What knives to choose for the kitchen – 10 secrets of choosing kitchen knives

No kitchen can do without knives. Even the most modern one. And even with the top ten food processors. But in order for the knives to serve for a long time, their choice should be approached carefully and competently.

We choose kitchen knives competently and buy them profitably in the online hypermarket of kitchen knives vposude.ru

The content of the article:

Types of kitchen knives that are always needed

One kitchen knife is not enough. On a hike, you can get by with one pen, and in the kitchen you have your own knife for each “ritual” action. Understanding their purpose – which knives will come in handy in the kitchen?

• Bread / loaf knife: long blade (serrated, wavy), equal width along its entire length, large handle.
• Kitchen trio: long knives (25 to 45 cm), wide blades, sharp tip, always rounded cutting surface. Purpose – cutting products with a strong structure.
• Fruit / vegetable peeler: shortened blade, sharp tip, only a flat cutting surface, large comfortable handle. Or a knife with a blade between 2 holders with a hole in the “body” (for potatoes, carrots, etc.).

• A knife for cutting meat from a bone: narrow, of medium length, the blade is bent towards the tip, widened at the base, the cutting surface has no notches – smooth.
• Sausage and cheese slicer: long blade (wide enough), smooth cutting surface.
• Fish knife: flexible blade of equal width in all areas, long, serrated.

• Table knives (for butter, pate): blade of medium length, wide, rounded tip.
• Mushroom knife: short, plastic, hard brush on the handle for cleaning caps.
• Hatchet knife: for cutting meat, chopping bones. Wide blade, powerful grip.

Metal or ceramic knives?

Ceramic and metal knives are not interchangeable. Despite the general purpose, the difference in knives is significant. Everyone knows about the pros / cons of metal knives, so we understand the features of ceramic …

Advantages:

• Ceramic blade composition – zirconium dioxide (very hard material). If the sharpness of a metal knife after sharpening is enough for a month, then for a ceramic one this period can be safely multiplied by 10. Although sharpening is not needed at all for a properly operated knife.
• The ceramic material is not porous. Accordingly, the taste of one product is not transferred to another. After cutting, for example, hot peppers and garlic, just rinse the blade and you can continue working.
• Density of the structure of the ceramic knife and the minimum porosity ensures the hygiene of the appliance and makes it easy to clean.
• A ceramic knife is lighter than a metal one. Accordingly, the load on the arm and shoulder is lower.
• Ceramic knife does not rust, does not oxidize, does not magnetize and is scratch resistant.

Flaws:

• Fragility. You cannot cut bones and frozen meat with a ceramic knife – it is simply not intended for such purposes. If it falls to the floor, the metal knife may bend, while the tip of the ceramic knife will break off.
• The ceramic knife is not universal (it is suitable only for certain actions in the kitchen).
• The cost of a ceramic knife is higher than the price on metal.
• It is not recommended to sharpen ceramic knives yourself…

10 rules for choosing kitchen knives

When choosing knives for the kitchen, pay attention to the following points:

• Blade quality. The best chef’s knives are made from stainless steel with the addition of chrome for hardness. Alternatively, chromium alloyed with vanadium and molybdenum is used to reduce fragility. Forged blades are the best and most durable.

• Sharpening (efficiency of the cutting edge of the knife). If, when looking at the knife from the side, you notice that its cutting surface resembles traveling waves (the exception is a bread knife) and is slightly widened towards the edge, then you can safely return the device to the store shelf. There should be no dents / chips on the cutting surface. The best option is a shiny, continuous line from the handle to the very tip. Ideally, if the cutting edge is impossible to distinguish at all. And one more nuance: the cutting surface of a top quality knife will always be double-sided.
• Lever. Wooden: comfortable for the hand, does not heat up, but over time it loses its appearance – it is abraded and “overgrown” with cracks, which, in turn, are clogged with fat. The habit of leaving such a knife in the sink also does not contribute to extending its life. Plastic handle: strong and durable material, does not deteriorate after prolonged contact with water, but it is, alas, impossible to determine the hidden length of the steel sheet. And the canvas (on a note) must reach the very end of the handle, otherwise it will loosen over time and simply fall out. The metal handle is ideal: durable, won’t loosen, break or crack.

• Blade surface. It should be free of scratches, streaks, various roughness and notches. That is, the composition of the material must be uniform.
• Blade sharpening method. Laser sharpening (matte notch marks are a distinctive feature) is the best option. More expensive, but does not require sharpening and is durable. The blade of such a knife is a hardened metal with an ordinary metal inside (when grinding hardened areas, ordinary metal is exposed, and you can observe the effect of self-sharpening).
• Blade mount. The blade of the knife must necessarily go along the entire length of the handle – not half or 2/3 of the handle. The ground rivets on the handle must be firmly attached to the base and not stick out from the grooves. Molded plastic handles without rivets are a bad option.
• Price. The price of a quality knife cannot be low. It is naive to hope for the durability and super-properties of a knife bought for the price of a loaf of bread.

• Access to the knife. You can always take a quality knife out of the package, twirl it in your hands and evaluate it “by touch”. It is not recommended to purchase a knife in a package that cannot be opened.
• Convenience. Check the weight of the knife and the comfort in the hand – whether the handle outweighs the blade itself, whether the knife is too heavy, how comfortable the thickness of the handle is for the palm.
• The sharpness of the blade. If you are told that this marvelous knife can be sharpened at home for yourself, then feel free to look for another device. The cutting properties will depend on the sharpening angle. Branded high-quality knives are sharpened on professional equipment, and it is simply impossible to do this at home.

Rating of the best knife manufacturers

It is clear that a knife, for example, “Solingen” will always be better than any knife of an unknown local company bought on the street around the corner. Therefore, the main focus is on the manufacturer. And we will tell you knives of which companies are recognized as the best.

• Samura, Japan. Japanese design and technology, the ideal geometry of the hand-sharpened blade allows you to achieve razor sharpness for many months of use, excellent value for money.

• Wusthof Dreizack, Solingen, Germany. Top quality hardened carbon steel, hand sharpened bottom edge, metal corrosion resistant.

• Zwilling JAHenckels, Solingen, Germany. High blade strength, hand sharpened, absolutely corrosion resistant, blade made from a single piece of steel.

• Victorinox, Schwyz, Switzerland. Steel with carbon, silicon, chromium, manganese and molybdenum, non-rusting, hardness RC 56.
• Sabatier, Thiers, France. High quality steel, slim handle, round base.

• Dick, Deizisau, Germany. High quality stainless steel.
• GLOBAL, Japan. Molybdenum-vanadium CROMOVA steel. Cold hardening. Corrosion resistant. Long service life.
• Arcos, Spain. High quality, long service life, beautiful appearance.
• Del Ben, Italy. High quality stainless steel, handcrafted finish, fine wood handles, chic design.

• Evercut, France. Exquisite design, high quality, strength and durability, style.

How to store knives in the kitchen correctly?

Experience is the son of difficult mistakes. Not all housewives know that observing the rules for storing knives can significantly extend both their life and cutting properties. Remember …

• Store knives on a magnetic holder or on a special stand.
• Protect the blades from rubbing / impacting each other and other metal objects.
• Do not use glass and stone cutting boards, wood and plastic boards are ideal.
• Ceramic knives are stored only in paper cases and hidden from the sun.
• Never leave knives in water – wipe dry immediately after washing. Especially after cutting lemons and onions.
• Wash professional knives by hand; when using a dishwasher, kitchen knives dull several times faster.
• Do not use hot water to clean carbon steel knives.
• Do not heat the knives.
• Dress soft knives with musat regularly.
• Only use knives for their intended purpose.

And the last piece of advice – don’t skimp on knives. A good knife is not only quick work in the kitchen, but also the pleasure of this work.

What kind of knives do you use in the kitchen?