What’s a basic life skill? Cooking. In fact, rather it’s a survival skill, and everyone must know at least the basics.
Knives are a major part of a cutlery kit that should be present in every kitchen around the world. However, there are different types of knives that can come in handy as you build a knife kit. An essential knife kit is a must, regardless of what you are going to be cooking!
4 Basic Knives for Your Essential Knife Kit
Petty Knife or Utility Knife
Petty knives are perhaps the smallest knives that are available. Given their size, they are multipurpose and are hence also referred to as utility knives or paring knives. They are built for use in smaller cutting tasks such as peeling fruits and vegetables, cutting herbs, slicing garlic, boning certain meats, etc. The blades of petty knives (made of steel) are usually much thinner and can be sized anywhere between 75mm and 210mm.
Nakiri Knife
Nakiri knives are double-bevel or double-edged knives that are specifically designed for the veggie prep process. This is why they are referred to as vegetable knives. Nakiri knives have a flat profile with a squared-off nose that helps with effortless push/pull chopping. The straight, thin blade that also weighs more aids in various cuts that require precision, such as julienne, brunoise, and allumette cuts. These knives are typically in the 160mm to 180mm length range.
Santoku Knife
Santoku knives are versatile as they can do a multitude of tasks - specifically slicing, dicing, and mincing. Thus, they are great for use with vegetables, fish, as well as meat. Given this specialty, santoku knives are a great addition to the knife kit of an amateur as well as that of a chef. Santoku knives have a taller blade, are typically shorter in length, and can range from 160mm to 190mm, meaning that they can be stored even in the smallest of spaces.