A deli knife, also known as a sandwich knife, is designed with an offset blade and slightly serrated edge to cut through thick sandwiches without compressing the bread or tearing the meat. It offers the benefits of both smooth and serrated knives and is available in an 8-inch blade size.
One of the more challenging tasks to perform in a kitchen is slicing a sandwich, especially one that has been stuffed with ingredients or made in layers. Some ingredients like lettuce or onions respond well to a smooth-bladed knife, while others like fibrous meats and breads fare better with the sawing motion of a serrated knife. To address this problem of cutting through different ingredients without destroying the sandwich, many cooks use a tool known as a deli knife.
A deli knife, also known as a sandwich knife, is designed to cut through a thick sandwich without causing the bread to compress or the meat to tear. Using a paring knife, a cook can cut sandwiches in half or even into squares in the case of club sandwiches. Using a regular paring knife to cut through a thick sandwich spells disaster, as the bread resists the smooth cutting edge and the cook has to apply considerable downward pressure on the handle. This could lead to a serious accident if the blade slips, or at least turn the sandwich into an unpresentable mess.
A deli knife is designed with an offset blade, which means the blade section is lower than the handle. You should be able to recognize a deli knife instantly by this offset blade, which few other knives use. Because the blade of a paring knife is positioned lower than the handle, the cook gains more leverage and requires less pressure to cut through the layers of the sandwich. Another benefit of an offset blade is that the cook’s knuckles stay higher than the bottom of the knife. This can make all the difference in knife control when the cook’s hand approaches the cutting board.
Another design feature of a deli knife is a slightly serrated blade. The cook can use a sawing motion to cut through the layers of bread and fibrous meat, but also a downward squeezing motion to cut through the softer layers. A deeply serrated knife would most likely damage softer seasonings, while a smooth knife would be unable to cut through the grain of many sandwich meats. A deli knife makes slicing sandwiches easier by offering the benefits of both worlds.
Deli knives come in several different sizes, but the most popular size for deli or kitchen use features an 8-inch blade. They can usually be found in kitchen supply stores or wherever quality cutlery is sold. A good deli knife made for commercial use might require a significant investment, but few other knives can duplicate its ability to cut and slice sandwiches.
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