Professional Chef Knives
Best Prices & Latest Professional Chef Knives
Walk into a professional kitchen and you'll see a bewildering array of blade shapes. Each design serves specific purposes refined over centuries of culinary tradition. But here's the truth: you don't need 15 different knives. Most professional chefs work with four or five favourites and leave the rest gathering dust. Understanding what each knife type does best helps you build a practical collection without wasting money on specialized tools you'll never use.
This guide breaks down the essential knife types plus the specialized blades worth considering once you've mastered the basics. We'll skip the obscure historical curiosities and focus on knives you'll actually find useful in a modern kitchen.
The chef's knife handles about 80% of cutting tasks in any kitchen. It's the one knife you absolutely must own. The blade typically measures 8 to 10 inches with a curved edge perfect for rocking cuts. That curve lets you keep the tip on the cutting board while the heel rises and falls through herbs, vegetables and boneless meats.
The broad blade serves multiple functions. Use the flat side for crushing garlic. The weight helps power through dense ingredients like butternut squash. The height gives your knuckles clearance when slicing and provides a surface for scooping chopped ingredients. Just remember to use the spine not the edge for scraping.
Western-style chef's knives from German manufacturers tend toward the heavier side. That mass does some of the work for you. French patterns feature a straighter edge near the heel transitioning to curve at the tip. It's subtle but affects how the knife feels during different cuts. Try both if possible. Personal preference matters more than objective superiority.
Santoku means "three virtues" referring to slicing, dicing and mincing. It's essentially Japan's answer to the Western chef's knife but with different geometry. The blade is shorter at 5 to 7 inches with a flatter edge and less belly curve. Instead of rocking cuts you're doing more push cutting and straight chopping.
The design excels at precision slicing. That flat edge makes perfect contact with the cutting board creating uniform slices of vegetables and proteins. The shorter length provides excellent control for detailed work. Many cooks find Japanese knives less intimidating than full-size chef's knives.
You'll often see santoku blades with granton edges. Those are the oval divots along the sides. They create air pockets to prevent food from sticking to the blade. Does it work? Moderately. Sticky foods like potato still cling but it helps a bit. Not essential but nice to have.
Do you need both a chef's knife and a santoku? Probably not. They cover similar territory with different approaches. Choose based on your cutting style. If you do a lot of rocking cuts stick with the chef's knife. If you prefer straight downward chopping the santoku might feel more natural.
When your chef's knife is too big and clumsy reach for a paring knife. The 3 to 4 inch blade handles detailed work like peeling apples, deveining shrimp, trimming fat from meat and creating garnishes. You'll often use it in your hand rather than on a cutting board.
The small size provides exceptional control. You can make intricate cuts that would be impossible with a larger blade. Think removing strawberry hulls, segmenting citrus or creating decorative vegetable cuts. Professional pastry chefs use paring knives constantly for delicate work.
Most kitchens benefit from having two or three cheap paring knives. They're prone to abuse. You'll use them for tasks that damage edges like cutting twine or opening packages. Having backups means you're never stuck washing the only paring knife mid-prep because you need it again immediately.
The serrated edge saws through bread crust without crushing the soft interior. That's the primary job but this knife does more than slice sourdough. It's brilliant for tomatoes. Those serrations bite through skin without requiring pressure that would squish the flesh.
Large citrus fruits, delicate cakes and even crusty roasts benefit from a serrated edge. The sawing action works when you need to cut without applying downward pressure. Blade length matters here. You want at least 9 inches to handle full loaves in long smooth strokes.
Here's the catch: serrated knives are nearly impossible to sharpen at home. The individual serrations require special equipment and technique. The good news? A quality serrated knife lasts years before dulling noticeably. When it finally goes dull you're often better off replacing it than paying for professional sharpening.
Utility knives fall between chef's knives and paring knives at 4 to 7 inches. They're meant to handle tasks where the chef's knife is too big but the paring knife too small. In practice many cooks find them redundant. If you have a good chef's knife and paring knife you can manage without a utility knife.
That said some people love them for sandwiches, small vegetables and general light work. They're less intimidating than a full chef's knife for people uncomfortable with large blades. If you're equipping a kitchen for someone with limited knife skills a utility knife might see more use than it would in a professional setting.
The narrow flexible blade slips between bone and meat following contours other knives can't navigate. If you frequently break down whole chickens, debone roasts or fillet fish a boning knife earns its space. The thin blade minimizes meat waste by making precise cuts tight against bones.
Flexibility varies between models. Stiff boning knives work better for heavy meat and poultry. Flexible blades excel at fish and delicate deboning. Some professional butchers own both. For home use a semi-flexible blade splits the difference handling most tasks adequately.
Do you need one? Depends on your cooking style. If you buy pre-cut meat and boneless chicken breasts probably not. If you save money buying whole chickens and breaking them down yourself definitely yes. The right tool makes the job dramatically easier and safer.
Long thin blades between 8 and 15 inches slice through large roasts creating uniform cuts. The length lets you make smooth continuous strokes instead of sawing back and forth. That produces cleaner slices with better presentation especially important for holiday turkeys and standing rib roasts.
Some carving knives have granton edges like santoku blades. When you're slicing 20 servings of roast beef that slight reduction in sticking becomes worthwhile. The thin blade also creates less drag through dense meat than a thick chef's knife would.
Carving knives are specialists. If you only roast large cuts occasionally you can manage with your chef's knife. But if you frequently serve whole birds or big roasts a dedicated carving knife delivers noticeably better results.
The rectangular blade with substantial heft powers through bones, cartilage and dense vegetables. Chinese cai dao cleavers look intimidating but they're incredibly versatile in skilled hands. Professional Chinese cooks use them for everything from delicate slicing to smashing ginger.
Western meat cleavers are heavier and thicker designed specifically for breaking down large cuts and chopping through bones. You're not doing delicate work with one. The weight and sturdy construction let you hack through tasks that would damage thinner blades.
Cleavers aren't essential for most home kitchens. If you need to break down whole chickens a good boning knife works fine. But for processing large quantities of meat or tackling serious butchery tasks cleavers are unmatched. They're also surprisingly good at transferring chopped ingredients from board to pot thanks to the wide blade.
The long flexible blade glides along fish bones removing fillets with minimal waste. That flexibility lets you follow the contours of ribs and spine. Stiff blades would require more aggressive cutting resulting in torn flesh and wasted meat.
Blade lengths range from 6 to 11 inches. Longer blades handle larger fish like salmon. Shorter versions work better for smaller species. The thin blade also makes delicate cuts through skin without tearing. If you frequently prepare whole fish a dedicated fillet knife transforms a frustrating task into something almost meditative.
Most home cooks buying pre-filleted fish don't need one. But if you catch your own fish or buy whole fish regularly this knife pays for itself quickly in reduced waste and better results.
This Japanese vegetable knife features a rectangular blade with a flat edge. The straight profile makes complete contact with the cutting board perfect for push cutting through vegetables. No rocking motion needed. Just straight up and down chopping.
The thin blade creates less resistance than a cleaver while still providing enough height for knuckle clearance. It's designed specifically for vegetables not proteins. Don't use it for meat or bones. Some versions have a slight curve at the tip but the classic nakiri is completely straight.
Do you need one if you already own a chef's knife? Not really. But if you do extensive vegetable prep the nakiri's design offers some advantages. Many cooks who try one become devoted fans. Others shrug and go back to their chef's knife. It's personal preference.
These aren't prep knives but worth mentioning. A good set of steak knives elevates the dining experience when serving meat. Serrated edges cut through crusted steaks without tearing. Straight edges provide cleaner cuts but require regular sharpening.
Quality steak knives feature full tang construction and comfortable handles. Cheap sets with hollow handles and thin blades feel disappointing. You don't need expensive Japanese steel but avoid the absolute bottom-tier options. Decent mid-range sets around £50-80 work fine.
Start with the essentials: an 8-inch chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife. That trio handles 95% of kitchen tasks. Master those three before adding specialized knives. You might discover you don't need anything else. Browse our chef knife sets for complete starter collections.
Add specialized knives as specific needs arise. If you start filleting whole fish regularly buy a fillet knife then. If you take up butchery add a boning knife and cleaver. Don't buy knives because they seem professional or complete a set. Buy tools you'll actually use. Check out our budget chef knife collection for affordable quality options.
Quality beats quantity every time. Three excellent knives that you maintain properly outperform 15 mediocre blades gathering dust. Focus on mastering the fundamentals. The fancy specialized knives can wait until you've proven you need them. View our top rated knives to see what professionals recommend.