Chef's Knives

Chef's Knives are also known as a Cook’s Knife, French Knife or more commonly a Kitchen Knife.

The Chef's Knife is an evolution of the Butcher Knife, and was originally designed primarily to slice and disjoint large cuts of beef. Today it is the primary general-utility knife for most Western cooks, and is very versatile in the kitchen.

Chef's Knives are most commonly available between 6 and 12 inches, though 8 inches is the most common size. Most Chefs recommend using the largest Chef's Knife that is comfortable in the cook's hands. Larger knives can cut more and are more versatile, but can be more difficult to handle.

Chef’s Knives are wonderful to use for every day tasks. The edge of the knife curves upward, coming to a nearly fine point at the tip of the blade, and each part of the knife can be used for different purposes.

The wide tapering and curved blade enables the experienced cook to rock the knife when slicing, chopping, dicing, mincing, and many other functions, while the deep heel protects the knuckles.

If you examine the knife on its side, you’ll note the widest part of it is near the handle, which is called the blade heel.

When you’re slicing ingredients that are tough you’ll get the most leverage when you use the knife heel portion.

The center of the Chef's Knife is called the cutting edge, and it’s probably used most often, for general cutting and preparation of a variety of foods.

The knife tip may be used to cut small soft foods, like mushrooms or green onions.