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Sneak into the back of any good restaurant and look around. Ninety-nine percent of the tools and cookware you’ll find in that kitchen will belong to that kitchen—basically everything except for the knives.
When attempting to describe the relationship between a chef and a knife, it’s hard to avoid a mythical analogy. A knife to a chef is like a sword to a knight, or a wand to a wizard; each object is essential to the execution of its owner’s craft and livelihood.
Cheesy comparisons aside, the reason chefs are responsible for their own knives boils down to subjective preferences and comfort. “I want the knife to be an extension of my arm and my hand,” says Fredrik Berselius, executive chef at Aska.
Since there are far too many variables that go into a knife’s design—handle shape, blade shape, weight, balance, material, and so on— determining which knife is the best knife is fundamentally impossible.
However, for anybody looking to find their perfect knife, asking the people who use them on the regular (chefs) and know how to wield them to their full extent is a smart way of going about it. Here are 10 chefs from restaurants and bakeries we love with the blades they use every day.
Wüsthof Chef’s Knife
WÜSTHOF
Classic 6″ Chef’s Knife
Chef Neel Kajale of Adda prefers a short and stocky German-style chef’s knife. “It is the most quintessential knife because it does everything.” German knives are heavier in the hand, with thick blades and sturdy handles. Unlike most Japanese knives, this German knife features a bolster at the base of the blade. This provides additional weight and leverage for tasks requiring a little more muscle, like breaking down a chicken.
Masanobu Gyuto knife
Lightweight and razor-sharp, gyuto knives are typically longer than their santoku-style cousins. The pointed tip allows for super-precise cuts. “I love the sleekness of it,” says Jackie Carnesi of Kellogg’s Diner. “Maybe it’s weird to say, I just find this to be a very sexy knife.”
Honesuki Knife
Misono
Swedish Carbon Honesuki 145mm
Honesuki knives have a tapered triangular blade with a sharp tip and a sturdy spine. In the kitchen at Musket Room, chef Mary Etta likes a honesuki because she finds it comfortable to wield as someone with smaller hands. “It’s really good for getting in and getting pieces of meat off the bone and getting as much yield as possible,” she says.
Serrated Knife
Mercer
Culinary M23710 Renaissance
Bakers need knives that can slice through crusty bread and delicate pastries without crushing them. The sawtooth edge of a serrated blade does this job well, as it requires less downward pressure to slice. “In every bakery or pastry shop, a serrated knife is an absolute must,” says Miro Uskokovic of Hani’s.
Bunka knife
Miyabi
Kaizen II Utility Knife, 6½”
A bunka knife has a sharper and more angular appearance compared to a typical chef’s knife, which gives it extra precision. Its flatter blade profile also gives it a longer slicing range. Maria Barriga is fastidious with hers at Oxomoco. “It’s a really good option for home cooks because it’s not as intimidating as a big chef’s knife,” she adds.
Petty Knife
Tojiro Fujitora DP
Petty 120mm
Alec Horen, former executive chef of St. Anselm, prefers a smaller petty knife over larger blades. “[Petty knives are] great for getting around small things, cutting brunoise of shallots, filleting fish, cutting steaks—really everything. And they are really easy to sharpen because they’re so small.”
Shun Premier Chef’s Knife
Tania Onufrak, the general manager at Veselka, relies on her Shun chef’s knife for breaking down large vegetables like beets, potatoes, and carrots. “The handle is very light, so I feel like I’m in control, so I don’t have to push it—it just goes through the food.” Because of this, she says, it’s easy on the wrists too. “If this disappears, I don’t cook, I just close the kitchen.”
Jikko Carbon Steel Gyuto Knife
As a left-handed chef, Nhu Ton of Bánh Anh Em is accustomed to looking for left-handed knives, but her Jikko carbon-steel gyuto has a double-sided blade that she can easily wield. Because it’s blue carbon steel, it stays sharp longer, but it also requires a thorough towel dry to prevent rust. “Some knives are too heavy, some are too long. This one is just perfect for me.”
