Cheese Knives, Explained: Which Knife for Which Cheese
A good cheese knife does one job well: it cuts a particular kind of cheese without crushing it, sticking to it or dragging the rind through the paste. You do not need a drawer full. Three tools cover almost every board: a blade for hard cheese, one for soft, and a spreader. Here is which is which, how to cut each shape of cheese, and how to choose a set.
Laguiole mini black cheese setShop
Three-piece Laguiole cheese setShop
Fig jam for the cheese boardShop
Sea salt crispbreadShop
The cheese knives worth knowing
| Knife | What it looks like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Soft cheese knife | A thin blade, often with holes, so the cheese does not cling | Brie, Camembert, triple-creams, young goat cheese |
| Hard cheese knife | A short, thick, pointed blade that you push in rather than slice with | Parmigiano, aged Gouda, Comté, Manchego, broken into chunks |
| Fork-tipped knife | A blade that ends in two small prongs | Slicing semi-firm cheeses and lifting the slice onto a plate |
| Spreader | A short, rounded, blunt blade | Fresh goat cheese, ricotta, soft cheeses, and the jam or confit beside them |
| Cheese plane | A flat paddle with a slot | Very thin slices of semi-hard cheese such as Gruyère or Jarlsberg |
| Cleaver | A small, wide, rectangular blade | Cutting firm blocks cleanly |
How many knives does a cheese board need?
One per cheese, ideally, so a blue does not travel into the goat cheese. For a board of three cheeses, the right number for most evenings, a set of three covers it: one for hard cheese, one for soft, and a spreader. That is exactly how both of our Laguiole cheese sets are made up.
How to cut each shape of cheese
- Rounds of soft cheese such as Camembert: cut like a cake, in thin wedges from the center out, so everyone gets the same share of rind and heart.
- Wedges of soft cheese such as Brie: cut slivers along the long sides. Never cut off the point; it is the ripest part, and in France taking it is a small scandal.
- Hard cheeses such as Parmigiano: push the hard-cheese knife in and break off rough chunks rather than slicing.
- Wedges of firm cheese such as Manchego or Comté: lay the wedge flat and cut slices across its width, each with a little rind.
- Logs of goat cheese: cut rounds with a thin blade, wiped clean between cuts.
- Blue cheese: use a thin blade wiped between slices, cutting from the center toward the rind so everyone gets some of the creamy heart.
Our two Laguiole cheese sets
Both are made in France in the Laguiole profile, the slender shape from the Aveyron village that gave the knife its name, with stainless steel blades and three tools each: a blade for hard cheese, one for soft, and a spreader.
- The mini black cheese set has black handles and comes in a wooden box with a clear lid. The tools are small enough to sit on the board itself, and the box makes it an easy host or housewarming gift.
- The three-piece Laguiole cheese set has olivewood handles, dense and close-grained, with a figure that is different on every piece. It is the heirloom version, for a wedding or a table that serves a cheese course every weekend.
To tell a French-made Laguiole from a lookalike, read our guide to Laguiole knives.
Caring for cheese knives
Wash them by hand, dry them at once, and keep them in their box so the edges do not knock together. Olivewood handles should never be left soaking and appreciate a drop of mineral oil now and then.
What to put beside the knives
Every board needs one sweet thing and one crisp one. Fig jam for the aged and blue cheeses, a flower confit for the fresh ones, and something to carry it all: Norwegian Baked knekkebrød, a seeded rye crispbread baked in Brooklyn, or Bella Cucina’s olive oil dipping crackers. Our guide to what to eat with fig jam pairs each cheese with its match.
Questions
What are the three essential cheese knives? For most boards: a hard-cheese knife, a soft-cheese knife and a spreader.
Why do some cheese knives have holes? The holes reduce how much of the blade touches the cheese, so soft cheese does not cling to it.
What is the forked tip for? To spear and lift a slice onto a plate without touching it.
Can I just use a kitchen knife? For a block of cheddar, yes. For soft cheese it drags and sticks, and on hard cheese it can slip; that is where a proper set earns its place.
Is a cheese knife set a good gift? One of the best: it is used at every gathering, and it is rarely something people buy for themselves.
See both sets in Laguiole and Jean Dubost, or browse knives and serving.