Originally posted on September 15, 2022 @ 1:03 am
What are the different Cheese Knife types? A cheese knife is a kitchen utensil with a long, thin blade used to cut hard or semi-hard cheeses. Cheese knives come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they are designed to make cutting through these dense foods easier than it would be with other kitchen tools! But which ones should you choose for your home?
Read on. There are five main cheese knives: rasp, serrated, straight-edged, flexible fillet/ boning, and tomato slicers. The best choice depends on what types of cheese you will be using it for.
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Why do we need special knives for cheese?
Let’s talk about cheese knives–specifically, why you’d need them in the first place. What can specialized cheese knives do that butter knife, chef’s knives, and utility knives already in your utensil drawer can’t?
A big, unwieldy kitchen knife will look ridiculous next to your beautiful styling (not to mention that it poses a safety hazard with its unnecessarily large blade). On the other hand, the kinds of cheese knives used in home kitchens are very table-friendly. They’re the perfect size for chunking into a wedge of aged Gouda or slicing an elegant slice of Brie.
Cheese knives are designed to best suit certain styles of cheese. These categories are primarily based on texture: soft, semi-soft, semi-firm, and firm, though some may be named for the specific types of cheese with which they’re most commonly used. It is also a good idea to have a solid grater for cooking or garnishing (we’ve rounded up different kinds here).
Read more to discover the different types of cheese knives
What are the different Cheese Knife Types?
1. Types of cheese knives and their uses
If you are looking for cheese knives, there are so many options out in the market. You will have to know which knife is suitable for different cheeses because they give unique experiences when used on them. This guide takes care of your confusion and gives a list of versatile knives that can be used easily without hassle or pain!
a. Soft cheese knife
A soft cheese knife is a perfect tool to cut through your favorite types of cheese. Soft cheeses naturally stick to knives, making it difficult for you to get a clean slice without having some leftover stuck on your utensil. A soft cheese knife has been designed with a skinny blade or holes to minimize how much surface area there would be that could come into contact with the sticky part of the food item and make cutting easier overall.
The ideal cheese knife has a sharp edge with holes in blade. The best cheeses to use are Brie, Camembert, Mozzarella, and aged Taleggio, or any certified bloomy rind cheese.
Features: Sharp edge, Holes in blade
Perfect for Cheeses: Mozzarella/ Brie/ Camembert/ aged Taleggio or other “creamified” blooms (e.g., Stilton); Best for soft-ripened & spreadable milder varieties.
b. Offset cheese knife
If you’re looking to buy a cheese knife, this is the one. Offset knives are sturdy enough for firm cheeses while still being thin and flexible enough to tear into softer ones. In addition, the offset handle allows room for your hands and knuckles so you can be in control of it at all times, get more leverage on challenging pieces of cheese, and cut cleanly through them without leaving any ragged edges behind.
c. Pronged cheese knife
This cheese knife is a must-have knife for any cheese lover.
This means it’s the jack of all trades in terms of how you choose to use it but truly master no specific tasks well either—it simply depends on what your preferences are/the kind(s)of cheese you enjoy most often at home! The unique shape makes cutting easier while still maintaining its ability as a serving.
The perfect cheeses for a cheese knife with an upward-curled narrow blade and sharp edge, pronged end include Brie, Epoisses, Camembert. These soft to semi-soft varieties of cow’s milk or sheep’s/goat’s milk are best served at room temperature as they bring out their flavors when allowed to reach about 60 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
d. Cheese cleaver
One of the best cheese knives you can add to your kitchen is a cleaver. It’s going to help when cutting through the firm or semi-hard cheeses like Gouda and brick. When it comes time for cubing, this knife will do quick work out of larger pieces of cheese!
A chef’s knife is an excellent tool for cubing cheese because of its wide blade and cleaver shape. In addition, the placement of the handle keeps one’s knuckles from hitting the board, which makes it easy to apply force when cutting through hard cheeses.
A chef’s knife can be used for more than just chopping up vegetables! It has an extensive work area that allows users to cut cubes with ease since their hands are kept away from danger while holding on tightly at all times, thanks to where the handle sits during use.
Features: Sharp and long edge, Rectangular blade, and Ergonomic handle
For the cheese: Fontina, Cheddar, and Gruyere
e. Flat cheese knife
Instead of slicing through the cheese, you’re gently shaving it with this high-quality flat knife. It can be used to cut pieces for charcuterie boards or just serve alongside some crackers and grapes on a lazy Sunday afternoon when there’s nothing else going on in your life except that cheesy goodness!
Use the flat cheese knife, also known as a cheese chisel, to shave or chip-aged hard cheeses like cheddar and Gouda. The blade is short, so you can apply force straight down on a small area without crushing surrounding accompaniments on your board.
Features: Sharp bottom edge, Wide flat blade
Best for cheese: Goude, Comte, Provolone, Asiago, Gruyere and Cheddar
f. Parmesan cheese knife
If you’ve ever been granted a solid block of Parmesan, then we won’t make any apologies for telling you that it’s time to get yourself an official parmesan knife. This “tagliarini” originated from Italy, where they’re referred to as spade knives or almond knives (we’ll let them fight out the semantics). A sharp tip makes easy work of cutting into hard and granular cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano.
A parmesan is just another kind of cheese, so why should it have its special knife? Oh, wait! We apologize – there’s no reason at all other than this tool originating in Italy with tags such as “almond” knife.
g. Slim blade knife
This slim knife is perfect for preventing soft cheeses from sticking to the blade. It has a small surface area and provides room so that your knuckles do not hit the board while cutting cheese!
The sharp edge of the cheese knife is ideal for slicing through hard cheeses like Burrata, Brie, and other watery, fudgy, or washed rinds. The thin narrow blade helps to prevent tearing as you slice into these soft textures too. In addition, its raised handle allows it better leverage when cutting those harder cheeses that may be a little tougher on your wrists during use – goodbye carpal tunnel syndrome!
h. Gorgonzola cheese knife
The Gorgonzola knife is quite the same as the spreader. It has a sharp blade, which helps cut through the rinds of creamy cheeses and allows you to enjoy your favorite flavors with ease quickly.
The ideal cheeses are Brie, Epoisses Feta, Camembert and Roquefort when choosing a cheese knife. The blade should have an upward-curled narrow edge with sharpness (can be serrated). It also has prongs on one end of it to help grip any hard or soft cheese from crumbling as you cut into them.
i. Narrow plane knife
Professional chefs choose this cheese knife for its multipurpose, versatile nature. The rectangular shape of the blade allows it to be wedged into cracks when opening an intact wheel and also works well with different types of cheeses.
The input contains too much information regarding what type of cheese knives should be chosen based on some instances, such as with or without crackers at your disposal. In addition, it makes it confusing since there isn’t any context given about why this knowledge would help someone understand how these knives work together while preparing food items other than saying they do so because “it’s part of their charm.”
Determined by its fine edge and versatility, the cheese knife can be used with any hard or soft cheeses. In addition, the narrow blade makes it easy to slice through both thin and thick pieces without tearing up your favorite block of Gouda.
Features: Narrow blade; sharp edges on both sides; small handle that is very comfortable in one’s hand
Ideal Cheese: Gouda,Castle Mango, Parmigiano, Cheddar.
k. Parmigiano knife
This knife is also known as teardrop, pear-shaped almond, bell shaped with a pointed edge. The sharp blade of this parmesan worthy makes it easy to break off chunks for Parmigiano cheese or even open the rinds on an Italian favorite from afar.
This lengthy description could be simplified into more concise sentences that focus on what is essential about these knives without using so much unnecessary information in its place, such as mentioning other common types of cheeses. It may also be used for Parmesan, which would not necessarily require being cut up beforehand anyway if someone were going to use one capable enough at all.
The Pecorino Romano cheese knife has a sharp-pointed tip, stubby triangular blade, long sharp edge, and knob handle. The ideal cheeses for this are Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano (and/or Trentingrana).
l. Hard cheese knife
Rigid cheese knives are known for their durability and capacity to cut through large wheels of aged hard cheeses. In addition, these blades come with either one or two handles (i.e., double-handled) which provides even distribution, making the cutting process much easier!
The cheese knife is a long straight blade with an edge that’s so sharp, and it can cut through the hardest of cheeses. These knives have one or two handles and are ideal for cutting Asiago d’Allevo, Extra Mature Cheddar Provolone Comté Ragusano Piacentinu Ennese
The features of this large-scale kitchen tool include its sharpness and having either one or two handles. The blades on these tools need to slice easily through some hard cheeses, including Asiago d’Allevo, Extra Mature Cheddar Provolone Comté, and Ragusano. In comparison, there are lots more types out there like Piac.
2. Other Cheese Tools
a. Cheese wire
A cheese wire is a knife designed for slicing soft cheeses like Brie without ruining the flavor or texture. Cheese wires are often T-shaped with prongs but can also be attached to boards with an indentation groove where the blade rests when it’s not in use. When cutting through your cheese, make sure you don’t go too deep and ruin all its delicate flavors by spreading it everywhere!
Features: Metal wire, wooden bow, or handle.
For Cheeses: Unripe goat cheese logs, Chèvre (Goat Cheese), Robiola and Triple Crème soft bloomy/washed rind cheeses
This large metal basket is perfect for serving various types of cheeses on your next party platter! Crafted with an ornate design in the style of traditional French country baskets. This piece makes it easy to carry around while still offering plenty of space for all sorts of delicious treats such as fruit cubes and crudités–or even some light meats like prosciutto slices. The handles are also crafted from wood, so you can rest assured that they will not break easily when carrying heavier trays.
b. Girolle
The Swiss Tête de Moine (monk’s head) is made using the girolle. First, a flat top part of the wheel is cut off and exposing its paste which is then scraped to create beautiful “rosettes” looking like wispy feathers. This method creates more surface area so it releases all these complex aromas in contact with air better than other types of cheese.
The wooden base of this cheese is round and has a central pivot. The blade that pivots on the side scrapes off any bumps or uneven spots to create an even surface foraging, which helps develop its flavor before it reaches market shelves.
c. Cheese fork
When cutting harder cheeses like cheddar, a cheese fork makes it easier to grip them without chunks. The same is true for using the fork on the table during dinner time; you can use two forks as tongs or even stir up little pieces of crumbled-aged Brie in your mouth!
Features: Two pointed prongs with semi-soft to hard cheese that holds its shape
Ideal cheeses: Provolone, Fontina, Feta, Gouda Vecchio Piave Asiago or any other semi-soft to hard cheese.
d. Cheese spreader
Ever tried to spread cream cheese on a bagel with the back of your butter knife? It’s not fun, and it usually ends in messy fingers. This essential cheese knife will reinvent how you prepare breakfast – no more trying to smoosh the full brick onto your already-dry bread!
The blades are intentionally built so that they gently flex as you apply pressure, giving even more control over where precisely every last bit of crumbly goodness goes. Every cheeseboard deserves one of these knives – it sure beats cutting slices from an unwieldy block!
The cheese knife’s dull edge and rounded blade are ideal for cutting soft cheeses like Robiola, Stracchino, Squacquerone, or Chèvre.
3. What Cheese Knives should You choose?
Do not get overwhelmed by the number of knives available for cheese lovers. This article will help you determine which three are essential and cover all your needs while still having enough overlap to ensure no waiting around during prep time.
Start with a soft cheese knife, an offset style one that allows left-handed people to cut without getting in their way or cutting themselves accidentally due to awkward hand placement on traditional styles. Then finally add a heavy-duty cleaver perfect for hard cheeses like Parmesan where strength matters more than precision when slicing.
Related: [Top 7] The Best Cheese Presses Reviews – Tips and Guide in 2022
4. Where to Buy It?
You can easily find the cheese knife directly on their websites or your local groceries. Besides, like most other kitchen tools, you can find it on Amazon or other e-commerce sites. They always give you such a good deal.
FAQs about cheese knife types
Q1: Why do cheese knives come with holes?
Cheese knives have holes to prevent cheese from sticking to the knife blade. These holes give less surface area for your cheese so it can gently release rather than cling on while you scrape off with a different utensil.
Q2: The best cheese knives for soft and hard cheeses
The best cheese knives for soft and hard cheeses.
Just like chefs in the kitchen have different knives for cutting different fruits, veggies, or meats, cheese lovers use different knives for their distinct purposes. Soft cheeses require perforated or thin blades to prevent the cheese from sticking, while hard cheeses such as Parmesan require a stout blade to chip away small pieces without destroying too much of its body. Each shape has a specific purpose!
Q3: What knife is best for cutting the cheese?
No cheese knives? No problem! You can use a small paring knife to cut firm-to-hard cheeses and thin kitchen/ butter knives for soft ones. Using these won’t be as good, but they will work in an emergency.
Q4. Can I use the same knife for each cheese?
Offering types of cheese knives for each type of cheese is highly recommended to avoid cross-contamination and produce better tasting, more flavorful results.
However, some cheeses can do double duty with different styles, and nobody likes washing dishes. But it’s best to offer a dedicated knife for every single kind of cheese: avoiding microflora contamination between those cheeses as well as using the right tool for the job, so they come out tastier than if you used an unsuitable one.
Q5. Which cheese knives should I choose?
You can use a couple of different knives to cut cheese, depending on the type and firmness. For soft cheeses like Brie or goat’s milk cheese, we recommend using a spreader knife with smooth blades that will glide through easily without breaking it apart too much.
If your semi-firm or hard cheeses have some larger chunks in them, then try out one of our spade/plane knives with straight edges; these tend to be great for shredding up cheddar and Parmesan!
Some cheese knives are versatile, which can cut through textures from soft cheeses up to harder ones. Other knife styles have a specific purpose and should only be used for certain types of cheese.
Conclusion about cheese knife types
Now, you know all of the Cheese Knife types and its uses. Hopefully, you get your best one!
Not everyone knows that cheese is a liquid when it’s in your hand and you’re trying to make slices. However, cheese knives with the right tools will help slice up any cheddar, Gouda, or provolone like a pro! So get out there and find yourself some cheese boards because I showed you a complete guide on all things from types of cheese knife to which ones are best for each type of cheese.
It’s time to give those new cheese knives a spin with our continuously updated list of cheesemakers and retailers that allow you to order your favorite cheese knife online.
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