A grapefruit knife is a special gadget designed specifically for slicing grapefruit. A grapefruit knife has a curved blade, making it ideal for cutting the round fruit. The serrated edge of a grapefruit knife makes it easy to cut and section out the grapefruit. Most grapefruit knives have a double blade, but some are single.
The double-bladed grapefruit knife has a curved, smooth edged blade at one end and a serrated blade at the other. The curved blade is designed to separate the rind from the fruit. A single blade grapefruit knife may have a curved edge on one side of the blade and a serrated blade on the other or may be serrated on both sides. The double-bladed grapefruit knife has a handle in the middle and the user simply flips the knife around to use either side.
A grapefruit knife is smaller than steak knives, but typically has a longer blade than a paring knife. The curved edge of a grapefruit knife is what sets it apart from the paring knife and is designed to avoid the juices squirting from the fruit when cutting. It is not uncommon to find grapefruit knives sold in a set with grapefruit spoons, which are smaller than average tablespoons with serrated tips designed to scoop out pieces of fruit from each grapefruit section.
Other kitchen utensils that are designed specifically for grapefruit include a corer. This tool has a handle with a scooped end shaped similarly to the sections of a grapefruit. A grapefruit knife, corer and spoons are not only useful for cutting, sectioning, and scooping grapefruits, but other citrus fruits as well, such as oranges.
Grapefruit utensils can be bought anywhere other various kitchen tools and gadgets are sold. Prices vary depending on the material used for construction of the blades and the handles as well as whether the utensils are being purchased separately or in a set.