7 Types of Cheese Knives

There are various cheese knives designed to cut different cheese types. For example, gourmands that follow strict table etiquette won’t use the same knife to cut soft and hard cheeses. To learn how to pair knives with specific cheeses, read on 5-Minute Crafts’ guide about 7 common types of cheese knives.

1. Soft cheese knife

The main feature of soft cheese knives is a thin blade, or a wider one with holes in it, and an offset handle. A thin blade prevents the cheese from sticking to it when you cut, while the handle design allows you to cut without hitting knuckles against the board. Soft cheese knives are specifically designed for cutting soft cheeses, such as Lissome, Brie, Camembert, and Mozzarella. With these knives, you can cut cheese triangles, for example.

2. Hard cheese knife

Hard cheese knives are among the largest you can find. They feature one or two handles — one on each side for improved balance — and a straight blade ideal for cutting small chunks of aged cheese. You can cut through cheese wedges and wheels by pressing these knives downward, cutting cheese into rectangles, cubes, or circles. You can cut Comte, Provolone, Jarlsberg, Asiago, and Fontina, among other firm cheeses with these knives without effort.

3. Mini cleaver

Mini cleaver, also known as the Cheddar cheese knife, features a wide rectangular blade with a sharp edge and an ergonomic handle, which is designed to keep your hand from hitting the chopping board while cutting cheese into rectangles or cubes. It is specifically designed to cut semi-hard and hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, Fontina, Colby, and Gruyere. To cut through the cheese, you need to push the cleaver down while maintaining balance and reasonable force.

4. Pronged cheese knife

A pronged knife is a handy tool you can use to cut cheeses ranging from soft to semi-hard ones into rectangles or triangles. Furthermore, its pronged, or fork-tipped, top curled upward lets you stick a piece of cheese for serving. And, its sharp blade is narrow enough to prevent cheeses from sticking to it. The pronged knife is ideal for cutting cheeses such as Brie, Morbier, Muenster, and Parmesan.

5. Cheese wire

Cheese wire is a bow-shaped tool ideal for cutting soft and semi-soft cheeses, such as Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Robiola, into rectangles. It features a metal frame, a wire, and a handle. And it leaves a neat slice as you cut through the cheese downward. Finally, you can attach cheese wire to some specialized cheese cutting boards thanks to its design.

6. Cheese plane (slicer)

Cheese plane is a spatula-shaped slicer with a sharp slit ideal for slicing tiny pieces of semi-soft to semi-hard cheeses, such as Fontina and Muenster, into tiny rectangles. You can use the tool by holding the handle and passing the upward-facing plane along the side of the cheese. Even though some graters have planes, slicing cheese with this slicer is way easier.

7. Spade (Parmesan) knife

A spade knife, also known as a Parmesan knife, features a triangular blade with a sharp edge and a pointed tip capable of crumbling cheese into tiny pieces. Also, they could have a blade resembling a shark tooth. Its design allows turophiles — cheese lovers — to cut chunks of hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Castelmagno, Pecorino, or Grana Padano.