Having a good set of kitchen knives is essential for every cook, whether you are a professional chef or just cook on occasion. Finding the appropriate tools is the first step of any new kitchen.
Before buying a professional knife block set, here is what you need to know about kitchen knives.
Types of Kitchen Knives
#1. Chef’s Knife
The chef’s knife block set is the most utilized in a kitchen, is a must-have for any household. It’s very flexible, and it can handle anything from cutting veggies to slicing your Sunday roast beef joint. Cook’s and chef’s knives come in a range of sizes, making large-scale chopping a snap.
#2. Knife for Utility/Kitchen
Utility knives, a smaller variant of the chef’s knife, are another kitchen must-have. This knife is smaller than a conventional chef’s knife and is ideal for daily usage. Perfect for slicing meat pieces, soft fruit, and sandwiches.
#3. Knife For Cutting Bread
Every kitchen should have a decent bread knife. These knives, which have serrated or scalloped edges, are ideal for slicing baked products and meals with a more rigid exterior.
#4. Santoku Knife
The santoku knife, often known as a Japanese chef’s knife, quickly gained popularity among professional chefs. Santoku means “three excellent things,” referring to the three cutting operations that this knife is intended to perform: dicing, slicing and mincing.
#5. Knife For Paring
The paring knife has an extremely sharp edge that effortlessly removes pips and seeds, making it ideal for complex cutting jobs. They’re suitable for peeling, slicing, and prepping tiny fruits and veggies.
#6. Knife For Slicing & Carving
A slicing knife, often long and narrow in form, is also known as a carving knife. This knife is ideal for slicing chicken, pork, and fish, ensuring thin, uniform slices, particularly when cutting a joint.
#7. Knife for Fillet
Like a boning knife, a fillet knife is long and thin, making it easy to remove fish bones. This knife, which is typically flexible, will enable you to fillet fish accurately and with the most excellent precision.
How Can You Tell if a Knife Is Good?
The knife’s quality and pricing will be a reflection of how it was made. Fully forged knives are often considered the finest on the market; they are made from a single piece of steel and have a single blade and tang.
Stamped knives are made by cutting a strip of stainless steel using a machine. They are not as robust as forged steel blades, but they are less expensive to manufacture and purchase.
How Should I Take Care of My Kitchen Knives?
Storage & Usage
No matter how good your knives are, they will lose their superior chopping powers if they aren’t well-protected. Blades may be kept in excellent condition by storing them in a knife block or on a magnetic board and cutting only on flat surfaces.
Laundry & Drying
When compared to cleaning knives in a dishwasher, hand washing and drying them maintains them sharper. On the other hand, most knives are dishwasher safe; nevertheless, if at all feasible, remove them before the cycle is through and dry them by hand.
Knife sharpening
Knives may be kept in excellent shape by using a knife sharpening regularly.