Learn When to Use Each of Your Kitchen Knives

Although they are suited for different tasks, knives all have one thing in common: They should feel like an extension of your hand. Try a couple of knives to see if you like the handle, weight and length. Comfort is the key, as the saying goes, "The best knife is the one you’ll use.”

Once you've found your blade pick, swear by keeping it sharp. It makes preparation safer because it requires less effort from you. Don't use too much force when cutting because the blade will slip and hurt you. Let the blade do the work - that's why you want this knife in the first place.

Serrated Utility Knife

Every home cook uses a utility knife. The blade is generally 5 to 6 inches, which is shorter than the average bread knife, but a serrated utility knife is still a great choice for small loaves. The sharp teeth can slice through baguettes and bagels - as well as tender fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, peaches, and squash without crushing them.

A serrated utility knife is also the go-to tool for slicing salami and thick-skinned citrus such as oranges and grapefruit. Bakers love using it for cutting tender cakes and quick breads, such as banana bread, and for leveling cake layers.

Paring Knife

This little guy is a great helper in the kitchen. It is the right choice for peeling, paring and handling fine knife work. Grab it while peeling baked potatoes or preparing artichokes. Use it to shell strawberries, trim Brussels sprouts or chop citrus. It's also handy for deveining shrimp or chopping smaller foods like garlic and ginger.

Since paring and paring are often done by hand, you want to make sure the handle feels comfortable and the blade is the right size for you to feel nimble. A 3 to 3.5 inch blade is fine for most tasks. It should also have a balanced weight to use on the cutting board.

Santoku Knife

The Japanese-style Santoku knife has flat blades, making them ideal for handling meat, fish and vegetables. The flat shape is similar to a cleaver and is designed for efficient chopping. The blade of the Santoku knife also has a nice angle for a clean slice. It's an excellent choice for chopping herbs, and the wide blade makes it easy to scoop ingredients off the cutting board. The santoku is known for its blade dimples, which reduce drag when chopping and also prevent food from sticking to the blade.

The Santoku knife is generally smaller than a chef's knife and has an even weight distribution, so it can appeal to users with smaller hands. A mini santoku knife of 4 to 5 inches has the advantage of working in paring knife territory while still offering more chopping capabilities, compared to the 6 to 8 inches of a full-size santoku knife.

When you need a thin slice of starchy food like potatoes, reach for a santoku knife. It's also a good choice for preparing onions, as it's great for dicing and transferring vegetables to pans. Try it when slicing beef for a stir-fry or avocado for toast.

Bread Knife

Chewy bread, fluffy sandwich bread, crusty sourdough, homemade focaccia: they all benefit from a bread knife. The long blade and serrated edge allow you to slice bread without crumbling or tearing. Look for a blade that is about 8 to 10 inches so you can cut large loaves.

Keep in mind to find an affordable one since bread knives are so hard to sharpen, you'll end up needing a new one in the kitchen. But when they're with you, you'll be using them for cakes and tomatoes and even for roasts if you don't have a slicing knife. A bread knife can also come in handy for tackling veggies like behemoth butternuts. They peel away the tough outer skin with ease, and often provide the blade length needed to cut through large squash.

Chef’s Knife

The chef’s knife, of course, is great for chopping, dicing and slicing. But the clever construction of the classic chef's knife is where function really shines. The graceful curve allows you to shake in herbs for fine mince. The wide blade can be used to crush garlic for chopping or smash olives for pitting. The fine point helps to thinly slice the shallots before dicing, and also helps cut between the joints of the meat. The long blade - an 8-inch knife is pretty standard, but some go up to 10 inches - means you can prepare large chunks of lettuce, cabbage or cauliflower. The chef's knife can also be used to peel watermelon and chop chicken. It's a versatile workhorse that every cook will use again and again.

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