How to choose a kitchen knife: types and recommendations

The choice of a kitchen knife is a responsible procedure. It is important to choose such a product that would serve for a long time without losing its presentation and properties, this will allow the future to maintain the family budget.

Content

From this article you will learn how to choose the right kitchen knife.

Which company kitchen knife to choose?

Now you can see a large number of commercials where companies advertise their products. Many buyers, seeing the note “Made in Germany” or “Made in Belgium”, immediately run to the store to purchase goods.
However, not all advertising companies are responsible. Before buying a kitchen knife, study the manufacturer. Often under the guise of a German or Japanese manufacturer you buy a Chinese poor -quality product. High -quality imported knives will keep sharpening for several years, and are supplied with a lifelong guarantee.

Among the best brands for the production of kitchen knives are highlighted:

Opinel. The company has been manufacturing knives for about 100 years. All this time she does not give up leadership thanks to a good cut of the blade. For the production of products, carbon and stainless steel is used. The cost of goods is acceptable;
Victorinox. The company produces knives with good geometry and strength;
Tramontina.The company is localized in Brazil. Its products are characterized by high -quality steel, lightweight, ergonomic and proper geometry;
Zolinger. The company is engaged in the release of blades that are hidden manually. They are characterized by the strength of the blade, resistance to corrosion and whole steel;
Tojiro. The Japanese company manually pulls the blades, due to which the sharpness of the blade persists for several years. An acceptable cost allows you to purchase such knives as chefs and ordinary housewives;
Evercut and Sabatier. Companies from France produce strong and sophisticated blades;
Del Ben. For pens, unique trees are used. Blades have an unusual and convenient design.

How to choose a good kitchen knife?

If you want to choose a high -quality kitchen knife, in addition to the manufacturer, other criteria should be taken into account.

Among them:

a variety of steel;
ergonomics;
geometry.

It depends on the quality of geometry how well the products will be cut. Give preference wedge -shaped form and thin blade. Then you can not cut products, but smoothly cut them with pieces of the required size.

Ergonomics is an important detail when choosing a knife, because it ensures safety. It is important that the blade is comfortably lying in his hand, does not slip, and does not rub.

How to choose steel for a kitchen knife?

Manufacturers use different materials for kitchen knives.

However, the following are the most common:

Stainless steel. She does not need careful care, but is stupid very quickly. It will be necessary to sharpen the blade at least 1 time per month.

Carbon steel. The blade is durable, sharp and retains its sharpness for a long time. However, it needs careful care, because it is quickly covered with rust.
Titanium. Characterized by severity, elegance and resistance to rust or domestic acids. However, their cost is quite high.

In the hands of professional cooks, you can notice knives from Damascus. They are very sharp, and consist of different types of steel.

Which kitchen knife is better: steel or ceramic?

You cannot equate such blades to each other. They differ in the method of application and in characteristics.

The advantages of ceramic kitchen knives include:

Hardness and good acuteness, so they do not require frequent sharpening;
Homogeneous structure. When cutting different products, it does not tolerate the taste of one to the other;
Ease. The hand does not get tired with prolonged operation;
Corrosion resistance and mechanical damage.

The only drawback of ceramic knives is fragility. They cannot be used for cutting frozen meat, bones or other solid products. If you drop the knife from a height, it can split.
Ceramics knives are very dangerous. When cutting products, a small piece of blade may break, and get into the dish. During meals, he will enter the esophagus, and can cause health problems, because it does not dissolve in gastric acid.
Therefore, experts advise buying steel knives, because they are more durable and safe.

Types of kitchen knives

A good housewife should not have one kitchen knife with which she will cook food. The kitchen should have a large number of knives that have a different purpose.

The main varieties of knives:

Bread. A long gear blade must have a wide base. Suitable for cutting all bakery products.
Standard. It has a length of 20-40 cm, a large blade, a sharp end and a rounded cutting part.
Vegetable. It is characterized by a short blade, good sharpness and even rifled part.
For cheese and sausages. Quite long, and have a wide rifled part.
For fish. A medium -sized blade is covered with cloves.
For oil. It has a wide blade and a rounded end, so that it is more convenient to spread oil.
A hatchet. Used to cut meat. It has a large rifled part and a strong hilt.

For professionals, more knives are thought out. Main types:

For salmon - It is characterized by a flexible and thin blade, allowing you to cut the fish fillet into thin, almost transparent pieces.
Slider with grantons. It has holes in the blade to make it more convenient to cut fruits and cakes.
For fillet. It is used to separate the fish or meat fillet from bone.
Collapse. It is used for cutting chicken.
Slizer. Designed for cutting products in small pieces.
Putty knife. Used to apply cream on the cake.
Nakiri. It is used for vegetable shifts.
For tomatoes. It is characterized by an edge with cloves and a fork at the end. Cuts tomatoes without squeezing the juice.

Varieties of handles for kitchen knives

It is important to choose knives with a smooth, but not sliding handle. There are several types of handles for kitchen knives, more about which will be described later.
Handbone It has light weight and compact size. A knife is immersed in it. The cost of such products is not high. The disadvantages include a greater probability of a split. Choose the handle so that the tail reaches its middle.
Is there some more pavers. It is located on both sides of the blade, and connected by rivets. Such products are quite reliable. It is important that the tail of the knife is long.
The most durable handles are characterized kitchen knives made of whole metal. They are firmly connected to the blade, so they are not deformed. Disadvantages - high weight and high cost. The most convenient handles are products made of heat -resistant plastic.
Most often used bakelitewhich is rather cool to the touch. It is convenient to use wooden handles, however, they can be deformed from contact with water.

Features of choosing kitchen knives

If you choose a kitchen knife, it is important to consider many nuances.

The main ones include:

Blade. Quality affects not only a feature of cutting, but also the comfort of operation. If you buy a blade with a flimsy base, it is likely that it will quickly become unusable. Give preference to forged steel. They are more durable. Make sure that there are no defects on the blades.
The edge for cutting. It should not have mechanical damage. If there are irregularities (Zazubrins or waves), it means that the goods are of poor quality.
Handle. You can buy blades with handles made of plastic, metal or wood. Wooden handles are more comfortable, but quickly become unusable. Plastic products are durable and durable, however, they may uncomfortable in the hand. Metal handles are more convenient and practical. They can be washed even in a dishwasher.

Sharpening. It is better to buy blades from laser sharpening. In the future, you do not need to sharpen the knives yourself.
Fasteners. If there are rivets on the handle, they must be tightly twisted, and do not stick out.
Price. Give preference to more expensive products, because good quality cannot be cheap.

Ease of use. For a male chef, knives are suitable, the length of which is about 25 cm. For women, goods are suitable, the length of which is 16 cm.
Balance. The more balanced the knife will be, the easier it will be for you to work with it. However, they will be expensive. Attach the knife on the finger on the bolster, and try to balance it. If the blade does not fall, then you can purchase it.

How to store kitchen knives?

If you properly care for kitchen knives, they will last much longer.

There are several basic recommendations:

Keep the blades so that they do not contact each other or with other metal devices. Otherwise, they will quickly dull.
Keep on magnetic boards or standsthat are supplied with knives from the manufacturer.
Cut the products into boards or plastic or wood.
Do not allow the knives to contact water for a long time. After washing, immediately wipe them with a towel to remove excess moisture.
Do not wash in dishwasher. This will prevent dullness.
Do not leave the knives in the open sun. If you take them for picnicwrap the product on paper.
Use blades only for its intended purpose.

Now you know how to choose the right kitchen knife so that it serves for a long time. It is important to take into account not only the blade and handle, but also the balance. Give preference to more expensive goods, because they are made of high -quality materials. Famous manufacturers value their reputation, so they always provide a guarantee for their goods. You may not worry that the knife will become unusable after a few months of active operation.

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