() The more comfortable you feel with the weight and balance, the more quickly you’ll be able

le to slice, dice, and julienne vegetables during prep for a busy

meal service (https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/culinary-pastry-careers/what-it-takes-to-be-a-line-cook/). Therefore it’s important to find a knife that
gives you a smooth and fast rhythm as you’re cutting.

Paring Knife

A paring knife is basically a mini chef’s knife with a small blade that offers greater versatility and precision. While the chef’s knife works for cutting hard
vegetables, paring knives are great for peeling apples and potatoes, mincing small amounts of garlic and onions, and coring tomatoes.

The blade will be no longer than 3.5 inches, so it’s ideal for detail work like creating a garnish. A paring knife is useful when you’re working with small or

tender vegetables and fruit – like ginger, strawberries, garlic, and shallots – but isn’t suited for harder vegetables – such as carrots, beets, and squash.

Remember that you never want to apply force with a paring knife – so if you find yourself flexing your muscle, swap it out for a heavier blade to avoid
injury.

Utility Knife

This truly is a utilitarian knife – it does multi-duty. If you want the heft of a chef’s knife with a bit of the precision of a paring knife, the utility knife is the
tool to call on. The blade is longer than a paring knife and narrower than a chef’s knife. A utility knife is generally six inches long and works well for

slicing fruit, tender pieces of meat, or sandwiches. As the “knife of all trades,” it’s a handy go-to for the everyday chef.