All About Paring Knives

A kitchen essential

A knife is the most important and most often used utensil in the kitchen. Anyone who has ever prepared food, cooked, or worked in a kitchen has almost certainly handled a paring knife. Without one, work in the kitchen such as chopping, peeling, coring, and cutting would be a daunting task. A paring knife is one of a variety of kitchen knives such as: chef's, bread, serrated, or utility. However, the versatility of a paring knife establishes it as a must have in the kitchen. Many chefs even like to claim that only a chef's knife (also known as a French knife) and a paring knife can achieve any task required of a knife in the kitchen.

The paring knife is a small knife with a plain edge blade that is ideal for peeling and other small or intricate work (deveining a shrimp, removing the seeds from a jalapeno, cutting small garnishes, or cutting pastry dough). It is designed to be an all-purpose knife, similar to a chef's knife, except smaller. Generally, a paring knife can be used for any job that requires some delicate cutting work. Paring knives are usually between 2 1/2 and 4 inches, and 3/4 inches wide at its widest point.

Blades of Steel

The blade of paring knives should be forged carbon or high-carbon stainless steel that resists stains and rust. Materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and high carbon stainless steel are traditional materials used for crafting excellent blades. However, knife blades can be manufactured from a variety of materials and are either forged or pressed. Forging is the process of heating a single piece of metal and then hammering and grinding it into the shape of a blade. Stamped blades, on the other hand, are pressed out of solid sheet of metal. The blade of a paring knife is a normal blade that has a curving edge and flat back.

Hold on to Your Knife

The handles of paring knives can be made from a number of different materials with the most common materials being wood, plastic, and stainless steel. Each material has its benefits, but the choice is usually a subjective one.

Wood handles provide good grip, and most people consider them to be the most attractive.

Plastic handles are more easily cared for than wooden handles and are more sanitary. Critics, however, say that they become brittle over time and can eventually break, and that they are slippery in the hand.

Stainless Steel handles are the sturdiest, most resilient and most sanitary of all handles.

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