What style knife do you guys use to cut garlic, shallots, ect?

So I end up prepping a fair amount of garlic and shallots at home most days, and I was wondering what style knife you guys pick when you are doing the same.

I tend to use either my 6" or 8" chef's knife, but I'm sure there are much better options. They tend to get a bit unwieldy if you are trying to make the initial cross cuts before you mince, but they also aren't the best knives in the world.

Would a petty knife or a paring knife be better?

Whichever gyuto is in my hand for the rest of the prep.

150mm petty normally. I can use any gyuto or nakiri though. I used to use an ao deba though(no idea why i own one of those) shallots i prefer a petty or a 210 gyuto my 240 is a little tricky to gauge depth albeit i still get her done. There exist special albeit gimicky knives for herbs masakage makes a kamagata(no not an usuba) they claim is great for garlic theres also ko bunkas which again i dont own so i cant say if they really are godlike small prep crushing machines. P.S. after i chiped my tip off my 210 kohetsu i thinned the tip, just thé tip it now slices through shallots slightly easier it was kinda clunky before.

If I'm doing a lot then I use whatever sharpest knife I have. If not then it doesn't really matter.

Gyuto 180mm, 210mm or Santoku.

If I am cutting also some other stuff in the same run (and in larger quantities), than I use my gyuto (255mm from Andy Billipp) as I love the thing, but smaller blade does the job equally well if not better - Carter Funayuki (167mm) or Yoshikane SKD Hakata 165mm (that knife is really getting under my skin) both perform excellently on onions. I personally would not use a petty for this as it would not give me enough knuckle clearance.

7 inch Santoku. Compared to a Gyuto, the less pointy tip gives me a bit more confidence when working the tip.

What ever is in your hand, it's not like you're processing a lot. If doing bulk than definitely main gyuto.

Garlic: Nakiri or Usuba. Shallots: 173mm Petty/mini Gyuto.

150 petty or a gyuto in the 225-250 range.

When i had all my knives laying in the kitchen i usually used my akifusa as hakata but since most of my knives are stowed away atm i use my dalman 240 gyuto or my marko 255 gyuto depending on which one i use atm

The gyuto I'm using for the meal in general, and then try to mince carefully without torquing / lateral pressure.

something thin and small

165 santoku

Marcelo Amaral said:

Gyuto 180mm, 210mm or Santoku.

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Me too

T Fujiwara 130 Nakiri (Nashiji line) with ebony handle. That thing is a garlic destroyer.

It really depends how much I gotta do and whats out already, if I have my 240mm tanaka out and everything is stored away I'll just use that if not I'll use my hirimoto AS santoku as it is a little faster with a smaller knife.

If I have to do lots of onions i will go for nakiri.
If it's just for a normal meal, whatever I have in hand, and that usually 210-240 gyuto.

How much garlic? If I have to mince a LOT, I grab a western deba. Smash & Mince. If it's one or two cloves, then any knife in my hand, but for precision cuts on garlic or shallots, my favorite is a Takamura R2 180mm gyuto.

WildBoar said:

150 petty or a gyuto in the 225-250 range.

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bkdc said:

How much garlic? If I have to mince a LOT, I grab a western deba. Smash & Mince. If it's one or two cloves, then any knife in my hand, but for precision cuts on garlic or shallots, my favorite is a Takamura R2 180mm gyuto.

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I use the 150 petty version of this. Its scary thin for a san mai.

Usually my santoku, but now I have a funayuki, I am finding that handy. I think petties are too small and my 24 cm gyuto far too big.

120mm petty or 180mm gyuto... swear those 180 gyutos are meant to be petite couteau for anyone over 5'11

Garlic? **** garlic...


[video=youtube;CI7CGphzXYI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI7CGphzXYI[/video]

That works too:cool2:

my 270 kochi gyuto!!! only when i have time to bust it out at work. due to limited space i can't really have it out all the time, but when i do i have real fun with it chopping garlic and japanenos or whatever i can get my hands on.