What is a parer knife?

Author: Dr. Maurine Howe  |  Last update: Monday, January 12, 2026

A paring knife is basically a mini chef's knife with a small blade that offers greater versatility and precision. While the chef's knife works for cutting hard vegetables, paring knives are great for peeling apples and potatoes, mincing small amounts of garlic and onions, and coring tomatoes.

What is a parer knife used for?

Paring knives are great options when coring or peeling fruits like apples and citrus. They also help to remove the peel on garlic and onions, trimming the long roots on radishes or cleaning radish stems. Use the tip of the knife to remove the outer layer on mushrooms and asparagus stems.

What's the difference between a paring knife and a steak knife?

Paring knives are great for peeling and slicing fruits and vegetables, while steak knives are perfect for cutting cooked meat.

What is the purpose of paring?

A Paring Knife is The Kitchen's Utility Player

It's great for mincing small amounts of garlic and onions or coring tomatoes, and it's useful when working with small or tender vegetables and fruit like ginger, strawberries, garlic, and shallots.

What's the difference between a utility knife and a paring knife?

Utility knives are a mix between chef knives and paring knives. A utility knife's blade is longer than a paring knife and narrower than a chef knife to provide precision for cutting jobs where a chef knife may be too bulky to use and a paring knife too small.

Learn About Paring Knife - What Is a Paring Knife?

What is a paring knife not used for?

Whereas a chef knife is an everyday workhorse, a paring knife exists for a specific purpose. This is a precision tool meant for more delicate tasks. It's not designed for cutting through tough meat, bones, thick-skinned vegetables, or frozen foods.

What is the difference between a petty knife and a paring knife?

A significant difference that sets a petty and paring knife apart is the shape of their blade. The petty knife resembles a more traditional blade with a slight curvature toward the tip. A paring knife usually has a much straighter blade and a more robust tip to prevent chipping.

What are the cons of paring knives?

Most are not optimally designed for cooking—the blades are closer to that of a Swiss Army blade than a kitchen tool, the handles are unsafely thin, and they don't offer much control.

What is a serrated knife for?

At its most general, a serrated knife refers to any knife that is equipped with a jagged blade. The serrations on these blades are usually deep and pointed, allowing them to slice through thick crusts and other tough foods. Like all knives, serrated knives come in a wide range of sizes.

What is a Santoku knife used for?

The Santoku knife is an all purpose Japanese knife, adept at slicing, dicing, and mincing. The name santoku means 'three virtues' for the knife's ability to cut fish, meat and vegetables equally well.

What knives should every kitchen have?

There are three primary knives that every home cook should have in their kitchen: a chef's knife, a serrated knife (also called a bread knife), and a paring knife.

What's so special about Cutco knives?

The Cutco exclusive Double-D® edge provides a clean, smooth cut every time and stays sharp longer than straight-edge knives. The Double-D® edge consists of a series of three razor sharp cutting edges that are recessed and run along the blade edge.

Can you use a paring knife to cut meat?

While a paring knife can technically be used to cut meat, it is not the most efficient or practical tool for the job. A paring knife is typically too small and thin to handle larger cuts of meat and may not be sturdy enough to make clean cuts through bone or tougher cuts of meat.

Why do chefs tap their knives before cutting?

To test knife sharpness, chefs might gently tap the blade. A sharp knife will have a clear, crisp sound. This technique ensures the knife is perfect for cutting tasks.

What is a parer used for?

Meaning of parer in English

a small knife that is used to cut away a thin outer layer of something, especially fruit or vegetables: They had every knife you could ever need, from a parer for apples to a carver for the ham.

What are knives with finger holes called?

The karambit is held with the blade pointing downward from the bottom of the fist, usually curving forwards. While it is primarily used in a slashing or hooking motion, karambit with a finger ring are also used in a punching motion hitting the opponent with the finger ring.

When not to use a serrated knife?

A sharp serrated knife will also prevent you from squishing and damaging delicate foods. Serrated knives are excellent for making long, straight knife cuts through larger items, but they aren't ideal for slicing small foods, peeling fruits or mincing ingredients.

What are kitchen scissors called?

Kitchen shears are versatile, essential, all-purpose cutting tools for the kitchen.

What is a French knife?

A chef's knife (also called a French knife) has a broad, tapered shape and a fine sharp edge. Its blade ranges in length from 6 to 12 inches and measures at least 1-1/2 inches at the widest point. It is designed so it rocks on a cutting board as it cuts food.

What is a Tourne knife used for?

Simply put, a tourné knife is used for any sort of turning cut -- "tourné" means "turned" in French. So any time you're going to be making a circular cut, this is the knife you should use.

What kind of knife is best for cutting strawberries?

Paring Knives

Cutco has a variety of styles and all are great fruit knives. Use paring knives for things like hulling strawberries, peeling peaches and slicing kumquats. Sharpness is the most important quality in a paring knife. It should be sharp enough to move easily through whatever it's cutting without slipping.

Should I get a paring knife or a utility knife?

A utility knife is more suitable if you require a knife that can handle various cutting jobs. Size: Think about the size of the ingredients you usually work with. If you often work with small fruits and vegetables, a paring knife's compact size will be beneficial.

What is a pirate knife?

Pirate knives included the dagger, which came in handy when fighting in tight spaces or faced with tasks such as cutting sail, rope, or food. Finally, there was the dirk, a smaller version of th... e dagger, which could also be used as a throwing weapon.

When should you use a paring knife?

Paring Knife

While the chef's knife works for cutting hard vegetables, paring knives are great for peeling apples and potatoes, mincing small amounts of garlic and onions, and coring tomatoes. The blade will be no longer than 3.5 inches, so it's ideal for detail work like creating a garnish.

What is a flipper knife?

A flipper knife uses an outward protruding flipper tab that allows the sharp edge to be rapidly deployed with a quick flick of pressure or force. This makes flipper knives more convenient and faster to use.

Previous article
Can peppers handle 40 degrees?
Next article
What is the best fungicide for peaches?