When it comes to must-have kitchen tools, chef’s knives are must-haves. Santoku and Gyuto are two household names that naturally come up when talking about Japanese chef’s knives.
They both have piercingly sharp edges and ergonomic handles that come with outstanding grip and are surprisingly affordable. Both of them come with very versatile edges that make kitchen work extremely easy.
If we were to do a Santoku Vs Gyuto comparison, it surely will be a neck-to-neck battle. So, what are the difference between these two equally outstanding knives? What makes them stand out from the rest and each other?
Many often wonder about this, and if you do too, then you have come to the right place. In this write-up, we will be doing a Santoku Vs Gyuto is a detailed comparison.
Santoku: Strong, Sharp, and Sleek
The literal translation of Santoku stands for “three virtues.” The three virtues of this knife are; slicing, dicing and mincing. From the looks of it, it is no different than a traditional chef’s knife.
The shape resembles a sheep’s foot, curving downwards to a point. The usage of Santoku is different from an average knife. You can’t do rock chopping with Santoku knives. Rock chopping refers to up and forth motion while leaving the tip on the board.
So, with Santoku, instead of leaving the tip on the board with an up and down motion while chopping something, you have to lift the knife with each strike. Each slice is with a Santoku is the embodiment of precision thanks to its sharp, straight, and hollow edges.
Features Offered By Santoku Knife
Let’s take a look at the features that make Santoku knives stand out from the crowd.
Versatility
Santoku knives are the ultimate kitchen tool. These knives are being used for more than 70 years. You can find at least one Santoku knife in almost every household. They have gone through a lengthy process of modification to suit the needs of the user.
Although there are some cutting technique restrictions, if you are in search of a compact, convenient and small knife for everyday usage, this is your product.
Minus the rock chopping method, this versatile knife can be your companion for precise dicing, mincing, and cutting vegetables and vegetables.
With its straight and sharp blade, cutting vegetables and meat in vertical motions or repetitive motion is a child’s play.
Sharp Blade
The sharpest knives offer a 15 to 20-degree angle on the knife’s edge if it is double beveled. Santoku knives are double beveled and offer a 15 to 20-degree angle on each side of the edge.
The material of the blade is often steel. Santoku knives have a lower downward spin and a blunt or round tip. The flat edge allows you to connect to the chopping board, and you get clean, precise, and uniform cuts of vegetables each time.
Comfortable Design
Santoku knives are 7 inches in size. The small size allows people with small hands to control the knife easily without added force. Easy control is important when you are working with knives.
Most Santoku knives are made of Pakkawood and are waterproof. This increases the life expectancy of your knife.
Our Favourite Santoku Knife
While there are many Santoku knives available, our favorite is the Imarku 7-inch Santoku knife.
- Its small size makes it compact, convenient, and perfect for day-to-day usage.
- Double beveled blade, each offers 15 to 18-degree angle on both sides, making it sharp and precise.
- Imarku 7-inch Santoku embodies the true essence of a Santoku knife with its hollow edges. The hollow edges keep the product from sticking to the knife, allowing agility.
Gyuto: Ultra Sharp, Convenient Design, and affordable
The term Gyuto stands for Japanese chef’s knife. They resemble a western chef’s knife. It is said that Gyuto knives originated as a response to western kitchen knives that were slowly taking over Japan at one point.
Although Japanese chef’s style knives are single bevel knives, Gyuto is slowly gaining the name it deserves. Wooden handles with strong grips and sharp blades are an all-purpose knife meant to be used for almost everything in the kitchen.
Features Offered By Gyuto Knife
Let’s talk about the marvelous features of a Gyuto knife now.
Versatile Performance
Gyuto knives are outstanding for chopping, dicing, and mincing. Due to its sharp edges and pointed tip, it’s easy to cut and slice vegetables. If you like to hand mince onion, garlic, or meat with a knife, then Gyuto is for you.
Due to the curved spine, you can use most cutting techniques with these knives. Flat edges are not good for rock chopping. But with Gyuto knives, you can cut your vegetables in a rocking motion, up and forth motion, etc.
Since these knives are available in many different sizes up to 360 mm. longer Gyuto knives can be used to cup multiple products at one go. The wide blade allows you to pick up the product with the knife.
Strong Blade
Gyuto knife blades are usually made of steel. Alloy steel is the most common type of steel used to make these. Alloy is durable, holds sharpness, and allows extreme edge retention.
Bevel refers to the side of the edge of the knife. If a knife is single beveled, then it means only one side of the blade has been sharpened to form the edge. Gyuto knives offer double-beveled blades.
The edge of the knife determines the sharpness. Edges that are between 15 to 20 degrees offer the most sharpness and precision. Most Gyuto knives offer 16-degree edges.
Comfortable Handle
The handle of a Gyuto knife is the most important thing after the blade. Since they offer long blades, an ergonomic handle is needed for balance and comfort. Gyuto knives offer two types of handles.
Yo-Gyuto, where the handle is heavier than the blade. It’s great for rough chopping and rock chopping. Wa-Gyuto, where the handle is lighter than the blade. It offers agility.
All Gyuto knife handles are made of wood and waterproof. The less turned-down spine to tip offers a perfect balance between the blade and the handle.
Our Favourite Gyuto Knife
Gyuto knife is versatile and available everywhere. But how do you know if they are authentic or not? Thankfully, we are about to share our favorite Gyuto knife that is authentic from the spine to the tip.
The FINDKING 8-inch dynasty series Gyuto knife is a steal for many reasons. Some are;
- This Wa-Gyuto knife offers a 16-degree blade made with alloy steel. It means this is one of the sharpest and most durable Gyuto knives available.
- The octagon handle offers perfect balance and comfort. The weight runs towards the tip, making it perfect for rock chopping.
Santoku Vs Gyuto: Who Is the Ultimate Winner?
As mentioned before, both Gyuto and Santoku are outstanding knives with great features. Personal preference matters the most with kitchen tools. Someone may enjoy using a Santoku knife, while that may not be the case with you.
For us, the clear winner is Gyuto. Santoku knives are equally great, but Gyuto has a lot to offer.
You should opt for Santoku if you are:
- Looking for a convenient, durable, and affordable knife in the kitchen.
- Suppose you have a small hand and want a small knife with a sharp blade. The sharp blade offers precision. Suppose you want thinly sliced apples on top of a tart. Using a Santoku knife to slice those apples will offer sharp and precise apple slices.
- Suppose your cutting method doesn’t include a lot of rocking motions. Due to the flat edge and no curve down the spine, you need to lift the blade with each slide.
You should opt for Gyuto if you are:
- Looking for an all-purpose knife in the kitchen. Gyuto knives can cut through meat and fish easily. They can be used to chop, dice, and slice most vegetables. However, you should not use Gyuto on vegetables like squash.
- Cut a lot of products at once and need extra length on your knife.
- Willing to spend a good amount of money on knives. Gyuto knives are much costlier than a Santoku. Although they perform much better and offer more, many don’t like to spend so much on knives.
Final Words
So, which knife do you think is going to win a place next to your cutting board? Hopefully, with this detailed Santoku Vs Gyuto analysis, you have made your decision.
At the end of the day, the winner differs from person to person based on what they are looking for. Santoku knives are great if you are looking for something compact, lightweight and, convenient.
It’s flat blade makes it easier to slice and dice vegetables. And it’s much cheaper than a Gyuto knife.
But Gyuto knives are a great choice if you are looking for the ultimate cutting experience. The sharp blade makes it easy to chop meat and fish in the twinkling of an eye.
And the pointed tip can be used for various purposes. If you don’t want to spend so much on a Gyuto, then Santoku would be a great choice.
