What is a Santoku Knife & What Is It Used For?
The santoku knife is a versatile Japanese knife made for chopping, slicing, and dicing. Known for its short, wide blade and flat cutting edge, it's ideal for controlled, precise tasks, like thinly cutting vegetables, meats, and fish.
Three Ways to Use a Santoku Knife
Slicing Fish
The name santoku, which means "three virtues," highlights the knife's versatility in the kitchen, which include slicing, dicing, and chopping. Below are common methods of santoku knife use:
Like yanagiba knives, santoku knives excel at cutting fish, as their hard, sharp blades easily glide through soft fish flesh without damaging it. The dimples near the blade edge—called "grantons"—create air pockets between the fish and the blade so the knife can cleanly slice through the fish fillets.
Dicing Vegetables
Santoku knives have flat blades that allow chefs to quickly dice vegetables with a swift, downward cut. The wide, stubby blade provides stability, giving chefs a closer grip for precise dicing. This style of cutting works similar to Japanese nakiri knives, which are made for dicing vegetables.
Chopping Meat
The santoku's lightweight design and sharp edge help it glide through most cuts of meat, enabling to cut softer meat, like chicken, into precise portions. Operators should be careful when cutting around bones, however, as the harder steel will break if handled too harshly. Consider Honesuki Knives if you're looking for a Japanese style of boning knife.
What to Look for When Buying a Santoku Knife
When purchasing a santoku knife, consider the following aspects:
- Blade Length: Most santoku knives measure around 5 to 7 inches long. Choose a length with the ideal mix of cutting volume and precision.
- Blade Shape: Usually, santoku knives have flat blades with blunt points. Some models have a slight curve toward the point of the knife; this shape can help provide leverage and control when chopping.
- Weight: The short, thin blade of a santoku knife makes it relatively light, which helps users perform the up-and-down cutting motion common to santoku usage without growing fatigued.
- Steel Types & Hardness: Santoku knives are traditionally made with a harder steel than their European counterparts, though some are made with softer German steel. Harder steel retains a sharp edge longer, but if you're cutting through tough food, softer steel is better to avoid chipping the blade.
- Handle: Handles vary in size, shape, and design, and are usually made of wood or polypropylene. They should be large enough to grasp firmly with one hand while holding the base of the blade between your thumb and forefinger. Choose a look you want and feels best to you.
- Price: Most santoku knives can be purchased under $100, but the higher-quality, Japanese-made knives usually cost several hundred dollars.
How to Maintain a Santoku Knife
Santoku knives should be washed after each use by hand and then dried. Store them in a knife block or on a magnetic knife rack to prevent damage to the blade. Regularly use a honing rod to keep the blade edge sharp.
Honing a Santoku
- Place the honing rod on a cutting board with the tip pointing down
- Draw the blade down the rod, starting at the base of the blade and moving down to the tip
- Maintain the same angle all the way down (usually 15 degrees for santoku knives)
Sharpening a Santoku With a Whetstone
- Find the right grit of whetstone
- Run the blade back and forth on the stone at the right angle on each side to remove burrs
- Note: Whetstone sharpening is an involved process that takes time and experience to perfect. Some restaurants opt to have their knives professionally sharpened.
Santoku vs. Chef's Knife
Santoku knives are sometimes confused with chef knives. Although their uses are very similar, chef knives are usually longer, have a rounded blade, and are made with softer steel. The chef knife is a European model that does better at cutting dense vegetables or meat, and its curved blade lends itself to the "rock-chop" style of cutting.
Shop Santoku Knives at KaTom
KaTom offers a wide selection of santoku knives ranging from basic models to high-end steel blades. Find the model you want, along with other Japanese-style knives.
