19 Types of Kitchen Knives You May Come Across (and Their True Purposes)

The chef’s knife is the quintessential 'kitchen knife' you see when you search for 'kitchen knives' online, and that’s because it is, in a sense, quite a universal tool. It likely evolved with modern cooking techniques to meet the demands of large-scale chopping, slicing, and cutting in bustling kitchens, as it’s versatile enough to tackle many tasks. Typically around 8 inches long, it’s nimble for dicing and durable enough for chopping, making it the go-to choice if you could only have one knife in your kitchen.

The boning knife appears to be a serious tool with a distinct function because, quite simply, it is. True to its name, this knife’s primary role is to separate meat from bone—precisely peeling the protein off. It’s slender, sharp, and typically flexible, allowing the blade to slip in with ease and remove the flesh. While this may sound like a task for professional chefs, you’ll find a boning knife incredibly useful if you plan to dive into any substantial meat-based cooking at home.

Cutting fresh, quality bread is trickier than it seems—especially if you’re using a dull or ill-suited knife. What usually happens is you end up struggling with the crust and crushing the soft interior, turning the loaf into a crumbled mess. A bread knife is purpose-built with a long, sharp blade to saw through even the toughest breads, and its serrated edge helps maintain the delightful texture inside.

As with all tools, size plays an important role. A chef’s knife is versatile enough to handle most tasks, but when it comes to working with small ingredients or making delicate cuts, the compact paring knife offers more precision and control than its larger counterparts. The short blade is perfect for maneuvering into tight spots, making it an essential tool for any kitchen.

The iconic cleaver is well-known to most, and it’s designed for a solid, satisfying chop. This wide, rectangular blade is used for cutting through meat, fat, and bones, especially when chopping up joints or poultry. However, it's also handy for chopping vegetables—or just about anything with a tough outer layer. That said, some chefs use the cleaver for a variety of tasks—like with all tools, its effectiveness depends on the skill of the person wielding it. Some even use it as a bench scraper (see below).

This knife is a highly specialized tool primarily used for carving meat. Its long, pointed blade is built to glide smoothly through meat, allowing you to create neat, attractive slices with minimal effort and no mess. If you've ever attempted to carve a Thanksgiving turkey with an ordinary knife and ended up with something more shredded than sliced, you'll understand why a carving knife is essential.

The utility knife, as its name suggests, is an all-around tool. It's smaller than a chef’s knife but bigger than a paring knife, and while it's typically used for cutting fruits and vegetables, it can handle almost any task where the chef's knife feels too large and the paring knife too delicate. It's not strictly necessary in every kitchen, but you’ll likely find it handy for tasks that require a medium-sized blade.

While steak knives are typically associated with eating rather than cooking, they are still an integral part of your kitchen knife collection. With a short, often serrated blade, these knives are made to effortlessly cut through all kinds of meats. Whether your dish is fall-apart tender or tough, the steak knife is crucial for completing the final, and perhaps most important, step of dinner: enjoying it.

Fillet knives resemble boning knives in design and purpose, but their blades are usually more slender with a sharper curve. These knives are essential for working with fish, as they excel in peeling off the skin and cutting the fish into clean, perfect fillets. If you rarely cook with fresh fish or always buy it pre-filleted, this knife may not be a necessity for your kitchen.

The mezzaluna knife is a highly specialized tool. With its unique half-moon shape (mezzaluna meaning "half-moon" in Italian) and dual handles, it’s made for chopping with a rocking motion. It’s perfect for cutting vegetables, herbs, and anything else that needs to be finely chopped. While it allows for fast and efficient chopping, it's most useful if you're frequently preparing large quantities of herbs or vegetables.

If you frequently use your paring knife for peeling fruits and vegetables, you may notice that it gets the job done but isn't exactly the best tool for the task. A peeling knife, however, is specifically crafted for handling round produce with precision. Featuring a subtly curved, ultra-sharp blade, it effortlessly peels apples, potatoes, and any other round fruits or vegetables.

If you’ve ever tried slicing a tomato with a regular knife and ended up mashing it, splattering juice everywhere, you know the frustration. That’s where a tomato knife comes in. This short, serrated blade is specifically designed to cut through tomato skin effortlessly, and its pointed tip works perfectly for coring tomatoes or transferring slices to a plate. While it’s not a must-have for casual tomato eaters, if you use tomatoes often and enjoy precise cuts, you might want to add this tool to your kitchen arsenal.

Some might argue that a bench scraper isn’t technically a knife, but it is a cutting tool used in cooking, so it belongs here. A bench scraper is a flat, square-edged tool that’s perfect for slicing dough, transferring it to a pan or plate, and scraping leftover dough and flour off your cutting board or countertop. If baking is a regular part of your routine, a bench scraper can make a big difference. For the dedicated bread baker, you might also consider a bread lame (shown right); it's used to score dough before baking, allowing it to expand without cracking the crust. Many bakers even get creative with their scoring techniques.

If you’ve ever tried using a bread knife to cut through a cake, you know it doesn’t always end well. Dense cakes, like sponge cakes, tend to stick to the bread knife, turning your slicing effort into a messy, uneven result. A confectioner’s knife, with its rounded and serrated blade, easily glides through thick cakes, making perfect, smooth cuts each time.

Similar to a traditional chef’s knife, the santoku knife is a Japanese alternative designed for a variety of kitchen tasks. It’s lighter and more nimble, with distinctive dimples along the blade that help with slicing. If you find a chef’s knife too heavy or awkward for certain jobs, the santoku might be just what you need, offering versatility without the strain on your arm.

The nakiri knife is a Japanese tool that resembles a long, flat cleaver. Its wide blade makes it ideal for chopping vegetables, allowing you to slice through everything on your cutting board in one go. It's especially useful for cutting long vegetables like zucchinis, eggplants, or cucumbers. If you're a frequent vegetable chopper, a nakiri can help save both time and effort.

Need to carve out intricate designs in small fruits or vegetables? The fluting knife, a small and sharp tool, is perfect for precision work where a paring or peeling knife just won't do. While it’s often used for decorative purposes, like carving fruit into artistic shapes, most home cooks won't need it unless you're preparing something special, such as an edible arrangement.

The salmon knife is a specialized blade designed for a very particular purpose: to cut fish into ultra-thin slices. Its long, narrow, and flexible design is perfect for preparing smoked salmon, which is where it earns its name. While it's not a tool you'll use every day, some home sushi makers may find it handy when slicing fish for their dishes.

If you’re a fan of shellfish, an oyster knife is a must-have in your kitchen. These knives are short, sturdy, and not particularly sharp, designed to easily pry open the hard oyster shell and then separate the tender meat inside. While it’s not an essential tool unless you often prepare shellfish, who knows? You might one day find yourself shucking oysters for a snack at home!