Of all the tools and utensils used in the kitchen today, it's possibly the knife that rewards the most careful selection. When you consider it, a knife is an extension of your hand. To fillet, slice and chop requires manual dexterity. If a knife permits you to move and handle your ingredients in a natural and easy way, this will add to your cooking enjoyment and mastery.
You will find a wide range of cooks knives available these days. Additionally to the quality traditional European brands such as Henckels, Wusthof and Sabatier, there's a fascinating variety of Japanese and oriental brands, such as Global, I.O. Shen, Tojiro and Kai. These Japanese brands tend to be made of harder steel and have thinner blades. They hold their edge for longer and are sharper, making them ideal for precision and accuracy. Nevertheless they do take longer to sharpen and maintain than their European counterparts, that are usually considered to be easier to look after, more sturdy and great for chopping for example.
But how do you select which is best for you? First and foremost, you need to consider the tasks that you execute most regularly and select accordingly. Here are a couple of things that you may like to bear in mind:
Material: High carbon steel is generally considered the best performer, but can discolor with use, even though this is purely cosmetic. High carbon stainless steel is a popular choice, will look fantastic and will take and maintain a sharp edge. Stainless steel is generally less expensive, will retain its good looks but is not hard enough to maintain the very best possible edge. Ceramic blades are so hard that they'll maintain a sharp edge for months or years with little maintenance. Nevertheless, they are more expensive to buy and might need diamond-sharpening.
Handles: The next material choice to consider is for the handle. Handles usually fall into three categories; wood, stainless steel or composition. Some chefs prefer the feel of wood even though wood is not allowed in many commercial kitchens. Composition handles help ensure a safe grip on the knife when handling wet items, and are usually preferred over more slippery stainless steel. However, both are sanitary and virtually maintenance-free.
Types of knives: There are a few tasks in the kitchen which, if performed regularly, warrant having a special knife for the job. Nevertheless, there are three knives which will probably see the most wear and tear; a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife.
A good chef's knife will usually have a blade 6" - 12" long. It will be used for slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing. I can even be used for boning large cuts of meat if you don't have a cleaver. The side of the blade is fantastic for crushing garlic etc.
A paring knife will have a 3-4" long blade and will be used for peeling and paring fruit and vegetables and for trimming where a larger blade would be cumbersome.
A serrated blade is used for cutting through bread, bagels, baguettes and so on and ought to have a blade log enough to cut through a big loaf or a sandwich cake.
These three kitchen work-horses will serve you well and, if you're on a tight budget, will serve most purposes.
If chosen sensibly, a quality set of cooks knives will increase your cooking enjoyment and be a valuable investment for a long time to come.
You will find a wide range of cooks knives available these days. Additionally to the quality traditional European brands such as Henckels, Wusthof and Sabatier, there's a fascinating variety of Japanese and oriental brands, such as Global, I.O. Shen, Tojiro and Kai. These Japanese brands tend to be made of harder steel and have thinner blades. They hold their edge for longer and are sharper, making them ideal for precision and accuracy. Nevertheless they do take longer to sharpen and maintain than their European counterparts, that are usually considered to be easier to look after, more sturdy and great for chopping for example.
But how do you select which is best for you? First and foremost, you need to consider the tasks that you execute most regularly and select accordingly. Here are a couple of things that you may like to bear in mind:
Material: High carbon steel is generally considered the best performer, but can discolor with use, even though this is purely cosmetic. High carbon stainless steel is a popular choice, will look fantastic and will take and maintain a sharp edge. Stainless steel is generally less expensive, will retain its good looks but is not hard enough to maintain the very best possible edge. Ceramic blades are so hard that they'll maintain a sharp edge for months or years with little maintenance. Nevertheless, they are more expensive to buy and might need diamond-sharpening.
Handles: The next material choice to consider is for the handle. Handles usually fall into three categories; wood, stainless steel or composition. Some chefs prefer the feel of wood even though wood is not allowed in many commercial kitchens. Composition handles help ensure a safe grip on the knife when handling wet items, and are usually preferred over more slippery stainless steel. However, both are sanitary and virtually maintenance-free.
Types of knives: There are a few tasks in the kitchen which, if performed regularly, warrant having a special knife for the job. Nevertheless, there are three knives which will probably see the most wear and tear; a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife.
A good chef's knife will usually have a blade 6" - 12" long. It will be used for slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing. I can even be used for boning large cuts of meat if you don't have a cleaver. The side of the blade is fantastic for crushing garlic etc.
A paring knife will have a 3-4" long blade and will be used for peeling and paring fruit and vegetables and for trimming where a larger blade would be cumbersome.
A serrated blade is used for cutting through bread, bagels, baguettes and so on and ought to have a blade log enough to cut through a big loaf or a sandwich cake.
These three kitchen work-horses will serve you well and, if you're on a tight budget, will serve most purposes.
If chosen sensibly, a quality set of cooks knives will increase your cooking enjoyment and be a valuable investment for a long time to come.
About the Author:
If you want more information on kitchen knives, don't read just rehashed articles online to avoid getting ripped off. Go here: Kitchen Knives Review
No comments:
Post a Comment