--- title: "Paring knife: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "A paring knife is a small knife with an 8 to 10 cm blade for peeling, trimming, coring and other detailed work. Here is how to use it safely." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/paring-knife" --- # Paring knife A paring knife is a small knife with an 8 to 10 cm blade for peeling, trimming, coring and other detailed work. Here is how to use it safely. Also called Vegetable knife, Petty knife. A paring knife is a small, pointed knife with a blade about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long. It is made for close, detailed work that a large [chef's knife](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife) is too big for, often done in your hand instead of on a board. Most cooks reach for it for peeling, trimming and cutting small things. The Japanese _petty_ knife does similar work but is usually a little longer, about 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in). ## How to use it On a board, use it like any knife, with a pinch grip and your free hand in a claw. In the hand, which is where it is most useful: 1. Hold the food in your free hand, with your thumb on top and clear of the blade's path. 2. Hold the knife with your fingers around the handle and your thumb free. 3. Draw the blade toward your thumb with small, controlled strokes, stopping before it reaches your skin. Good jobs for it: * [Peel](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/peel) apples, pears and potatoes, and trim the ends off beans. * [Core](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/core) tomatoes and apples, and [hull](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/hull)strawberries. * [Devein](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/devein) shrimp (prawns in the UK). * Cut citrus into [segments](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/segment). * Score the skin of meat or bread, and check if potatoes are cooked through. ## How to store it Keep it in a knife block, a magnetic strip or a blade guard. A paring knife loose in a drawer is easy to grab by the blade. Wash by hand, dry right away and sharpen it like a larger knife. ## Common mistakes * Using it for big jobs such as cutting onions or squash. The short blade has no room to work, and you push too hard. * Cutting toward your palm or fingers without control. Use small strokes and keep your thumb out of the path. * Letting it go dull because it is cheap. A dull paring knife slips off round, smooth food like apples and tomatoes. * Cutting on a plate. It dulls the edge fast. ## In recipes "With a small knife" or "with a sharp paring knife" in a recipe means a task such as trimming, peeling or scoring that needs control more than power. ## Recipes made with it 20 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2025/12/Meringue-Mushrooms-13-scaled.jpg)Meringue Mushroomswww.onceuponachef.com · 120 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/meringue-mushrooms.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2012/11/Pumpkin-Cheesecake_Gingernsap_Crust_Caramel_Sauce-2.jpg)Pumpkin Cheesecakewww.onceuponachef.com · 120 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pumpkin-cheesecake.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Air-Fryer-Plantains-7.jpg)Air Fryer Sweet Plantainswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-sweet-plantains/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/04/roasted-beet-salad.jpg)Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrettewww.onceuponachef.com · 20 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/roasted-beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-walnuts-honey-dijon-vinaigrette.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Pepperoni-Pizza-Bites-8.jpg)Pepperoni Pizza Biteswww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pepperoni-pizza-bites/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/11/20200914_SEGAL_JM0728-1200x1500.jpg)Spanish Paellawww.onceuponachef.com · 105 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/paella.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2025/03/Cream-Puffs-2.jpg)Cream Puffswww.onceuponachef.com · 95 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/cream-puffs.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/11/chocolate-tart-102.jpg)Chocolate Tartwww.onceuponachef.com · 90 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/chocolate-tart.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Delightfully-Baked-Apples-1.jpg)Delightfully Baked Appleswww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/delightfully-baked-apples/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2020/07/Oven_steamed_mussels_garlic_white_wine-1200x1200.jpg)Oven-Steamed Mussels with Garlic and White Winewww.onceuponachef.com · 35 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/oven-steamed-mussels-with-garlic-white-wine.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2020/10/Pigs-in-a-Blanket-scaled.jpg)Pigs in a Blanket with Spicy Honey Mustard Saucewww.onceuponachef.com · 65 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pigs-in-a-blanket.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Grilled-King-Crab-Legs-4.jpg)Grilled Crab Legswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/grilled-crab-legs/) ## Related terms * [Chef's knifeA chef's knife is the all-purpose kitchen knife, with a wide 20 cm (8 in) blade for chopping, slicing and mincing. Here is how to hold it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife) * [PeelTo peel is to remove the skin or rind from fruit and vegetables with a peeler, a knife, your fingers or a quick blanch, keeping as much flesh as you can.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/peel) * [CoreTo core is to cut out the tough center of a fruit or vegetable, such as the seeds of an apple, the stem of a tomato or the heart of a cabbage.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/core) * [HullTo hull a strawberry is to remove its green leafy cap and the hard white core under it. The word also means taking the outer husk off seeds and grains.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/hull) * [DeveinTo devein shrimp is to cut along the back and pull out the dark intestinal tract, which can be gritty and looks unappealing in the cooked dish.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/devein) * [SegmentA citrus segment is one of the natural wedges inside an orange, lemon or grapefruit. To segment is to separate them, with or without their thin skin.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/segment) [More in equipment](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/equipment)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)