Pro tip: found out a 6 inch chef knife gets used for 80 percent of prep in most pro kitchens

Amy Bell · 2026-10-24T16:35:03.705865+00:00

I was flipping through an old culinary school handout a buddy gave me from his CIA days and it said cooks reach for a 6 inch chef knife way more than the 10 inch most of us buy first. That bugged me because I spent $140 on a 10 inch Wusthof my first year and barely touch it now. Started counting my own grabs on a slow prep shift in Denver and sure enough, 6 inch won by a mile. So why do we all get pushed toward the big blade out of the gate? Curious what size everyone actually keeps closest.

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Pro tip: found out a 6 inch chef knife gets used for 80 percent of prep in most pro kitchens | Chefs - The Community Guide