How to Choose the Right Types of Chef Knives for Your Kitchen

Anyone who spends any amount of time in the kitchen knows the value of a good chef’s knife. From slicing through the meat to dicing and mincing veggies or herbs, it’s a staple. Sometimes, you simply don’t feel like reaching for a different type of knife.

The chef’s knife is your workhorse and all-purpose kitchen tool. It’s important to pick one that’s right for you, but there are many types of chef knives to pick from. You need to consider size, shape, style, and how it’s made, among others.

The best chef’s knife will be one you love to cook with. Find out more about what you should look for when picking out your perfect chef’s knife.

What is a Chef’s Knife?

The chef’s knife is by far the most versatile kitchen knife. It’s your all-rounder and finds use in kitchens around the world as a jack-of-all-trades. While you wouldn’t use a chef’s knife to cleave thick bone, you can cut and prepare meat, fruit, veggies, and even desserts.

You can even choke up on it and use it as a paring knife in a pinch. In terms of food prep, there’s little you can’t do with a chef’s knife. The reason it’s every chef’s favorite all-purpose knife lies in the knife design.

Chef’s knives have broad blades, often tapering at the point. They tend to come anywhere from 6-12 inches in length and have a sort of a curved belly. This makes it ideal for rocking back and forth to mince ingredients while still having a point for delicate work.

There are also many different types of Chef knives. It can prove difficult to know which one to go for. The most important things to consider are weight, size, style, material, and make.

Weight and Size

The best way to know for sure if you like a chef’s knife is to hold it in your hand. You need to feel the weight and balance. The most important thing is the ability to control and use the knife comfortably.

Even the best chef’s knife in the world will have trouble performing if it’s too heavy to maneuver or too large for your hand. The 6-12 inch range encompasses most hand sizes, but 13-inch chef’s knives do exist as well.

Knives that dip under 6 inches tend to fall into the categories of a petty or utility knife. You also have to consider the weight and thickness too. This affects the flexibility and what kind of edge you can put on the blade.

A good average starting point is 8-10 inches long. Practice holding it by the handle and choking up with a pinch grip. Take a few controlled practice chops in the air, paying attention to comfort and balance.

You’ll soon learn if that size is too much or too light for you.

A Question of Style: Chef’s Knife vs. Santoku

When looking for an all-purpose kitchen knife, you have two choices: the traditional chef’s knife and the Santoku knife. One comes from a long western tradition, while the other is of Japanese origin.

The Santoku is a Japanese version of a Western Chef’s knife. It’s shorter and thinner at 6 inches and rarely reaches the 8-inch mark. It tends to get favored by chefs with smaller hands who like the thinness and lighter weight.

While a Santoku can do almost everything a chef’s knife can, there are two major disadvantages. The first is that its rounded sheep’s foot blade means it doesn’t have a pronounced point for more delicate work. The second is it has a flat blade without a curved belly.

This means you can’t rock it back and forth to mince fine herbs like you would with a chef’s knife. Advantages that it does have are that they tend to have hollow-ground edges and dimples running along the broad side of the blade. This stops food from sticking to the blade, allowing you to focus on precision.

Fans of the Santoku argue you can get thinner slices of veggies. Japanese-style knives tend to have steeper edge geometry – as low as 15 degrees. This contrasts with Western knives, which tend to sit around 20-25 degrees.

A number of hybrid-style chef’s knives are available. This means you can find your preferred shape and edge geometry without committing to either style.

Consider Material and Make

The last things to consider are material and make. When it comes to the blade, the type of steel used and how you temper it makes a huge difference.

Too high of a Rockwell hardness makes the steel brittle but too soft, and the edge will chip or roll. A quality forged knife uses high-quality steel and is always tempered by experts.

Messermeister knives are a good example. Alloys that incorporate high carbon steels are preferable, as they can achieve a sharper edge – thus better performance. Hand forging is also of higher quality than is usually possible with stamped knives.

However, the higher the quality of materials, the more care you need to put into it to keep it pristine and sharp. When considering the material and make, you also need to factor in the handle material.

Wood, animal bone/horn, rubberized plastic, or micarta are only some options. Some, like rubberized plastic, are easier to keep clean and aren’t as prone to cracking. Wood can feel premium but requires extensive care.

At the end of the day, the handle needs to feel comfy, and the blade needs to hold up to what you throw at it. Price goes up with quality, but it’s almost always worth it for a top-tier chef’s knife.

There are Many Types of Chef Knives To Consider

Among the many types of chef knives on the market, the best one is the one you want to cook with. You need to consider how it feels in your hand and how easy it is to use and maneuver. How it’s made is also crucial since quality is important for such a heavily used tool.

For more info on what makes good chef’s knives and how to pick the right one for you, take a look at our site.