Kitchen knife; how do I make the right choice? Are you going to buy a kitchen knife but don’t know which one? Then read what kitchen knife are and how to choose the right one. What to look for when buying every homemaker or owner in the kitchen should have several types of knives; it all depends on what you plan to cut, butcher, or clean.
Types of kitchen knives
Table of Contents
Bread slicer kitchen knife
It should have a long blade with the same width everywhere. The end of the blade should be cut but not sharp, and the handle should be large and comfortable for the hand. The blade of such knives is usually wavy. This type of knife is also suitable for slicing cake, cake, or muffins.
In addition to such an everyday knife for flour products, there should also be a set of three … They should all have significant and long blades. The largest is 20-30 cm, the average 16-20 cm, and the short 12-16 cm. They are necessary for cutting products with a dense structure. Their blade must be sharp and lead to the end of the knife, which in turn is also sharpened.
It is still a fruit and vegetable knife; it is very convenient for them to clean and cut them. It has a short (7.5-9 cm) and straight blade with a sharp tip, and the handle is small and comfortable.
It is also a knife whose purpose is to cut meat; thank you, it is straightforward and convenient to cut meat from bones and cut and cut chicken. It is short in length, and the blade is narrow and curved towards the end. The cutting surface can be smooth or have teeth, which is very effective when cutting meat.
- There are also table knives with a rounded end but not a sharp blade – this is for spreading butter or pâté on bread.
- There is also a dining room fish spatula … It is blunt, and the blade is a little short, which resembles a spatula.
- If you like cheese, you need a special cheese knife … Its blade is medium length with a carving on it. Thanks to this notch in the blade, there is less friction with the cheese when it is cut, thus producing thin slices (slices). The cutting surface can be smooth or grooved; the second option is more common.
Of course, there is no need to have all kinds of these knives in the house. Usually, many models are only used in restaurants and other cooking establishments. Most homemakers are limited to 3-4 pieces, which is enough.
How to choose a kitchen knife?
The most important thing is to skip buying a knife. Of course, you should not buy the most expensive ones; they may not be of the highest quality. But the money saved by purchasing a “clipper” can turn into pain and discomfort in the kitchen: frequent sharpening, poor cutting blade, uncomfortable handle, and hefty weight. You won’t want to cook with such knives.
Sheet composition of kitchen knife quality
The most important thing to look for when choosing and buying a knife is the quality of the blade. The cutting characteristics and service life of the knife depend on this factor. The main thing is steel, the brand of what the blade is made of. High-quality knives are made of stainless steel with the addition of Chrome… Chrome makes the steel more complex and beautiful (although beauty is unimportant). Another better option is chromium doped with vanadium and molybdenum; this aluminum is more complex and brittle. It is a very durable material with high wear resistance; knives are made of – white and black ceramic; the second option is better than the first. It is an entirely new technology that can sharpen a black ceramic knife every 1-2 years. They are made of zirconium oxide, fired in huge furnaces for several hours (the longer, the better – the more robust the material) at a temperature of 1600 ° C. In addition to its strength, this substance does not oxidize against metal; it does not interact with acids and bases. There is no risk of corrosion when cutting various products: fruits and vegetables also do not absorb an unpleasant metallic taste. Better to buy the SAMURA brand.
But ceramic knives have their drawbacks; with a substantial fall, they can crack. Cutting on a glass board, preferably bamboo, is also not recommended. When cutting meat, you must be careful with the bones; you can damage the blade. Yes, you need to pay about 2500-3000 rubles for such a single knife. It is worth it or not to decide for you, but I think there are other options described above – metal, which is not worse and cheaper.
The alloy from which the knife is made must be uniform. You can notice this on cheap knives; when you look at the blade, you can see strange spots, streaks on the metal, and other flaws. Such a cutting tool will not last long and with high quality, only a waste of money, time, and nerves.
Knife cut surface
The following important parameter is the cutting surface of the knife (working blade). It is enough to take a knife and look at it from the side; if the cutting surface has small extensions, waves, or other irregularities, it is better to put this device aside and not buy it. By the way, high-quality knives have a double-sided cutting surface (the blade is sharpened on both sides, not just one). For cleaning fruits and vegetables, it is better to buy a knife with a narrow blade. For general cutting, it is worth stopping at a medium edge.
In the store, you may be offered to buy a knife with a laser-modified blade … As a rule, the blade is not sharpened with a laser but hardened so that it is more robust and grinds longer. Such knives are also called “self-sharpening, “But this is nonsense; it is not and will not be. You can tell if a knife is laser hardened by looking at its blade; if it shows faint horizontal lines, then it was sharpened according to this system. These knives are slightly more expensive, which justifies itself.
Knife handle
The blade of the knife must enter and completely occupy the space of the knife handle. If the edge only partially fits the handle, it will probably come loose and come out soon.
- Knives with a wooden handle. They sit comfortably in hand, do not slip, and look beautiful. But the minus is that over time the tree dries out, cracks, scratches, collapses underwater, and absorbs grease and various acids with alkali (stains appear and appearance deteriorates). Depending on the type of wood, these handles can be heavy. As a rule, consider only expensive options made of good wood. It will last a long time, and there will be no problems, neither with the weight of the knife nor the rapid appearance of defects.
- Knives with plastic handle. It is quite a durable and quality material that you should trust. Very long service life and easy maintenance. If he lies in a sink with oily water for many days, then nothing terrible will happen. The tree cannot tolerate this.
- Knives with a metal handle. It is probably one of the best options, although there are some drawbacks, for someone it is uncomfortable in hand and slides. Even though they are made of metal, they are light, do not deteriorate, and are not afraid of various effects of temperature, moisture, salts, and acids; they do not break, do not loosen, or crack. Consider more expensive metal grip options as the cheaper ones can be heavy.
That’sThat’s it; now you have to walk around the store and look at the different options in the types of knives, holding your hands to find out which knife is easier and more comfortable to have in your hand. Evaluate the parameters I described above and consult again with an expert in the store (if there is one). And after that, it is only worth buying. You must remember that you have been buying a knife for a long time, which should please you and justify the cost.