For domestic use, Santoku knives are currently the most popular.
The reason it is called Santoku is that it can be used for all types of fish, meat and vegetables. For this reason, its blade is thinner than a willow blade and thicker than a thin blade.
Santoku knives are also known as "Bunka knives" and are suitable for cutting meat, fish, vegetables and any other type of food. They are so easy to handle that you can say "you only need one at first".
Of course, it is not suitable for cutting the bones of a cow or splitting the head of a sea bream. The thickness and shape of the blade make it a knife that can be used for a wide range of tasks, such as peeling vegetables, cutting meat, filleting fish and even sashimi.
It is a really useful knife for home cooking.
Why is the Santoku knife the most used knife at home?
It may not be suitable for advanced tasks, such as those done with special knives. It would be difficult to make wavy peels like with a thin-bladed knife, or to pull sashimi in one go like with a willow blade knife.
However, because it is not specialized in one type of cutting, many cooks use the Santoku as an all-purpose knife.
For this reason, it seems to be a practical item for cooking enthusiasts, so much so that it is said that if you have a Santoku knife, you don't need any other knives at home.
However, if you have only one knife, the blade will be damaged quickly, and considering the fact that you have to take it out to sharpen it, it would be better to have at least one Santoku knife and one Gyuto knife. It is more efficient to use mainly a Santoku knife for vegetables and a Gyuto knife for meat and fish. It is also recommended to have a Santoku knife as the "main knife" and a smaller Gyuto.
That's why each manufacturer offers several different blade lengths, and the handles are also made of resin, integrated with the blade or wood, and also feature detailed innovations such as the location of the center of gravity for ease of use.
Number of Japanese knives a home cook should have
For a home cook, it is not essential to have the seven knives shown below. In fact, four of them may be sufficient if you cook on an infrequent basis.
We don't think most people would use a tuna knife, a conger knife, an eel knife, a noodle knife, etc. On the other hand, if someone says, "I use an eel knife or a hamo knife," they are probably a professional. However, I know a chef who uses a willow blade to dexterously cut the bones of a pike conger.
However, with four knives from the selection, one can perform a large number of tasks. What is recommended is to have a knife suitable for western cooking, a meat knife, a small knife and a Japanese knife.
We believe that Santoku knives are safer for beginners.
Santoku knives are widely used in Japanese homes because they are versatile knives made in the Japanese style. They have features that are appropriate to Japanese food culture such as small dimples that keep food (especially raw fish) from sticking to the blade.
If you don't have a specific preference or expectation, we recommend choosing a Santoku knife if you want to start cooking.
Which knife should I choose to start with ?
Gyuto is recommended for people who like to cook with a desire to become an expert. However, later on, they will need a knife for every type of cutting.
Many professional cooks use a Santoku, and it is easier to cut meat and fish with it.
If you like to cook and have several other knives or are considering buying one in the future, we recommend the Santoku for its versatility and ease of handling.
