Archive for the ‘Chef Knife Care Tips’ Category
If you've spent the money on a high quality set of chef's knives, you know that you've just made a significant investment.
Good quality knives are meant to last for decades or more, and the price usually reflects that. However, it's worth it because you know you have good knives that you'll likely never have to replace. But since you've spent so much money on them, you'll want to keep them looking as nice as possible. Here's what you need to do to keep your knives pretty.
1. Keep Them Dry and Free of Food Debris
This means that you need to always wash your knives immediately after using them, and also dry them right away. This will help them stay sharp and germ-free. They'll also stay shiny this way, and more pleasant to look at.
2. Sharpen Your Knives Every Time You Use Them
Your knife set probably came with a steel, which is a long, round piece of metal that is used to sharpen knives. After cleaning and drying your knives, run them once along the steel, just to give their sharpness a quick boost before putting them away.
3. Only Cut Food With the Knives, and Nothing Else
It's a bad, bad idea to cut things like boxes, paper, and string with your chef's knives. This can cause the blades to become dull, and may even break the blade, since non-food materials are harder and tougher than what the knife was meant to cut. Use lesser quality knives or scissors to cut non-food items.
4. Keep Your Knives Out of the Dishwasher
Dishwashers are not kind to chef's knives of good quality. Detergents can scratch the metal and dull the blade, and the knives can even get broken by being jostled around in the dishwasher while it's running. Always wash your knives by hand even if your knife states that it is is dishwasher safe.
5. Sharpen Your Knives Properly at Least Two Times a Year
This type of sharpening means more than just a quick once-over on the steel. You'll want to get all the knives in the set out a couple of times a year and sharpen them thoroughly and properly with a real professional knife sharpening tool. Some times when you purchase an expensive set of Chef Knives you will receive information on where you can send your knives out for a professional sharpening. Some people disregard this information because it may cost $15+ however, professional sharpening (if you don't know how to do it yourself properly) can help your knife last a lifetime and that is much less expensive than having to purchase knives over and over again.
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Cleaning your chef knives is very simple.
As tempting as it may be to put your good chef knives in the dishwasher (yes, I know that some knife instructions state that you can), it's best if you hand wash them with a gentle dish washing liquid and a soft cloth or sponge. Then hand dry them off with a soft cloth then let them finish air drying before you place them in the drawer or in it's block.
Your knives should last a lifetime and by taking just a few extra seconds here and there you'll be able to pass them down to your children.
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When you go shopping for chef knives, it's almost a special occasion. After all, knives are not a common purchase, so they're usually procured for weddings, first apartments, and graduation from cooking school.
You may also be shopping for chef's knives simply because you decided you want to fill your kitchen with nothing but quality utensils. It's true that high quality knives are easier and safer to use, and produce a better, more attractive food product.
It's also true that buying high quality means that you're less likely to ever have to replace them. You may even find yourself handing down your knives to your kids!
Here, then, are the top 5 things you need to look for in a set of knives before you buy, to make sure you're getting nothing but the very best the knife world has to offer.
1. You want knives that have extra sharp tips, centers, and edges. The sharper the knife, the easier it will be to use.
2. Blades made from high quality materials. The three best materials for knives are carbon steel, ceramics, and stainless steel. You shouldn't be buying knives made of any other kind of material, as they're inferior.
3. Handles that are strong, heavy, and sturdy. These types of handles will make it less likely that the blade will break while you're using it, and the heaviness makes the knife practically do the work on its own.
4. A well-known brand name that has a reputation for quality. You don't want to go with some unknown, cut-rate brand of knife. You'll be buying a new set before you know it if you do.
5. A strong guarantee of satisfaction. The best knives have quality that stands for itself. Therefore, the companies that make those knives will offer iron clad guarantees as to the quality of their product. Sometimes, those are lifetime guarantees. These knife companies are able to offer such guarantees because they know they put out a good product, and so can stand by it in confidence. Their confidence can give you confidence, too.
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If you are not familiar with different materials that chef knife blades can be made of, it's good to get an idea of what is available and the uses that each material has. This way you'll get the best knife material for the right food preparation job.
Choosing Knife Blade Materials
By James R Shaw
When shopping for new knives, especially kitchen knives, you may be astounded at the wide variety of different knife materials from which you can choose. These high-tech advancements are usually designed to offer a longer life for the knife, meaning less sharpening for you.
The number one determinant of the sharpness of your knife, and how well it maintains this edge over time, is the material used to make the blade. So how do you choose between all of the different kinds of knives? First, you'll need to understand the differences between the various materials used in today's knives.
Carbon steel is an iron allow with carbon. It is a very common blade material that has been used for many years. These tough blades will not bend under pressure.
It takes little effort to sharpen or re-sharpen a carbon steel blade knife, making it a good choice if you plan to sharpen your kitchen knives at home. However, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and other foods with a high acid content can discolor the blade, and rusting is possible.
Stainless steel, unlike carbon steel, does not discolor or rust. This iron alloy contains chromium, which makes it impervious to rust. However, this metal is softer, and therefore not able to maintain a very sharp edge like carbon steel. Although easily sharpened, the blade can be worn down quickly, meaning that it will need sharpening more often.
High carbon stainless steel knives are those made of a combination of carbon steel and stainless steel. With the best qualities from each, they are tough and able to hold a very sharp edge, yet do not discolor or rust.
Titanium blades are lightweight and flexible. They are often used to make knives with very thin blades, and are used for tasks such as boning or filleting. Titanium-edged knives hold a sharp edge longer than steel-blade knives.
Ceramic blades are much less resistant to breakage than steel knives. If dropped, they may crack or shatter. On the other hand, they will hold a sharp edge for many times longer than steel knives, and will not rust or discolor. However, ceramic blades must usually be sharpened by a professional, as sharpening them requires special equipment.
Most knives are also advertised as being either stamped or forged. Stamped knives are cut from a thin sheet of metal using a template.
Stamped knives are usually inexpensive and lightweight, but they may need frequent sharpening. Forged knives are made by heating the steel and placing it in a mold.
Forged knives are denser and heavier than stamped ones. The blade is very hard because of the heat, although it is also more flexible. Forged knives usually require less sharpening than stamped ones.
Finally, you'll want to consider the knife's grind. Grinding is done when first sharpening a blade or after a blade has been significantly damaged. The grind refers to the finished shape of the blade; some grinds are easier to maintain than others. Most kitchen knives are either hollow ground or taper ground.
To form a hollow ground knife, a convex shape is removed from both sides of the edge. Hollow ground knives have a very sharp and thin edge, but these edges are fragile, so hollow knives are not meant to withstand heavy use.
Flat or taper ground knives, on the other hand, taper smoothly with straight lines all the way to the edge, instead of with a curve. Taper ground knives leave more metal near the edge of the blade than hollow ground knives, meaning that they will withstand heavy use and not need sharpening as often.
Sharpen 'Em offers a large selection of quality knife sharpeners from all the best manufacturers, from low-budget pocket-sized sharpeners to high-end sharpening steels.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_R_Shaw
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