How Is a Chef Knife Measured?

A chef's knife needs to be held near the blade to ensure good control.

A chef's knife is an 8 to 10 inch knife used as a go-to knife in the kitchen. It is long enough to cut larger food items comfortably at the cutting board and strong enough to cut through small bones. A chef's knife will not be able to make detail cuts like a small paring knife, nor will it be able to cut through larger bones like a meat cleaver. Does this Spark an idea?

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Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  
  Lay the knife on a flat surface.
- 2
  
  Lay the measuring tape next to the top of the knife with the 0 next to the tip of the blade.
- 3
  
  Measure the distance between the tip of the blade and the edge of the handle. This amount is the length of the chef's knife.

Tips & Warnings

A chef's knife is 8 to 10 inches long, mainly to accommodate different chefs' cutting styles and hand size.
Do not measure a knife within reach of a child.

Suggest item

AKTI: Protocol for measuring knife blade length.

Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

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