What is a nakiri knife used for

What makes a nakiri different

A nakiri has a rectangular blade, usually 165 to 180 mm long, with a nearly flat edge and a squared-off tip. The blade is tall, which gives your knuckles clearance and lets you scoop food off the board. It is a double-bevel knife, sharpened on both sides, so it works for either hand.

The flat edge is the key feature. With a curved chef knife, part of the edge lifts off the board as you cut, and thin slices of scallion can stay joined at the bottom. A nakiri's edge contacts the board along its length, so each cut goes all the way through.

What a nakiri is good at

A nakiri is built for vegetables and fruit that you cut with straight up-and-down or forward strokes.

• Slicing onions, shallots and leeks thin and even
• Chopping cabbage, lettuce and leafy greens
• Julienne and fine dice of carrots, peppers and celery
• Cutting herbs without bruising them through repeated rocking
• Peeling daikon or cucumber in a thin sheet (katsuramuki) with practice
• Slicing boneless tofu, mushrooms and soft fruit

How to use a nakiri

Use a pinch grip, with your thumb and the side of your index finger on the blade just ahead of the handle. Our guide on how to hold a chef knife covers this in detail, and it applies directly to a nakiri.

A nakiri is not designed for rocking. Instead, use one of these motions:

1. 1

   Push cut: Start with the heel slightly raised, then push the knife forward and down in one motion so the whole edge passes through the food.

2. 2

   Pull cut: For soft items, start at the front and draw the knife back and down.

3. 3

   Chop: For quick work on herbs or greens, lift the whole blade and bring it straight down, keeping the edge level with the board.

4. 4

   Use the claw grip on your guiding hand so your knuckles lead and your fingertips stay tucked.

5. 5

   Use the tall flat side of the blade to scoop and carry cut food to the pan.

Limits: meat, bones and hard squash

A nakiri can slice boneless meat, but the flat tip makes it poor at trimming fat, scoring or working around joints. A gyuto or petty does those jobs better.

Most Japanese nakiri are thin and hard (often HRC 60 or higher), so they are not choppers like a Chinese cleaver. Avoid bones, frozen food, hard cheese rinds and twisting the blade in dense produce. Thick winter squash such as kabocha or butternut can wedge the blade and cause a chip when you pry it out. Cut squash with a heavier knife, or split it carefully with a sturdy chef knife and steady straight pressure.

Note.Never twist or lever a thin Japanese blade sideways in hard food. That sideways force is a common cause of chips. See chipped Japanese knife for repair.

Nakiri vs santoku, usuba and Chinese cleaver

A santoku has a slightly curved edge and a pointed-ish tip, so it handles meat and fish too. A nakiri is more specialized but gives cleaner vegetable cuts. Compare them in nakiri vs santoku.

An usuba looks similar but is single bevel, used in professional kitchens for very thin vegetable work. It needs one-sided sharpening skills. See nakiri vs usuba. A Chinese cleaver (cai dao) is taller and often heavier and is used for everything from vegetables to boneless meat; nakiri vs Chinese cleaver explains the differences.

See the best nakiri knives →

Nakiri maintenance tips

Care is the same as for any thin Japanese knife, with a few points specific to the flat edge.

• Hand wash and dry right away. Do not use the dishwasher; see can Japanese knives go in the dishwasher.
• Carbon steel nakiri must be wiped dry and may be oiled for storage. See Japanese knife oil.
• Sharpen on whetstones and keep the edge flat. Check it against a straight edge or the board: an edge that develops a belly or a dip will miss cuts.
• Use a wood or soft synthetic board. Glass and stone dull the edge quickly. See the best cutting board for Japanese knives.
• Store it in a block, on a magnetic strip or in a saya so the edge does not touch other metal.

Whetstone sets for keeping the edge flat →

Frequently asked questions

Is a nakiri worth it if I already have a chef knife? It is worth it if you cut a lot of vegetables and like push cutting. If you mostly rock-chop or cut a mix of meat and vegetables, a gyuto or santoku already covers the job.

Can you cut meat with a nakiri? You can slice boneless meat with it. It is not suited to bones, joints or detailed trimming, where a pointed knife is better.

What size nakiri should I get? 165 mm (about 6.5 inches) is the most common size and suits most home boards. A 180 mm nakiri gives more length for large cabbages and leeks.

Is a nakiri good for left-handed cooks? Yes, most nakiri are double bevel and work in either hand. Check that the handle is not a right-handed D shape if that matters to you.