Paring and peeling knives are some of the smallest knives in a knife set. As you may have already thought, small knives help trim, cut and carve small food items. That is a pretty general description of these versatile knives. A larger explanation will help you understand all the uses of these great kitchen tools.

A peeling knife is about 2 to 3 inches long and is the more specialty knife out of paring and peeling knives. It has a curved or arched blade that comes to a sharp point at the end. It is also known as a turning knife or bird´s beak peeler as it resembles a curved bird beak. The curved blade shape is ideal for peeling, cleaning or shaping any round fruit or vegetable. Shaping a fruit of vegetable can add a beautiful garnish for any dish you are serving. This is a very low cost decoration as you can use any fruit or vegetable already in your refrigerator.

Paring knives are the more common of paring and peeling knives. Most knife sets have at least one paring knife. The more curved blade is the most versatile (it resembles a miniature chef’s knife) and measures about 3 to 4 inches long. It is used for mincing shallots, onions and herbs as well as cleaning and cutting vegetables. A cheaper paring knife is handy to have around the kitchen for opening bags, cutting wooden skewers or cleaning nooks and crannies. The paring knife that comes with your high quality knife set should only be used for food prep.

The other type of paring knife is called a straight paring knife. It resembles a miniature Santoku knife. It has a straight top ridge and bottom edge, offering precise depth control for decorating and garnishing. Of course you can also use it for peeling, mincing and dicing fruits, vegetables, herbs or any other small foods.

When searching for high quality paring and peeling knives, there are some guidelines to stick to. Look for knives cut from a solid piece of high quality steel. The better manufacturers will boast a custom unique blend only they have. This is good because it means they have put a lot of thought into making a sturdy blade. Laser cut blades are a plus because the angle of the blade is at a precise angle for ideal cutting and slicing. Definitely look any mention of long lasting sharpness. Good quality knives should not dull easily. They should only require honing to bring the ultimate sharp tip back with every use.

Hopefully all this information has armed you with enough knowledge to go out and get yourself the best quality paring and peeling knives for your kitchen. If you are an avid home chef, or professional chef, you should already be aware of the benefits of high quality knives. If you are at the other end of the spectrum and only cook if you have to, high quality knives are still a must. They make a not so appealing job (cooking) even quicker and easier so you can move on to other things you would rather be doing. Owning and using paring and peeling knives in your cooking will absolutely enhance the meals you prepare.