The Difference Between A Santoku Knife And A Chef's Knife Chef's knives are usually 8" - 12”, while Santokus are 5" - 7.9”. Santoku knives feature a boxier build. Chef's knives are heavier to hold. Chef's knives are traditionally made of stainless steel, while Santokus are made of high carbon Japanese steel.
Although both are considered multipurpose tools for slicing, dicing, and mincing fruits, vegetables and herbs, the chef's knife is a must when it comes to preparing proteins as it has the length and heft for cutting through thick slabs of meat and even bones. while the Santoku is often the go-to for fish.
Santoku knives have a shorter blade than chef's knives and are about 6 inches long, this shorter blade provides more control which can be particularly useful for less experienced chefs. The average length blade for a chef's knife tends to be 8 inches but can be as long at 14 inches.
Its unique shape and smaller size translates into a few distinct advantages: A santoku is great for people with small hands. Some people prefer the fact that a santoku is lighter than a chef's knife. Because the blade is thinner than a chef's knife, a santoku stands less chance of crushing food or producing rough cuts.
The Santoku is an all purpose Japanese knife. The name santoku means 'three virtues' for the knife's ability to cut fish, meat and vegetables equally well. Originally the santoku was more of a knife for home cooks, but thanks to its versatile straight edge it has been gaining in popularity with professional chefs.
With a sharp tip for dragging through greens, a flat blade for chopping herbs and both for skinning and slicing tomatoes, potatoes and all kinds of vegetables, a santoku like the Miyabi Evolution 7” Santoku Knife or Zwilling Pro Hollow Edge Rocking Santoku Knife will be a produce knife like no other you've owned.
A carving knife can provide some use for precision tasks, but a chef's knife or boning knife will be more adequate. Because of the blade design and thickness, carving knives are better for cutting and breaking down cooked meats than preparing them before cooking.
A santoku is a Japanese all-purpose kitchen knife. Like a chef's knife, the santoku is used for just about every cutting job in the kitchen. The name means “three virtues" and may refer to the three types of foods it works well with—vegetables, proteins, and fruit.
The sheepsfoot-style santoku knife is more generally a multipurpose kitchen knife. It is a “three virtues” kitchen knife that you can use to cut fish, meat and vegetables. In fact, both home cooks and professional chefs will use the santoku knives mostly for their fruits and vegetables than on fish and meat.
The dimples found on some Santoku knives are accurately known as the Granton edge. This patented design feature performs a very important purpose as the scalloped or indented edges of the knife prevent the blade from sticking to the food being cut.
Santokus are most often used for chopping, dicing, and mincing. Because of their precision edge, they're especially useful for julienning thin slices of vegetables and meats. The wide blade associated with a Santoku also makes it useful for "scooping" food off of a cutting board and moving to a Saute Pan or other dish.
So it may come as no surprise that chefs and home cooks frequently use santoku knives for three purposes: chopping, dicing and mincing. These Japanese knives grew in popularity among professional chefs in Western countries due to their versatility.
High-quality metal also keeps the blade sharp for a long time. You don't need to sharpen your iMarku 7" very often, nor do you need to sharpen it professionally. It is capable of many intricate cuts that only a very sharp knife can make.
A chef's knife (sometimes called a cook's knife) is the most important knife to have in your kitchen. It has a wide blade between six and ten inches long and is used primarily for chopping, though it can be used for anything you want to do.
According to MasterClass, Ramsay prefers Henckels knives, which are a German style brand.
The Chef's Knife
Depending on hand size and comfort level, most professional and home-chefs alike prefer a chef's knife for nearly all of their cutting needs. A solid chef's knife has the right sized blade for cutting into larger chickens or even carving a turkey!
After peeling with a 4" Paring Knife or Vegetable Peeler, use a prep knife that's long enough to cut the length of the potato, like a 7" Santoku or a 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife.
Selecting the best knife for cutting an onion depends on its size, but generally a sharp chef knife or santoku knife work best for dicing medium to large onions. Their hollow ground blade design allows the knife to move smoothly through the onion when using a forward and down motion.
A Santoku knife is not one of those knives which should be flexible. Not only will you require a tough, sturdy blade, you will also require a knife which is solidly built. I suggest finding a blade which has been crafted from high-carbon steel or high-carbon stainless steel.
The name Santoku is thought to translate to 'three virtues' and this name is largely thought to relate to its versatility and the number of tasks it can perform. It is believed the 'three virtues' are related to the Santoku knife's extreme effectiveness when it comes to slicing, chopping and dicing.
It's called a butcher's knife, but you certainly don't have to be a professional butcher to find one useful. After all, even home cooks need to cut raw and cooked meat and this tool makes the job go so much smoother.
Most butchers can get by with a boning knife and a chef's knife — this knife slices, dices, and portions meat. While the thin, pointy boning knife is good for smaller tasks and works tightly against the bone, the tapered triangular blade on a chef's knife takes care of the larger tasks.
A carving knife has a long, narrow blade that tapers to a sharp point. It's used mainly for carving poultry or bone-in roasts, like a leg of lamb or a ham.