Paring Knives: When to Use Them
If the chef knife is the workhorse, the paring knife is the scalpel, a short, nimble blade for the small, precise, in-your-hand jobs a big knife is clumsy at.
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When to use a paring knife
- Peeling apples, potatoes, shallots.
- Trimming silver skin, fat, blemishes on meat and produce.
- Hulling & coring strawberries, tomatoes, peppers.
- Deveining shrimp and other delicate, in-hand work.
- Segmenting citrus and fine detail cuts.
Our pick: Victorinox 3.25″ Paring Knife
The Victorinox paring knife is the best few dollars you can spend in a kitchen, wickedly sharp, light, and comfortable. Buy two; you will always want a clean one.
Nicer option: Wüsthof Classic Paring Knife
Want a forged, heftier feel to match a nicer knife block? The Wüsthof Classic paring knife is a lifelong tool.
Why it matters
A paring knife handles the fine trimming that makes farm-direct cuts look their best, while your chef knife does the heavy work. Together they cover almost everything.
FAQ
Do I really need a paring knife?
Yes, for peeling, trimming, and precise in-hand tasks, a small blade is far safer and more accurate than wrestling a big chef knife.
What length paring knife is best?
About 3 to 3.5 inches is ideal, long enough to be useful, short enough for control.