If you are in the market for a new set of kitchen knives, you have probably already noticed that there is a confusing variety on the market in Australia today. With so many to choose from, how do you know where to start and which types of cooking knives you really need? Are there some you can safely ignore, or should you invest in a complete set? For the answers to all of these questions and more, we invite you to read our short but comprehensive guide to kitchen knife types.

Different types of knives in the kitchen that you may need

The number and type of kitchen knives you need to own will depend on the type of meals you enjoy preparing and how often you cook. However, if you want to know what you should buy if you are putting together an essential kitchen knife set for the very first time, we recommend starting with each of the following types:

• Chef’s knife — Sometimes also referred to as a cook’s knife or a French knife, this is the most popular type of kitchen knife, not just in Australia but across the world. Its popularity is mainly down to its versatility; a good quality chef’s knife can be used for a wide variety of chopping, dicing and mincing tasks in the kitchen. 

There are several different types of chef knives for sale online, including knives made from stamped steel and forged steel. Generally speaking, a forged steel knife will be more durable, so if money is not an issue, we recommend choosing one as your first kitchen knife.

• Utility knife — A utility knife is similar in shape and design to a chef’s or cook’s knife but is usually smaller and slimmer. If you regularly need to chop smaller vegetables and other ingredients, you will definitely want to buy one to put in your first set of knives. If your budget only stretches to two different knives at first, you might get away with buying just a utility knife and a chef’s knife. 

However, suppose you also need to peel fruit and vegetables, cut bread and prepare meat and fish regularly. In that case, you will want to add to this initial pair sooner rather than later.

• Paring knife — At first glance, a paring knife may look very much like a small utility knife. Still, it is normally lighter and designed especially to handle more delicate chopping, slicing and dicing tasks. As its name suggests, it is also the first knife you will pull out of your block whenever you need to peel any fruit or vegetables for a meal you are preparing.

• Bread knife — Most of us have seen a bread knife before and know what it is principally used for — cutting bread into slices. These long-bladed knives have a sharp and serrated edge designed to cut through various foodstuffs with hard exteriors and soft interiors, of which bread is the most obvious example. 

They can also be used to slice cakes, large tomatoes, pumpkins and melons, so while you may not think of a bread knife as one of the essential types of knives for cooking, it is a handy tool that we recommend all new chefs acquire.

These essential kitchen knives will probably suffice if you don’t cook large and complex meals daily. On the other hand, if you are likely to be preparing fish and slicing meat frequently, you may want to add a premium-quality carving knife and a filleting knife to the types of cooking knives that comprise your first set.

When you are ready to expand your collection and add some different knives, a meat cleaver is well worth considering. It can chop up larger pieces of raw meat and is strong enough to cut through bone.

For the best types of chef knives and other types of cooking knives, check out our collection online, along with our full range of products, including loads of high-quality kitchenware. For personal assistance, you can contact us by phone or email.