OUR CUSTOMERS FIVE FAVORITE KNIVES AND WHY YOU WANT THEM

When it comes to professional cutlery, there are countless options available, making it quite challenging to decide which knives should be part of your culinary arsenal. While a chef's knife is an obvious necessity, we wanted to hear from our customers about their top picks and what makes them stand out. Here’s what they had to say:

Chef Dan, District Chef, K-12, VA – A reliable paring knife is an indispensable tool in any kitchen, despite its small size. With a paring knife in hand, I can expertly segment lemons and slice stems off delicate vegetables or fruits such as strawberries. It’s also perfect for deveining seafood. When choosing a paring knife, look for one that’s lightweight, razor-sharp, and has a blade length between 2-1/2” and 4”. For those who frequently use a paring knife for various tasks, consider having two: one with a shorter blade (under 3-1/2”) and another with a slightly longer blade. Additionally, a bird’s beak paring knife is a great investment if you need to make precise cuts. Its narrow tip allows for surgical-like incisions, ensuring minimal waste when removing stems.

Chef Joan, Executive Chef, Private College, WA - My absolute favorite is my santoku knife. This Japanese-style knife, meaning “three virtues,” excels in slicing, cutting, and chopping. Its shorter blade and rounded front edge provide exceptional precision and control, making it ideal for tasks like mincing garlic or chopping vegetables. One standout feature of the santoku is the Granton edge, which features scalloped indentations on the blade. These not only reduce friction but also allow food to release effortlessly, preventing sticking. This knife is also fantastic for finely chopping herbs like garlic or parsley without damaging their delicate structure. Plus, its broad blade makes scooping up ingredients a breeze after chopping.

Henry, Head Chef, Corporate Dining, CO – My go-to professional knife is the serrated utility knife. Whether I’m slicing tomatoes, baguettes, or even avocados, this versatile knife handles it all. Its serrated edge is perfect for cutting through foods with tough exteriors, like bread or watermelon, while still being gentle enough for softer produce like tomatoes. Interestingly, a longer serrated utility knife is also great for leveling cakes evenly since it can cut through a 9-inch cake in one smooth motion.

Chef Jamie, Sous Chef, LA - A boning knife is essential when handling fresh fish, meat, or poultry. These knives are characterized by their thin, sharp, and flexible blades, typically measuring 5 to 7 inches. Unlike regular knives, which are designed for straight cuts, boning knives are engineered to bend and follow the natural contours of bones. Their sharp points and narrow blades make it easy to cut around bones and cleanly separate meat from them. A high-quality boning knife will also have the flexibility needed to cut through joints and cartilage with ease.

Chef Janine, Chef Instructor, Community College Culinary Arts Program, IL - While not technically a knife, a sharpening steel or honing rod is a must-have tool in every professional kitchen. Even the finest knives lose their edge over time due to bending and wear. Using a sharpening steel realigns the blade’s edge, restoring its sharpness and improving cutting efficiency. However, it’s important to note that sharpening steels are only effective on straight-edged knives like chef’s knives, santokus, or paring knives. Serrated knives cannot be honed this way since their teeth prevent proper contact with the steel.

Looking for these professional knives? You can find them all at Cook’s Direct, along with other essentials like slicing knives, cleavers, and bread knives. If you need help selecting the right knives for your foodservice kitchen, feel free to reach out to us at 866.613.2617 or drop us an email. We’d be happy to guide you through your options.

Keywords:

• Commercial Kitchen Supplies

• Institutional Kitchen Supplies