What is a Nakiri Knife used for – Uses, Benefits, Features, Design in 2022

The Nakiri knife also known as the Usuba Knife can be used for many purposes. They are very versatile, so people use it for many different things.

What is a Nakiri Knife Used for?

Best Nakiri Knife can be used to cut vegetables, especially long vegetables like celeries and carrots. People usually chop them up flat so they can be placed into a pot or pan with other ingredients. The nakiri knife is not good for cutting hard vegetables, like potatoes or squash because it would ruin the blade of the knife.

What is Nakiri Knife?

A Nakiri knife is a traditional Japanese design, similar to the European style of santoku knives. The deltoid shape allows for rocking or chopping cuts with one hand, but provides less knuckle clearance than slashing knives.

Also called a “vegetable cleaver”, they are most popular in vegetable preparation. They are usually 165 mm to 200 mm in length, with a 50 to 60 mm blade, and are made of carbon steel.

Nakiri knives are generally used in the push-cut style rather than in the rocker-chop style, because it is easier to control their narrow shape and sharp edge.

What are some different ways I can use this nakiri knife?

A chef could use their Nakiri Knife to chop up fresh herbs, vegetables, or even meat. A cook could use it to thinly slice a ripe tomato for their sandwich or salad.

Vegetarians may use it lightly to finely chop up veggies they will put in their stir-fry or casserole. It is an essential tool that all types of chefs use in the kitchen every day!

Nakiri Knife Benefits

Nakiri knives are a horizontal shaped knife that is most commonly used for cutting vegetables. In fact, the word “nakiri” means vegetable slicer in Japanese. While they may be most frequently associated with vegetables, these knives can cut through anything from meats to cheese and even some types of fish.

Their design makes them a great tool for home use, as they are extremely safe to use and versatile. They are also durable, inexpensive, easy to maintain and can last a lifetime with proper care.

Nakiri Knife Features

A unique feature of the nakiri knife is that it has a straight blade edge instead of a curved one like traditional Japanese knives. This means there is no rocking motion used when cutting through food.

Nakiri Knife Handle

The nakiri knife’s handle is also much shorter than the traditional Japanese slicer, with a blade that flares out almost immediately after the handle. This makes it similar in shape to a Western-style chef’s knife, but still very unique due to its flat edge and how it is used.

Nakiri Knife Design

The design of this knife is also what makes it so easy to clean and maintain, as there are much fewer teeth along the blade’s edge. Just a quick wipe down after use will keep this knife as sharp as possible. However, as with any cutting tool you should still take care not to cut through bone or other very hard objects that may cause nicks over time.

Nakiri Knife Uses

Nakiri knives can be used to cut just about anything your kitchen requires. The most common cuts you will use the nakiri knife for are dicing and slicing, however, cubing and wedging can also be completed with this type of blade. Due to their flat edge these knives work best when cutting straight down into objects without much wiggle room.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why the nakiri knife is a fantastic tool for people just starting out in their culinary careers, as well as seasoned chefs who want an all-purpose knife for quick preparation. These knives are available in many shapes and sizes with different materials used for the blade itself. The most common type of nakiri knife is made from carbon steel, which makes it extremely durable for daily use. It may need to be sharpened more often than other knives, but will stay sharper for longer if properly maintained. Best Steak knives can also solve any cutting problem.