What Is a Santoku Knife (vs. a Chef's Knife)? A Guide to Use & Care

A staple in many Japanese kitchens, the santoku knife is an incredibly versatile all-purpose piece of cutlery that’s become a common fixture in kitchens across the globe. But what makes this cooking tool so useful, and is it the same thing as a chef’s knife? We’ll show you what makes this blade a cut above the rest in our complete guide to using and caring for santoku knives.

What Is a Santoku Knife?

The Japanese santoku knife is a multipurpose kitchen knife with a broad blade designed to perform a variety of cutting techniques on a wide range of foods.

Santoku Knife Features

So, what exactly makes the santoku knife so versatile? Here are some of the key features that differentiate it from other multifunctional cutlery.

• Construction. Santoku knives are made of ultralight (and ultradurable) hardened steel, à la the Shun Premier Grey collection’s VG-MAX super steel.
• Size. The typical length of a santoku knife is 5 to 7 inches—somewhat shorter than most comparably sized traditional cooking knives.
• Blade shape. One hallmark of a santoku knife is its sheepsfoot blade. Flat on the top and rounding toward a point at the very end, this design allows you to steady the knife by holding the dull edge with your free hand as you chop.
• Bevel. Typically featuring a single bevel, santoku blades are sharp on one side, which allows them to be honed to a very fine edge (potentially less than 15°).
• Edge design. A hollow-edge santoku knife has slight indentations, which can greatly reduce drag and help food release as you slice it. Those without these indentations (also called grantons) may have a hand-hammered finish to produce a similar effect.

What Is a Santoku Knife Used For?

With its Japanese name translating to “three virtues,” there are plenty of santoku knife uses in the kitchen, including three major knife skills: chopping, slicing and dicing. If you typically use each of these terms interchangeably (like many of us home cooks), here’s how to do each with a santoku knife.

• Chopping. With its exceptionally fine cutting edge, a santoku knife is perfect for this straight-down cut. Rest the tip of the blade on the cutting surface, position the edge above your target ingredient, adjust for your desired thickness (or thinness) and press straight through.
• Slicing. Similar to chopping, slicing allows you to make fine to thick cuts off the edge of your ingredient. Rather than lifting the whole blade above the food, however, you’ll keep the tip steady on your cutting board for small items, or cut straight down for thicker ones. From this position, you can cut in a clean, quick, down-and-forward motion. Once you have the hang of it, you can quickly return the santoku blade back to the starting position and repeat in a steady, uninterrupted motion.
• Dicing. To dice your ingredients—usually veggies or herbs—start by cutting your ingredient horizontally into small, uniform chunks. With the santoku blade’s tip steady on the cutting surface, cut those small chunks vertically into even tinier ones.

Santoku Knife vs. Chef’s Knife

The chef’s knife has long been the go-to blade in many cooks’ kitchens. Similar to a santoku knife, they feature long, broad blades that come to a point and are designed to perform a range of cutting techniques. Here’s how this virtually indispensable blade stacks up against the (often interchangeably used) santoku knife.

What Is a Chef’s Knife?

A chef’s knife is a general-purpose kitchen knife with a long blade, short handle and sharp tip designed to perform many essential food preparation maneuvers.

Chef’s Knife Features

Like the santoku knife, this quintessential piece of cutlery is highly versatile due to some of these key design features. Here’s what you can expect of a chef’s knife vs. a santoku knife.

• Construction. Typically made from stainless steel, the chef’s knife tends to be slightly heavier than the santoku knife and may not retain its edge sharpness for as long. Manufacturers like Germany’s Wüsthof, however, use high-carbon steel for their chef’s knives, a material commonly used for santoku knives.
• Size. With blades ranging from 6 to 12 inches (most commonly around 10 to 12), the chef’s knife is usually somewhat longer than the 7-inch santoku knife.
• Blade shape. Rather than the rounded sheepsfoot shape, the chef’s knife has the gradually narrowing pointed shape common to many knife sets found in Western kitchens.
• Bevel. Unlike santoku knives with their single bevel, chef’s knives are double-beveled, meaning they are sharp on both sides of the blade.
• Edge design. While drag-reducing indentations aren’t specific to santoku knives, they are less commonly seen on Western chef’s knives.

What Is a Chef’s Knife Used For?

The chef’s knife is designed to be a universal kitchen knife capable of multiple food preparation techniques. Like santoku knives, they can be used to chop, slice and dice meat, veggies, fruit and herbs. However, with their slightly broader, double-beveled edges (which can be upwards of 20°), they aren’t quite as precise as santoku knives when you need razor-thin slices.

When to Use a Santoku Knife (& When Not To)

No matter what you’re cooking, you’ll want to pick the best knife for the task at hand. With their array of cuts, you can effectively prep a wide variety of meats, veggies, aromatics and even ever-tricky fish with santoku knives. Like chef’s knives, they were designed to be practically universal in the kitchen, making them (virtually) a one-stop chop shop of sorts, no matter what you’re cooking.

In summary, here’s when to use santoku knives:

• Prepping veggies
• Cutting or cleaning meat
• Dicing aromatics
• Chopping, slicing or dicing just about any ingredient on a cutting board

With somewhat long, broad blades, they do have their limitations. Here’s when not to use santoku knives:

• Delicate knife techniques like peeling and trimming (this is best left to paring knives)
• Cutting on an especially hard surface
• Cutting without a cutting surface
• Bones or frozen foods (best left to cleavers and boning knives)
  

Caring for Santoku Knives

With the right care and maintenance, you and your favorite santoku knife can continue cutting it up for years—or even decades.

Storing Santoku Knives

Proper knife storage can have a huge impact on its quality and longevity. By thoughtfully organizing your kitchen utensils, you can help prevent your trusty blade from being damaged by other cooking tools while keeping it close at hand when you need it. Consider adding a knife block to your counter, keeping it in a dedicated knife drawer or installing a magnetic knife bar.

Cleaning Santoku Knives

Remember, exceptional tools require exceptional care, and knives aren’t like most other kitchen utensils. Here are a few essential cleaning and care tips to ensure your piece lasts for the long haul.

• Clean and store immediately after using. Avoid leaving your santoku knife on the countertop or in the sink after using it. Even if you decide to leave those dirty plates for another night, you’ll want to wash and dry your knife before bed.
• Hand-wash. Always hand-wash your santoku knife with warm water and a mild dish detergent.
• Dry thoroughly. Before storing your santoku knife, be sure it is completely dry.
• Avoid cutting hard materials. It’s best not to use your santoku knife on bone, frozen foods and other overly hard ingredients.
• Avoid hard surfaces. To help preserve your santoku knife’s edge, avoid cutting on hard surfaces like glass, stone or metal.
• Hone and sharpen. To keep a consistently sharp edge, hone your blade regularly and sharpen it as needed.

How to Sharpen a Santoku Knife (& How Often)

Using a honing rod and knife sharpener to keep your knife razor-sharp has three benefits: It makes cutting easier, preserves the blade and promotes sound knife skills. It’s been said there’s nothing more dangerous in your kitchen than a dull knife, so regular honing and periodic sharpening keeps your knife (and your fingers) in good shape.

To maintain your blade on a day-to-day basis, we recommend honing your blade every time you use it. Regular honing will in turn reduce how often your blade needs sharpening to once or twice a year. You can always trust a professional to do this for you, but if you prefer to handle this duty yourself, here’s how to do it with a sharpener or a whetstone.

How to Sharpen a Knife With a Sharpener

• Step 1. Make sure you’ve got a quality sharpener—preferably one designed for Asian-style knives, which require about a 15° sharpening angle (as opposed to a European-style blade’s 20° angle).
• Step 2. Pull the knife through the coarsest slot, starting near the handle. Apply even pressure as you follow the blade’s contour, which should make a consistent, evenly pitched sound as you pull.
• Step 3. Repeat Step 2 three to six times, being careful not to over-sharpen.
• Step 4. Pull the blade through the finer slot(s) one or two times to finish sharpening.

How to Sharpen a Knife With a Whetstone

• Step 1. Make sure you’ve got quality whetstones. If yours require soaking, be sure to do so before starting.
• Step 2. Following your whetstone’s manual, add water to the coarsest stone with a damp rag or spray bottle. Keep the stone flat, and position the blade on it at about a 15° angle (as opposed to a European-style blade’s 20° angle).
• Step 3. Press the blade steadily down the stone, keeping your angle consistent so each pass covers the entire length of the blade.
• Step 4. Repeat until the edge grows smooth, and then do the same on the other side of the knife.
• Step 5. Repeat this process on the next coarsest stone and continue this process until you’ve made your way through each stone.

Nakiri vs. Santoku Knives

Another Japanese-designed cooking tool, the nakiri knife is also popping up more and more in kitchens across the globe. Where the santoku knife is meant for general-purpose use for meats, veggies, herbs and fish, the nakiri knife is specifically meant mainly for chopping vegetables.

This classic knife features a rectangular blade and, unlike the santoku knife, comes to a rounded tip. More closely resembling a Western butcher knife, the nakiri’s shape is ideal for a top-down chopping motion rather than a finer dicing or mincing technique.

Do You Need a Santoku Knife in Your Kitchen?

Now that you know what a santoku knife is, you can see how this sharp, versatile piece can make a great addition to your collection of cutlery. Even if a classic Western chef’s knife already does most of the heavy lifting in your food prep, consider adding a Japanese-style variation to the mix!