| Knives come in a variety of sizes, shapes
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| | closely related to the next section of
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| and costs. Chefs agree that knives are
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| | this article: what are you using it for?
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| the most important tools you can invest
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| | Blade sizes will vary according to the
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| in for your kitchen. So it is important
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| | intended task of the knife. This is an
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| to take into consideration a number of
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| | important thing to consider, for though
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| issues when contemplating the purchase of
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| | it may be possible to carve a roast
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| a knife, such as, the knife's materials,
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| | turkey with the shorter paring knife, a
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| features, and how you will use the knife.
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| | more efficient and effective knife for
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| Here at Jean's Restaurant Supply, we have
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| | this task would be a longer one designed
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| compiled a list of factors to keep in
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| | for carving.
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| mind when contemplating your next knife
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| purchase.
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| | Usage. The final issue to consider when
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| | choosing a knife is what you expect to
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| Materials. One of the most important
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| | use the knife for. There are three basic
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| things to take into consideration when
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| | cutting actions: chopping, striking or
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| choosing a knife is the type of steel
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| | slicing. Each of these actions is
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| used in the blade. There are many
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| | complimented by a specific knife design.
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| choices, but the consensus among veteran
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| | The following are a few of the classic
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| chefs seems to be high carbon stainless
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| | knife designs:
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| steel. High carbon stainless steel is the
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| | Chef's Knife. This knife, also known as
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| best of the stain-resistant steels and
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| | the ''Cook's'' knife, is the most popular
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| the alloy is the most popular type used
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| | among veteran chefs, and one they use
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| in high quality kitchen cutlery. This
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| | more often than any other type. It has a
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| type of steel will take a sharp edge and
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| | triangular blade from 6'' to 10'' long,
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| will maintain it well, yet is relatively
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| | the most popular being 8''. They are
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| easy to sharpen. Ceramic blades, which
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| | usually 1-1/2'' tall and gently taper to
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| aren't actually steel, are also favored
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| | a point. This blade shape is ideal for
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| because they are lightweight and can
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| | allowing the blade to rock back and forth
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| maintain a sharp edge for months or years
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| | on the tip while you are mincing,
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| with no maintenance. However, they are
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| | chopping or dicing. Yet, at the same
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| more brittle than steel, require
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| | time, they can also be used to cut
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| diamond-sharpening tools to maintain, and
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| | vegetables, meat, poultry or fish. The
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| lest we forget to mention, they are
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| | sides of the blade can be used for
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| definitely more expensive than knives
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| | crushing garlic and some spices. But the
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| with steel blades. The next material
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| | Chef's knife is best used in a rocking
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| choice to consider is for the handle.
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| | motion for chopping. Paring Knife. The
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| Handles fall into three general
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| | paring knife has a blade that is about
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| categories: wood, stainless steel or
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| | 2-1/2'' to 4'' and it is only about .75''
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| composition. Some chefs prefer the feel
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| | wide at its widest point. It is usually
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| of wood. While composition handles help
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| | held in one hand, while the food to be
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| ensure a safer grip on the knife when
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| | cut is held in the other. It is
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| handling slick or wet items, and are
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| | considered a slicing knife and though it
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| generally preferred over slippery
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| | can be used on a cutting board, it
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| stainless steel, yet both are sanitary
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| | usually is not. It can be used to peel
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| and practically
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| | vegetables and fruit, trim meats, cut
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| maintenance-free.Features. Knives come
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| | pastry dough, make decorative cuts, or in
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| with an assortment of features, but these
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| | numerous other ways.Serrated Knife. Also
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| can be roughly divided into the following
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| | a slicing knife, serrated knives have a
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| categories: construction, balance, blade
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| | scalloped blade edge. This type of knife
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| type and blade size.
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| | is sometimes known as a "bread knife"
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| Construction. First, let's talk parts.
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| | because it functions perfectly for
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| Although knives vary, they have three
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| | slicing bread, which requires a back and
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| general parts. The first part of the
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| | forth sawing motion. Yet, beyond breads,
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| knife is the blade, which has a cutting
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| | it can also perform well when used for
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| edge, a spine that is opposite the
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| | slicing tomatoes or peaches or other
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| cutting edge, and most blades have a tip
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| | fruits that have a skin that easily
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| or point at the end. The second part is
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| | bruises. Serrated knives are designed to
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| the tang, which carries the handle into
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| | keep part of the edge of the blade from
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| the knife. And finally, some knives have
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| | coming in contact with the cutting board
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| a thick section of steel between the
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| | surface, which dulls knives much faster
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| blade and the tang, called bolsters.
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| | than food can. Knives with serrations are
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| Next, we'll talk construction. Knives are
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| | sometimes common in lower-priced knives
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| generally made three ways; they are
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| | because they cut much better when dull
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| stamped, forged, or sintered. Sintered
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| | than a plain edge knife. However, a
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| knives are made by fusing the various
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| | serrated knife must be sharpened
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| parts of the knife (blade, tang, and
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| | professionally and should never be
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| bolster) together to make a complete
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| | sharpened on a sharpening steel. In fact,
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| knife. Stamped knives are made by cutting
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| | replacement is usually a more practical
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| shapes out of a single piece of sheet
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| | option when faced with a dull serrated
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| metal, which are ground and edged and
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| | knife. Yet, a well cared for serrated
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| handles are attached to the tang. Stamped
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| | knife should not become dull very easily
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| knives never have bolsters and can be
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| | because it is seldom drawn across a
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| poorly balanced, however, this does not
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| | cutting board surface.Cleaver. The
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| necessarily make them inferior knives.
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| | cleaver is a striking knife that is used
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| Stamping is a less expensive process than
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| | in a fashion similar to using a club. It
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| forging. Forged knives are more expensive
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| | is used in meat preparation to sever
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| than stamped or sintered knives due to
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| | bones and joints. These knives will
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| the number of individual steps required
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| | either have a straight or slightly curved
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| to construct a single knife. Forging
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| | edge. It is similar in looks to a Chinese
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| begins with a rough shape of steel that
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| | Chef's knife, which is lighter than a
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| is heated to red-hot in a furnace then
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| | cleaver because it is used to chop
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| dropped into a mold. It is then given a
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| | vegetables instead of meats.Boning Knife.
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| few hits with a hammer, after which, it
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| | This knife, as you might assume from its
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| is then tempered by the process of
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| | name, is used for cutting meat off bones.
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| repeatedly heating and cooling the knife
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| | The blades are generally narrow and can
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| form to give it the desired level of
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| | be 5'' or longer. Boning knives can
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| hardness and flexibility. The forging
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| | either be straight or curved, stiff or
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| process allows for the formation of the
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| | flexible. It is a favorite for poultry,
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| bolster. Forged knives are made from a
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| | and is utilized with brief, slicing
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| single piece of steel and are a favorite
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| | strokes.Utility Knife. The utility knife
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| among veteran chefs.Balance. This is a
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| | is a compromise between the larger chef's
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| critical and often misunderstood factor
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| | knife and the smaller paring knife, and
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| to consider when purchasing a knife. Some
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| | is typically 6'' or so in length. They
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| knives are blade-heavy, some are
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| | can serve a multitude of purposes and are
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| handle-heavy, while some are a balance in
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| | frequently utilized by the extra hands of
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| between. This view of a knife's
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| | the sous-chef.Slicing Knives. This group
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| "balance-point" is not the most important
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| | of knives, dedicated to the art of
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| thing to consider. Bottom line: the knife
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| | slicing and carving, are frequently used
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| should feel good in the cook's hand. Is
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| | against a cutting board. Slicing knives
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| it comfortable? Does it feel like an
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| | are long and thin and are available in
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| extension of the cook's arm? This should
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| | either straight or serrated edges. They
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| be the basis on which you make your
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| | tend to have narrower blades, which will
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| decision concerning the balance of the
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| | help decrease their likelihood of
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| knife you choose.Blade Type. There are
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| | sticking in foods. Customarily, you want
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| several types of blades including flat
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| | the slicer to have a longer blade than
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| ground (tapered), hollow ground and
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| | the food you are cutting, so consider a
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| serrated. Hollow ground knife blades have
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| | longer slicing knife if you can only have
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| a concave profile and are considered
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| | one.Specialty Knives. Examples of knives
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| inferior to flat ground blades. High
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| | that fall into this category would be
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| quality cutlery is usually made with flat
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| | filet knives or steak knives. These are
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| ground knife blades, which taper from the
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| | nice to have around if a substantial
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| thicker spine to the thinner edge in
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| | amount of your time is dedicated to the
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| either a convex or straight line.
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| | tasks that these knives are designed for,
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| Serrated knives have a wavy blade edge
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| | but they are not essential items to have
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| and will be discussed later, in
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| | in the everyday commercial kitchen.
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| detail.Blade Size. This feature is most
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