2. The knife is the chef’s most important tool
Knives are usually made from one of three
types of metals
1. carbon steel- has been used for hundreds of
years, easiest to sharpen, will rust if left wet
2. stainless steel- doesn’t rust or discolor, difficult
to sharpen
3. high carbon stainless steel- most good quality
professional knives made of this, easy to
sharpen, do not discolor
3. Tang Bolster Spine
Tip
Heel
Rivets
Cutting edge
4. Chef knife
Most used knife, used for chopping, slicing,
5. Utility knife- smaller
version of chef
knife, more flexible
blade, not wide enough
for chopping
6. Paring knife- used to
cut away skin or
peel, also useful for
garnishes
7. Serrated slicer (bread
knife)- slices breads
and pastries without
crumbling or flattening
them
8. Cleaver- used for
chopping, heavy
cleavers can chop
through bones when
used by butchers
9. Wooden cutting boards
and butcher blocks are
less likely to allow
bacteria growth than
plastic or synthetic
boards
Matter of preference
Synthetic are much
cheaper
Colored boards
10. A dull knife is more
dangerous than a sharp
knife
There are two ways to
sharpen a knife
Steel- a rod used to keep
a knife sharp while
working
Whetstone- an abrasive
stone used to sharpen
the knife after it’s already
dull
