Knife skills will be the subject of some of the most vital lessons you learn as you attend theCulinary Arts Academy. The more you master your cutlery techniques, the faster, more precise and ultimately, more efficient, you will be in the kitchen. To sum it all up, Knife skills are key to being the best possible chef you can.

Part of developing those perfect techniques, however, is making sure you have the right tools on hand. Making sure you have an array of high quality, sharp knives will make your capabilities as a chef that more impressive. Here are the blades we recommend each culinarian to have to get the job done right every time

1. Bread Knife

You’ve probably seen a bread knife many times. It features a long, rectangular blade that is serrated with small grooves at the bottom. While you may not use the bread knife as frequently as others, when you need to slice a baguette, there’s no other knife that will do the trick. The longer blade makes it easy to slice through large loaves of bread, and the serration is essential for actually cutting through the crust in a saw-like manner without crushing the airy bread itself. Serrated bread knives are also a wonderful tool for tomatoes. 

2. Santoku Knife

As you might have guessed, the santoku knife has its roots in Japan, a country known for its impeccable blade craftsmanship (think: swords). “Santoku” means “three virtues,” which is a fitting name for this super versatile knife. Unlike the others, santokus have a round, cleaver-like tip at the end and a “granton edge” (small dimples on the edge of the blade, which help prevent ingredients sticking to the knife). Like a chef’s knife, the santoku can be used for any number of kitchen tasks. Santoku knives generally remain sharp for a long time on their own, but if you do decide to sharpen it, you’re best off getting it professionally done.

3. Chef’s Knife

When you think of a cooking knife, you’ve probably got a chef’s knife in mind. This versatile blade, ideally 8 to 9 inches in length, is the ultimate everyday knife: indispensable in the kitchen and used for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing. There are myriad versions of the chef’s knife, but the biggest thing to note is that this one should be sharpened frequently!

4. Cleaver

You may have encountered these in horror movies or butcher shops, but if you’re serious about breaking down hunks of meat, a clever (also known as a butcher’s knife) is an essential tool. It has a rectangular, heavy blade that breaks through or “cleaves” meat and bone without breakage to the knife.

5. Paring Knife

This small knife with a sharp, short blade is used for delicate tasks like peeling and trimming fruits and vegetables. Because of its size, the paring knife is quick to manipulate in your hand, making for an easier time when dealing with precise tasks like segmenting or “suprème-ing” citrus.

6. Carving Knife

Longer and thinner than a chef’s knife, a carving knife is an essential, if slightly less used, part of every knife set. Thanks to its extra-long and thin blade, the carving knife is able to cut thin slices of meat off of large roasts. If party hosting (or just extra-well cut roast chicken) is in your future, a carving knife is a must.

7. Fillet Knife

This very long, thin blade is used mostly with fish. Thanks to its pointy shape, it is very helpful to remove bones and delicately slice through fish to separate into fillets. While you probably won’t use a boning knife frequently, this utensil will prove extremely helpful if you’re a fish-lover.

Your exciting Culinary career is well within reach! It's time to turn your passion and creativity into your dream career at HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute & Culinary Arts Academy at Switzerland. 

Course Detail:

Advanced or Postgraduate Diploma in European Baking and Pastry Arts Advanced or Postgraduate Diploma in Culinary Arts (Tailor-Made) at HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute

Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts

Master of International Business in Culinary Management

Specialisation in Swiss Pastry & Chocolate Arts at Culinary Arts Academy