Things to Know
A Chef's knife, also known as a French Knife or a Cook's Knife, is wide at the heel and tapers to a point and is the main tool in a kitchen since it is used for everything from chopping, mincing, and dicing to slicing. It has a slightly curved edge to allow for a rocking motion when in use. The wider the blade, the greatest the protection for fingers and knuckles. The more traditional style blade is lengthier than the more contemporary, Asian-inspired Santoku style.
Granton blades have oval indentations ground into the blade edge to create air pockets to keep food from sticking to the knife (which is extremely sharp), so are good for moist meats (ham, beef, fish, etc.).
Paring knives are much smaller than a chef knife and are used for peeling, trimming and removing the stems of fruits and vegetables, as well as for creating garnishes or mincing, and slicing small items that can be held in the hand (scallions, herbs, strawberries, grapes, etc.).
Scalloped edge knives works best with foods that are firm on the outside but soft on the inside so need a good grip to cut through safely (bread, tomatoes, melon rind, etc.).
Boning Knives have a very narrow blade and are used to separate flesh from bone. More specifically, these are used to debone poultry, trim fat, remove bones from meat and fish, and remove silverskin from various cuts of meat. Boning knives can be stiff (good for sub primal cuts of meat) or semi-flexible (preferred for use on fish or poultry).
Full tang knives are better quality than those that have a partial tang or none at all. Full tang blades extend the full length of the knife, providing stability and weight as well as durability and functionality
