic components). The plastic or polymer handles tend to be commonly used with brands like Swibo knives as they are ergonomic, hygienic and won't slip in wet environments like fisheries or reduce fatigue which is especially important when working with commercial volumes of meat or seafood.
Pros:
Incredibly durable and strong
Lightweight for easy handling
Smooth texture
Resistant to cracks
Easy to clean
Cons:
May get slippery unless specifically designed to be textured.
Harder to maintain its original appearance
Can wear faster with age
The Best Chef Knives for Home Cooks
Choosing a knife that is suitable for beginners or home cooks, you’re likely going to be looking for a knife that requires less maintenance, and is great quality but at an affordable price point. If you’re just learning how to cook or need a sharp, tough, and low-maintenance chef's knife, a simple and solid option we recommend is Victorinox made in Switzerland or a Global chef’s knife produced in Japan. Both Victorinox and Global knives have reputations for being high-quality and built to last longer than regular knives. If you’re on a budget, consider Furi knives as they cost less and are known for long-lasting durability.
The Best Chef Knives for Professional Chefs
The chef knife is among the most common cheffing knives professional cooks use. Professional chefs usually look for knives with superior edge retention, comfort through prolonged usage, and knives that are well-balanced and weighted for effortless slicing, dicing, and chopping. In most cases, the cost of a knife is not a key factor, as most professional chefs want a high-quality blade for extended use in the kitchen regardless of its price point.
Among the most popular knives loved by professional chefs globally are undoubtedly Wusthof and Shun chef knives. These knives are handcrafted to perfection and designed for purpose and function. Wusthof’s chef knife is highly favoured for its design and ease of use, making food prep effortless and pleasurable. The Shun chef knife is handcrafted in Japan with a reputation for being used by sashimi chefs that require precision in slicing performance thanks to its innovative cutting edge. These knives are however more delicate than a Wusthof and should be treated with care and sharpened frequently with a whetstone.
The Most Popular Chef Knife Brands
Other knife brands that are loved by professional chefs and enthusiasts are:
Global – designed and made in Japan, with blades featuring a unique and seamless stainless steel construction with their patented CROMOVA steel and dimpled handles integrated into the same one-piece of steel that is both hygienic and functional.
Shun: handcrafted in Japan, the ideal kitchen knife for both pro chefs and serious home cooks.
Miyabi: crafted in Japan by skilled artisans, a popular choice in Australia for optimal edge retention, flexibility, and high corrosion resistance.
Wusthof – forged in Solingen, Germany, highly favoured by Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay.
Victorinox – high-quality Swiss-made knives ideal for all kitchens and homes with their Fibrox range which are fantastic for butchers and fisheries due to their highly ergonomic and nonslip grips.
Furi - designed in Australia, endorsed by famous Australian-Chinese chef Kylie Kwong.
Choosing between Japanese Chef Knives & German Chef Knives
Not all chef’s knives fall into the same category. Rather, the most notable knife styles used by professional chefs and home cooks are Japanese and German-style chef knives.
Japanese knives tend to be lighter with a thinner blade and straighter edge with a subtle tip. This is the knife to go for if you’re working with delicate cuts and require extremely precise knifework, such as making thin slices of sashimi. One of the best Japanese chef’s knives is the Global chef’s knife. Other popular Japanese knife brands are such as Shun, and Miyabi.
On the other hand, German knives are built heavier with a thicker and more curved blade to allow the knife to rock back and forth easily for effortless mincing and dicing. German knives also tend to be easier to sharpen. The most popular European knives are those from German knife brands likeWusthof or Messermeister as well as the iconic Swiss-made Victorinox knives.
The Difference Between Japanese Chef Knives and Chinese Chef Knives
Chinese chef knives, also known as caidao, feature a thin and slim blade with a straight edge for mincing, crushing, pounding, chopping and slicing food. The main difference between a Chinese and a Japanese chef knife lies in the balance and the shape of the blade, with the Chinese variation having no blade curve.
While the Chinese chef knife may be shaped like a cleaver, it is nothing like a meat cleaver. Instead, it is primarily a vegetable knife for chopping, peeling, and slicing delicate meat. The square flat surface of the blade is also wide enough to scoop up chopped ingredients and strong enough for you to utilise the spine to crush and flatten ingredients like garlic. The blade steel on a Chinese chef knife is also generally thinner and more delicate. It is certainly not the kind of knife to chop hard bones.
Professional Chef Knives
We get it, chefs are picky about their knives! Pro chefs often use their instruments daily from morning to night, so it’s essential to have a high-quality chef’s knife that is agile and durable enough for general kitchen tasks without being too bulky. In general, professional chefs focus on a knife’s weight, balance, design and comfortability over an extended period of use in the kitchen.
Other Popular Kitchen Knives
In addition to the Chef Knife, there are various kitchen knives for different applications. One knife may be excellent for cutting and slicing meat, but may not be as superior for chopping hard bones. Pick the right knife for the right task! Below is a list of the most popular knives used by home cooks and pro chefs.
Utility Knife – similar to a chef’s knife but smaller and more slender in shape with a sharp tip. Ideal for cutting smaller vegetables like shallots, slicing fruits, and cutting soft pieces of meat
Paring Knife – smaller and shorter in size compared to a chef’s knife, designed for intricate tasks like peeling and more detailed and delicate cutting
Santoku Knife – a long, slightly tapered blade with a thinner edge than a chef’s knife to allow for more precise, intricate cutting tasks. A key feature of Santoku knives are the Granton edges which appear like ridges on the flat side of the blade to create air pockets to prevent food from sticking to the knife—ideal for preparing sushi or raw fish or finely slicing vegetables.
Boning Knife – a thin, long and flexible blade that’s agile to manoeuvre along the curves of the bone to separate large meat efficiently
Filleting Knife – similar in shape and size to a boning knife, but with a thinner blade to effortlessly slice raw fish into thin and smooth slices
Butcher knife – also known as a meat cleaver, features a flat, rectangular blade for heavy-duty tasks such as chopping meaty flesh and tough bones
Bread Knife – a long, serrated blade to easily cut through the crust of any bread neatly, also ideal for slicing tomatoes and carving meat.
Vegetable Knife - sometimes called a Nakiri knife - a small and slimmer version of a cleaver, rectangular with a straight edge that’s extremely sharp for cutting and chopping larger-sized vegetables such as potatoes, broccoli, and beetroot
FAQs
What is the best chef knife?
There is no universal best chef’s knife. Instead, the ideal knife would ultimately depend on personal preference and the type of food you cook. We recommend the Global chef knife for home cooks and the Wusthof for both pro chefs and passionate foodies.
What is the chef knife used for?
The chef knife is an all-purpose knife that is ideal for general tasks in the kitchen such as chopping vegetables, mincing garlic, julienning carrots, and slicing meat.
Is there a difference between a cook's knife and a chef's knife?
Although nearly similar in shape and size, the cook’s knife can occasionally differ from a chef’s knife in two ways: 1) a cook’s knife may sometimes spot a curved blade at the tip’s end, and 2) a cook’s knife is more lightweight due to lesser steel usage in the blade. These differences aside, the cook’s knife can still be referred to as a multi-purpose blade for slicing, chopping and dicing. However, the curved tip may cause it to be less efficient with fibrous foods.
What is the difference between a santoku knife and a chef's knife?
The Santoku knife is a Japanese-designed knife that functions similarly to a chef’s knife. However, the santoku knife features scalloped edges (or dimples on the flat side of the blade) which creates air pockets to prevent sliced food from sticking to the blade.
Why should I buy a Chef Knife from Everten?
We have one of the widest selections of chef knives and chef knife set options from Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Here at Everten, we stock only quality knives favoured and recommended by enthusiastic home cooks and professional chefs. We also listen to our customers, receiving feedback from those that work in the hospitality industry who are experienced using the brands of knives we supply as well as testing them ourselves at home.
Whether you are an apprentice chef that has just started hospitality school, a seasoned chef that has been working for decades, a butcher or simply a home cook, we have the product knowledge and experience to help you find the right knives for your needs and budget.
