How To Choose A Chef Knife
Wither
you are a home cook or a Gourmet Chef Info on how to choose a chef
knife is important. What does matter is the type of culinary
equipment that is
required in your kitchen. While there may be differences in the method
of cooking
and some of the equipment that is used. Some being mainly for the
hospitality trade.The
main implements of the kitchen remain the same. A very important one of
these implements are the chef's knife.
There are a number of different chef's knives that are
used in the preparation of meals. The first thing in selecting a single
Chef Knife or a Chef Knife Set is, are the knives sharp
enough
for the job that you will be using them for. Also look for chefs knives
that are balanced and do not strain or bruise the hand while you are
making food, this is an
essential factor that must be considered. The material that the blades
and the knives are made from is important as some blades may not be
sharp or can not be sharpened to a high enough cut to make the job
easy. A hard steel knife can get a very sharp edge, and can be
expensive. However if cared for properly can last a life time.You will
need to wash and dry this type of knife promptly after use to prevent
staining or rusting. Stainless steel knives are far easier to care for.
However it is can be difficult to put a sharp edge on a
stainless steel chef knife.The handles should be non slip. Knives that
have seamless
construction prevent food particles, and dirt particles from collecting
in the knife handle. A knife with The NSF mark
standing for The National Sanitation Foundation is a certification of
quality assurance and hygienic design.
A high quality knife is a must for the professionals chef and the home
cook as well. For
food
processing and
preparation a high
quality
knife will enhance performance and increases productivity, cutting
down on prep time in the kitchen.
Some Chef's knives are designed with grooves or dimples
on the sides of the blade of the knife. This is so they will
fill with the fat and juices of the product being sliced, which allows
for thin, even cuts without tearing or shredding the meat if the blade
is made correctly
The Serrated
chef's knife is made with
serrated blade,
these
blades are either wavy, scalloped, or a saw-like blade. Serrated blades
make knives ideal for cutting things that are hard on the outside and
soft on the inside,such as bread or tomatoes. This is done so the food
is not squished by a the knife, like can happen when using a plain edge
blade. Serrated blades are also particularly good on fibrous foods
like cabbage or celery. They have the disadvantage
of not being able to be sharpened except with a special serrated
sharpening tool, or by a
professional
Knives are sold in light weight to heavy
weight models. The blades very in their ability to stay sharp and
almost all knives will require sharpening with a sharpening
stone, sharpening
steel, or a knife
sharpener at some time
in their life. It is a good idea to use a butcher's
sharpening steel(sharpening
tool) to keep your knives sharp. You can keep your
knives sharp by frequently honing them on a long butcher's steel which
is in a rod shape. To use the butcher's sharpening steel press
the heel of the knife blade edge against the steel at a twenty degree
angle. Start the honing with the heel of the knife blade at the top of
the steel, in a swinging motion. Do this several times on one side of
the blade then the other in equal amounts. It is very important to
never store your chef knives jumbled together, or with other kitchen
tools, as they can loose their edge, or you may even get cut.
You should always use a cutting
board as it is
easier on the knife blade, thus keeping your chef knives sharper.The
cutting
boards
made out of polyprolene or polythene are easy to clean. Also using
a chef apron will help
keep your clothes clean during food
preparation.
There are a number of types of kitchen knives,
they all have different characteristics
depending on the cutting task needed to be done. It is best to select
the knife that will help you with your task or select a Chef
Knife set.
The
most used knife is called the Chef’
Knife this knife
usually has a blade length of 6 to 8 inches or more. The chefs knife is
used for chopping, dicing, and slicing. The best way to use
this
knife is with a cutting board that will not make the knife blade
dull. When
using these chefs knives like this cut the food using a rocking motion
that uses the whole blade.
The Paring
Knife is yet
another of the chefs knives that
is used very often. The paring knife is used to peel, make various
garnishes, cut fruit
and it is used to trim the food. The paring knife is a very versatile
knife and used frequently in food preparation.
The Boning
Knife is used by
chefs to cut raw meat away
from
the bone. Because of its narrow blade it is designed to cut the meat
away from the bone, trim excess fat away, it sometimes is also used to
fillet fish. This knife can also be used to cut the meat into
portions that
can be used for the immediate cooking or stored for later use.
Carving
Knife is another
well used chefs knife and frequently comes in a Carving
Knife Set with a
meat fork. The blade of this knife is usually 10 inches.
With this knife you can cut the meat, fish or poultry
into straight and even slices after it is cooked.
The
Slicer Knife this knife
has a narrower blade than
the Carving Knife. Used for carving Turkey,and Roasts.
The Utility
Knife is used by
Chef's for many day to day
tasks, the blade is 6 inches. It is used to cut vegetables such as
onions, potatoes for fries, and is a useful hors d'oeuvre knife.
The Vegetable
Knife this knife
can be in a cleaver style
or traditional blade. Used for peeling fruits and vegetables, paring,
and cutting fruits and vegetables.
Meat
Cleaver this very
useful chef's knife quickly
cuts
chicken or other poultry, or meats into bite size pieces.
Also used to dice vegetables for stews and stir frys, dices melons and
fruits quickly for salads.
Cheese
Knife and
Cheese
Knife Sets these
Chef's knives are designed to cut through cheese frequently
have narrow blades, and cut with out sticking,some are made for soft
cheeses.
Steak
Knife usually used
for individual use by the
client or guest of a food chef for cutting steak or meats
where a sharp knife is needed.
As you can see chefs knives have many purposes and
wither you select them individually or as a Chef's
knife cutlery set
there are many considerations. The main
thing that you need to remember with any of the chefs knives is that
you will need a knife that suits the task. With this brief introduction
about chefs knives you may look at the knives in your kitchen in a new
light.
We at Gourmet -Chef -Info hope this information on How To Choose A Chef
Knife was helpful to you , please come back again.