Knife guide – choose the right knife for your kitchen tasks

Whether you’re a home cook or a professional chef, your knives are possibly the most used (and important!) tools in your kitchen. In this guide, we’ll cover the many different types of knives available and what they are used for, so you can find the knives that fit your needs.

Cook’s knife

The cook’s knife is the star of the kitchen tools. Designed to be multi-purpose, the cook’s knife is sturdy enough to handle meat and large root vegetables, but delicate enough to slice fruit and mince fine herbs.

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An IKEA 365+ cook’s knife of stainless steel is placed on a wooden chopping board with a fistful of nuts, partly chopped.

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Utility knife

The utility knife is slightly smaller than the cook’s knife but is just as versatile. It’s a handy companion for virtually all food preparation needs, like slicing fruit, vegetables, cheeses etc.

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A VÖRDA utility knife is placed on an ARTISTISK chopping board in oak with a variety of vegetables, some of them sliced.

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Bread knife

The bread knife is designed to cut all sorts of bread, as well as soft vegetables, with ease. The serrated edge means you can saw as cleanly through tomatoes, as you could through hard crusts.

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An IKEA 365+ bread knife in stainless steel is placed on top of a wooden cutting board next to a sliced loaf of bread.

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Paring knife

The paring knife is more agile compared to large knives when it comes to more detailed work, like cleaning and peeling fruit and vegetables. This small, light knife works almost like an extension of your hand when you use it.

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A VARDAGEN cook’s knife is placed on top of a white LEGITIM cutting board with carrots and tomatoes in different colors.

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Vegetable knife

The vegetable knife is particularly useful for shredding, mincing and cutting all sorts of vegetables into strips. The broad blade makes the knife extra stable to use. The blade has a special design with indentations that lets air into the cutting surface so the food you slice does not stick to the blade.

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There is an IKEA 365+ vegetable knife in stainless steel on a wooden cutting board next to tomatoes on top of a tea towel.

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Specialty kitchen knives and tools

Cooking is more fun when you have the right tools. A cleaver is perfect for cutting large and tough raw ingredients; a carving knife and fork set gives you thin and tasty slices of roasted meat or vegetables, while a grip-friendlier knife with a rounded tip may be the best option for a young chef in training.

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