A Buyer’s Guide to Utility Knife!
If you are looking for a jack (knife) of all trades popular for its compact, functional, and practical design, we suggest you consider a utility knife. But what is a utility knife? What does it look like? And why is it important for your kitchen?
Are you curious to know more about utility knives? No worries, we have got you. In this article, we will cover major topics related to utility knives in detail. Without any further delay, let’s begin with our article!
What is a Utility Knife?
A utility knife is a versatile kitchen tool that is best defined by its size. It is a mid-sized knife that falls between a paring knife and a chef’s knife. Mainly, the blade length of the utility knife is around 4-7” (10-17 cm) which makes it ideal to carry many tasks in the kitchen. Talking about its shape, it comes with a slim and pointed blade.
It is a perfect and handy tool that is used to perform delicate work in the kitchen. For example, peeling, trimming, etc. Whether you are a professional or a home chef, a high-quality utility knife is an important part of every kitchen.
What Are the Uses of Utility Knives?
Whether you want to peel a potato or slice a mango, a utility knife has got you. The thin and pointed tip of a utility knife is ideal for everyday cutting tasks in home and professional kitchens. Furthermore, you can use the utility knife for the following tasks:
1. It is used for peeling and cutting the outer skin and rind of vegetables and fruits. Besides peeling, it is also used for cutting and slicing small-sized vegetables and fruits. For example, citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, zucchini, etc.
2. It is used for slicing up veggies and fruits for salads, flatbreads, bowls, tarts, etc. No doubt, fresh veggies and fruits can enhance the flavor of any meal, and the highly durable utility knife is a perfect option for this task. You can use this handy knife for dicing and slicing pizzas, poke bowls, and even more.
3. Whether you are craving fruit gummies, fruit salad, or fruit jerky, the only knife that can help you prepare these is none other than a utility knife.
4. Besides being used in the kitchen, a utility knife is also employed in bars. It is used for slicing up limes and lemons for cocktails and for other garnishes.
5. Are you looking for a handy knife that can assist you in dicing and slicing avocado? No worries, a utility knife has got you. You can easily dice avocado for your poke bowl, salad, or burrito.
6. Surprisingly, you can also deal with darn things like Jalapenos with a utility knife.
7. Besides cutting, dicing, and mincing vegetables and meat, a good utility knife with a sharp blade is best for slicing cheese and cured meats. Whether you want cheese cubes or slices, it is an easy job for a utility knife. Utility knives with medium-sized blades provide the best control when cutting and slicing cured meats like pepperoni, hard salami, and summer sausage into even pieces.
8. Lastly, let’s not forget about seafood and pork. If you love to consume proteins, then a utility knife is best for your kitchen. Whether you want to chop fish filets or pork into smaller pieces for stir fry or tacos, a utility knife is your best friend.
What Are Care and Maintenance Tips for Utility Knife?
Whether you are a home cook or a professional chef, you should know that your cutlery including the utility knives are the important assets of your kitchen. Whether you want to make a sandwich or want to make any dessert like banana pudding, everything you prepare is easier with high-quality knives. Therefore, cleaning, proper care, and regular sharpening of knives are important. Besides enhancing functionality, a properly maintained knife also guarantees superior ease of use for years to come
Whether you are cutting an apple or dealing with seafood or pork, it is important to clean the utility knife after every use. If you are doing minor slicing or cutting tasks, then you can clean it with a cloth. However, you can also use warm soapy water for cleaning.
Note: Do not soak or place the utility knife in the water or dishwasher as it can damage the blade and handle.
If you don’t want your knife to catch rust and corrosion, we suggest you thoroughly dry it after every wash. When your knife (not limited to utility knives) is not in use, it is best to put it in a knife block or sheath. This is an important step to protect the knife’s blade. Do not strike your utility knife on hard objects like wood, metal, stone, etc. As it can seriously damage your knife.
How to Sharpen a Utility Knife?
A utility knife can be sharpened in different ways. However, each method requires a little practice. The best way to sharpen a utility knife is by using a sharpening steel. A sharpening steel is a long rod of metal that is used for sharpening various types of knives including utility knives. All you have to do is slide the edge of the utility knife against the sharpening steel in up and down motion. Some other ways by which you can sharpen a utility knife include the following:
● Whetstone sharpening
● Sandpaper sharpening
● Leather strop, etc.
List of Best Utility Knives in 2025:
Some popular and most demanding kitchen utility knives in 2024 are listed hereunder:
● Victorinox Swiss Army Utility Knife
● Rachael Ray Cucina Utility Knife
● Wusthof Classic Utility Knife
● Global Utility Knife
● Kyocera Ceramic Utility Knife
● Shun Classic Utility Knife
● Dalstrong Gladiator Series Utility Knife, etc.
The Bottom Line:
No doubt, just like other knives, a utility knife is also an important part of a kitchen knife set. It plays an important role in cutting, slicing, dicing, and mincing small-size vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc. It is important to take good care of utility knives in order to ensure their longevity and sharpness.