Kitchen Knives Foods II Obj. 4.01. Knife Construction Quality Knives Quality Knives Made of a single piece of metal that has been cut, stamped, or forged

Kitchen KnivesKitchen Knives

Foods IIFoods II

Obj. 4.01Obj. 4.01

Knife ConstructionKnife Construction

Quality KnivesQuality Knives Made of a single piece of metal that Made of a single piece of metal that

has been cut, stamped, or forged into has been cut, stamped, or forged into its desired shapeits desired shape

Metals used include stainless steel Metals used include stainless steel and high carbon stainless steeland high carbon stainless steel

Knife ConstructionKnife Construction

Stainless SteelStainless Steel Made of iron, Made of iron,

chromium, and chromium, and other metalsother metals

Won’t color or rustWon’t color or rust Won’t transfer a Won’t transfer a

metallic taste to metallic taste to foodsfoods

Difficult to sharpen Difficult to sharpen and keep an edgeand keep an edge

Carbon SteelCarbon Steel

Alloy of iron and Alloy of iron and carboncarbon

Can hold its edge Can hold its edge very well and stay very well and stay sharpsharp

Blade can rust Blade can rust and stainand stain

Requires Requires maintenancemaintenance

High-Carbon Stainless SteelHigh-Carbon Stainless Steel (the (the best knife material available)best knife material available)

Mix of iron, carbon, chromium, and Mix of iron, carbon, chromium, and other metals that other metals that combines the combines the best features of stainless steel and best features of stainless steel and carbon steelcarbon steel

$$$$$$$$ Doesn’t rust or discolorDoesn’t rust or discolor Can be sharpened easily Can be sharpened easily and holds and holds

an edge.an edge.

Parts of the KnifeParts of the Knife

TangTang Part of the blade that continues into Part of the blade that continues into

the knife’s handlethe knife’s handle Gives the knife stability and extra Gives the knife stability and extra

weightweight Full Tang—long as the whole knife handleFull Tang—long as the whole knife handle

– Gives knife extra power and strengthGives knife extra power and strength– Ex: Breaking down bonesEx: Breaking down bones

Partial Tang—does not run the entire Partial Tang—does not run the entire length of the knifelength of the knife

– Used for knives that do light workUsed for knives that do light work– Ex: Paring veggiesEx: Paring veggies


Handle or ScalesHandle or Scales 2 portions of handle material that are 2 portions of handle material that are

attached to either side of the tangattached to either side of the tang Made of several types of materials Made of several types of materials

(woods, plastic, vinyl)(woods, plastic, vinyl) Make sure the handle is comfortable Make sure the handle is comfortable

in your gripin your grip Too large a knife and handle can Too large a knife and handle can

cause hand crampscause hand cramps


RivetsRivets The metal pins The metal pins

(usually 3) that (usually 3) that hold the scales to hold the scales to the tangthe tang

Due to comfort and Due to comfort and sanitation, rivets sanitation, rivets should be smooth should be smooth and lie flush with and lie flush with the handle’s the handle’s surfacesurface


BolsterBolster The thick metal portion joining the The thick metal portion joining the

handle and the blade,handle and the blade, which adds which adds weight and balance and keeps the weight and balance and keeps the cook’s hand from slipping onto the cook’s hand from slipping onto the bladeblade

At the point where the blade and At the point where the blade and handle come togetherhandle come together

Very strong and durableVery strong and durable

Western vs. EasternWestern vs. Eastern

Western (European and Western (European and American) knives generally have American) knives generally have a bolster.a bolster.

Eastern knives (China, Japan and Eastern knives (China, Japan and across Asia) generally do not across Asia) generally do not have a bolster.have a bolster.

Other Parts of the KnifeOther Parts of the Knife PointPoint

The very end of the knife, The very end of the knife, which is used for piercingwhich is used for piercing

TipTip The first third of the The first third of the

blade, which is used for blade, which is used for small or delicate worksmall or delicate work

EdgeEdge The cutting surface of the The cutting surface of the

knife, which extends from knife, which extends from the point to the heelthe point to the heel

HeelHeel The rear part of the The rear part of the

blade, used for cutting blade, used for cutting activities that require activities that require more forcemore force

SpineSpine The top, thicker portion of the The top, thicker portion of the

blade, which adds weight and blade, which adds weight and strengthstrength

Finger GuardFinger Guard The portion of the bolster that The portion of the bolster that

keeps the cook’s hand from keeps the cook’s hand from slipping onto the bladeslipping onto the blade

ReturnReturn The point where the heel The point where the heel

meets the bolstermeets the bolster Handle GuardHandle Guard

The lip below the butt of the The lip below the butt of the handle, which gives the knife a handle, which gives the knife a better grip and prevents better grip and prevents slippingslipping

ButtButt The terminal end of the handleThe terminal end of the handle


Name all the parts by letter.

End of notes for today. Applause please.

In the kitchen you are not a In the kitchen you are not a Boy Scout or in the Swiss Boy Scout or in the Swiss ArmyArmy

Kitchen knives are Kitchen knives are designed to do specific designed to do specific jobs and to do those jobs and to do those jobs very well.jobs very well.

Chefs and line cooks Chefs and line cooks who are serious about who are serious about cooking have their cooking have their own knife kit. Your own knife kit. Your knife is your friend. knife is your friend. Get to know it well.Get to know it well.

Types of KnivesTypes of Knives Chef’s KnifeChef’s Knife

Also known as the cook’s Also known as the cook’s knife or a French knife.knife or a French knife.

All purpose knife used for All purpose knife used for slicing, slicing, choppingchopping, dicing and , dicing and mincing.mincing.

Curved to allow the cook to Curved to allow the cook to rock the knife on the cutting rock the knife on the cutting boardboard

Blade is generally 6 or 8 Blade is generally 6 or 8 inches. Some are 10 and 12 inches. Some are 10 and 12 inches. Average is 8 inchesinches. Average is 8 inches

A must have knife for any serious cook

Types of KnivesTypes of Knives Paring KnifeParing Knife

Only other knife a cook Only other knife a cook MUST haveMUST have

Small, rigid, plain knife Small, rigid, plain knife that is 2 to 4 inches that is 2 to 4 inches longlong

Ideal for peeling and Ideal for peeling and other small intricate other small intricate work (deveining shrimp, work (deveining shrimp, cutting small garnishes, cutting small garnishes, carving melons)carving melons)

Used to pareUsed to pare Trim off a thin outer layer Trim off a thin outer layer

or PEELor PEEL

A must have knife for any serious cook

Types of KnivesTypes of Knives

Slicing Slicing (nonserrated)(nonserrated) Long stiff blade for Long stiff blade for

slicing meat and slicing meat and carving.carving.

Good for carving Good for carving whole chickens whole chickens and roasts.and roasts.


Boning KnifeBoning Knife Thin angled 5-7” Thin angled 5-7”

bladeblade Used to remove Used to remove

bones from cuts of bones from cuts of meatmeat

Used to trim fatUsed to trim fat Stiff boning knifeStiff boning knife

Good for beef and Good for beef and porkpork

Flexible boning Flexible boning knifeknife

Preferred for poultry Preferred for poultry and fishand fish


Tournee KnifeTournee Knife Similar to paring Similar to paring

knifeknife Curved blade that Curved blade that

looks like a bird’s looks like a bird’s beakbeak

Used to trim Used to trim potatoes and potatoes and veggies into veggies into shapes that shapes that resemble footballsresemble footballs

Types of KnivesTypes of Knives Serrated SlicerSerrated Slicer

Long, thin blade Long, thin blade that is ideal for that is ideal for cutting soft foods cutting soft foods without tearing or without tearing or mashing itmashing it

Slice coarse foods Slice coarse foods such as bread and such as bread and cake without cake without tearingtearing

Cut soft foods like Cut soft foods like tomatoes tomatoes


Fillet KnifeFillet Knife 8-9” very thin and 8-9” very thin and

flexible blade with flexible blade with pointed tippointed tip

Allows blade to Allows blade to easily move along easily move along the backbone and the backbone and under the skin of under the skin of fishfish

Used mainly to Used mainly to fillet fishfillet fish

Types of Knives

Utility knife Medium-length

blade will do light work of a chef’s knife and heavier work of a paring knife. Since it is in between the two most used knives, it has declined in popularity


Butcher Knife Butcher Knife ( aka Scimitar)( aka Scimitar) 6-14” rigid blade 6-14” rigid blade

whose tip curves whose tip curves up at a 25° angleup at a 25° angle

Called a scimitar Called a scimitar because it because it resembles a sword resembles a sword of that nameof that name

Used for heavy Used for heavy work and to cut work and to cut meat, poultry, and meat, poultry, and fishfish

Extra KnivesExtra Knives CleaverCleaver

Cut through bone with shear Cut through bone with shear forceforce

Soft Cheese KnifeSoft Cheese Knife Holes in the blade to prevent Holes in the blade to prevent

the cheese from stickingthe cheese from sticking Hard Cheese KnifeHard Cheese Knife

Sharp blades to cut exact Sharp blades to cut exact slices and forked tip to allow slices and forked tip to allow to be used as serving utensilto be used as serving utensil

Ceramic KnifeCeramic Knife These knives stay sharp longer These knives stay sharp longer

than steel knives. They are than steel knives. They are also extremely brittle and will also extremely brittle and will shatter or crack when used to shatter or crack when used to pry. They chip on the edge if pry. They chip on the edge if used roughly. used roughly.

Extra KnivesExtra Knives Usuba BochoUsuba Bocho

Japanese knife used for chopping Japanese knife used for chopping veggiesveggies

Tomato knifeTomato knife Small knife with serrated bladeSmall knife with serrated blade

Oyster knifeOyster knife Short thick blade used to pry Short thick blade used to pry

open oystersopen oysters

Grapefruit knifeGrapefruit knife Small, slender blade ideal for Small, slender blade ideal for

separating the grapefruit from separating the grapefruit from the rindthe rind

SantukoSantuko current fad in trendy cooking current fad in trendy cooking

circles – Asian knife with no circles – Asian knife with no bolster and large squarish blade.bolster and large squarish blade.

End of knife skills notes

Hurray!

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Kitchen Knives Foods II Obj. 4.01. Knife Construction Quality Knives Quality Knives Made of a single piece of metal that has been cut, stamped, or forged