Choosing the right Knife for you
All our knives are Excellent and it might be difficult to choose. If your unsure here's a summary of our Asian Offerings. Every cook will need a chef's knife (Gyuto) but a Santoku is a great alternative. As is a Nakiri, specifically designed for chopping. A paring knife (petty) is necessary for more fiddly work and a Sujihiki or Yanagiba for slicing. Depending on the task in hand we have the knife for you. Gyuto knife - The Japanese Chef's knife - Gyuto's vary widely in design but generally range from 210mm to 270mm in length. Tall at the heel, a reasonably flat profile and a gradually curved blade lending itself to an effective rocking motion on the board. For most users a Gyuto is practically the only knife needed in the kitchen. Petty knife - The same a western paring or vegetable knife used when the Chef's knife is just too big for the job. There are some jobs where a smaller blade is called for - Peeling fruit, segmenting an orange, carving meat off a small chicken all involve a more delicate touch which you could do with a Chef's knife but it's just much nicer and safer to do with a smaller blade. Santoku knife - Typically smaller than a Gyuto and more versatile. Roughly translated as "three uses" relating to its three main uses; slicing, dicing and mincing. You don't use it with a rocking action Instead it's more of a chopping/slicing motion. Many Western cooks (including me) are now replacing there traditional Chef knives with a Santoku. Nakiri/Usuba - Thin and sharp, like most Japanese knives, the flat cutting edge and square cut tip make this perfect for chopping and a dicing vegetables. The wider squared blade is often used to help scoop and transfer your chopped vegetables to the pot. The Usuba has a more curved blade. Sashimi/Yanagiba - Traditional style Japanese slicing knives that typically have a face sharpened edge, meaning they are sharpened mostly on one side for a much sharper cutting edge. Sashimi knives are used primarily by Sushi chefs to thinly slice fish but the knife is increasingly popular with western cooks for a multitude of tasks including roast carving. Deba - Traditionally used in Japan for filleting fish but equally suited to boning joints, parting out poultry or for use as a vegetable cleaver. Most Debas are single bevel like the Sashimi ideal for slicing softer, thinner products like fish. Sujihiki - Used in long fluid strokes as you would use a western slicer creating a clean cut. Traditionally used for fish but equally suited to carving the Sunday roast |