Is a 240mm gyuto appropriate for home use?

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veryconfused

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It seems to me that 210mm is far more common. Is there a reason why? Is 240mm too big? What do you guys think about 210mm vs 240mm as far as non-pro use?
 
Cutting space and volume. I generally use a 240mm at work for prep and a 210mm for the line during service. At home I generally use a 210mm because I don't have as big of a cutting space.
 
Some 210s are 200. Some are 223. Some 240s are 255 and some 228. Be careful to look at the actual specs and not just generalize.

if you do not like the knife you buy, you have a better chance of selling it on BST if it’s a 240.

I like knives and cook with all sizes. When cooking for a lot of people, a large board and a long knife make quicker the work.

210 is plenty for cooking for smaller groups.
 
I haven't owned a 210 in 4 years. I use a 240 for most everything comfortably. if I had a smaller workspace I would prob go back to a 210 though.
 
I suppose a 240mm is much lighter than a comparative junky kitchen knife I have so maybe it's really not that much huger in real life.
 
When space is no issue: I haven't seen people going from 240 to a 210. You get used very quickly to the longer one.
Contact area with the board is much larger, both having a belly and tip area that doesn't count in this respect. Leads to a far better edge retention.
With a large blade, I can keep the heel section more robust for heavier tasks and sharpen it accordingly.
 
I use only 240-270 at work. Believe it or not most of the time when I do cook at home I use a 210. Sometimes even my TF 180. I have used a 240 though. It’s really about space and preference. Most of the time you’ll adapt to the knife anyways if you have the space.
 
IMO, for most home cooks, 210 mm is a good all-rounder size. It's long enough to do almost anything, and short enough not to bump into things. (Most people, when they see a 210 mm gyuto, will say "that's a big knife.")

A 240 mm is more fun to use, but it'll work well only if you have lots of space. That means large cutting board (considerably larger than the knife), and enough room around the board to put the knife down without bumping the tip into something.

When I'm really honest, I find it hard to think of something that I can do with a 240 but can't do with a 210. Slicing watermelons, maybe. But I enjoy using a 240 more :)
 
I'm a home cook and prefer 240 mm, but I have enough work space that I don't have to worry about the size of the knife. When I first started with Japanese knives, I leaned a bit more on my 210 mm. I guess I had never used 240 mm knives before then and it took time to get used to them. The extra length of a 240 mm can be helpful for large items or larger amounts of smaller items lined up or stacked. Ultimately, either size can handle pretty much anything in a home kitchen, though.
 
230 is my sweet spot, I have a 250 that's too big for my cutting board. 210 feels a little awkward for pumpkins and that kind of thing sometimes but honestly not a huge deal.
 
slickmamba said:
I haven't owned a 210 in 4 years. I use a 240 for most everything comfortably. if I had a smaller workspace I would prob go back to a 210 though.
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I'm in this camp, too. It's almost mandatory to buy a few 210s and then outgrow them--and then realize everything you've got is a 240 and so go back to 210s. Adds balance in your life :)
At the end of the day, the difference is an inch and a quarter... Not a ton of difference for me at home, but I could see how it could matter in a pro setting.
 
McMan said:
I'm in this camp, too. It's almost mandatory to buy a few 210s and then outgrow them--and then realize everything you've got is a 240 and so go back to 210s. Adds balance in your life :)
At the end of the day, the difference is an inch and a quarter... Not a ton of difference for me at home, but I could see how it could matter in a pro setting.
Click to expand...
Haha yes, now I need to consider expanding into 210s or 270s.
 
My go-to is 225. It's a little smaller then I prefer, but it's the only stainless steel one that I have. 230-240 is my ideal. Our cutting boards are big enough that using a 240 is not a problem.
 
I like using 240s but in my tiny kitchen 210s in general make more sense. With more space and bigger cutting boards I’d prefer the 240s although I’d probably alternate.
 
I find true 240s (measured from heel to tip rather than the machi to tip) to be too long for my stature and kitchen. I prefer and primarily use gyutos of 225mm or shorter. What will work best for you depends on the size of your kitchen space and cutting boards, the number of people you typically cook for, your stature, what you are preparing and the vagaries of personal preference. I know people that primary work with 165 and 180mm knives even though they own much longer knives. 240 is probably the most common size and the easiest resale in J-knife circles but don't let anyone try to convince you that anything shorter isn't a real knife or that longer knives magically make you a better cook.
 
You can use whatever you want, basically wherever you want. I'm equally happy with a 210 and a 240 at home on a 12x18 set of boards, I've also used those same size knives on smaller and much larger boards. Also if you're more comfortable using a 210 over a 240 then that's what you should get. I personally don't see much use in a 270 outside of a pro environment but people here seem to like them from time to time.
 
Home cook here, smallish kitchen. I use different length gyutos for different tasks, mostly use 180 and 210's but occasionally use 240 or larger. Good to have a selection.
 
Be aware that KKF is a biased sample. I would bet that if you polled a more general group of home cooks, many more would tend towards much less length in the range of 150-180 mm.

But the upshot is who cares what is common or preferred by other people. Use what is most suitable and comfortable for you.
 
I personally use 240's at home as well in my tiny kitchen. I just enjoy the size of it. Once in a while I'll take out my 165mm santoku (first J-knife) and it feels like a toy.
 
What length to get is situation/personality dependant.

When I bought my first professional chef knife around 1984, the restaurant owner I was just starting work for told me not to screw around and buy a 270mm right off the bat. He was correct, in that situation, where I routinely prepped at least 4 or 5 gallons of "Cajun trinity" most mornings at an 8' prep island with lot of room. I never owned a 240 until last summer when I got one for smaller jobs at home.

So, I'm backwards...
 
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