What Is a Santoku Knife Used for & How to Sharpen It

If you love working in the kitchen, you probably have a variety of kitchen knives. You may be looking forward to replacing some of your tools or adding new chef knife to your arsenal. You could be wondering what a Santuko knife is and how to use it. Whatever the reason, you’ve landed on the right page.

In this article, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about Santoku knives. You will also discover beneficial tips to help you keep your Santoku knife in the best shape ever.

What Is a Santoku Knife Used For?

The Santoku knife originated from Japan. The word “santoku” means three uses or three virtues. The Santoku knife uses include mincing, slicing, and chopping. Simply put, a Santoku knife is a Japanese general-purpose chef knife.

A Santoku knife is a great option when cutting vegetables or meat. Also, it is your to-go tool when dealing with fish, pork chops, chicken breasts, and steaks. Given that it has a Granton edge blade, you’re assured of a smooth cutting experience.

Granton edge blades are also known as hollow edges. Knives with these types of blades feature dimples along the blade length. The dimples create an anti-suction force preventing ingredients from sticking to your knife. That reduces the need to keep running a finger on the knife’s blade to clean it.

Sometimes, you may want to cut your ingredients into thin slices. A Santoku knife can come in handy during such instances because it features a tall blade. Some varieties measure up to eight inches.

A blade under two inches might not be the best option if you’re looking for thin, evenly cut ingredients. Often using a short knife is similar to using the tips of scissors to cut through a piece of paper. That’s not just slower, but the process will sap all of your energy.

Aside from prepping, the long, wide blade can be used to transfer ingredients. Simply turn the blade to make it lie on the chopping board, sweep up the food, and put it in the cookware.

A Santoku knife is usually rounded on one side, making it less likely to cause accidents, but it’s vital to be careful. After all, accidents are just that – accidents. They can happen.

Due to frequent use, kitchen knives become dull with time. Therefore, you may want to use a properly sharpened santoku knife for the best results. Otherwise, you could end up ripping your veggies and tearing your meat. That’s not a great way to a perfect meal.

How to Hold a Santoku Knife

When using a Santoku knife, adhere to the following safety measures:

1. Hold your Santoku knife properly: You can use the handle grip style or settle for the pinch grip method. The handle grip method entails holding your Santoku knife by its handle. Conversely, the pinch grip involves holding your tool by the handle, but your thumb and index finger should pinch the blade near the base.

2. Use your hand as a guide: Learning the claw cutting technique can help avoid injuring your fingers. The method requires you to curl your fingers under. Meanwhile, your knuckles help to guide the knife when cutting ingredients. Consequently, your knuckles are often higher off the cutting board, making it harder to injure yourself.

3. Keep your index finger on the blade: Most people like placing their index finger on the back of a knife’s blade when prepping ingredients. However, the technique lessens your control so it’s best to avoid it. The index finger does help to keep the blade in place when using the blade-grip technique but remember to fold it back.

4. Use the right chopping board: Consider using a plastic or wooden board when prepping your ingredients. Reserve ceramic, glass, and stone for presentation platters because the materials are hard and blunt your Santoku knife. Also, the surfaces make the cutting process harder, increasing the chances of injuring yourself.

5. Store your Santoku knife properly: To limit the chance of accidents, properly storing your Santoku knife is essential. First, avoid leaving your tool on the edge of your kitchen counter. It can fall on someone.

Also, a child could reach out for it and injure themselves. It’s advisable not to store your knives in the drawer, especially alongside other cutlery. You might get hold of the blade instead of the handle or the spoon you were looking for.

How to Sharpen a Santoku Knife

Sharpening a kitchen knife requires a bit of practice to perfect the skill. When it comes to sharpening a Santoku knife, knowing its specifications is essential. The knife’s bevel and angle are the primary guiding factors during the process.

Basic Knife Terminologies – Bevel and Angle

The knife’s cutting edge is used to slice, mince, or chop foods. The edge is created by grinding the knife’s surface. The cutting edge is the inclination or the slight angle easily visible by just taking a glance at the blade. A double bevel knife features two such angles on either side of its cutting edge.

The angle of the bevel determines a knife’s sharpness. The Santoku knife variety is often beveled steeply. That’s why a Santoku knife is ideal for your finest chopping and cutting needs including finely sliced sushi.

After knowing your tool’s specifications, be sure to sharpen at the right angle.  You can hire a professional knife sharpening service, or you can sharpen the tool at home using a sharpening stone. If you choose to sharpen at home, it’s best to use whetstones instead of a home electric knife sharpener. It helps to avoid damaging a Santoku’s Granton edge.

In addition, sharpening steel can damage a Santoku Knife. The reason is most Japanese knives are made of high-quality but relatively thin steel. So, whetstones all the way, but remember to keep them moist during the process.

The Santoku Knife Sharpening Procedure

Some Santoku knives come with a double bevel. Others feature a single bevel making them easier to sharpen. Generally speaking, an angle of 10 to 15 degrees is alright when sharpening a Santoku knife.

Here is the DIY procedure:

• Submerge the whetstone in water.
• Place the whetstone on a flat surface with the coarse side facing up.
• Tilt the knife at an appropriate angle.
• Use up and down motion to run the entire blade of your santoku knife on the wet whetstone.
• Repeat the procedure to sharpen the other side for a double bevel santoku knife.
• Flip the whetstone to have the finer side facing up.
• Repeat the procedure above.
• Wash and dry the knife.

How to Use a Santoku Knife

To reiterate, “santoku” means three virtues. You can use the knife to chop, mince and slice ingredients.

Chopping with a Santoku Knife

Some Santoku knives like the Made In’s variety feature a slight upward curve at their tip. Also, a Japanese knife (including Santoku) is usually flat. These features make them pretty ideal for slicing tasks.

However, the curved blade tip of a Santoku knife isn’t like a typical Western-style chef knife. It might not allow you to use the rocking method where the tip of the blade remains on the chopping board when prepping ingredients

Instead, you’ll need to lift the entire blade away from the board, then bring it down on the food while moving the blade away from you. Although the technique is slower than the rocking method, the Santoku knife assures you of the finest slices you could ever want.

Handy tips:

• Stabilize your cutting board by placing a dampened paper towel underneath it.
• If chopping round foods, cut them into two for more stability when chopping.
• Chop faster by learning the push-cut technique where you push the ingredients towards the knife blade.

Mincing with a Santoku Knife

Some ingredients must be finely cut for a great-tasting meal and to also maintain general food aesthetics. A Santoku knife is made to help you handle such tasks in the kitchen.

Is it finely minced onions, root vegetables, garlic, or celery? You can trust the hollow blade edge to help you mince with minimal sticking. No worrying about celery or other sticky foods. The dimpled blade won’t allow that.

Since the Santoku blade is flat, long, and wide, you can scoop your minced ingredients into a bowl using the same mincing tool. That’s another reason to call it a multi-purpose knife.

Slicing with a Santoku Knife

The third virtue is slicing. In this case, you’re interested in prepping evenly cut ingredients. It could be vegetables or meat. When slicing with a Santoku knife, be sure to pull the tool towards you after bringing it down on the food you’re prepping.

If you’re used to slicing without moving the knife, a little practice will help you learn to avoid crushing your ingredients which messes with the aesthetic of your meal.

The Final Word

To keep enjoying the versatility of your Japanese Santoku knife, proper care is essential. After all, you want a knife that serves you past the warranty period. Be sure to stick to wooden and plastic chopping boards to avoid a dull knife blade. Also, clean, dry, and store your knife safely. That way, you’ll keep corrosion and accidents at bay.