Types of Knives: Chef's, Utility, Santoku, and More

Types of Knives

Chef's Knife (Cebollero)

• All purpose knife for peeling, trimming, chopping, slicing, and dicing
• Triangular blade, rock chop

Utility Knife or Salad Knife

• All purpose, smaller than the chef's knife
• Used specially for peeling and slicing fruit and vegetables

Santoku Knife or Japanese Cook's Knife

• Sheep's foot tip
• Top chop

Paring Knife

• Used for paring or peeling fruits and vegetables

Tournée Knife

• Sometimes considered as a kind of paring knife
• Used for turning vegetables

Slicer Knife

• Long slender and flexible blade
• Used for carving or slicing cooked meats

Bread Knife or Serrated Slicer

Used to cut bread, cakes, and similar food

Boning Knife

• Thin and pointed blade
• Used for boning raw meats, poultry, and fish
• Used for trimming fat from meats

Filleting Knife

• Pointed tip
• Used to fillet fish

Butcher Knife

• Heavy, broad, slightly curved blade
• Used for cutting, sectioning, and trimming raw meats
• Used to skin some animals

Cleaver

• Heavy broad blade
• Used for cutting through bones

Chinese Cook's Knife

• All purpose
• Used for chopping and slicing but not for cutting through bones

Steak Knife

• Curved pointed blade
• Common knife used at the table
• They can have a plain edge or a serrated edge
• Used for accurate cutting steaks

Oyster Knife

• Short rigid blunt knife with a dull edge
• Used for shucking oysters

Electric Knife

• Two serrated blades
• Used to carve and slice