What is the Best Paring Knife?
The paring knife comes in a variety of different styles but the knife has one primary use and that is the tackle those intricate kitchen prepping tasks and allows for a greater amount of control than a larger knife can offer and which your other kitchen knives just cannot tackle.
The paring knife is a vital part of any set of kitchen knives and it’s a great little knife for paring or peeling fruit or vegetables, however it can be utilized for many other tasks in the kitchen. A paring knife, in general, can be used for basic utility work in the kitchen. A paring typically has a thin knife blade which is 3 to 4 inches in length and tapers to a point.
As with all of the best kitchen knives picking out the best paring knife is down to personal preference and how the knife feels in your hand and what you will be doing with it in the kitchen. Some paring knives are better suited to different prepping tasks and I will go into the different paring knife styles further down this article.
Our Recommended Best Paring Knives
| Knife | Size | Brand | Pricing | Rating | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knife | Size | Brand | Pricing | Rating | Visit |
 | 4-inch | Victorinox | Low | ★★★★★ |  |
 | 3 1/2-inch | Wusthof | Medium | ★★★★★ | |
 | 3 1/2-inch | Global | High | ★★★★★ | |
 | 3 1/2-inch | Mercer | Medium | ★★★★★ | |
 | 2 3/4-inch | J.A. Henckels | Medium | ★★★★★ | |
 | 4-inch | Kuhn Rikon | Low | ★★★★★ | |
 | 2 3/8-inch | Rada Cutlery | Low | ★★★★★ | |
 | 4-inch | Shun | High | ★★★★★ | |
 | 3 1/7-inch | Kyocera | Low | ★★★★★ | |
 | Mixed | J.A. Henckels | Medium | ★★★★★ | |
Paring Knife Blade Styles
Not all paring knives are the same and they come in various styles and each with a particular function:
Sheep’s Foot: this paring knife has a straight cutting blade and is a great knife for general peeling and paring of fruits or cutting vegetables.When you think of a paring knife this is the knife that you would picture.
Wavy Edge: with a lightly serrated blade this paring knife is great for cutting crust or skin with a soft inside and the slightly serrated edge makes cutting thin slices of tomatoes a breeze.
Chef’s: as the name suggests and how it looks, this is basically a miniature version of a chef’s knife and can be used for general prepping where a smaller general kitchen knife is needed.
Bird’s Beak: this parer is designed for peeling any round fruit or vegetable such as apples or potatoes. The bird beak paring knife is good for intricate work like fluting, turning or other precise carving tasks.
Clip Point: this is the knife you’ll reach for when you want to remove eyes from potatoes or pitting fresh olives. It can also be used for real hardcore peeling and prepping and is ideal for commis chefs peeling buckets of potatoes.
Paring/Boning: trying to bone a delicate bird? This is the kitchen knife you need. It works very much like a typical boning knife but on a much smaller scale.
Our Paring Knife Top Picks
Victorinox Swiss Classic 4-Inch Paring Knife, Spear Tip
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Victorinox kitchen knives in general are excellent knives and this paring knife is no different. It features a fibrox non-slip handle that will ensure a great grip even with the greasiest hands.
Not as heavy as the more expensive paring knives, like the Wusthof or Shuns but for everyday use it will be your go-to knife.
We love the Victorinox knives and we tend to recommend them the most throughout the site. If you are looking for a budget paring knife that will won’t break the bank this is a must have knife.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Grip Colored Paring Knives, Set of 4
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Not sure which paring knife you need? Not a problem this set is for you. It contains 4 of the most common paring knives at a great price.
There’s a 4-1/2-inch serrated utility knife (red handle) with a rounded point for slicing tomatoes, a 3-inch low-point, straight-edge knife (yellow handle) for cutting fruits and vegetables into thin slices, a 4-inch classic style paring knife (green handle), a 2-1/4-inch curved bladed knife (blue handle) for peeling and shaping.
All of the handles are textured for a secure grip even when wet and the lightweight build of the paring knives will help prevent wrist strain.
The blades are stamped blades and not forged (but what do you expect at this bargain price?) even though they are cheap they should last if looked after correctly.
