One of the basic tools that a kitchen should not be without is a good knife and a cutlery set. There are may processes in food preparation and these include among others the slicing, chopping and cutting of food ingredients. As one may think one sturdy kitchen knife can handle all the cutting tasks, think again. There are more to knives than meets the eye and the types of kitchen knives available in the market today are quite a handful. Here are a few of them.

Chef's knife

The chef's knife as its name suggest leads the pack of blades used in the kitchen. This knife can go through all the functions of chopping, slicing, mincing and dicing food elements. A chef's knife usually measures at 6 to 12 inches. On the average this knife is about 8 inches. The main bonus of this knife is on the blade. The latter is curved to allow for a more accurate and defined cut.

Bread knife

The bread knife is definitely for cutting bread. Sizes measure from 6 to 10 inches and still 8 inches on the average. Bread knives have a jagged saw-like blade that permits them to slice through breads and pastries with ease.

Paring knife

Ranging from between 2 to 4 inches, the paring knife epitomizes the expression "small but terrible." This knife can work for a lot of purposes same as the chef's knife albeit its petite size. Ideally paring knifes are used for peeling and tricky cutting tasks such as making garnishes or pare sea foods.

Steak knifes

Sometimes cutting through meat is tough. This is the reason why steak knives came to be. Usually placed near the steak on the dining table setting, the steak knife typically supports a saw-toothed blade. It measures from 4 to 6 inches long.

Carving knife

With a thin blade, a carving knife has the aptitude to slice more precise cuts on cooked meat, poultry, hams and even roasts. A size of a typical carving knife measures between 8 to 15 inches.

Slicing knife

Slicing knives are usually present during barbeques as they slice better through these grilled beef and pork cuts. The blade in a slicing knife may or may not have a serrated blade. Generally, they are longer and narrower than a carving knife and are known to sport a rounded or blunted edge.

Boning knife

Bones can never be too far when there is a boning knife in the picture. Designed to aid in taking out the bones from meat, these knives are flexible enough to get through small spaces. Measurements are usually at 5 to 6 inches.

Fillet knife

Fillet knife is a kind of boning knife that serves to work with fish. The blades of a fillet are longer at 6 to 11 inches.

Peeling knife

As its name entails, the peeling knife is tasked to remove the skin off fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs. This knife is generally small and its blade has a downward pointed tip.

Decorating knife

If you are preparing something fancy then you need a decorating knife. The ornamental and lavish cuts and patterns in fruits and vegetables on your salad may very well have been conjured with the help of a decorating knife.