Kitchen knives

Do I need a knife in a modern kitchen, if there is a huge amount of household appliances? And the fact that all kinds of cuts are sold in stores, sets of already cut vegetables and chopped meat into small pieces, seems to make an ordinary kitchen knife an object at all not necessary. However, any self-respecting mistress will say that a knife is needed, and preferably not one. What are kitchen knives? Let's figure it out.

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When to buy a knife?

The circumstances that force a person to go to the hardware store for a knife can be very different. The handle broke, notches appeared on the blade - quite good reasons to update the kitchen arsenal. In addition, such an item can be a great gift for both women and men. It is important to choose it correctly.

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Male knife

If the representative of the stronger sex loves to cook and makes such pilaf that you lick his fingers, he will surely like the chef’s knife. You probably saw this product in the picture in some book where the cook is one of the main characters. This is a hefty stainless steel knife, from 20 to 25 cm long (most often 21 cm - this blade size is considered universal).

This is truly a knife for everything - they can cut vegetables and cut meat, however, not only cut it. If desired, such a tool can and properly beat off the pieces. And if the tool is proprietary and released by one of the world-famous companies, such as Zwilling J.A. Henckels or Wusthof - a man will be simply flattered by such recognition of his culinary abilities.

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Gift knife for women

A beautiful lady will also be happy with a comfortable knife. Only you should choose something more miniature, with a blade 13-16 cm long. For most kitchen work it is quite suitable, moreover, it is lighter than a chef-knife. It is important that the steel is of good quality and the handle is comfortable.

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What are the knives?

Even if you are not particularly fond of cooking, but are preparing something simple, you probably noticed that the knives are all different. The shape, length and width of the blade, the size of the handle differ.

Which knives are best for the kitchen? To answer this question, let's talk about what they are and why they are needed. In any store you can find kitchen tools:

• chef knife;
• for bread:
• for peeling vegetables and fruits;
• hatchet knife;
• for cutting meat from bones;
• for sausage and cheese;
• for fish:
• for mushrooms.

And this is not all, but only the most popular representatives of the “knife kingdom”.

Important! Their canteen counterparts intended for butter, pate and other soft foods did not get on this list - they have medium-length blades, not too sharp, and the tip is rounded.

Chef Affiliation

The chef-knife is a universal tool. A convenient handle, a wide sharp blade, good balance - all this will make cooking an interesting and enjoyable task.

Bread Knife or Serrator

This tool has a large handle, a long wavy or serrated blade. The width is the same along the entire length of the blade.

Important! Such a knife easily copes with both soft and stale bread, they can cut puff cakes, vegetables and fruits.

It usually has a length of 20-25 cm and in its appearance resembles a saw - its blade is serrated (sometimes it can also be wavy).

Important! When choosing such a knife, pay attention to the size of the teeth.

Peeling knife

You can also chop garlic and do some other work. This is a short knife - the length of the blade is only 8-10 cm. It has a sharp tip, a large handle, a smooth cutting surface.

Important! There is also a variety for potatoes and carrots - a rounded surface, and in it there is a gap with a sharp edge.

Hatchet

Such a tool is designed for cutting meat and chopping bones. It has a sturdy, comfortable grip and a wide blade. Sometimes a hammer is located on the other side of the blade, which allows not only chopping, but also beating meat. The handle can be wooden and metal. If you need to choose such a knife for the kitchen, keep in mind that the second option is more convenient - it will not fly off at the most inopportune moment.

For cutting meat

This is a medium-length gun with a narrow blade bent to the tip. The handle has a wider blade, the cutting surface is completely smooth, without any waves and teeth.

For cheese and sausage

The blade of this item is, on the contrary, wide, sometimes even very wide (for example, square cheese knives are found). The cutting surface is straight, there are no nicks on it.

For fish

An elegant little thing is a flexible and rather thin blade, the width is the same along the entire length. The cutting surface is notched.

For mushrooms

Mushrooms, of course, can be cleaned with any knife, but avid fans of “silent hunting” prefer a special tool - a short plastic knife with a stiff brush on the handle. With such a brush it is very convenient to clean the oil hats, as well as remove all sorts of needles from other mushrooms.

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Kitchen trio

Each housewife equips her kitchen as she likes. This also applies to knives - there can be a dozen or two, or just a few. But the smallest set that everyone needs to have is the so-called “kitchen trio.”

This company is designed to cut a wide variety of products. The kit includes:

• chef knife;
• serreitor;
• knife for peeling vegetables.

Important! You can buy them both together and separately - as anyone likes. The kit has its advantages:

• material of the same quality;
• overall design;
• a kit will cost less than a few items separately.

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Steel or ceramics?

The twenty-first century is a victorious procession of ceramics. In the kitchen equipped with the latest technology, it can be found literally everywhere. Glass-ceramic hobs are extremely popular, as are kitchen sinks. So is it not logical if other equipment is made of the same material?

Having wondered how to choose a kitchen knife, the hostess will certainly think - but should I try ceramic? This material has its advantages and disadvantages.

pros

Ceramic blades are made of zirconia. This is a fairly hard material that holds sharpening well.

Important! A ceramic knife stays sharp ten times longer than a steel knife.

There are other benefits:

• minimally porous structure, that is, when cooking, there is no mixing of tastes - after you chop the garlic, the blade is enough to rinse slightly:
• material density - the knife is easy to wash;
• the blade, of course, does not rust;
• the knife is not magnetized or oxidized;
• lightness - a ceramic knife is many times lighter than a steel one, so hands get tired less.

Minuses

The disadvantages of such products are also enough:

• the material itself is fragile, so it’s unlikely that you will be able to cut frozen meat with it;
• such a tool cannot be universal;
• ceramic knives are more expensive than steel;
• you can hardly sharpen it with your own hands.

Important! You can, of course, as an experiment to buy one or two of these knives for various small operations, but provided that you have some good steel knives.

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Look at your old knife

Having decided to part with an old knife, look at it carefully. It is best to choose a kitchen knife similar to perform the usual actions. If the tool is relatively new, but you decide to buy another, think about why. You may not be happy with:

• weight is too large or vice versa;
• long or too short blade;
• the appearance of rust or the fact that the knife does not hold sharpening well;
• uncomfortable handle;
• rubs the pick;
• insufficient width - products are not cut to the end.

Important! There may be other disadvantages that should be avoided when buying a new knife.

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Steel type

Good kitchen knives are made of quality steel. The material is very important, because it depends on how long the knife will keep sharpening, whether it will be covered with rust or not. Steel is different, but more often than others, several types are used for the manufacture of kitchen equipment:

• high carbon stainless steel;
• carbon steel;
• ordinary stainless steel;
• steel with the addition of chromium;
• steel with the addition of chromium and vanadium.

How do they all differ:

• The most popular material is high carbon steel. Good kitchen knives made of this material hold sharpening perfectly and maintain a beautiful appearance - they remain shiny for a long time. Such knives are slightly more expensive than their counterparts made of carbon steel and ordinary stainless steel, but the difference in price pays off with interest.
• Carbon or carbon steel holds sharpening well, but this material quickly dims. Ordinary stainless steel is shiny, but it is a fairly soft material, so the blade dulls faster than tools made of high carbon and carbon steel. Sharpen such blades once a month and a half
• Excellent blades are made of steel with the addition of chromium or chromium and vanadium. On sale you can also find knives made of steel with the addition of molybdenum.

Important! You can find out what material the knife is made of, according to the inscription on the package or from the booklet, which a reputable manufacturer will certainly attach to the product.

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Look at the blade

The most important element is the blade. How to choose a knife for the kitchen? Of course, so as not to suffer later, sharpening the cutting surface after each cooking.

Important! The ideal option is a knife with an open heel, that is, the blade is sharpened from the tip to the heel. This is important to preserve the cutting surface when cutting solid foods or chopping bones. Chef knives are most often made with a closed heel.

Please also note:

• by the thickness of the blade - the more the better;
• on the smoothness of the blade - it must correspond to the purpose, that is, the surface of the chef-knives is smooth, for others it can be notched, rounded or wavy;
• on the processing of the butt - he should not rub.

Sharpening

Of course, if these are good kitchen knives, the cutting surface should be absolutely smooth - without dents, chips or other defects. The exception is the bread knife, where the edge is with cloves.

Important! Best when the sharpening line is continuous from the tip to the handle. In addition, a good European cutting tool will always have two-sided sharpening.

Pay attention to such moments:

• Blade surface. The surface should be without any scratches, roughness and other unpleasant trifles. A flat surface indicates homogeneity of the material.
• Sharpening method. As for the sharpening method, then with good knives it is laser. It can be distinguished by matte notches. Such tools remain sharp for a long time.
• Blade mount. A quality knife has very few fasteners - only the plates to the shank are attached. Rivets should fit snugly and not back off.

Important! A knife from a good manufacturer is always taken out of the package, so you can see it.

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We examine the handle

This is a very important detail! A good kitchen tool has a blade and handle made of one piece of steel. The part that falls on the handle (shank) is clamped by two plates.Such a gun is well balanced.

Important! Pay attention to whether the handle is solid and how strong it is. Where parts are connected, there should be no gaps. Good knives do not show welding marks.

The covering material should not slip, including when fat gets on it. Typically, wood or rubber is used for these parts. But you can meet both plastic and composite.

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Checking balance

The knife can be balanced in different ways:

• with a heavy grip;
• with a heavy blade;
• with parts approximately equal in weight.

It’s hard to give advice here - choose the one that is more convenient for you. First, evaluate the knife that you want to replace, and think about whether you are comfortable with its balance or if you want the handle or blade to be heavier. Also consider the following circumstances:

• arm size
• ratio of blade and handle length.

Important! For a big hand you need a big knife. With a large knife, you can cut food faster, but a small one is safer.

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European and Japanese - what is the difference?

In this case, we are talking about chef knives. They may be:

• European
• Japanese
• made in Japan by European standards.

We take into account that we will prepare:

• For European dishes, a European knife is more convenient - in any case, cutting meat is very convenient for them. For such a tool, the cutting edge is rounded, and the sharpening is on both sides.
• The Japanese knife has one-sided sharpening, a thick butt, a straight or almost straight cutting edge. It is quite difficult to sharpen. In general, such a knife is suitable for those who often cook Japanese dishes. You can buy such a tool, but it should not be the only one.
• Culinary connoisseurs speak very highly of hybrids - European-style knives made in Japan. These tools are greatly appreciated for their high quality steel. However, care for such products must be very carefully.

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A bit about firms

Everybody who loves produces kitchen tools. However, there are companies that have been doing this for decades and even centuries, and have proven themselves very well. Traditionally, quality knives are made in Germany.

Wusthof drezack

These are tools made of hardened carbon steel. Knives do not rust and retain manual grinding for a long time.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Zwilling is one of the leaders in this genre. Knives are durable, with manual sharpening, do not corrode. Of course, the blade and shank are made from a single piece, as required by the most stringent standards.

Victorinox

Switzerland is also famous for its products. Not only carbon, but also molybdenum, silicon, manganese are added to steel. Accordingly - the knives are solid, they hold sharpening well and do not rust.

Sabatier

An elegant, truly French knife with a round base and a thin handle. Convenient for slicing different products.

Global

One of the hybrid options is a European-style Japanese knife. Very high quality molybdenum-vanadium steel. These knives last a very long time and are resistant to corrosion.

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How to handle knives?

It would seem that what’s complicated is enough - it’s enough to keep them clean. But this is not enough. It is necessary to properly store the tools, then they will not only last a long time, but they will also please the eye. And you need to do this, adhering to these rules:

1. You need a special stand for knives - or a magnetic holder.
2. Make sure that the blades do not rub and do not hit each other.
3. Buy the right boards - best wood or plastic. Glass and stone boards blunt your knives very quickly.
4. If you still bought a ceramic knife - keep it in a special case.
5. Knives must be wiped off immediately - they should not be soaked, just as they should simply be forgotten in the sink.
6. Washing large knives in a dishwasher is not a good idea, it negatively affects sharpening.
7. Try not to heat the knives - in order to mix the contents of the pan, you need to have a special spatula.

Important! You should never save on tools, including kitchen ones. If the price seems excessive to you - do not worry. A quality knife is not cheap, but it will last a long time.

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Stock footage

Now you know everything you need to choose the best quality kitchen knives. So - you do not have to change them every month for new ones and sharpen them after each dinner preparation. From now on, the cooking process will become faster, more enjoyable and safer for you.