If you have landed on this page then that must mean you want to get your hands on the best paring knife on the market? No? Now that’s definitely what you are after.
Pairing, parring, paring they all sound the same, it can be a little confusing. But when it comes to cooking in the kitchen what we are looking for is a fantastic paring knife.
Now after all of that faff with pairing and paring, you are probably dying to know what a paring knife actually is. The following information will let you in on all you need to know about the best paring knives – one of the most important knives you can have in your kitchen utensil drawer. Take a look:
Table of Contents
Best Paring Knife Reviews
Are you looking for the best value for money paring knife on the market right now? Then take a look at the following 8 of the best paring knife reviews of some fantastic paring knives made by some of the best knife manufacturers around.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels
For every good cook, paring knives are essential in the kitchen. Here is a great one by J.A. Henckels.
Overview
This paring knife is by the top-seller ZWILLING J.A. Henckels. The knife is honed and ergonomic which makes it super comfortable to work with for longer period of time.
Paring Knife Features
- The knife is made from high quality German stainless steel that is stain and rust-resistant and also sharper and more hard-wearing than other knife materials.
- The triple-rivet design is curved, and the handle ergonomically designed for you to have the perfect grip on the knife, making it safer to use.
- This knife is dishwasher safe, making for a super speedy cleanup.
- Sharp and durable
- Cuts with precision
- Handle is comfortable to work with for long time
- Not ideal to wash in dishwasher as it might catch on water marks.
Mercer Culinary M22003
Are you after a razor-sharp paring knife? Then here is a fantastic one that you will love by Mercer Culinary.
Overview
This super sharp paring knife if by the renowned brand Mercer Culinary and is a must have for your kitchen and is perfect for everyday use. Let’s look at some of its features in detail.
Paring Knife Features
- This knife comes in 8 eye-catching colors for you to choose the paring knife that will really suit the style and color scheme of your kitchen.
- This knife has some great safety features. Not only does it come with a finger guard to help prevent accidents, but it also comes with textured finger points to stop fingers from slipping when using the knife, even when wet.
- The blade has been made from the highest quality Japanese steel making this a seriously sharp paring knife.
- Has safety guard features
- Great quality and very durable.
- The blade does require to be sharpened very often and frequently.
Victorinox Paring Knife
This paring knife is by Victorino and they make some of the most amazing quality knifes. Let’s look into some of the features below.
Overview
If you are looking for a small paring knife to get little jobs done in the kitchen then you will fall head over heels for this 3.25 inch Swiss classic paring knife by Victorinox.
Paring Knife Features
- The knife handle comes in a variety of 6 vibrant colors so that you can choose the knife that will best match the colors of your kitchen.
- The handle has been ergonomically designed and contoured to provide the best grip for the user, making the knife easier to hold onto and safer to use.
- This is the best knife for peeling, coring and chopping fruit and vegetables.
- Lightweight and easily peels fruits and vegetables
- The blade is very sharp
- The handle is comfortable to grip as built ergonomically.
- The blade tends to catch on water mark and rust near the handle if not dried well after every wash.
Rada Cutlery Paring Knife
Overview
It is not always easy to find good quality, cheap paring knives on the internet. That is why you should take a look at this stainless steel paring knife by Rada Cutlery that is storming the nation.
Paring Knife Features
- The 3.25-inch blade is the perfect size for completing a wide variety of cutting tasks with small fruits and vegetables such as deseeding, peeling, chopping and coring.
- The brushed aluminum handle is easy to clean and will glimmer when displayed in your kitchen.
- The blade is made from high carbon stainless steel, making the blade razor-sharp and more rust resistant and stain resistant than other blade materials.
- Retains its sharp edges for long time without frequen sharpening
- Strong and durable
- Very high quality knife
- Not ideal to be dishwashed and better to wash by hand and dry quick to avoid stains
Wüsthof
This is a full bolster and triple riveted tang knife by Wusthof. Let us take a closer look at its features.
Overview
Wusthof paring knives are always first class when it comes to quality. Check out the following top rated paring knife that has been chosen from among the wusthof classic paring knives collection.
Paring Knife Features
- The knife comes with a full bolster and triple riveted tang, perfecting the counterbalance of the handle and the blade. Not only is the bolster great for balance, but it also acts as a finger guard, keeping the user safe from accidents.
- The blade on this knife has been made with Precision Edge Technology, making a blade that is 20% sharper than your standard, with twice the edge retention, meaning it will require less frequent honing.
- This knife can be placed in the dishwasher for washing but hand washing is recommended in order to keep it in the very best condition for longer.
- Very strong knife and durable
- Dishwasher safe and easy to clean
- Keeps its sharp edges for longer
- Food sticks to the blade while cutting but that’s not much of a issue compared to the high quality of the knife
DALSTRONG Paring Knife
Overview
Have you been searching high and low for the best vegetable knife ever? Then take a look at this bird holding knife by DALSTRONG.
Paring Knife Features
- The blade on this knife has been manufactured into the shape of a birds beak, the curve is the perfect shape to assist the consumer with small food preparation tasks such as preparing spherical fruit and vegetables.
- It is also the ideal knife for peeling fruits such as apples, potatoes, cucumbers and the like thanks to its curved blade.
- The knife blade has been made from high carbon German steel, meaning it is rock-solid and will be resistant against rust and staining.
- Durable and sturdy
- Unique shaped blade for more convenience while peeling fryits and vegetables
- Sharp and peels smoothly
- Does tend to catch on water mark and stains easily
Zelite Infinity Paring Knife
Overview
If you are after the greatest paring knife in the world then take a look at the following Zelite Infinity paring knife, one of the best Japanese paring knives that you can get your hands on.
Paring Knife Features
- The blade on this knife is made from 67 layers of Damascus steel, making it razor sharp and super tough.
- The handle has a full tang and a tapered bolster that keeps the knife perfectly balanced, keeping the user in control of all of its movements. Not only that but the bolster also acts as a fingerguard to help prevent accidents.
- Food doesn’t stick to the blade
- Strong and sturdy
- Built with safety features
- Price is a bit high compared to other similar ones
Victorinox Classic Paring Knife
Overview
If you are looking for not just one good paring knife but four of them then take a look at this paring knife set by Victorinox.
Paring Knife Features
- This paring knife set is made up of 4 excellent quality paring knives in vibrant colors.
- The straight and powerful edge on these knives is perfect for smaller chopping jobs, peeling and coring.
- The Swiss classic handle has been ergonomically designed, making this handle the perfect fit.
- Available in different colors
- Lightweight and ideal for peeling vegetables
- Handles are comfortable to work with for long time
- The blade looses sharpness readily and needs to be sharpened frequently
What Is A Paring Knife?
A paring knife is like a smaller version of a chefs knife. It is lightweight and perfect for completing more intricate cutting jobs that your chefs knife or santoku knife is too big to complete.
The blade on a paring knife does not usually extend further than 3 to 4 inches, making it an easier knife and blade to keep control of. A paring knife is a safer knife to use thanks to its small blade that grips on contact with food, keeping the user on track and helps to avoid slipping.
The blade on a paring knife is usually made from stainless steel or of a mixture of forged steel, making the blade extremely tough and razor-sharp. A stainless steel blade also has the added property of being resistant against staining and rust, making a paring knife even more attractive to busy families.
The ideal size handle for a paring knife is one that fits in the palm of your hand, giving you a good grip, making the knife an extension of your hand, giving you the ability and dexterity to make finer and more delicate cuts.
Since the paring knife is very small, it doesn’t necessarily have to be used alongside a chopping board as you would use a Santoku knife or a serrated bread knife. A paring knife can be used to cut in the air such as peeling fruit like apples or oranges and for deseeding vegetables like bell peppers.
What’s coming up…
If you are looking at replacing your knife selection or are looking for your very first set, one of the most useful knives that you will not want to be without is definitely a paring knife.
There are just so many things and foods that a paring knife can be useful to prepare. Would you like some more information about what other foods can be prepared with a paring knife?
Then stay tuned as during the course of this article I will go on to explain some uses of a paring knife that may surprise you and will help you to get the most out of your knife.
During this article, I will also go on to answer the big question – why are paring knives not serrated and mention a great alternative to serrated paring knives that could be useful to you in the kitchen. But of course, the most important part of this article is most certainly the review.
I will be reviewing 8 paring knives on the market right now and will list all of their fancy features and specifications. So, if you are on the hunt for a swanky new paring knife then make sure you check out that list.
Why are paring knives not serrated?
If you simply love your paring knife you may be wondering why paring knives do not come in a serrated blade option as many knives do. The answer is quite straightforward, the flat blade on the paring knife makes it a lot more effective at chopping a wider variety of food than a serrated blade would.
To show you just how limited a serrated blade on a paring knife would be, take a look at the following uses it would have:
Chopping tomatoes
Their rubbery, waxy skin is slippery and a serrated blade would help to stabilize a tomato on a chopping board, making them easier to chop.
Chopping citrus
Similar to a tomato, lemons, and limes have waxy skins that are slippery and the shape of the fruit causes them to roll around. Chopping these fruits would be easier with a serrated blade.
Slicing miniature loaves of bread
A regular size serrated knife or bread knife would tackle the normal size loaves.
As you can see, the need for a serrated blade paring knife is rather limited to the above uses. Unless you spend all day every day chopping citrus fruits or tomatoes, the likelihood is that you will not feel like you are missing out not having one.
But if you are spending all day in the kitchen cutting citrus fruits, or if you do spend a large part of your day chopping tomatoes, you may be wondering if there is a knife can you use? Try steak knives that usually come in bundles of 4 or 6 in a knife block set.
A steak knife is small in size, usually about 5 to 7 inches and some steak knives come with a serrated blade. These knives will be perfect for you to use instead of a serrated paring knife.
Why every kitchen should have a paring knife
There are so many different knives available for purchase, some very distinct in their features and what they can be used for and some with very minute differences that only seem to matter to chefs or to those that are really into some serious cooking.
For example, a carving knife and a slicing knife, they both do pretty much the same job with some very slight differences that make one stand out from the other, most families will probably only own one of the two, or maybe neither.
Although there is such an abundance of knives on the market, some are really indispensable, one of them being the paring knife. You don’t need to sit reading half a dozen paring knives reviews in order to see just how fantastic a paring knife is. It is without a doubt the best vegetable knife and is perfect for doing all of those little jobs that your chef’s knife is simply too big to tackle.
Do you feel like you are not getting the most out of your paring knife? Then take a look at the following paring knife guide that will help you to see just how handy a paring knife is.
When to use your paring knife
A paring knife is a perfect size for chopping small vegetables, for example, those used to make up a salad – slicing beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and the like. When chopping small vegetables a big knife can be harder to control, that is why it is best to use a paring knife for smaller jobs. You can also try using your paring knife to slice your favorite cheese.
If you don’t like using a peeler then a paring knife is also the best knife for peeling fruit and vegetables such as apples, carrots, potatoes, and others. The small size of the knife means that it can fit in the palm of your hand and it is easy to control the movements of the short blade.
A paring knife is also ideal for coring and deseeding fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, bell peppers, avocados, etc. The small-sized blade makes it easy for it to fit inside a fruit or vegetable such as a bell pepper to remove the seeds.
You can also use your paring knife for very intricate jobs such as deveining shrimp or deskinning sausages and then searing them for cooking. The fine blade helps the user to be able to direct it better.
A paring knife is a perfect size for topping and tailing fruits and vegetables such as hulling strawberries and chopping the ends off of garlic.
As you can see from the list above, there are simply an endless array of functions that your paring knife can fulfill, which is why I believe it to be amongst the 3 most important knives in your kitchen cookware drawer alongside the santoku or chefs knife and the all-important serrated bread knife.
FAQ
“J.A. Henckels International 16900-081 Forged Premio Paring Knife, 3-inch
Mercer Culinary M22003 Millennia 3.5-Inch Paring Knife
Victorinox 3.25 Inch Swiss Classic Paring Knife with Straight Edge
Rada Cutlery Everyday Paring Knife – Stainless Steel Blade With Aluminum Handle
Wüsthof 4066-7/09 Paring knife, 3 1/2″, Black
DALSTRONG Paring Tourne Knife Peeler – Gladiator Series – Birds Beak Peeling
Zelite Infinity Paring Knife 4 Inch – Alpha-Royal Series – Japanese AUS-10 Super Steel 67-Layer Damascus
Victorinox Paring Knife Set of 4-Piece 3.25 Inch Swiss Classic Paring Knives with Straight Edge, Spear Point”
The paring knife is a small, short-bladed knife, used for intricate cutting, peeling, mincing and dicing.
The knife should be sharp and light in weight which is a vital factor in a paring knife.
Conclusion
Now that you have had a look at the best paring knife review above I am sure you have a clear idea of where you can go to find some of the best paring knives. But before you splash the cash, make sure that the paring knife you are after contains some of the following features that will make sure it will be the best knife for you.
A good paring knife will also come with a bolster or a fingerguard that will help to prevent accidents.
Be sure to look for a knife that is made of high-quality stainless steel that will be robust, razor-sharp, and also have great stain and rust resistance.
A good knife will also be well balanced and light, helping to reduce wrist fatigue.
Make sure you keep these factors in mind when making your selection and I am sure you will have a paring knife before you this weekend, ready to help you prepare your meal to impress your family.
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