Food off the board due to the wide … In fact, the Santoku is simply a slicing and chopping knife that can be used much like a traditional European (Western) chef’s knife. 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. 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. Both knives are multi-functional. No Caster Sugar for Your Recipe? The straight cutting edge of the blade maximizes your slicing with less movement and drag offering a cleaner cut. Santoku is simply a sliced knife used for slicing and slicing, the function used like traditional European chef knives (Western). Besides just being a guard, the inward curving design of the bolster allows you to choke up on the handle and place your finger along the guard giving you more control of the knife. When choosing the best Santoku knife for professional chefs, it is all about the blade. 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. 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. They often come with a hollowed Granton edge which may help with fine slicing. For example, despite what some those TV chefs will tell you, you can use that thick spine to hammer and crack bones. All content © 2019 by Eric Troy and CulinaryLore. How to use santoku … Most professional chefs prefer those made of steel for their durability and high corrosion resistance. Santoku Knife FAQ Q: What is a santoku knife? It is also the preferred choice of knife for many cooks since it offers easy maneuverability and handling. In view of its uses, the three virtues of a Santoku knife are “meat, fish, and vegetables” however it is also popularly referring to the three main functions of a knife, “chopping, slicing, and dicing”. While that may sound like a chefs knife, keep in mind that it was also invented for Japanese homemakers who wanted to cook Western style food. The nakiri knife is designed specifically for chopping vegetables. I think it's really a matter of what you are used to more than anything. The knife was originally invented for Japanese homemakers. The single bevel offers a sharper 12-15 degree angle making it possible to create thinner blades while offering the same strength and quality. They are designed to cut these three foodstuff with one knife without difficulties. In … Japanese santoku knives will even have scallops on the side of the edge sometimes. This article contains one or more Amazon affiliate links. I’m afraid this is hype. They have no bolster allowing the entire blade to be used. My reluctance is due to what you mentioned, the rocking motion I have while chopping with my chef knives. Sticking to its promise in delivering all sorts of cutting and slicing needs, the Santoku is indeed an all-around knife for multi-purpose and versatile use. The santoku knives are the … The tip of the blade along the spine tapers sharply downwards, but the cutting edge itself is flat. The rocking motion we employ with our chef’s knife is difficult to achieve with a Santoku. Top Santoku Knife Uses. It’s said that almost every Japanese home has a Santoku. Santoku knives also use an incredibly efficient cutting motion thanks to the sheepsfoot (or rounded) tip and incredibly narrow bevel. When to Use a Santoku vs. a Chef’s Knife. No more rocking motion like you’d need with a chef’s knife. A Santoku knife is a multipurpose knife that combines the power of a cleaver and the versatility of a chef’s knife. The santoku knives are the master of chopping, dicing and slicing. Perfect for the home cook, this daily-use … They do the same jobs but are constructed differently. The cutting surface came to my naval level and the board was, again, a cheap bamboo piece. 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. 10 Tatara Santoku Knife – 7 Inch Japanese Sushi Knife VG10 Damascus. Don’t underestimate the Santoku knife though, it has a blade that can cut through bone, too. Generally, it can be used to slice vegetables and meat and it is also perfect for general dicing and chopping. Nowadays, the hype for the Santoku knife grew across the world making it a popular knife of choice for home cooks, and second to the Chef’s knife for professionals. French style knives have a straight blade that curves upward at the belly (see parts of a knife), while the German style has a blade that is curved along its entire cutting edge. The three originally means vegetables, fish, and meats. The typical chef knife has a heavy blade with a nice thick spine. Well, no, you can’t do anything with a Santoku knife. A Santoku knife or Santoku Bocho is a Japanese style knife that literally means “Three Virtues”. And one knife in particular that many cannot live without is the Santoku knife. Chef Chris Cosentino walks us through the features and use of the Shun Hiro Santoku. Once you learn the skills to use the Santoku knife, you can use them with many other knives, too. All knives can slice but unlike other knives, the Santoku can slice tough meat, delicate vegetables, and soft cheese with little drag and resistance. Perhaps you’ve seen these ubiquitous all-purpose knives with hollowed-out indentations on the edge of the blade. 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. Santoku means three uses in Japanese. Rachael Ray, in particular, comes to mind. Similarity between the Nakiri and Santoku. So, the knife has a thin blade and a sharp cutting edge. To create a knife more appropriate for cutting fish and meat, the Japanese retained the height and the straight of the Nakiri but they added a sheep’s foot tip. Manufacturers put more emphasis on finesse than the power of the knife. The Santoku is great for slicing vegetables, fruit, or chicken. As you can see below, the tip is very sharp. Santoku knives are an essential part of any chef or foodie’s kitchen. They’re commonly scalloped along the edge to help release food from the knife so you don’t have to stop and nudge slices off a razor-sharp blade with your fingers. Santoku knives are lighter, thinner, shorter and stiffer than traditional Western chef knives. The fact that it is also used to slice raw fish is thanks to its ultra-sharp blade, thanks to which the santoku has become so … Regardless, you may still be limited by it. This uses high carbon stainless steel that is resistant to staining. 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 Santoku knife is a real workhorse tool for the kitchen. Before explaining the differences, let’s begin with the similarities. 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. 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. I see Chinese cooks using cleavers all the time for general chopping of everything. Got you covered. It’s a bit odd that this knife should become some elite and trendy professional tool. Join the discussion today. Granton blades were found primarily on Santoku knives when they became popular with home cooks, but now this blade type is … The SK-65 Superior Santoku Knife from Mac Knife is sharp … Rather it is a more versatile chef's knife in the Oriental tradition. Though it originated from Japan, many knife manufacturers started creating their hybrid version of the Santoku fitting all the best features of a knife from various countries. (It was possible with the Santoku, as well) Repeatedly, I found the Santoku to be easier to use. 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. It is 5-8 inches long only which is about the length of an average adult hand. These are the three main functions of the Santoku Knife, however, it is not limited to only these three uses. Both are general-purpose knives used for a variety of cutting cutting tasks such as chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing. However, it does not answer questions what is the difference in use and result. 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. Plus, it can also be used as a boning knife to debone meat with little resistance. You can imagine it is easier to cut into fish and meats. Nakiri – 菜切り包丁 (Nakiri bocho) mean a knife for cutting greens, other words, it is a knife for vegetables.Santoku – 三徳包丁 (Santoku bocho) mean a knife for three uses.. Santoku knives are basically used for the same things that chef knives are made for. Symmetrical blade; Blade length: 160 mm; Available in series: 5000MCD; 7000D; 5000DP; 600D ; Gyutoh. The Santoku Bocho then became Japan’s most loved knife and quickly spread throughout the country’s home and professional kitchens. However, the steel used to craft the santoku knife is heavier Japanese steel than the Western steel used to make chef knives. Granton knives also look beautiful, adding to their appeal for home cooks. 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. It does this job perfectly, but you always need to avoid harder and more aggressive food such as meat bones, slicing bread, and also, you should avoid peeling different foods. The Shotoh is a small knife, ideal for cutting, peeling and garnishing fruit and vegetables. The longest Santoku you are going to get is 7 inches. Cheese cutting. The Santoku knife, as we said, is generally used to chopping, dicing, and mincing food. Caring for A Santoku Knife. The word "Santoku" in Japanese means "three good things" or "three uses." The Santoku Knife is easy to care for, it just needs to be sharpened and stored properly. For starters, a Santoku knife is a general purpose knife that is much like the western chef knife. Those with large hands may find gripping the knife a bit difficult. This is where Santoku and the Chef’s knife differ. 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. While many cooks may enjoy using a Santoku for everyday tasks, it is often claimed that the Santoku is more versatile than a chef’s knife. It is less bulky allowing users more room for movement and easy agility especially when making quick slices. The santoku is an all-purpose knife with a straight edge, sheepsfoot-shaped blade, and pointy tip. 2. I used the rocking and crosscut motion, almost always. The wide, flat blade of the Santoku knife, on the other hand, is perfect for chopping, since it cuts mainly with single downward movements. My Recipe Calls for an Eggs in Cup Amounts - How Many Eggs? This edge makes it ideal for the Santoku to dice and swing the knife from side to side. But, every chef or culinary expert loves it for its functionality and ease of use. The Chutoh is a medium-sized knife. A Santoku knife is a Japanese chef knife that serves as a multipurpose tool in the kitchen. When should you use one, and what’s the deal with those scalloped edges? ( ) 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. This does not mean that it cannot be used for much of the same tasks, but if you are used to using a rocking motion to slice or chop vegetables, with the occasional slicing motion when needed, you will have to adjust your style and get used to a new way of using a knife. A Western Chef’s knife is softer but has tougher steel for heavy-duty use which means the blade will need to be sharpened much more frequently in order to maintain a sharp edge. Outstanding Features of a Santoku Knife. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You … The knife will also be more balanced and contain no bolster like many chef fillet knives have. With its thin blade, it can easily slice through different types of food with clean precision. 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. Best Hybrid: Signature Stainless Steel 7-Inch Rocking Santoku Knife. It is an ultrathin knife that is as perfect as nakiri knife when it comes to slicing vegetables, meat and other food into really thin slices. Santoku Knife Uses And Features: In the most classic kitchen knife uses a blade to maintain the angle of 40 degrees to 45 degrees. Others believe the phrase refers to its ability to chop, slice, and dice. The Western-style chef’s knife tends to be thicker and heavier, making it the workhorse for your kitchen, while the light-weight Japanese-style Santoku is perfect for fine, delicate slicing. This is a preferred choice for many chefs with smaller hands since it is less intimidating and much easier to handle. 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