When choosing knives for your kitchen chores, it can be difficult to pick the right knife for each task. While multi-purpose knives can be very handy, having the right knife for any job can cut down your prep time.
When cutting vegetables, a Nakiri knife is your best choice. It is a Japanese style knife with a thin and wide rectangular blade, a mostly straight edge, and a flat, blunt point. It was specially developed for the quick and efficient chopping, slicing, dicing, and chopping of vegetables and fruits and is popular all over Japan as a staple food chopper for amateur cooks and professional chefs alike.
The Nakiri has a very similar profile with its straight edge and works best when an up and down or pushing forward or pulling backward chopping motion is used as the entire blade can come in full contact with the board, ensuring clean slices of vegetables every time.
Using a Nakiri for Cutting Vegetables in the Best Possible Way
You have to follow a certain pattern when using a Nakiri knife to mince vegetables, although the straight tip makes it easy for you to use the knife. Note that all you need to do is move the knife up and down and follow the steps to use this knife:
1. Bend your fingers in a claw shape and hold them in this position while cutting.
2. When your knuckles form a pattern for you to use the blade, simply move the knife vertically while lightly touching the knuckles.
3. Go straight for an even cut. In this way, a Nakiri reaches the surface of the cutting board without any additional effort, while you cut the vegetables smoothly.
It is important to note that in the beginning, you may need some practice to get used to this knife and improve your skills using a Nakiri.
The difference between a Santoku and a Nakiri
If you are planning on buying Japanese knives, Santoku knives will often be highlighted in your research. Just like a Nakiri, a Santoku is used daily in most of the country's kitchens. A Santoku is an all-purpose tool and means "three uses". Hence it is used for dicing, slicing, and chopping.
Although these two knives are used on a daily basis, they usually differ significantly. Both are light and are similar in length and but their blades have very different shapes.
The blade of a Santoku is curved and therefore suited to use a rocking motion when chopping. On the other hand, a Nakiri cannot rock because of it’s straight, flat blade.
A Nakiri is better for cutting short, thin strips of vegetables of any variety. On the other hand, a Santoku is better for fancy cuts.
You can always have a look on all Nakiri and Santoku knives options here.
Whether you are a home cook or a professional, choosing the knives for your kitchen job is an important task.
If you want to level up your vegetable chopping game and improve your prep skills, choosing a good Nakiri knife is a great move, and the best store to buy it from is Chef Supply.
Below are some things to consider when purchasing a Nakiri knife:
1. Blade material: Nakiri knives are usually made from stainless steel, but there are two different types of steel to choose from: high carbon and low carbon.
High carbon stainless steel is tougher, has a much longer sharp edge life, but can be difficult to sharpen. Low carbon stainless steel is softer, dulls quicker, but is way easier to sharpen.
2. Handle: It's no secret that knives are dangerous and that they must be used correctly to achieve the desired result. The best way to work with these two factors is to opt for a
Nakiri knife with an ergonomic full tang handle. When the handle is natural and comfortable in the hand, it is easier to grip, clamp, and use efficiently. Full tang means the the blade is connected to steel that runs all the way back through the handle making the knife more robust overall.
3. Finishing Quality Of The Blade: Cutting vegetables often causes vegetables to stick to knives. Most
Nakiri knives have solved this problem by using a hammered surface. This blade finish creates tiny pockets of air between the blade and the food, which makes it easier for the food to slide off. Not only this we think the hammered finish looks cool.
4. Steel hardness: The hardness of the steel is documented on the Rockwell scale. For those with a sharper finish, we recommend looking for those with a minimum rating of 60 on the scale. You work optimally and without problems but unless you are skilled with a Whetstone you may need to send out your Nakiri knife for professional sharpening every so often.
5. Cost: You can expect to spend anywhere from $30 (for a very low quality cheap one) to over $500 (and more sometimes for super high quality Japanese made knives) on a Nakiri knife. While it is always tempting to buy the cheaper ones, you have to keep in mind that you are getting the high quality that you are paying for.
Pick the highest quality Nakiri knife your budget can afford and know the benefits are worth the cost.
The Nakiri knife is ideal to finely chop your vegetables in the most efficient way with the most efficient tool, something the Japanese are great at. The design of this knife is suitable for the home kitchen as well as being used in professional kitchens.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Nakiri knife typically used for?
A Nakiri knife is a traditional Japanese knife with a straight and symmetrical edge that is ideal for cutting and mincing fresh produce and meat.
2. Do you need a Nakiri knife?
Nakiri knives are primarily intended for keen home chefs and professional chefs in the kitchen. So, if you want to chop and slice your vegetables with ease, they are hands down the best option you can get your hands on.
3. Are the Nakiri knives delivered pre-sharpened?
Yes, all of our Nakiri knives come pre sharpened and ready to use right away.
