Knives are an imperative part of your kitchen routine. We have, on one hand, a never-ending variety of knives. On the other side, we know that basic kitchen education demands the knowledge of each knife style. A Boning knife is often confused with a fillet knife that removes the bones from fish meat. The easiest way to learn it is that the best boning knife can remove the bones from any meat. Be it mutton, beef, etc. which are tough to deal with.
If you are a beginner to all this “sharp” discussion, never mind! Because we have got a full instruction manual that will let you master the boning knife in no time. The first thing you can look for is the sharp, pointing tip of a boning knife. It makes easier to pierce into the stiff surface of the meat and take out the bones.
We have got much more, for this keep on reading and learn the chef’s top secret behind the clear-cut meat.
Top 5 Best Boning Knives Comparision
Wusthof 4610-7/16 4.8 / 5 Check Price
Mercer Culinary 4.7 / 5 Check Price
DalStrong Boning Knife 4.6 / 5 Check Price
Shun Cutlery Boning Knife 4.5 / 5 Check Price
Victorinox Boning Knife 4.4 / 5 Check Price
Top 5 Best Boning Knives Reviews
We have put together some of the top trending boning knives for you. Let us have a glance
1. Wusthof Curved Boning Knife 4610-7/16
Check on AmazonIt is one of the best Boning Knives and we will tell you the reason behind it. We mentioned several times the importance of a bolster that how it saves your hand from being cut but there is more to it.
The bolster also helps in reducing the pressure that your hand applies to the handle. This is probably the smallest innovation but when it comes to a Boning Knife, this has a key role.
Another thing is that this bolster keeps the frame steady, and it helps especially in cutting the fruits, cake or even small cubic meat pieces with immense precision. Then we have this curve in the shape of the knife which we highly emphasize because of its game-changing feature. Let alone the company claims, those who have tried it affirms the role of the curve in separating the carcass from chicken breast.
It has no-stain steel composition along with a long-lasting edge.
Key features:
- Full bolster
- Convenient round curve
- No-stain steel
- High carbon percentage
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Best quality steel
- Prodigy of the boning knife
- Rust-resistant
Cons:
- The edge of the knife can be problematic.
2. Mercer Culinary Boning Knife
Check on AmazonThis one made it to the list because of its distinctive handle. Mercer is the first name that has come up with a Santoprene handle. It is super-smooth to hold and promotes a strong grip. One thing valuable about it is that it is also sweat-proof. So, no matter how long you would work, this knife won’t slip from your hands.
Similarly, the manufacturers added everything that could increase its working life. This knife is rust-resistant, no-stain and corrosion-free. All these elements not only increase its durability but also open doors of opportunity. As you have got a wide range of food variety to perform your signature cutting styles.
The full tang is incomparable because the blade runs through the handle to the base. It is the first key feature of a quality knife. Also, it helps you in dealing with the fatty layers present on meat. In addition to that, it also helps to remove little pieces of bones hidden inside.
The taper-ground edge is so sharp that you won’t need to sharpen it for many upcoming years. They have covered this edge with a coating that protects the sharpness during the knife cleaning.
Key features:
- Full tang
- Taper ground edge
- Santoprene handle
- Rust-resistant
Pros:
- Full blade
- Ideal curved body
- Sweat-resistant handle
- Perfect grip
Cons:
- The price tag isn’t that pleasant.
3. DALSTRONG – Boning & Fillet Knife
Check on AmazonThis Boning knife first appeared in 1884 in Switzerland. Its signature feature is the lifetime warranty which is very rare if we compare it with other brands. The versatile de-boning tool helps in removing each bone. Hence, you can have a 100% boneless meat right at your home. It is one of the most recommended professional choices. So if you are a layman, this knife can help you master the boning skills.
We have discussed in usage that how you can use a boning knife in different ways. You can apply that knowledge here as well. It is because the flexible blades make it aptly suitable to be used on cakes, cupcakes or even tackling the little fish fillets. These tricky tasks are very delicate. Only a knife as DalStrong Boning Knife can sort it out for you.
The handles always vary with the Best Boning Knife, as this knife has a Fibrox pro handle. It is ergonomic so you can use it when it is wet too. Only those can understand this blessing who are professional chefs. Because you are always running out of time and can’t dry the knives repeatedly. So maybe this one could save you from all the hustle.
Key features:
- Versatile de-boning tool
- Flexible blade
- Fibrox handle
- Best for wet conditions
Pros:
- Replaces fillet knife
- Flexibility
- Strong grip
- Extensive usage
Cons:
- The blade is opposite to the conventional side.
4. Shun Cutlery Classic Boning and Fillet Knife
Check on AmazonThe primary aspects of this knife include the Damascus-clad blade and the VG-MAX steel which are solely their designs. The former helps in cutting the meat with accuracy. Also, this is an ideal blade to pierce into those cartilages which are hard to separate from the joints.
The latter is an amazing addition to the knife steel. It keeps the rust to the minimum but also helps in maintaining the edge shape. With this one, you could avoid a fillet knife. Hence, all you have to do is just slide this knife over fish skin. And it will come off on its own. The manufacturers have followed the 6-inch length rule. Therefore, you need not worry it is safe in every way.
The D-shaped handle is the best option if you haven’t ever held a boning knife. Mostly because this shape sits in your hand perfectly. Also, the sheer lamination complements your kitchen’s ambiance.
Key features:
- Damascus-clad blade
- VG-MAX steel
- D-shaped handle
- 6-inch length
Pros:
- No alloys in composition
- Universal adapted length
- Sharp blade
- Chic look
Cons:
- The tip may not work up to the par.
5. Victorinox Swiss Army Boning Knife
Check on AmazonEveryone who has slight information about this knife discussion could identify at once that how important the tag of Swiss origin is when it is about the knife expertise. The Swiss are well-known in making the premium quality knives. Hence, when there is someone who shows off the Swiss tag, it is worth all this flattering. And you can have unbelievable benefits out of it.
The main aspect is the tip, which is so pointing that you can pierce the stiff meat with just one stroke. This can help you immensely in cutting and separating the chicken or turkey meat pieces. Therefore, you can do it at home instead of going to the supermarket.
The thin frame slides easily, so it is apt to cut all the bakery stuff. Especially to make a hole at the top of the cupcakes. You will love it for the smooth sliding motion. All this is because it has a sharp blade. So you have got to be protective when holding it.
This knife is six inches long which is a standard length for a Boning knife. This lets it fit every hand so that you can cut out the meat proficiently. The ergonomic handle helps you in retaining a strong grip. It resists the excessive sweat, and the weight of the knife is just close to the optimum one. They have tried it continually to figure out one standard knife weight.
Key features:
- Thin frame
- Pointing tip
- Six inches length
- Optimum weight
Pros:
- Sleek edge
- Piercing tip
- Light-weight
- Scratch-resistant
Cons:
- The metal body may not work on congealed meat.
What is this “Boning Knife”?
The first tip that we will recommend you would let you recognize the boning knife the minute you come across it. Just focus on the name “Boning”, which clearly shows that the function of this knife has to do something with the bones.
You may have seen that before the chef starts cooking the meat, there is a whole process that includes the removal of the skin and the bones of the meat. This takes us to the edible form of the meat which you can cook effortlessly. The only knife that the chef has in the pre-cooking process is the boning knife and that is the simplest way to get its usage on your fingertips.
Now let us learn more about its appearance and key features.
How does it look?
The best boning knife looks thin, it has a sharp tip but the frame is very narrow, and these are the most basic aspects that your boning knife may have. But there are so many modifications made later on, like the ergonomic handle and sleek silhouette.
The curve
One most interesting thing about the boning knife is what we just discussed above, the curved angle. This angle has its list of benefits like it makes the piecing easier. Just because of this slight curve, your efforts are halved. And you need not apply the same amount of pressure required by an ordinary knife. Hence, we can say that this curve makes the best boning knife distinctive from all other knife types.
Semi-flexible blade
Yes, this is another important signature aspect. But remember that all boning knives are not with a semi-flexible blade. You may come up with a rigid one and that doesn’t make yours a lesser boning knife that is why we have placed it second to the curve.
This semi-flexible structure plays a crucial role in passing through softer sorts of meat like chicken or even fish. This also helps in using the boning knife in place of a fillet one. We will also give you a slight knowledge about their differences in the sections below, so that error of confusion doesn’t exist further on.
Key Features of the Best Boning Knife
The key features of the best boning knife include
- The thin body so that piercing the meat becomes less hard
- The narrow figure that gets your task done with no effort
- The curved angle which increases the accuracy
- The ergonomic handle that fits in your hand for an improved grip
- The semi-flexible blade that works especially on softer portions of meat
- A small spherical safety feature that keeps your hand away from the sharp frame
- The piercing tip that can be inserted into the stiff meat
These are the most highlighted features and once you have memorized them completely, you can get your hands on the best boning knife instantly. However, let us tell you it is fine if a few of them aren’t present, like the flexibility stuff we talked about. You can’t have all these features in one. Despite that, you can use a boning knife for a ton of tasks rather than only for “boning”, some of them are listed below.
Best ways to use a Boning Knife
We have been having this meaty discussion, since the beginning, let us tell you some new ideas to use your boning knife:
Enhances your Baking
Yes, you read it right, you can also use a boning knife in the baking activities. The sharp tip and narrow frame play such a key role here, that from now on, the best boning knife may become an essential baking tool for you.
Cupcakes
The cupcakes are one of the most favorite baking delicacies and hence need a big deal of care. If you are planning on baking the filled-in cupcakes, let us tell you that you have got the right tool here. The best boning knife has a sharp tip, so all you have to do is just to wait for the cupcakes to cool down. Then take one cupcake in your hand, and insert the edge of the boning knife through the top part.
After inserting the knife, just rotate it slightly and this will create an empty part. You can add all sorts of fillings, like cream or caramel and just embellish it with frosting. It is this easy, you need not go for those complicated baking tools that, to be honest, need a separate degree to master them.
Cookies
The best boning knife also comes to rescue when you are baking cookies but are out of cookie cutters. The piercing tip comes to your rescue and lets you make any shape you want without any cookie tool.
There is only one tip that we will suggest you follow. It is that you may make sure the cookie dough is hard enough to not stick on the knife. Because such a dough may affect the sharp edge in the long run.
The coolest way is just to place your dough inside the fridge. When it is cold enough, you can place it on the cookie tray and make as many shapes as you want. Let us tell you one more fun way, even if you have these cutters. You can also use the boning knife to clean the edges, and this makes the shapes more accurate than ever.
Your perfect super-hard dough is ready to be cut and obtain the market shape that you have always wished for!
Embellish your fruit salads
We do know that during all the festive season, the entire focus is on the fruit salads which can directly embellish or spoil your whole party feast. That is why having a boning knife can save your life in many ways.
The first way is that you can cut your fruit in either shape, cube, spherical or even randomly. And you will notice that the fruit pieces would have clear edges. No strands that you would have seen if an ordinary knife were used! This is because a boning knife has a sharp and straight body. So when it passes through a fruit, it cuts the entire piece in one turn and with the least pressure so that your fruit salad is ready in the shortest span possible.
Hard-skin fruits
Hard-skin fruits like pineapple always give us a hard time. Because we have to remove the skin but can’t stand a single chance of cutting the fruit with it. This isn’t everyone’s job but with the best boning knife, you can easily tackle all this effortlessly.
All you have to do is just firmly grip the handle of the boning knife in your hand. Place a thumb over the frame, now when you start sliding the frame through the skin, you can notice that it only targets the skin. In this way, no extra fruit chippings are wasted. So, for such fruits with barky skins, the boning knife can help you infinitely and without any professional help.
Peeling the fruit skin
We know the truth, nobody isn’t a great fan of peeling, because it’s time-consuming, and needs a big effort. What if we tell you that replacing your ordinary knife with a boning knife can save you from all this hard work? Since a boning knife is super-sharp, peeling won’t take more than a few minutes. So make as many fruit bowls as you want with your peeling companion.
Tastier Meat Dishes
It doesn’t matter whether you are a chef or not, cutting a Turkey is a Herculean task in every way. Those strong cartilages present at the joints need all your strength for each stroke. All this can become simpler if you have the best boning knife. Because the piercing tip would go right into the cartilage to tear it and separate the meat portions proximately. Boning knife can’t have a better use than dealing with the chaos we encounter while making meaty dishes.
Chicken
The flexibility of the boning knife is extremely mandatory because while cutting the chicken, the worst fear is finding splinters of the bone in your dish. This happens when you use a regular knife instead of a boning one. To separate the leg pieces from the backbone and primarily the removal of the carcass from the breast, all these tasks become more professional when you opt for a boning knife.
So, if you are a chicken lover, then having a boning knife at home can save you from the unwanted mess and also provides clean meat instantaneously.
Removing skin and fat layers from meat
Let us talk about something other than chicken and turkey. When you are planning on cooking beef, mutton or even fish, the skin can create a multitude of problems for you. Especially with the beef, the fat layers can make you go dizzy because they are stuck with the meat.
To detach both, you will need the best boning knife. So that the tip can catch a corner for you and holding on to that one, you can remove the whole fat layer in one go. Isn’t this amazing? Well, we have got some more for you. The fish skin can be removed in the same way. And you can save the money that you otherwise would have spent on buying the fillet knife.
How to purchase the Best Boning Knife?
Here, we will guide you towards some real hints to go for the best boning knife. The first thing is that your knife should have at least a 6-inch length otherwise the whole concept of the boning knife is lost. As the longer is the frame, the piercer is the stroke, that is why the length does matter when you are out to shop for some quality knives.
Pursuing this further, the weight of the boning knife is the central point. We do realize that it is a small knife so it may not have that much weight, but when you come across cheap knives, you can easily point out the real one. The best boning knife always has some considerable weight which is essential to distinguish it from the other knives in the set.
Lastly, the easiest way to find out the quality is to make sure that the blade runs from the frame to the handle and then to the base as well. This is the most prominent aspect of an original boning knife, and this sums up our discussion regarding the shopping of a premium boning knife.
How to make your Boning knife go a long way?
You can make your boning knife go a long way readily, all you have to do is just to make sure that you never use a steel sponge to wash the blade. Even your dishwasher can do unpardonable harm if you don’t pay enough attention.
Always prefer to dry your knife with a towel, otherwise, rust can attack it easily and we all know what happens after that. The other important thing is that you should buy yourself a knife block, trust us, it doesn’t cost more than a few bucks, but it is a godsend to the knives. Rather than placing them openly with all other cutlery, insert them into the knife block.
This saves them from the rust and also blade won’t need sharpening repeatedly. The sharpening should only be considered once every six months and we would suggest that a home knife sharpener can be more pocket-friendly instead of seeking a professional service.
Conclusion
Boning Knife is an exceptional part of your kitchen routine and saves your day in infinite ways. The wide range of Boning Knife may perplex your mind. However, when you get your hands on Shun Cutlery Boning Knife if you are a layman. Or on the DalStrong Boning Knife that promotes your professionalism. Everyday meat cutting becomes a piece of cake for you. This budget-friendly knife keeps you away from excessive stuff and professional services. So it is a win-win situation at the end of the day.
Useful Resources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boning_knife
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFf6RN8VV0o
- https://www.ehow.com/how_8597889_debone-pork-loin.html
- https://www.instructables.com/id/Keep-a-knife-sharp-using-a-steel/