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Kitchen knife 101: The 3 must-have types of knives and when you should use them

Maryal Miller Carter
USA TODAY

If you’re not a professional chef, figuring out which kitchen knife to use for which tasks can be an overwhelming prospect. The options are seemingly endless. Luckily, as home cooks, we only need a few trusty knives in our arsenal to slice through most common ingredients effortlessly. Learning the proper techniques and when to use your knives will not only make preparing food easier, but safer too. The 3 essential types of kitchen knives are the chef's knife, the serrated knife and the paring knife. Now, here's a quick usage guide and some advice on proper technique so you can get the perfect cut every time while avoiding injuries.

Watch the video above to learn about the 3 most common types of kitchen knives and when to use them.

3 types of kitchen knives and when to use them

  • Chef's knife
    • The most versatile kitchen knife.
    • Used for slicing, chopping, dicing, mincing and other general tasks.
    • To use, pinch the blade between your thumb and index finger for the most stability and control.
    • Use a gentle rocking motion to slice on a cutting board.
    • Keep your fingertips tucked inward to prevent accidents.
    • The blade is typically 8 to 10 inches long.
    • A good chef's knife should be sharp and well-balanced for maximum accuracy and safety.
  • Serrated knife
    • The serrated teeth are perfect for sawing through soft or tender foods.
    • Ideal for bread, cake, tomatoes and other foods that would be crushed if cut by a chef's knife.
    • The blade is typically 6 to 8 inches long.
  • Paring knife
    • Used for detailed cutting tasks.
    • The small blade gives you more control for jobs like hulling and halving strawberries.
    • Also good for peeling fruit and vegetables, mincing garlic and herbs, coring and removing skin from tomatoes, trimming the fat from meat, removing bones from fish, deseeding citrus fruits, scoring dough, making garnishes, slicing mushrooms and working with delicate herbs.
    • Perfect for working with smaller fruits and vegetables.
    • It's small and lightweight, making it easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
    • The short blade makes it less likely to cause injury than a larger knife.
    • The blade is typically 3 to 4 inches long.

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