The most important tool in a chef’s kit is knives and meat slicers, which can be used for just about any food preparation job, from cutting onions and slicing a cut of beef to opening oysters and slicing toast. But there are various kinds of kitchen knives that are designed for different purposes. We’ll discuss the styles of knives and their uses in this guide, so you can find the correct choice for your needs.
Knives Chef:
Chef knives can be used in virtually any commercial kitchen, and they are flexible weapons that can be used for a range of cutting activities. The chef’s knives have a large blade tapering to an end. For a variety of prep tasks, such as cutting, mincing, and slicing, this argument is relevant. Chef knives can also be available in many different sizes, but the most common sizes range from 8′-12.’
Meat Slicers:
The more modern and professional version of the meat slicer’s butcher knife. A meat slicer, also called a slicing machine, deli slicer or simply a slicer, is a method used to slice burgers, sausages, cheeses and other deli goods in butcher shops and delicatessens. Older meat slicer models can be powered by cranks, whereas newer models usually use an electric motor. It has many variants such as some used for home while for professional needs, heavy duty meat slicers are used. The meat being cut can be hot or cold, and can be thinly or thickly sliced. A meat slicer is usually used to slice already-cooked, frozen meat into small strips for sandwiches.
Knives for Carving:
Meat carving knives are the best alternative of long blades for slicing grilled meats such as smoked ham, roasted chicken, or deep fried turkey. Carving knives are much smaller than chef knives, allowing thinner, more effective cuts to be cut.
Cleavers:
Cleavers are some of the biggest knives a chef would find in their cutlery kit with a large and long blade. Considering their size, cleavers feature small and light blades that can be used for a variety of activities, such as grinding garlic, cutting onions, and slicing meat. In many Asian restaurant kitchens, cleavers can also be found.
Knives of Utility:
Utility knives are a combination of slicing and paring knives. They have scalloped sides and blades that are much longer than normal paring knives. For slicing fruits and vegetables, a sharp utility knife is very effective, and they are an excellent food processing tool.
Knives of Bread:
Bread knives are designed for slicing various types of bread and feature serrated blades that can break through crispy crusts. Many bread knives feature offset handles designed to avoid the knuckles of the user from touching the cutting board. In comparison, bread knives about 7′-10 ” in length can typically be found.