Cutlery Shapes & Uses
Whether you're slicing an apple or boning a chicken, the right knife for the task at hand makes life easier (and safer) in the kitchen. We recommend that a complete knife collection include the following items.
 Chef's Knife Among the most versatile knives, this is one you'll use daily for chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing. |  Paring Knife This indispensable knife is handy for smaller precision tasks like peeling, slicing, trimming and dicing small fruits and vegetables. |
 Slicing Knife Use this knife to slice cooked meats, poultry and fish. Its long thin blade ensures you can cut large pieces of meat into neat, even, thin slices. |  Carving Knife Designed for slicing meats as well as vegetables and fruit, this knife also cuts right through sandwiches. |
 Bread Knife A serrated bread knife cuts soft, fresh loaves without squashing or tearing. It's also great for cutting tomatoes and citrus fruits. |  Utility Knife Think of a utility knife as an all-purpose tool, good for everything from chopping vegetables to slicing meat. |
 Santoku Knife Combining the features of a cleaver and a chef's knife, this multipurpose knife minces, dices and slices. |  Boning Knife This narrow-bladed knife curves inward to give you precision control when you remove meat and poultry from the bone. |
 Cleaver Use this heavyweight cleaver to cut through meat and poultry bones with a single downward stroke, or to slice through firm vegetables. |  Tomato Knife This knife slices tomatoes neatly, thanks to tiny serrations on the blade, which prevent skins from tearing. It's also ideal for citrus. |
 Honing Steel Essential for honing your knives so they stay sharp longer between sharpenings. A steel smooths and realigns the worn carbon steel on the blade's edge. |  Shears You'll find myriad uses for kitchen shears, from trimming pastry dough and snipping herbs to cutting twine and parchment paper. |
 Knife Block Designed to keep cutlery organized, a block provides safe storage while protecting the knives' sharp edges. |  Cutting Board Cutting boards are available in wood or heat-resistant synthetic. For safety and efficiency, reserve one board for meat and one for produce. |
Follow @twitter 
