Whether it is tomato that has been pureed, a meat reduced to lint or full of bone chips: stop mistreating your food and learn how to cut it with the appropriate kitchen knife. Shape, materials, maintenance: after reading this article, you will be the samurai of kitchens.
A knife remains a knife, provided it cuts. The length or composition of the handle is only a matter of aesthetics.
Yes, but no. At the time of detailing your rib of beef in front of your boyfriend, armed only with a paring knife, you won’t look very clever.
And cutting a fruit with a steak knife, shall we talk about it? Yes go ahead—it is the ideal weapon to turn them into puree in 2 or 3 movements. Promised, it’s as simple as it looks!
So put this knife right away and take a small cutlery course together. You can talk about it at the next dinner.
Anatomy of the Knife
Below is the anatomy of a kitchen knife:
Blade: Go from the extreme point to the guard.
Thread: A sharp part that can be simple (sharpened on one side), double (sharpened on both sides), with cells, sawed. The finer the angle of the wire, the longer it’s cutting power.
Back: This is the part opposite to the wire.
Guard: Opposite to the cutting edge, it stops where the round begins. It protects the hand during cutting.
Ferrule: This is the link between the handle and the blade..
Ribs: These are parts surrounding the silk and used to grip
Rivets: Keep the ribs in the silk. In quality knives, the number of rivets indicates the length of the silk. But beware of low-end knives that only put them to look pretty!
Difference between a Forged Blade and a Cut Blade
The forge consists in carrying a bar of steel at a very high temperature to work it by exerting a strong pressure. The knife is then cut with a press. In this way, it is made of a single piece of metal and has no weld or hollow point.
Conversely, the cut blade is derived from a flat steel plate.
Which Material to Choose for the Blade of the Kitchen Knife?
There are 4 families of knives:
Steel Knives: Steel kitchen knives are what Michael Jackson is to pop music: the cream of the crop. Indeed, they present a power of cut and an exceptional longevity. This is due to its composition that combines iron and carbon. The more important it is, the stronger it is.
The Ceramic Knives: In addition to their aesthetic appearance, best ceramic kitchen knives are more and more present in kitchens because they offer excellent cutting power. The second strong point is the interview, which is almost non-existent. Indeed, the ceramic knives do not need to be sharpened for several years. Be careful though: the ceramic is a very strong and very brittle material. Protect it from shock and never use it on a hard surface.
Stainless Steel Knives: Lightweight, stainless steel knives offer a good compromise between cutting power and resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
Damascus Steel Knives: Highly carbon-rich, Damascus steel knives are made of thin layers of steel folded on themselves a number of times. This creates a knife of great strength and extremely sharp. The Damascus steel knives are recognizable by their unique pattern obtained by this superposition work. If they are the best, they are also the most expensive on the market.
