Ree Drummond's Favorite Kitchen Knife Is On Sale—It's a Must-Have
The Pioneer Woman's go-to kitchen knife is on sale. It's a Nikiri knife, which is ideal for precise cuts. It's a must-have.
When I worked as a prep cook at Gramercy Tavern, a knife was practically attached to my right hand during my entire shift. My job was to break down and cut the seasonal vegetables that arrived from the farmers market daily for the line cooks to use during service. Thanks to my sharp and comfortable Nakiri knife, I got very good (and fast!) at getting clean, precise cuts.
Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, also loves her Nakiri knife.
"A good knife is essential in the kitchen, and [Wüsthof Nakiri knife is] my favorite. It makes my heart go pitter-pat," Ree revealed in a blog post back in 2012. Over a decade later, she still uses the same knife, as you can often see on Instagram Reels and in many of her hundreds of episodes of The Pioneer Woman.
Ree’s favorite knife, Wüsthof Classic 7-Inch Hollow Edge Nakiri, is a great everyday knife for chopping, and it’s currently over 40% off on Amazon.
What Is a Nakiri Knife?
A Nakiri knife is a Japanese vegetable knife. It has a thin, rectangular, and blunt-ended blade that looks like a cleaver (but should not be used like one). Compared to a chef’s knife, a Nakiri knife is shorter, lighter, and has a thin double-beveled edge, which means both sides of the blade are sharpened at an angle. This makes it ambidextrous and ideal for getting precise cuts with ease. It’s unique shape makes it ideal for cutting vegetables, fruit, and herbs.
And unlike a chef’s knife, where you use a rocking motion to cut, a Nakiri knife cuts through an up and down motion—it takes a little getting used to this motion, but it’s not difficult.
Some brands like Wüsthof include dimples on the blade, which prevents ingredients from sticking to the edge as you cut.
A Nakiri knife is not suitable for rough tasks like splitting bones or for cutting larger produce like watermelon and butternut squash—you'll want your cleaver (this is my favorite) or chef's knife for those jobs.
BUY REE'S FAVORITE CHEF'S KNIFE NOW: Wüsthof Classic 7-Inch Hollow Edge Nakiri $100 (was $170)
