If you know your cheese commandments, you will recall that Commandment No. 3 is “Thou shalt not mix thy cheese knives”. And the best way to follow this rule is to have different knives for different types of cheese. Read on to discover our list of the 13 essential cheese knives every cheese lover should have.
SEE ALSO: Jonah’s 10 Commandments of Cheese (how to be a righteous turophile) →
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Why do we need different cheese knives?
Without a doubt, the main reason why you need more than one knife when serving cheese is to avoid cross-contamination. Believe me when I say that you don’t want bits of your Roquefort ending up on your Brie. This will ruin the entire sensorial journey a cheese board is meant to take you on.
So, we’ve ascertained that we need one knife for each cheese on a cheese platter. But why do the knives have to be designed differently? The main reason for this is to adapt the knife to the texture of the cheese. Specialty cheese knives are designed to be easy to use on specific cheeses, and to leave as much of the cheese on the board as possible.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the essential cheese knives that all cheese entertainers need. With each knife, we’ll give you a short description and examples of cheeses that you can use them with.
1. Chef’s Knife
While the chef’s knife obviously isn’t specifically a cheese knife, it is still a must for cheese lovers. Indeed, it is the perfect tool for portioning pressed cheeses with semi-hard to hard textures before serving.
Having said that, you will not want to use the chef’s knife on your cheese board itself. There are many different types of cheeses that you can prep using this knife and some great examples are Emmentaler, Manchego, Cheddar and Raclette.
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2. Parm Knife (Tagliagrana)
The Tagliagrana is an Italian tear drop or almond-shaped knife that has a very sharp pointy edge. As you’ve probably guessed, the aptly named Parm knife is the ultimate knife for stabbing hard cheeses and breaking off chunks.
Due to its compact size, it is a great knife to have on your cheese platter if you’re serving the likes of Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Mimolette or Gouda.
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3. Open Blade Knife (Lame Ajourée)
This particular cheese knife takes aesthetics and functionality to the next level! You will definitely bring an air of sophistication to your cheese board by presenting an open blade knife with your cheeses. But even more importantly, this knife is designed to cut soft cheeses without sticking to them.
Indeed, the holes in the blade minimise the surface area of contact with the paste of the cheese. You can use an open blade knife to cut just about any soft cheese. And some great examples are Camembert, Mozzarella, Roquefort and Epoisses.
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4. Flat Cheese Knife (Chisel Knife)
Also known as a chisel knife, the flat cheese knife is another great cheese board knife. The unique shape and size of this cheese knife allows the user to hold the handle in one hand and cut firm cheeses by bringing down the blade in a vertical motion.
The types of cheeses you can use this knife with will be firm but not quite as hard as the ones you cut with a Tagliagrana. Some examples include Manchego, Provolone, Gouda and Asiago.
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5. Cheese Spreader
Some cheeses are simply too soft to cut with a sharp knife. And that is exactly why you need a cheese spreader as part of your knife collection. This blue edged knife is very similar to a butter knife and you will use it in a very similar manner.
The cheese spreader will help you spread Cream Cheese or Fresh Chèvre on a bagel or toast. And also, soft washed rind cheeses like Mont d’Or or Epoisses onto a piece of warm crunchy baguette.
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6. Pronged Cheese Knife (Couteau à Double Pointe)
At number 6 on our list, we find the first dual purpose cheese knife. Indeed, the pronged cheese knife serves both as a cutting tool and also a picking device for serving or eating cheese. Some of its best features are its sharp and narrow blade (can cut through even semi-hard pressed cheeses) and the two little prongs that almost function like a fork.
You will probably use a different knife for your soft cheeses but the pronged cheese knife is great for cheeses with a semi-firm texture such as Gruyère, Havarti, Comté and Stilton.
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7. Cheese Harp (Lyre)
We all love a pristine smooth surface on the cheeses we serve right? Well, while the chef’s knife is a great tool for prepping firm cheeses, it is likely to damage the surface of softer cheeses. And that is exactly why you need a cheese harp.
This specialty tool comes with a very thin wire that will cut right through soft cheeses such as Bûche de Chèvre, Mozzarella, Roquefort and Robiola. Subsequently, you will be able to present your soft and semi-soft cheeses at their aesthetic best on your cheese board.
8. Slim Blade Cheese Knife (Couteau à Longue et Fine Lame)
Speaking of soft cheeses, the slim blade knife is a great alternative to the open blade knife. Despite their very different designs, both knives excel at cutting soft oozy cheeses because of their small surface area.
One additional feature with the slim blade knife though is the offset between the handle and the blade. This allows you to cut all the way through to the bottom of the cheese without having to lift it up. Using the slim blade knife, you can cut cheeses such as Gorgonzola Dolce, Stinking Bishop, Brillat-Savarin and Taleggio.
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9. Narrow Plane Knife
While this particular knife is quite similar to the flat cheese knife, it does have one feature that distinguishes it. Most narrow plane knives will have a sharp edge along the long side of the blade.
Thanks to this design, you can use it both as a chipping tool and also as a hand-held knife to cut small pieces of cheese. Examples of cheeses you can cut with a narrow plane knife include Jarlsberg, Cheddar, Gruyère and Edam.
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10. Cheese Cleaver
How’s this for a statement knife! The cheese cleaver will allow you to cut through cheeses with semi-hard to hard textures. But one point of difference between this knife and the Tagliagrana and Flat Cheese Knife is the width of the blade.
Due to its extra wide blade, the cleaver is the best knife to cut through thick blocks of cheese. You can use your cheese cleaver to cut the likes of Emmental de Savoie, Beaufort, Cheddar and Colby.
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11. Cheese Grater
While it might seem a bit basic compared to some of the knives we’ve discussed so far, the humble cheese grater is an absolute must for any cheese lover. Of course, you won’t be using this “knife” when presenting cheese on a board or plate.
But it is nevertheless an essential tool when cooking with cheese. Whether you’re making pizza, lasagne or Mac N Cheese, you will want to freshly grate your cheese just before cooking. And some great cheeses you can use this tool on include Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, Cheddar and Comté.
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12. Cheese Plane
Some cheeses need to be served in very thin slices. The reasons for this might include melting or maximising the surface area of contact for organoleptic reasons (aroma and taste). And even the most skilled chef cannot cut a slice of cheese as thinly as a cheese plane will.
Moreover, this knife will allow you to give samples of cheese from a cut wheel or block to your guests to taste. You can use your cheese plane with cheeses such as Ossau-Iraty, Fontina, Gjetost and Gouda.
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13. Girolle
Finally, the last knife on our list is also the most indulgent one of them all! Without a doubt, this is the only knife that was actually designed for one (yes, only one) cheese by the Swiss. The cheese we’re referring to is, of course, Tête de Moine. And the Girolle is the best way to serve this raw milk pressed cheese.
Other than the show-stopping aesthetics of a cheese flower, the Girolle also maximises the surface area of the cheese for a heightened sensorial experience. Some other cheeses you can turn into flowers using a Girolle include Tomme de Chèvre, Petit Basque and Pecorino.
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Conclusion: You can never have too many cheese knives
Thank you for reading our post on the essential cheese knives that all cheese lovers need. As you can see, there are many different varieties of knives, and they all serve a purpose. A couple of serving tools worthy of mention are the cheese fork and cheese spoon. But since they are not technically knives, we didn’t include them in this list.
Now that you know which cheese knives to use, you are ready to learn how to cut different types of cheese. You can find our complete guide to cutting cheese in this post here.
What are your go-to cheese knives when serving cheese? Let me know in the comments.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
