The Top Knives Used by Professional Chefs

THE TOP KNIVES USED BY PROFESSIONAL CHEFS

Whether you own a restaurant or are beginning your journey as a chef, having the right knives to work with is essential in the kitchen. And the chef’s knives experts from Messermeister are ready to share some helpful insights with you. If you’re wondering what types of knives chefs use on a day-to-day basis, here’s what we’ve collected for you below.

Most Popular Standard Chef Knives

Here are the four commonly used knives you’ll find every chef using in the kitchen. They are:

• The Chef’s Knife - Often boasting a standard blade anywhere from 6-12 inches long, this knife is often used for everything from slicing and dicing, to julienning vegetables. Shorter ones give you more control while longer ones work well for larger ingredients and chopping. 

• Kitchen Shears - Although not a traditional knife, kitchen shears are essential for any chef, and they can be used to do more than cutting. They have extra sharp blades and can also be great for creating garnishes from herbs and vegetables, in addition to cutting meat. 

• The Utility Knife - If you ask a chef, they will likely tell you that utility knives are too big to be used for paring, too small to be used on a cutting board and too short for slicing. So, why are they so popular?  The answer is control. Utility knives boast a smaller blade that is easier to manage. They range from 4-7 inches and come with both fine and serrated edges, depending upon your needs. Their middle-of-the-road size and familiar shape make utility knives a comfortable option to take on a wide variety of kitchen tasks with confidence. 

• The Santoku Knife - This type of knife is often a bit shorter and thinner than a traditional chef’s knife and the curvature of the edge is usually The flat edge makes better contact with the surface of a cutting board. The knife is better suited for an up-and-down cutting motion than a rocking motion. Santoku knives are often fashioned with divots that create air pockets to make cutting meats and other sticky materials much easier.

Specialty Chef’s Knives

In addition to the four knives mentioned above, there is a wide range of specialty knives used by chefs, like boning knives, which are used to trim fat and silver skin off red meat. Also known as professional chef knives, these knives have a thin blade and point upwards at an angle.

Cleaver knives are also commonly used by chefs in the kitchen to cut through bones and other rougher foods, and to pulverize meat and crush garlic.

Bread knives are another common specialty knife you’ll find in the kitchen. Like the name says, they’re used for cutting bread; their scalloped edge makes it much easier to cut through the crust or rind fruits. We like the term “scalloped slicer” over “bread knife”, as these knives are well suited for more than the task of cutting bread; they are also great for slicing tomatoes, pineapple as well as turkey and other delicate meats. 

Explore professional chef’s knives and more in our online store.

Founded in 1981, Messermeister has become one of the leading manufacturers of premium handcrafted chef’s knives. To see which knives and kitchen equipment are right for you, explore more in our online store today.