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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.

A VARDAGEN cook’s knife and a VÖRDA paring knife are placed on an APTITLIG butcher’s block of bamboo, next to some mushrooms.
A VARDAGEN cook’s knife and a VÖRDA paring knife are placed on an APTITLIG butcher’s block of bamboo, next to some mushrooms.

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 chopping 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 chopping board with carrots and tomatoes in different colours.
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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 chopping 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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Cleaver

The cleaver makes light work of dividing up large pieces of meat as well as shredding vegetables. The blade is thick and broad (perfect for pounding and tenderising meat), and the heavy weight of the cleaver gives you more power when using it for preparing food.

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A person wearing a black and white apron is using a cleaver with a black handle to cut meat on a wooden chopping board.
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Filleting knife

The filleting knife is for trimming meat, boning and skinning fish while minimising waste. The blade is thin and flexible to help you follow the contours of what you are cutting. The flexibility of the blade is the most important aspect of the filleting knife, and what makes it special compared to other knives.

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A person wearing a black apron is filleting a piece of fish using a fillet knife with a black handle.
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Carving knife and fork

The carving knife and fork combination is all about meat and poultry. The blade is thin to make it easier for you to cut and slice meat on the bone. You can use the carving fork to keep the joint of meat or the bird in place, or to turn it for better access.

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A person wearing a black and white apron is carving meat using a carving knife and fork with black handles.
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Chinese chopper

The Chinese chopper is for slicing and chopping vegetables and meat. The knife has a large high blade which gives good stability for chopping and slicing vegetables and meat. A particular favourite among chefs specialising in Asian cuisine due to its multi-purpose capabilities.

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A person wearing a grey apron is chopping spring onions on a chopping board using a VÖRDA chinese chopper.
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