When it comes to choosing a sushi knife, however, might be a hard job for you to choose the right one because there are many choices out there. Definitely everyone will want to choose the knife that feels good in your hand, and it made of quality materials. In order to do so, first you must determine what type of sushi you will be making because this will determine what types of sushi knife you will buy.
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Japanese knives are some of the best kitchen knives in the world. The Japanese are well known for their delicate knives work on food, especially when making sushi and sashimi.
Different types of sushi utilize different knives. Japanese professional chefs need to purchase all the different types of sushi knives to accomplish their tasks, which include the deba knife, the usaba knife, the yanagiba sashimi knife, and so on. Each knife helps them perform different tasks. But for those cooking at home, or sushi chef starter, only the two types of knives, yanagiba and deba, will be the essential.
Why do I need a sushi knife?
Contents
- Slender blade
- Precision slicing
- Delicate cutting
There are many steps to making a sushi roll: cutting vegetables, cutting fish, and then cutting the roll itself. A sushi knife is sharp, hand-crafted for those specific tasks, and specially designed for delicate cutting, precision slicing and for beautiful and delicious sushi. A sushi knife has slender blade and 1-sided being flat will help it prevents food sticking to the knife, when it particularly comes to cutting sushi roll itself. A sushi knife will bring you a different feeling toward cooking in the kitchen as being said “Fillets Fish Like Nobody’s Business”.
- What are sushi knives made from?
- High carbon steel
- Stainless Steel
Mainly there are two different types of materials for the Japanese knives. One is high-carbon steel, and the other is stainless steel. Most traditional sushi knives are made of carbon steel. This means that the steel rusts easily, but is capable of attaining a much sharper edge. Stainless knife does not rust and easy to maintain, and its hardness of material prevents the knife from chipping.
What to notice when it comes to buy a sushi knife?
- ComfortablenessMaterials
- Durability
- Maintenance
An expensive knife doesn’t mean the best knife. When it comes to find the best knife for yourself, always put your comfortableness on the top of everything.
As mentioned above, there are 2 types of materials for making sushi knives, high-carbon steel and stainless steel. If you have to have the sharpest possible knife available, then choose the carbon one because no matter how high quality of the knife is, stainless one can never be better than carbon one, when it comes to the sharpness, and ease of sharpening.
However, if you want a low maintenance sushi knife that is not going to rust and you don’t need the sharpest knife, then stainless steel will be the best choice for you.
How Many Different Types of Sushi Knife?
Traditional Knives used in making sushi
Deba-bocho: A heavy duty clever (meat clever) is good for cutting through bones and cartilage of fish. This sushi knife is not really a required item for a home sushi maker. It is mainly used by professional sushi chefs who spend a part of their long day preparing whole fish for sushi.
Usuba-bocho: A vegetable knife used more for fine cutting, peeling, chopping and slicing. “Usuba” means “thin blade” is used for chopping and slicing thin sheets off of vegetables.
Yanagiba: the “standard” sashimi knife, used to slice up raw block of fish and fish fillets. It is the special knife to prepare sushi and sashimi that meets the particular requirements in Japanese sushi cuisine. Yanigaba is specially designed for precision slicing of sashimi.
How Much Does a Sushi Knife Cost?
From hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars.
It totally depends on material of the blade, length, material of the handle, and its brand, and it can be up to thousands of dollars. But to recommend for the beginner, the one from $100-$300, will be adequate. When you choose a knife, it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. However, choose the knife you will cherish and maintain its edge and quality. If maintained properly, even a cheap knife can cut well. In short, using a properly sharpened knife is the most important thing
How to Maintain and Take Care of Your Sushi Knife
Sushi knives are very special that they need particular care in order to get the best results. Also, you paid good money for your sushi knife so you should take care and maintain it properly. Here are a few things you need to do after each time using it:
- Never put your sushi knife in a dishwasher
- Always put your sushi knife back in its case and in a separate space in a drawer or on a rack Clean your sushi knife with soapy water, rinse it and dry it well with a dry towel ( It’s the most important thing if your knife is a high carbon one, because carbon one is going to be rust easily) Other attentions:
- Do not use a sharpening steel to sharpen your Japanese sushi knife. Only use water stone
- Wipe your sushi knife frequently if you use it to cut acid source like lemon or lime
- Do not use your sushi knife to cut frozen food
What Are The 5 Best Sushi Knives
SETO Japanese Chef Knife
Pros
- The SETO cutlery is very sharp and cuts through food very well.
- The handle is so comfortable and very nice, so it requires less maintenance.
- The SETO is a great stainless steel
- Affordable price for a chef starter
Cons
- The knife is not recommended for dishwasher cleaning
- The spin of the knife is a bit uncomfortable if you pinch-grip
Yoshihiro Stainless Yanagiba Japanese Chef Knife
Pros
- Yoshihiro Chef knife cuts beautifully and cleanly with little effort.
- The weight and balance of the knife is excellent in your hand
- The knife is excellent designed, looks beautiful and professional
- It glides easily
Cons
- It’s a bit pricey for beginner
- This knife is not recommended for dishwasher cleaning, it’s needed to maintain more intensive by hand
Yoshihiro Shiroko High Carbon Steel Chef Knife
Pros
- A high quality knife that offers excellent sharpest edge
- It is a professional chef knife that looks fancy and beautiful
- The quality and function of the knife can be compared with a knife worth more than $300, or even with a knife up to 1 thousand dollar.
Cons
- It does require some extra attention because the steel is very sensitive to oxidation
- Absolutely no dishwasher used
- It’s a bit costly for an entry-level user
Shun Pro 9-1/2 Inch Yanagiba Knife
Pros
- It is an excellent knife for a slicing sashimi
- Slightly hollow ground blade helps you to reduce drag when cutting
- The design is beautiful with black handle, very balanced in hand
Cons
- It’s a bit pricey for beginners
- No dishwasher recommended
Sushi Knife by Chef’s Companion
Pros
- A great price and practical knife for a beginner
- The knife nicely compliments them in both its style and functionality
Cons
- After few months, the black band around the blade and the handle is coming loose
- The knife works well with sushi, but not really in sashimi
How to Hold and Slice With your Yanagiba Sushi Knife
There is no absolutely only one right way to hold a sushi knife; however, a chef starter should follow the “theoretical way” in order to get the best result. When the time leads you to more professional in using knife, you are free to choose the way that makes you comfortable with.
As a Japanese Sushi Chef recommended – a standard way to hold a sushi knife
“Grasp the handle comfortably with your right hand and extend your index finger out along the blade. This will give you better control.”
“When making a cut, start at the base of the knife (nearest your body) and draw the knife toward you completing the cut at the tip. The goal is to make the entire cut in one motion.”
