Usefulness of a Nakiri knife

[DitmasPork]

How useful is it to have a Nakiri knife in the kitchen? I'm a home cook, former caterer.

When I cook I've been primarily using my gyuto, petty, parer, suji, pretty much in that order of usefulness—don't use my bread knife much.

Been thinking of a purchase to round out my kitchen knife quiver.

Anyone feel that a Nakiri is indispensable?

 

[XooMG]

Where's my hazmat suit?

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

A nakiri is fun to use, but not indispensable if you have a gyuto.

Try a cleaver instead.

Rick

 

[daveb]

As mentioned a Nakiri is a fun knife to use but by no means indispensable.

Try a cleaver as well.:cool2:

 

[echerub]

A nakiri is definitely not indispensable, particularly if you're already used to using a gyuto for most things. A nakiri is a substitute when you are prepping small veggies & tofu products. Its advantage over something like a gyuto is the fact that you get a lot of flat edge for push cutting without "wasting space" with a curved edge and tip at the front.

For a true multi-purpose knife, Rick and Dave are absolutely correct about chinese cleavers (chuka bocho) instead.

A chinese cleaver can replace a gyuto. They are direct substitutes for one another. A nakiri cannot and is not - it is a substitute in a limited domain, for those times when you don't have enough space or when you just feel like it. So unless you are working in tight quarters, it is not indispensable. But on the off-chance that you're crammed in tight... maybe

 

[Ucmd]

Where's my hazmat suit?

LOL!!!!

 

[jamaster14]

How useful is it to have a Nakiri knife in the kitchen? I'm a home cook, former caterer.

When I cook I've been primarily using my gyuto, petty, parer, suji, pretty much in that order of usefulness—don't use my bread knife much.

Been thinking of a purchase to round out my kitchen knife quiver.

Anyone feel that a Nakiri is indispensable?

It's like many other kitchen items... it's designed more for a specific purpose, but you may already have something that does the job just as well. like you dont need one of those bagel slicers, cause your bread knife will cut a bagel just fine, but its fun and specifically for that task.

Your gyuto is prefectly suited for all your veg prep. but the nikiri is design more specifically for it. i will say, it certainly is alot of fun I have a watanabe nakkiri i just purchased, and ive used a ton so far. but if i have 10 people coming for dinner and a ton of different things to prep im just using my gyuto for all tasks.

are you a minimalist or do you like having a tool for every task?

 

[XooMG]

I quite like the concept of a nakiri in confined areas. My gyuto can do a very good job with veg, but having a shorter dedicated blade lets me work more intimately without a large part of the knife going unused or potentially bumping into things on a crowded counter. I can keep sharpening it whenever I like without reducing its length or profile noticeably.

I also like a 180mm-range cleaver, but they are too tall for me sometimes.

 

[DitmasPork]

A nakiri is definitely not indispensable, particularly if you're already used to using a gyuto for most things. A nakiri is a substitute when you are prepping small veggies & tofu products. Its advantage over something like a gyuto is the fact that you get a lot of flat edge for push cutting without "wasting space" with a curved edge and tip at the front.

For a true multi-purpose knife, Rick and Dave are absolutely correct about chinese cleavers (chuka bocho) instead.

A chinese cleaver can replace a gyuto. They are direct substitutes for one another. A nakiri cannot and is not - it is a substitute in a limited domain, for those times when you don't have enough space or when you just feel like it. So unless you are working in tight quarters, it is not indispensable. But on the off-chance that you're crammed in tight... maybe

Really appreciate the insights. I used to use a cleaver almost exclusively back in the 80s, my trusty Dexter Chinese Veggie Cleaver served me well in those formative days. I used to abuse the Dexter quite a bit, hacking through chickens and whatever came its way. With a Nakiri, can it go through the same abuse or is it delicate like most Japanese knives? They do look like fun.

 

[Bill13]

Nakiri's in general have very thin blades so no hacking at things with bones.

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

Nakiri's in general have very thin blades so no hacking at things with bones.

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[panda]

I find nakiri pretty useless, much rather a santoku for tight spaces.

 

[Erilyn75]

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

That's almost as bad as watching bobby flay open cans with his knife.

 

[mkriggen]

That's almost as bad as watching bobby flay open cans with his knife.

I disagree, Bobby Flay knew exactly what he was doing, this woman is clueless and a danger to herself and others. Having said that, I LOVE THAT VIDEO!:rofl2:

I also love my nakiri's. I agree that they are not indispensable in any way, but they are still my most used knives.

Be well,
Mikey

 

[jamaster14]

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

:eek2:

that was painful to watch

 

[WarrenB]

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

That poor knife:Ooooh: There should be some kind of Knife Protection Agency that can go and remove abused knives from their owners:biggrin:

 

[Dave Kinogie]

It was hard to get through that whole video.

 

[icanhaschzbrgr]

I believe if you don't find nakiri useful it could be an indication that you just haven't found the right nakiri for you.

I handled only one nakiri and wasn't fond of it, but would love to try again in the future. Itinomonn (with Dan's handle) or Watanabe or maybe Harner. One day…

 

[augerpro]

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!

 

[DitmasPork]

Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how NOT to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Cheers for the Nakiri tutorial. So when it gets dull from hacking King Crab, I can bring the edge back be sharpening it like Gordon Ramsay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syvvxx3eGpI

 

[Dave Kinogie]

***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!

"You never want to get cavalier about ends of your fingers. Some very famous chefs have lost... the ends of their... some of their fingers... But, that's far from ideal I think."

 

[jamaster14]

***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!

[video=youtube;OMbFGJnaVOw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbFGJnaVOw[/video]

good god. "the divets make it lighter and easier to weild"

"im able to make paper thin slices of tomato with it" then proceeds to cut 1/8" thick slices.

from the hand position to the back and for sawing motion... man it makes me cringe but i cant stop watching it.... it reminds me of like one liek the home shopping channel where its the same host for every product and they just say whatever they want

"even a really sharp chef knife isnt going to do as good a job as this knife is doing" dang, better trade my shige in for one of those... on my way to target now!

 

[jamaster14]

"You never want to get cavalier about ends of your fingers. Some very famous chefs have lost... the ends of their... some of their fingers... But, that's far from ideal I think."

[video=youtube;rDeaCuwGS6c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeaCuwGS6c[/video]

 

[daveb]

I watched the onion video. Made me cry.

 

[Erilyn75]

Her bio says she was a cooking instructor and a garde manger in a restaurant kitchen. I guess "was" is the operative word if it's even true. Never seen someone cut a green pepper that way. Hubby said I needed to watch more to improve my knife technique :bat:

 

[29palms]

I had two Nakiris and as much fun as they can be I gave one to a friend and the other sits in its saya in a drawer. Unless I think about it it doesn't get to come out and play much.

 

[XooMG]

I want to love nakiri, but really I only have one (Takeda) that I really enjoy using. My others have too much of a stiction problem in raw carrot to really satisfy me. They work fine elsewhere but carrot-cutting ends up my primary criterion, and that's the weakness of many of my nakiri.

 

[loves2cook]

I stopped at the king crab leg when she identified after her 3rd attempt that one must first identify the joint ROFL. That was all I could take.

It was hard to get through that whole video.

 

[loves2cook]

[video=youtube;OMbFGJnaVOw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbFGJnaVOw[/video]

good god. "the divets make it lighter and easier to weild"

"im able to make paper thin slices of tomato with it" then proceeds to cut 1/8" thick slices.

from the hand position to the back and for sawing motion... man it makes me cringe but i cant stop watching it.... it reminds me of like one liek the home shopping channel where its the same host for every product and they just say whatever they want

"even a really sharp chef knife isnt going to do as good a job as this knife is doing" dang, better trade my shige in for one of those... on my way to target now!

I can't watch this lol. Did she cut off her thumb ? :eek2:

 

[Lizzardborn]

I can't watch this lol. Did she cut off her thumb ? :eek2:

Nope, but she did have somewhat interesting definition of curling the fingers. Also her sharpening video is worth checking out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1fUFbij2s0#t=110 But for the sensitive people beware - there is some serious graphic knife abuse inside. Lets say that she managed to say 45 degrees. And did not meant included.