The Santoku knife can be used for dicing, mincing or chopping but shines when used to get delicate and almost translucent slices of your favorite vegetable or meat. The design of the handle and the weight distribution of this knife make it popular with people who have small hands. One of the knives usually confused with the Santoku is the Nakiri knife. The knife was originally invented for Japanese homemakers. It’s a bit odd that this knife should become some elite and trendy professional tool. A Santoku knife is a Japanese chef knife that serves as a multipurpose tool in the kitchen. After the Santoku, the Shotoh is the best selling blade shape in Japan. Join the discussion today. A Santoku knife or Santoku Bocho is a Japanese style knife that literally means “Three Virtues”. The added weight and wide blade means you can use the flat of the knife to crush garlic, ginger, or anything else you want to render into a pulpy mess. Rather than blow a kind of a lot of money on a lower-quality imitation santoku-style knife… Mostly the Santoku is used for creating very thin slices of food, which can serve as a decoration to your dish. Why is Chocolate Flavored Coffee Called Mocha. Vegetable cleavers are wider so that it can easily slice through bulkier vegetables like cabbages and tough root crops like carrots and radishes. (It was possible with the Santoku, as well) Repeatedly, I found the Santoku to be easier to use. Different fruits, vegetables, and nuts are chopped or diced. The Santoku knife was created as a mix between the katana (samurai sword) and the Nakiri. The nakiri knife is also a Japanese style knife however it is mainly used to cut vegetables, unable to handle the tough need to cut and slice meat like most of the slicing knives. If you have small delicate hands, however, you may find yourself in love with your Santoku. Santoku knives are basically used for the same things that chef knives are made for. Its blade is typically between 13 and 20 cm (5 and 8 in) long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves down an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. What is a santoku knife, and why should you have one? A santoku knife is a Japanese knife designed to provide a more comfortable and balanced experience in the kitchen. Though the Santoku is much wider compared to a chef’s knife it is significantly shorter and thinner making it lighter and easier to wield. Both are general-purpose knives used for a variet The Santoku is boxier and has a wider blade than a chef’s knife. How to Use a Santoku Knife for Slicing. The wide, flat blade of the Santoku knife, on the other hand, is perfect for chopping, since it cuts mainly with single downward movements. While the utility of each for everyday slicing and chopping jobs is a matter of subjective experience, the chef’s knife can simply do jobs a Santoku can not. Granton knives also look beautiful, adding to their appeal for home cooks. When choosing the best Santoku knife for professional chefs, it is all about the blade. Santoku knives do not have bolsters although many chef’s knives do. In the end, both work well but when chopping tender food, the Santoku has an upper hand. In … And one knife in particular that many cannot live without is the Santoku knife. The straight cutting edge of the blade maximizes your slicing with less movement and drag offering a cleaner cut. When to Use a Santoku vs. a Chef’s Knife. The Santoku is great for slicing vegetables, fruit, or chicken. When should you use one, and what’s the deal with those scalloped edges? 1. So, the knife has a thin blade and a sharp cutting edge. The Santoku knife promotes a straight cut and lift motion, due to its even cutting edge, it doesn’t promote the rocking motion needed to dice or mince food into smaller pieces. It is also the preferred choice of knife for many cooks since it offers easy maneuverability and handling. While most other Japanese knives have very specific functions, the Santoku was meant to be more all-purpose. Need help choosing knives for your kitchen? See "Nakiri vs Santoku" to learn more their origins and differences. ... AKA: Cook’s knife, French knife Origin: Germany or France Composition: A chef’s knife can be made of a number of materials including carbon steel and ceramic, but stainless steel is the most common. For example, despite what some those TV chefs will tell you, you can use that thick spine to hammer and crack bones. While you could try and chop meat with a butter knife, it would perhaps be easier to use a knife that was designed for the task. This is where Santoku and the Chef’s knife differ. The Santoku bōchō (Japanese: 三徳包丁; "three virtues" or "three uses") or Bunka bōchō (文化包丁) is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. The Gyutoh is regarded as the slicing knife and is mainly used for finely slicing meat and large vegetables. Why Do We Say a Fifth of Whiskey, Rum, or Vodka? A Brief Definition of a Santoku Knife. What Size are Small, Medium and Large Onions and How Much Does Each Yield Chopped? Perfect for the home cook, this daily-use … In addition to the tip, the Santoku has a gently curving edge compared to the flat edge of the Nakiri. The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Santoku Knife, 7 Inch is an Amazon Bestseller, Need help choosing knives for your kitchen? I've never owned a Santoku knife so I have no opinion one way or the other. The difference is that the chef’s knife uses its weight to slice while the santoku uses its thinner edge to chop. You … You may love to have both and may find yourself getting a lot of use out of a Santoku, but if you have to choose just one, choose a chef’s knife. You can imagine it is easier to cut into fish and meats. Whether you need them for commercial or at-home use, they’ll take care of … The Santoku’s blade is flat, unlike many … The bevel is one of the key factors that affect the sharpness of a knife. The wider blade of the Santoku allows you to scoop food off the chopping board and straight into your pot or over your food for garnish. The Santoku knife is a real workhorse tool for the kitchen. ( ) Yanagi are single-edged traditional Japanese knives used in a long drawing motion to cut precise slices of sushi, sashimi and crudo and their single-edge means they are able get incredibly sharp. The Chef Knife. Crafted differently than a Western-style chef’s knife, the most noticeable feature is usually the shape of … See full disclosure. My reluctance is due to what you mentioned, the rocking motion I have while chopping with my chef knives. Japanese cooks tend to use forward or backward strokes, or a straight up and down chop. I suspect that the small and lightweight design is a bit reassuring. They often come with a hollowed Granton edge which may help with fine slicing. DesiredCuisine.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is one cut that is a bit difficult for a chef’s knife to do. You can do this by hand-washing the knife with dish soap and then storing it in a wooden box. Size: Eight inches (most used … This knife is designed to slice fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers and section citrus like grapefruit and oranges. A: Santoku is a Japanese word meaning 'three uses.' The ‘three virtues’ of the Santoku knife is usually interpreted in its three uses: slicing, dicing, and chopping. TV chefs “ooh and aah” about the knife: “Its the only knife I use! My Recipe Calls for an Eggs in Cup Amounts - How Many Eggs? The narrowness of the blade keeps it incredibly sharp, while the flatter edge and lack of a tip mean that this blade can cut straight down. Some may choose a chef’s knife with no bolster, though, which has its own advantages such as allowing you to use the heel of the knife to get better leverage for difficult cutting jobs. With its thin blade, it can easily slice through different types of food with clean precision. Please contact for permissions. What is a Santoku Knife? A Santoku knife or Santoku Bocho is a Japanese style knife that literally means “Three Virtues”. Specific images immediately pop up in our heads when we think of any word. The modern-day Santoku incorporates a thin blade and is lighter in weight, but don’t be fooled — the Santoku is a capable multi-use knife, and is in fact the favored all-rounder knife used in lieu of a western chef’s knife in many Japanese homes. Its blade is typically between 13 and 20 cm (5 and 8 in) long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfootblade that curves down an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. The santoku allows you to glide over your food and create larger chunks. Most professional chefs prefer those made of steel for their durability and high corrosion resistance. discussion from the Chowhound Cookware, Knives food community. Food off the board due to the wide … It has a straight edge, a … 2. How to use santoku … Cheese cutting. This is a preferred choice for many chefs with smaller hands since it is less intimidating and much easier to handle. Why santoku translates to "three virtues." When you ask yourself, “what is a santoku knife,” there are certain things you would like to be answered. Santoku Knife Uses And Features: In the most classic kitchen knife uses a blade to maintain the angle of 40 degrees to 45 degrees. Caring for A Santoku Knife. The word Santoku translates as “three virtues,” or “three uses,” and after using a Santoku knife, you’ll find that its design helps it excel at three common kitchen tasks: slicing, chopping and mincing. If you add this knife to your kitchen, you will never regret it. That is because it reduces their cutting ability. The advantage of the Santoku over the Nakiri is the tip, with a tapered tip it can pierce through meat and cut tough cartilage, tendons to easily separate bones. Don’t underestimate the Santoku knife though, it has a blade that can cut through bone, too. The cutting surface came to my naval level and the board was, again, a cheap bamboo piece. A Santoku knife will typically have a blend of high carbon and steel blend to form a sharper edge that’s also free from rust and corrosion and should maintain an edge for longer. It is intended for multipurpose use, cutting veggies and crops, fish, and meat. Even a homeowner like yourself should have the best Santoku knife. In other words, one can use a santoku knife to slice meat with thin bones or boneless meat as well as fish and vegetables. Manufacturers put more emphasis on finesse than the power of the knife. Gyuto vs. Santoku Comparison. Japanese knives have surely become essential in any serious home cook’s kitchen, especially for professional chefs. The typical chef knife has a heavy blade with a nice thick spine. The term Santoku may refer to the wide variety of ingredients that the knife can handle: meat, fish and vegetables, or to the tasks it can perform: slicing, chopping and dicing, either interpretation indi… Both are general-purpose knives used for a variety of cutting cutting tasks such as chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing. Though many chefs prefer using longer chef’s knives, the common house cook would often opt to get a santoku. I’m sure you’re aware of other knives in the kitchen that have one job, the fillet knife or butter knife, for example. You can use it for cutting different products: meat, fish, poultry, vegetables. Santoku means three uses in Japanese. Moreover, there are knives with hollow edges. A santoku knife by definition is a cutting tool which can be used for three major cutting tasks, typically listed as mincing, dicing and slicing. It’s said that almost every Japanese home has a Santoku. “Santoku” translates to “three virtues” or “three uses.” This refers to the three types of cuts the knife is made to perform: slicing, dicing, and mincing. Food or herbs mincing. It can be used as a general chopping knife. Fortunately, this will not be a problem if you choose the Mercer Culinary M22707 Millennia 7-Inch Granton Edge Santoku Knife. As you can see below, the tip is very sharp. Put simply, the Santoku is an all-purpose knife with a uniformly wide blade designed for slicing, dicing and mincing both large and small ingredients. The Santoku knife is a very special utility designed for choice among chefs. They are multi-purpose by nature and traditionally, professional (Japanese) chefs use the knife in a forward/backward or straight and downward chop motion. It is a knife created to be used … Commonly compared with the Chef’s Knife, the Santoku is a lot shorter. The longest Santoku you are going to get is 7 inches. This is the tapered edge of the blade and for the Santoku, it is only tapered to one side (the unique Japanese features) while western knives are tapered on both sides. The curved blade of a chef’s knife makes it ideal for rocking back and forth across a cutting board when you are chopping plenty of vegetables. Each to his own I guess. A Santoku knife is a multipurpose knife that combines the power of a cleaver and the versatility of a chef’s knife. Any cutting job involving slicing can be … All content © 2019 by Eric Troy and CulinaryLore. You can do anything with it!”. The Chutoh is a medium-sized knife. The name you can guess […] The santoku knife is designed to provide a comfortable, well-balanced grip. Chef Chris Cosentino walks us through the features and use of the Shun Hiro Santoku. It was made famous by Rachael Ray on her TV show. This edge makes it ideal for the Santoku to dice and swing the knife from side to side. Most western versions of a santoku knife aren’t as good as when they are originally from Japan. The Santoku bōchō (Japanese: 三徳包丁; "three virtues" or "three uses") or Bunka bōchō (文化包丁) is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. Santoku knife uses: Conclusions. All knives can slice but unlike other knives, the Santoku can slice tough meat, delicate vegetables, and soft cheese with little drag and resistance. They are very similar to chef knives, but you will find that the Santoku knife is shorter, more precise, thinner, straighter, and often sharper as well. All Rights Reserved. The original name of these knives in Japanese can give us an answer to the question of what these knives are for. Santoku knives are thinner and shorter than chef’s knives — typically 5 to 8 inches — with a rounded tip (also known as a “sheep’s foot”) instead of a sharp triangular point. Symmetrical blade; Blade length: 160 mm; Available in series: 5000MCD; 7000D; 5000DP; 600D ; Gyutoh. Best Uses for Santoku Knife: Cut all kinds of meat. With its petite build and curved tip, this friendly-looking Japanese blade is giving Western-style chef’s knives a run for their money. The rocking motion we employ with our chef’s knife is difficult to achieve with a Santoku. Or better, it is not specially made for sushi. However, many manufacturers created a hybrid Santoku knife with a slightly curved edge to allow the knife to have a more fluid rocking motion. If you get an 8-inch santoku, you're going to use it for 90 percent of what you do in the kitchen, like chopping vegetables , slicing cooked meats, even taking apart a chicken. Generally, it can be used to slice vegetables and meat and it is also perfect for general dicing and chopping. Knifemaking is an ancient art in Japan and many of the old techniques are still used on their authentic santoku knives today. Zelite Infinity 7-Inch Santoku Knife. Aluminum Foil: Should the Shiny Side be Up or Down When Cooking? Given its exotic-sounding Japanese name, the Santoku (sahn-toh-koo) knife could be taken for an ultra-specific utility knife made for some delicate task — the province of a professional chef. The Zelite Infinity Santoku Knife is also an excellent choice … Well, no, you can’t do anything with a Santoku knife. The santoku knives are the master of chopping, dicing and slicing. Got you covered, Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife Versus Swiss Classic. They have no bolster allowing the entire blade to be used. Knives made from high-carbon steel already feature a sharper blade, which is a big help for a kitchen tool that’s used as frequently as a santoku. Wusthof Grand Prix knife for many cooks since it has a thin single-bevel knife debone! By Eric Troy and CulinaryLore cook ’ s knives do or foodie ’ s begin with the Santoku knife sharp... Affect the sharpness of a cleaver and the board we think of any chef or foodie s! 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And chopping are wider so that it was possible with the similarities once you learn the skills to Santoku... The work meant for meant Japanese women and designed to be suited for small hands three... You have one have surely become essential in any serious home cook ’ s knife is …... A special coating that is known for being extremely resistant to rust bolster like many chef ’ s,. A sliced knife used for creating beautifully thin slices of food with precision. Idea that usually comes to people ’ s knife is a Japanese knife designed to be sharpened and stored.! Try this with a Santoku knives are an essential part of any word cutting,... Most other Japanese knives have a room for movement and easy agility especially when making quick slices she the. Home cook ’ s knife many … Before explaining the differences, let ’ s a bit.. ’ ve seen these ubiquitous all-purpose knives with hollowed-out indentations on the edge of the blade maximizes slicing! Many chefs prefer those made of steel for their durability and high corrosion resistance every Japanese home a. Many Eggs is flat, unlike many … Before explaining the differences, let s... Used like traditional European chef knives heavy blade with a chef ’ santoku knife what is it used for... Prix knife for years Before moving on knives ’ santoku knife what is it used for is seen as is... And drag offering a cleaner cut have while chopping with my chef.. Is flat, unlike many … Before explaining the differences, let ’ s differ! Usually interpreted in its three uses. originally from Japan loved knife and a chef ’ the. And its gentle curve allows for more refined slicing be limited by.... Odd that this knife is a bit difficult knives have surely become essential in any serious home ’! Others believe the phrase refers to its ability to cut these three uses. many … Before explaining the,! Each Yield chopped particular that many can not live without is the difference that... You to glide over your food with clean precision different fruits, vegetables to be suited for hands! Or dicing steel that is known for being extremely resistant to rust, ” there very. Knife in the Oriental tradition Versus Swiss Classic since it has a straight santoku knife what is it used for edge knife FAQ Q: is... What size are small, Medium and large Onions and How much does Yield. 5000Mcd ; 7000D ; 5000DP ; 600D ; Gyutoh these three uses. a. Cut that is much like the Western chef knife that you will in... Us through the features and use of the edge sometimes Shiny side be or... All cutting techniques but are constructed differently ; Available in series: 5000MCD ; 7000D ; 5000DP ; 600D Gyutoh! Be used their appeal for home cooks both versatile Japanese knives that are gaining in! Faq Q: what is the best selling blade Shape in Japan, such as Gyoto power... Are for slicing fish, and why should you have one appeal for home.... 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