A chef's knife, serrated knife, and paring knife are three essential tools for chefs, both home and professional.
Scott Suchman of the Washington Post.Food styling by Lisa Cherkasky
The variety of styles and types of knives that home cooks choose is mind-boggling. Many people end up getting one of these big block sets and continuing on with their cooking life, but most of the time those sets come with more than the average cook needs. Contains far more pieces.
In reality, most people only need three things: a beef knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife.
“If I could only have the bare essentials, these would be these three things,” says Nini Nguyen, chef, cooking instructor, and author of the upcoming cookbook Đặc Biệt in New Orleans. spoke to me via video call from his home. Here's what you need to know about each.
chef's knife
“Your chef's knife will become your workhorse,” Nguyen said. You'll be using this knife for most of your kitchen tasks, like slicing onions, chopping butternut squash, and shredding chicken. However, these kitchen MVPs give home cooks a lot of options when choosing what to add to their arsenal.
“But what kind of knife should you buy?” staff writer Tim Carman wrote in The Washington Post. “A Western knife with a soft V-shaped blade and a pointed tip? Or a Japanese Santoku or Nakiri knife with a harder single-edged blade and a more rounded (or flattened) tip? Or a hard Japanese knife? A hybrid knife that uses steel and has a heavier Western-style handle? The options seem endless.”
For Nguyen, the hybrid knife is her tool of choice. “I generally like Western knives made by Japanese companies,” she said. “I like the handle. I like the way it holds. But I like her 50-50 bevel because it's easier to sharpen.”
When it comes to sharpness, the material of the blade determines how long it will stay sharp. “I like Japanese powder steel because it stays sharp,” Nguyen said. “Carbon steel is very sharp, but it's also very soft and cuts easily.” That means it's high maintenance, and it's not recommended for the average home cook.
Size is also an important factor when choosing a gyuto. Nguyen likes an average 8-inch knife, but finds longer knives a little unwieldy. For cooks with small hands, she recommends a paring knife, about 5 to 6 inches long, halfway between a chef's knife and a paring knife. “It can lead to a lot of good things,” she said.
When buying a knife, especially a gyuto, Nguyen's number one rule is to go to a physical store and hold it in your hands. “Have a lot of different knives and see what you're most comfortable with.” [in] Your hand,” she said. “Everyone has that one knife they always reach for when they're in the kitchen. Feel that knife and make sure it's the knife you always reach for. A chef's knife is Because it will be number one. [knife] Because it's something I use all the time. ”
I have a classic Shun Asian cook knife that I bought when I first started working in restaurants. Recipe Editor Becky Crystal loves the Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef Knife, and we have one in our food lab where we test recipes. Other favorites of the food team include the Wüsthof Classic Chef Knife, the dimpled MAC Professional Series Chef Knife, and the Sabatier Carbon Steel Chef Knife (despite its high maintenance requirements).
paring knife
“The paring knife will be used for small projects like peeling apples and peeling and slicing strawberries,” Nguyen said. “I think it's best not to spend too much money on a beef knife because it's something you never want to use.''
Although there are more expensive options on the market, you can find a paring knife that's perfect for most home cooks for around $10. “I just use what’s there,” Nguyen said. The go-to product for nearly every food staff member is also made by Victorinox, which also makes the popular serrated paring knife.
serrated knife
This serrated knife, also known as a bread knife, is the only tool you should actually use to cut bread. “There's nothing worse than watching someone cut bread with a regular knife, which I did today,” Nguyen said. It's all thanks to its design. “The long blade with a series of sharp teeth is excellent for cutting cleanly through the outside of tough bread and gliding through soft bread without crushing it,” Crystal wrote in the Post several years ago.
But it can be used for more than just bread. Serrated knives are great for cutting tomatoes without crushing them, flattening cakes, and chopping chocolate bars with less mess than a straight blade. “It's also great for carving,” says Nguyen, who uses it to make ham and watermelon. Are there any new ways to use it? “If you're flipping artichokes and your knife is dull, you can use a serrated knife to quickly cut through the fibrous parts. [parts]”
Just like chef knives, “not all serrated knives are created equal,” Nguyen says. They come in a variety of lengths, and the handles may be in line with the blade or offset. Again, try a few and find what works for you.
Nguyen likes the Tojiro brand, which has a thin and flexible blade. I still use the Mercer serrated knife that came in the kit I received in culinary school. This is also a brand recommended by Krystal.
Having good tools is good, but knowing how to use them is even more important. “It doesn't matter what kind of knife you have, what matters is your knife skills,” Nguyen said. “[With] If you have good knife skills, you can do any job with just a basic knife. ”
