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The Best Knives for Cutting Vegetables

Knowing the best knives for cutting vegetables is a home cook’s secret weapon! Knowing the best knife for any job in the kitchen not only saves you time, but it saves your arms from too much work!

best knives for cutting vegetables

Professional chefs carry their knives around with them in a beautiful rollout bag. Neatly and carefully put away is the chef’s knife with its long blade and sharp edge. Then you’ll usually find a paring knife with stainless steel blade, and sometimes you might find a santoku knife.

The Santoku knife happens to be my absolute favorite knife of all time. ((Besides my old faithful, Mezzaluna knife…))

Let’s chat about what makes a good knife, and how you know it’s the right knife to invest in for your kitchen!

The Nakiri Knife and Santoku Knife are both becoming very popular in western culture for multipurpose cutting, much like the beloved chef’s knife. You can read in further detail about each type of knife below!

Best Knives for Cutting Vegetables

First, know that the best knife is the one that fits in your hand well, with a comfortable grip in YOUR hand. What works for others may not work for you. If you are wanting to invest in a great knife head over to your kitchen store (Williams Sonoma will let you try any knife in their case!) and test them out. Bring some vegetables of different sizes to cut.

While most knives have a specific purpose, today we’re chatting about the best vegetable knives.

Every kitchen should have 4-5 really good knives, all for varying purposes.

  • Chef’s Knife – this is the all-purpose big knife you get in the usual knife blocks.
  • Utility Knife – this looks like a smaller chef’s knife, but has a thinner blade.
  • Paring Knife – used to pare vegetables, and make smaller cuts.
  • Serrated Knife – best for cutting bread, and tomatoes!
best knife for cutting vegetables

Chef Knife:

Made out of a durable material like stainless steel, and is the kitchen’s workhorse! It’s a versatile knife being able to cut through whole chicken, butternut squash, onions, potatoes, and anything of the like.

When choosing chef’s knives, look for one with a comfortable handle, curved cutting edge, and preferably a wooden handle. Sometimes they’ll have a plastic handle, just make sure it fits the size of your hands.

When using this knife on a cutting board, it’s best to use a wooden cutting board so the knife has somewhere to “groove into.” That rocking motion you see professionals do is what you want to work towards at home!

This knife is the premiere of your knife collection. Choose one with an ergonomic handle, its razor-sharp blade has a slight curve at the end, and it’s a “big” knife!

They usually come in 6″, 8″, and 10″ options. It’s a personal preference which one works best for you. For me, I love an 8″ high-carbon stainless steel knife!

While they look intimidating, I can assure you they are worth it! Your kitchen-cooking-productivity will get so much better when you learn that the chef’s knife is your best friend!

Prep work for the week won’t seem as tiresome, either! Woo hoo!

santoku knife for cutting vegetables

Santoku Knife

This is one of the best Japanese knife options on the market. It has a unique shape and cutting edge.

The edge of the blade is rounded, and it’s a bit smaller and lighter than the chef’s knife.

One of the best features of Santoku knives is the scalloped edges. This helps whatever you are slicing to not stick. We’ve all been slicing onions or potatoes, and the slice just sticks until the next one… Leaving you with a messy cutting board!

That’s why this knife is a top contender for the best knives for cutting vegetables! It produces clean cuts, every single time. Which makes meal prep a breeze! Slicing through peppers, onions, celery, carrots, etc… This knife can do it all!

Tips for Cutting Vegetables

When you’re cutting vegetables, it’s important to have a sturdy wooden surface for your knife to groove into.

cutting board for prepping vegetables

If you find your board is shifting while you’re cutting place a damp paper towel underneath. I actually bought a non-slip mat (usually for under rugs!) at the dollar tree that I cut into pieces, and place under my big board. It never moves or shifts! Plus, the cush of the mat gives a little “oomph” when cutting thin slices at a quick pace.

When you have a round vegetable like potatoes, squash, etc. Slice a thin piece off one side so it sits flush with the board. This helps the vegetable not move while you cut through it! Protecting your hand from any kind of accident.

In conclusion, the most important tool you have in your kitchen is your knives! Choose something YOU love. A knife that fits you and your hand the best!

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