Name: 牛刀包丁 (ぎゅうとう) Gyūtō Bōchō
Type: Western-style
Best used for: Chicken, fish, herbs, vegetables
Sizes: 180-300mm
What is a Gyuto (chef’s) knife?
Gyuto (chef’s) knife – written in Japanese as 牛刀包丁 (ぎゅうとう) and pronounced Gyūtō Bōchō. It is a Western-style Japanese kitchen knife, typically ranging in length from 180-300mm. We recommend an average length of 240mm, which is most suitable for most people. This knife is best used for: chicken, fish, herbs, vegetables.
The Gyuto is the Japanese version of the classic Western-style chef’s knife. Like the Western chef’s knife, the Gyuto is a versatile, multi-purpose knife that is perfect for cutting meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Gyutos are long knives that are typically wide at the heel and have a slight curvature from the middle to the sharp tip. The relatively flat heel of the blade makes it suitable for various cutting techniques, including chopping, slicing, and push-cutting, while the slight curvature towards the tip allows for easy rocking cuts. The sharp tip of the blade can also be used for precision cuts.
The double-edged blade of the Gyuto is usually thinner, lighter, and has a sharper edge than a Western chef’s knife. For most users, the Gyuto is the best all-around knife and the most versatile and useful Japanese knife in the kitchen.
What does Gyuto mean?
Literally translated, ‘Gyu’ means cow (as in ‘Wagyu’), and ‘To’ means blade, making Gyuto ‘cow blade’.
Like the chef’s knife, the Gyuto was originally intended for cutting and breaking down large cuts of beef, giving it its name. Today, the Gyuto is considered equivalent to the Western chef’s knife and is mainly used as an all-purpose knife for cutting meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
What is the Gyuto knife best used for?
The Gyuto knife is best used for chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing boneless meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. It is a true multi-purpose kitchen knife and is often recommended as the best all-around Japanese knife.
For preparing vegetables, the relatively flat heel of the blade is used for chopping or push-cutting. The slight curvature from the middle to the sharp tip is used for rocking cuts on firmer produce or herbs, and the sharp tip helps make precise cuts. True to its name “cow blade,” the Gyuto is also excellent for cutting all kinds of meat. It can be used for slicing softer meats or push-cutting more muscular meat.
The blade of the Gyuto is thinner, lighter, and sharper than a Western chef’s knife, making it easier to handle and an ideal tool for all kinds of food preparation. However, since the Gyuto is thinner and the steel used in its manufacture is harder than that of a Western chef’s knife, it is not suitable for heavy-duty tasks. Cutting bones or using the blade to crush garlic can easily dull, chip, or damage the blade.
Features of the Gyuto knife
Like a Western-style chef’s knife, the Gyuto typically has a long blade and is available in a variety of blade lengths from 180mm to 300mm. For the average user, a 240mm blade length is recommended as it provides extra flexibility for cutting larger produce while still being light and comfortable to hold. If you have a smaller workspace, a knife with a 210mm blade is another popular choice for home cooks.
Gyutos are long Japanese chef’s knives that are typically high and flat at the heel, with a slight curvature from the middle to the sharp tip. The relatively flat heel of the blade makes it suitable for various cutting techniques, such as push-cutting, while the slight curvature towards the tip allows for easy rocking cuts. The sharp tip of the blade can also be used for precision cuts and is particularly useful when working in tight spaces.
Gyuto knives are popular all-purpose knives with a familiar double-edged blade, but they are much sharper than standard Western chef’s knives. The cutting edge is typically sharpened at a sharper angle than a Western chef’s knife, giving the Gyuto its characteristic ultra-sharp blade. The types of steel used to make the Gyuto are also much harder, helping the Gyuto maintain its ultra-sharp edge for a longer period.
What are the most common variants of Gyuto knives?
There are two most common variants of the Gyuto knife: Wa-Gyuto and Kiritsuke-Gyuto or K-tip Gyuto.
WA-GYUTO
The Wa-Gyuto is a Gyuto knife with a traditional Japanese handle (wa-handle). Wa-handles are typically made of wood and generally have a lighter feel. The balance point of a Wa-Gyuto knife is more towards the tip, allowing the knife to do most of the cutting work for you. The forward balance of the Wa-Gyuto makes the knife easier to handle, especially when directing the sharp tip of the blade for precise cuts.
KIRITSUKE GYUTO – ALSO KNOWN AS K-TIP GYUTO
The Kiritsuke Gyuto is a variant of the Gyuto with an angled ‘reverse tanto’ tip, as seen on the Kiritsuke knife. The K-tip Gyuto differs from the regular Gyuto in its shape, as it has a very flat edge rather than a slight curvature at the front of the blade like a regular Gyuto. This makes the K-tip Gyuto less ideal for users who use the rocking cutting method but more suitable for those who use push-cutting or chopping.
Kiritsuke Gyuto knives are available in blade lengths ranging from 240mm to 330mm, and the 270mm size is a popular alternative to the Gyuto.
What size Gyuto should I buy?
We recommend the most popular sizes of 210mm or 240mm, which are the best sizes for a Gyuto. To help decide, here are some questions to consider when choosing the size of your Gyuto knife.
How big is your workspace? Is your cutting board or prep area large enough for the knife?
How large are the ingredients you usually use? If you regularly cut larger produce like cabbage, the larger 240mm size is very useful. If you mainly cut vegetables, chicken breast, and other similar-sized items, the 210mm size is well-suited.
What is your cutting technique? If you use rocking cuts, a larger knife will help minimize extreme up-and-down movements with the handle when dealing with larger produce. If you use chopping cuts, a larger knife provides a longer cutting edge, helping you get through ingredients faster.