What Is A Tomato Knife Used For Exactly? (2021 Guide)

A tomato knife, as the term suggests, is a knife used to slice tomatoes. Small and serrated, this is sort of the junior version of the one you’d use on bread because, just like bread, the tomato has a tough exterior and soft interior.

Listen up, tomato lovers!
If you truly care about this sweet/tart fruit/vegetable, you need to use the right tool to prevent bludgeoning it to a mushy piece that will ruin your dish.

And for this, you will need a tomato knife – small and easy to wield, just like a paring or utility blade but serrated from the heel to the tip, just like the one used for slicing bread.

We won’t tire of pointing out the importance of using the right tool for the right task but punctuating that fact with practical tips so you won’t have a roomful of single-serving knives.

Find out more about the tomato knife, what its uses are, and see if you need one…

What Is It?

This tool is often mixed up with a bagel knife, but that’s because they are of similar size and design.

They also look like steak knives and bread knives due to their serrated edge, but they differ when it comes to the tip.

These blades have a serrated edge designed to easily cut through the skin and flesh of tomatoes and are usually made of stainless steel for added durability and overall slicing ability.

The handles you’ll find on these tools will usually be either wooden or heavy-duty plastic, either of which is a good choice as they allow you to have a firm and steady grip on the tool.

Depending on the brand and model, you might even have a forked tip, which adds to the functionality of the blade and also gives it a very unique look.

In the next section, we’re taking a look at all the uses for this very compact and sleek tool.

What Are The Uses?

Obviously, the main purpose of these blades is to slice tomatoes.

While this can usually be done with a trusty chef’s or paring knife, the serrated edge on these tools will allow you to easily slice through both firm and soft tomatoes even if the blade is dull.

This is because the slicing is done within the serrations and requires minimal pressure to do.

The forked tip on these blades also allows you to easily peel a tomato and can even be used to pick up and arrange the tomato slices on a platter or dish.

Additionally, this tool can also be used for other fruits and vegetables that are of similar size and texture to tomatoes.

And if you slice a lot of different ingredients, you might actually be surprised as to how many different uses and applications you’ll be able to find for these blades.

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Advantages

The first advantage of owning one of these blades is all the control you can have over the tomatoes you slice.

Since they are designed in a way that allows you to have a very solid and controlled grip on the handle, you can easily get consistent slices of small fruits and vegetables like tomatoes.

Additionally, you can easily peel these ingredients using the forked tip, and if you’ve ever tried to peel a tomato using a regular paring blade or peeler, you will know how much of a struggle that can turn into.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to make the most out of the fruit, this tool will allow you to easily cut very thin slices and really stretch the ingredient out.

This blade will also come in handy if you find yourself preparing platters of fruits and other ingredients, as you can use the forked tip to carry and neatly arrange your platter.

Disadvantages

Now, it’s time to look at some of the cons that come with this blade.

One of the most common grievances is that this is a very task-specific blade.

This is true for the most part, as you won’t really find yourself using it unless you need to slice tomatoes thinly, neatly, and organize them properly.

And with the right technique and a sharp enough blade, you can easily do this with almost any knife in your kitchen, it’s just that tomato knives are specifically designed for these tasks.

Along with that, since it has a serrated edge, sharpening it may be a tough task, though if you get a high-quality model, you won’t need to sharpen it too often anyway.

Where Can I Get One?

Most kitchen cutlery shops will have more than a few of these on hand, but if they don’t you might want to check out other knife shops, as they might have them in stock.

They are a fairly common blade, so it won’t be too hard to find, and if all else fails and you really can’t find one in an area near you, then you can always get one online, which is one of the most convenient ways to shop in this day and age.

Conclusion

So there you have it.

That’s about all you’ll need to know about the tomato knife.

It’s a very specific but nonetheless useful tool, and if you think it belongs in your kitchen, then it might be about time for you to get one for yourself!

Ryan Leavitt

Hi my name is Ryan Leavitt a Marine Corps Veteran and currently an over the road trucker (Long Haul). I am no expert chef but am enjoying preparing my own meals on the road and testing all the different knives.