Andy NashIf you love sushi, surely there is nothing better than preparing and making a fresh sushi roll in your own kitchen. However, without a proper sushi knife, you may struggle to even get to the rolling part! If you’re venturing into the world of homemade sushi, knowing which best sushi knife to choose can be confusing; there’s just so many!
One noticeable trait of a good quality sushi knife is the blade having been honed on just one side (the right side). The single-sided honing of a sushi knife enables the blade to have the sharpest edge possible whereas western kitchen knives are typically sharpened equally on both sides and are referred to as double-edged kitchen knives. If you’re a left-handed chef, having a knife that’s sharp on the right side can become a challenge, but thankfully there are special sushi knives which are catered for the lefties!
What is the Difference Between Sashimi and Sushi Knives?
When preparing sushi, there are many components involved to get the perfect sushi roll from the cutting board and to your plate. You’ve got to cut the fish, prepare the vegetables and of course there’s cutting the roll itself. Now the best sushi knife has been designed to take on all of these sushi preparation tasks; yes it will cut all three. However, a sashimi knife has one primary role which is to cut fish.
Sushi Knife Types
When we talk about preparing sushi, there’re typically only three different types of knives that which are the preferred choice with chefs when making sushi. Let’s take a closer look at these Japanese sushi knives and what makes them different.
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You can find more sushi knives which are used by professional sushi chefs, but they tend not to be so readily available to the average cook. When it comes to making sushi, the above three are considered the best sushi knives and all that’s needed when you want to prepare a sushi-roll from scratch.
What is the Best type of Sushi Knife to get First?
For many of you reading this buying a full set of sushi knives might not be practical for making sushi at home. Also, the best sushi knife can cost hundreds of dollars, so unless you eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner buying a full set of knives if probably out of the question.
So if you had to pick one which is the best type of sushi knife to get first? Usuba, Deba, or Yanagiba?
If you could only buy one, I would recommend buying a good quality Yanagiba sushi knife. The Yanagiba sushi knife will allow you to make perfect, delicate sashimi cuts and you’ll also be able to quickly and cleanly slice through your sushi rolls with this knife too.
You can replace the other sushi knives (Usuba and the Deba) with a good chef knife until you decide it’s time to increase your sushi roll production line.
Best Sushi Knife Brand
Like many of the best kitchen knives for the home, you’ll find a broad range of sushi knife brands. When it comes to choosing a knife for sushi, there isn’t a clear winner, with brands such as Yoshihiro, Global, and Shun all offering top-rated sushi knives that are all fully capable of preparing a great sushi roll with ease.
However, my personal favorite is the Yoshihiro brand of knife when it comes to cutting sushi. All of their sushi and sashimi knives are excellent quality and make a great starter knife for the sushi beginner. They’re surprisingly affordable for a Japanese knife with most costing anywhere from $100 and $200.
Best Sushi Knife to Buy
With many of the best sushi knives costing over $100, it’s wise to read through sushi knife reviews to help you to find the perfect knife for your home sushi preparation. The below Japanese knives have been hand-picked and are (in my opinion) some of the best knives for cutting sushi you can get your hands on.
Yoshihiro Sushi Knife
When choosing sushi knives for our review, we just had to include this offering from Yoshihiro. Yoshihiro is well known for crafting some of the best Japanese sushi knives and are a favorite with sushi chefs around the world.
This 10.5-inch Yoshihiro sushi knife has a long slicing blade that’s been designed to slice thin slices of fish for sashimi and sushi. Each blade has been handcrafted by master artisans who ensure that only the best sushi knives leave their hands for the end consumer. Each of the forged iron blades features a unique mist pattern called Kasumi, which is produced in the crafting process of each Yoshihiro knife.
The blade is elegantly paired with a traditional Japanese style handcrafted shitan rosewood handle along with a shitan rosewood bolster. A traditional wooden Japanese sheath (called a Saya) is also included with each knife which helps to keep the blade in tip-top shape when not in use.
If you’re looking for the best sushi knife for the money, you would be hard-pushed to find one better than this.
Global Sushi Knife
Crafted out of Niigata, Japan, Global produce some exceptional kitchen knives for home and professional kitchens. When it comes to the best sushi knife, Global doesn’t disappoint with their 12-inch Yanagi Sashimi Sushi blade.
All Global kitchen knives have been crafted from high-quality cromova 18 stainless steel which is a mix of vanadium, chromium, and molybdenum which ensures a long-lasting razor sharp edge that’s also resistant to stains. Global kitchen knives also offer great balance, and each knife in their range has been carefully weighted to ensure perfect balance and performance on each slice.
What makes the Global sushi knife unique is the seamless construction; the knife and handle are all one piece. Not only does this give the Global sushi knife a modern look but it also ‘ticks the box’ for food safety and hygiene.
A good quality sushi knife that if maintained and looked after correctly will continue making sushi rolls for a lifetime.
Shun Sushi knife
Another Japanese sushi knife that just had to be featured in our sushi knife review is the Shun yanagiba knife. The Shun sushi knife features a narrow 9 ½-inch tapered blade with a hollow-ground back and a traditional Japanese single-bevel edge. The blade has been crafted out of superior pure high-carbon VG10 steel and features an elegant graffiti-etched design. What makes the VG10 stainless steel so good? When compared to other steels it can hold a ‘dangerously’ razor-sharp edge for longer.
The blade has been paired with a comfortable d-shaped pakkawood handle that not only looks great but also provides an excellent firm grip, even with the wettest of hands.
The Shun sushi knife is the perfect knife for preparing sashimi or sliced raw fish, and it also doubles up as a carving knife for slicing delicious roasts, baked hams, and other large cuts of meat (just don’t tell any sushi chefs I said that!).
Wusthof Classic Sushi Knife
If Japanese kitchen knives are not your thing and you would prefer a western style sushi knife, then this Wusthof is for you. The Wusthof classic sushi knife is the perfect knife for cutting and preparing sushi. It’s been hand-forged from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel with the blade being finished using Wusthof’s precision edge technology to create a blade that holds its edge 30 percent longer compared to other blades; it’s stain resistant and extremely sharp.
The 9-inch sushi knife blade has been partnered with a full tang classic looking three riveted black polymer handle tha’s been ergonomically designed for superior grip and comfort during use. Another great feature of the Wusthof sushi knife is that it can be used with an electric knife sharpener, which saves the headache of sending this knife out for professional sharpening; which can be costly.
Left Handed Sushi Knife
As we have mentioned in this article, sushi knives are typically for right-handed chefs, so it only seems fitting for us to include a left-handed sushi knife in our review. This knife is ready to buy now, and there is no need to order it in advance, so for the lefties, this sushi knife is for you.
The 10-inch Mercer Cutlery left handed yanagi sashimi knife is perfect for general everyday slicing and cutting of fish for your sushi rolls. Made from high-quality German steel the blade has been honed to the exact performance needs of any sushi chef.
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