It is a wonderful fact that there are different types of knives made for almost all cutting purposes. Knives are truly one of the most versatile items among kitchenware. Speaking of cheese, there are a handful of knives produced just for cutting them! But why do some cheese knives have holes?
Although it cannot be verified from where it originated, the holes in cheese knives serve the purpose of allowing as little surface area as possible on the cheese that it cuts through. This is especially useful when dealing with soft and sticky cheese types.
Cheese knife is a very wide topic by itself. In this article, we have a detailed guide on the different types of cheese knives. Continue reading to know more about them!
Types of Cheese Knife
There are several kinds of cheese, each of which has a different level of softness and texture. From the several types of knives available, each is best suited for different types of cheese. The types of cheese knives are –
- Cheese Plane
- Plane Knife
- Soft Cheese Knife
- Cheese Cleaver
- Cheesefork
- Cheese Spreader
- Parmesan Knife
- Chisel Knife
The list is not in any particular order. With that being said, let’s get to know them better with a brief description on each of them.
1. Cheese Plane
The Cheese Plane is a tool shaped like a spatula that is used on semi-soft to semi-hard cheeses such as Fontina, Havarti, and Muenster. Its purpose is to slice thin pieces of cheese from the surface of the cheese being cut. When cheese is sliced, it stays on the plane, making it easy to serve.
2. Cheese Plane Knife
Also known as narrow plane cheese knife and trapezium knife, its shape is similar to a trapezium, and it can be defined as a narrow blade with all of the edges being sharp. The knife is made for semi-soft to hard cheese such as Gouda and Cheddar. It is used for cutting through and chipping cheese blocks.
2. Soft Cheese Knife
A soft cheese knife, also referred to as an open work blade knife, has holes on the surface of its blade. This is to reduce the surface area in contact with the cheese. It ensures that cheese does not get stuck onto the blade. Made for soft to semi-soft cheese, this knife is ideal for Camembert and Mozzarella.
4. Cheese Cleaver
A cheese cleaver is made to cut through semi-hard to hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Fontina with a shape similar to other cleavers. A wide rectangular blade allows the user to put force and cut downwards to create slices from cheese blocks.
5. Cheesefork
As the name suggests, cheeseforks are like regular forks but specially made for cheese. It has two pointed prongs that allow the user to pick up cheese pieces for serving or break cheese blocks into smaller blocks. It is ideal for almost all types of cheese, including Feta, Gouda, Parmesan, and Cheddar.
6. Cheesespreader
A cheesespreader has a rounded blade with a dull edge. It is made to be used on soft cheese such as Robiola, Stracchino, and Cream Cheese. Also referred to as a spatula knife, its only purpose is to apply cheese spreads on bread, crackers, etc.
7. Parmesan Knife
These knives have sharp pointed tips on a triangular shaped blade that has long sharp edges. It is used for breaking and cutting down blocks or chunks of hard and dry cheeses.
There are two types of Parmesan knives; compact cheese knife and bell cheese knife. Both serve the same purposes. It is ideal for cheeses such as Parmesan, Castelmagno, and Grana Padano.
8. Chisel Knife
A chisel knife, also referred to as a flat cheese knife, is made for semi-soft to semi-hard cheese. It has a flat blade with only the bottom edge being sharp. This knife aims to cut off slices from cheese by placing them vertically over cheese blocks and pushing them downwards.
There are a few more tools used for cutting through cheese, such as cheese wire, cheese rind cutter, cheese grater, and hard cheese knives. Based on the job at hand and your preferences, you can get the ideal knife for all types of cheese!
In the next section, we speak about some of the factors to consider when purchasing a cheese knife.
Factors to Consider
Depending on the job at hand, you can opt from a plethora of cheese cutting tools for different types of cheese. But for most cheese knives, the structure remains similar with a handle and a blade on the other end. When looking for a cheese knife, it is important to see if the handle is ergonomic enough.
It is also necessary to check the quality of the blade if you will be cutting hard cheese. Since a lot of pressure will be exerted, the knife is prone to cracking/breaking. Therefore, make sure to get a strong and sturdy knife for hard cheese such as Cheddar and Fontina.
If you are dealing with soft cheese, make sure to get the cheese knives that are made for it specifically. It may get overwhelming to choose a cheese knife out of the endless options you have at hand. But to make it easier, you can find buying guide for cheese knives in the market here.
Final Words
Now that we have covered most cheese knives with details, you should have a clear idea of what they are and why they are preferred so much. Getting back to the question we began with — why do some cheese knives have holes? The answer is simple.
Holes exist on the knives’ blades for cutting down on the surface area in contact with the cheese being cut. This ensures that cheese does not get stuck on the blade of the knife. We hope to have helped you gain insight from this detailed guide on cheese knives.
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