Do I Need a Paring Knife?

Paring knives are a kitchen essential. These small knives are great for making precise cuts, peeling fruit and vegetables, or swirling garnishes behind the bar. The small blades make quick work of trimming seafood, cutting up a carrot, or peeling potatoes.

With blades running approximately four inches in length, they’re petite knives that pack up easily if you’re on the go. Best of all, paring knives are often inexpensive, so if you’re looking to build out your knife collections, a paring knife is a great place to start. Curious about adding one to your kitchen drawer? Here’s everything you need to know about paring knives.

How do you use a paring knife?

They’re great for deveining shrimp, cutting the tops off strawberries, or carefully removing bones from a fish. Outside of more serious tasks, paring knives are perfect for those inconsequential kitchen tasks, like peeling a clove of garlic or halving a lemon. Essentially, it’s one of the most important knives in your arsenal, and can be used for most kitchen tasks. 

How do I take care of my paring knife?

Sharpen your knives when necessary to ensure the edge doesn’t get dull. Replace your knives when needed—if the blade is dull beyond repair or broken, it’s time to say goodbye. Luckily, paring knives tend to be relatively inexpensive.

How much should I spend on a paring knife?

That may depend on what your budget allows. We will say that there are plenty of cheap paring knives that will last years in your kitchen. If you are geeky about knives, higher-end Japanese knives will never serve you wrong. That said, it’s all about how much you’d like to spend, and what time you’re willing to put into upkeep. (Keep in mind, while pricier Japanese paring knives will work beautifully, they do require more care to maintain that quality.)

Do I buy a serrated or a straight paring knife?

They can come in several different blade styles, including spear point, bird’s beak, sheep’s foot, serrated, or clipped. All offer different benefits. Serrated knives have those slight curves to lock and pierce into the surface of a food, making it easier to get into what’s inside. These knives are ideal for slicing through tomato skins, cutting through citrus for wedges, wheels, or peels, or splitting an avocado skin. On the flipside, curved paring knives offer more precision, but are less adept at cutting through tougher surfaces. These knives come in handy with pastry dough, scoring bread, or halving berries.