The most popular and indispensable working tool in the kitchen is a knife. When it comes to catering points, which employs professional chefs, the first place there comes a special chef's knife or chef knife. This device allows you to perform all of the required kitchen manipulation of food processing.
Chef's - it is the largest knife in the kitchen of the restaurant and it looks really impressive.
Content
- 1 What is the difference between the chef and the usual kitchen knives
- 2 Steel for the professional chef knives
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3 Types of knives chef
- 3.1 Japanese chef knives
- 3.2 European knives
- 4 Dimensions chef knives
- 5 The choice of chef knives
- 6 Determination of the quality sharpening
- 7 Caring for the kitchen chef knives
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8 Popular models from well-known manufacturers
- 8.1 Samura Mo-V (SM-0094)
- 8.2 Chef knife Tojiro (F-807) of 18 cm
- 8.3 Knives Chef Series "Tramontina Century"
- 8.4 Chef Knives "The strength of granite"
- 8.5 Chef knife "Samura"
- 9 VIDEO: What knives are a chef in the kitchen.
What is the difference between the chef and the usual kitchen knives
Instrumentation serious kitchen includes, as a rule, a set of at least three blades. Among them will meet a chef's knife. The main feature of this kitchen accessories is its extreme versatility. Chef knife can do the lion's share manipulation by slicing and cutting products.
Its length is 300 mm, it has a fairly broad and sharp blade.
Professional chefs, for the most part, individually picked up for himself a knife, creating the conditions for easy and convenient operation. Typically, the manufacture of chef knives used alloyed steels, characterized by high hardness. For these products is characterized by the sharpness of the blade and the presence of heavy arms.
The undeniable advantage of this cooking device, not only in its universality, but also light weight.
Important! The main difference chef knife for professionals from the usual kitchen, is its ability to quickly and very high quality cut poultry, pork butcher and handle big fish. The same is effective chopping vegetables, greens or various fruits in its execution.
Successfully coping with the three main tasks of grinding, cutting and butchering knives for chefs and their parameters differ from ordinary kitchen knife. The classic version chef knife its size is also superior to other professional counterparts.
This is the most convenient to use the knife as a professional, as well as in a conventional kitchen.
Another significant difference of such devices is the high quality material, which goes to their manufacture. This is due to the fact that during the operation they have much greater mechanical loads than the kitchen. This explains the higher cost of professional cutting tools, at times in excess of the usual price.
Perfectly suitable for cooking dishes of European and Russian, eastern and southern cuisine.
Steel for the professional chef knives
When choosing kitchen knife, you should consider its purpose, geometry, ease of use, and especially - cutting properties. The latter figure is dependent on the grade of steel that went to the manufacture of the blades. It depends on its quality durability of the cutting part, as well as its resistance to organic compounds from foodstuffs.
It provides high-speed preparation of any dish.
Note! If the knife is made of metal with a low hardness, it quickly blunts ceases quality cut, require frequent sharpening. Such products also have a low ability to withstand bending. They also have low cost. Therefore, you should give preference to the more expensive, but at the same time, high-quality steel grades. Their notation is often applied along the butt of the knife in the form of the marking strip.
Sometimes on the label you can see the hardness of steel, expressed in units of Rockwell or HRC. Steel for standard kitchen knives for this parameter has in the range of 40 to 61 hardness units.
Patronage knife will be the main tool in your kitchen.
Among the domestic brands to manufacture knives are:
- Steel 65H13. Characterized by a high percentage of chromium, so almost no rust. It is sometimes called medical or surgical steel, as it is for the manufacture of medical instruments. From 65H13 made most brands of inexpensive knives. This steel is quite soft, so the blade sharpening is very easy for her, but it will happen too quickly grow blunt. Some domestic manufacturers hardened blade after sharpening factory, giving them the desired firmness.
- 40H12 steel is susceptible to treatment but is not subject to hardening. Therefore, the blade made therefrom, soon become blunt and bend easily. However, they are also not subject to corrosion, and from 40H12 knives are very cheap. Application of this mark will be justified if the farm will be present musat knife changes.
- More than one solid from domestic manufacturers will kitchen knives made of steel mark 95X18. This steel also does not corrode, very aesthetic, but its processing, including heat, is only possible in the factory. Sharpening the blade on home devices is not possible, but the cutting edge of such knives lasts a long time. It is also possible marriage in the form of increased brittleness with the advent of chipping when inexperienced manufacturers overheat blades. In general, steel yavlyaetsya95H18 the best one. It is used for the manufacture of chef knives, as well as souvenir swords.
- Steel 50H14MF is versatile and high domestic brand. As a result, it is used only reputable firms with the appropriate equipment. Subject to thermal processing technology knives made from it, yields the corresponding strength characteristics and needs elasticity. According to its users, long and thin blade knives 50H14MF are fragile, so they require careful treatment.
It is in this toque device runs about 90% of the daily work on the preparation of dishes.
As for the foreign steel samples, the cheap Chinese products coming into our market, made of relatively cheap brand 420. Negative glory of Chinese knives due to the bad treatment of the material, although this steel has certain advantages. Knives made of it, do not rust, it has been praised by European producers of steel blades 420 are popular among divers.
These knives are working in the kitchen upscale chefs, hitting ordinary citizens the masterly cooking complex dishes.
You should know that in case of purchase of the knife imported from this steel, it is necessary to take into account his country - the manufacturer. In particular, the Spanish production cutters too soft cutting edges, while the Swiss, German and Austrian products have a solid blade and precise sharpening.
The massive blade is the only disadvantage of European knives, as it prevents the accurate cutting.
Pleasant exception of American knives made of steel 420. Their blades have a hardness of 50-60 HRC, their blades carefully handled, differ little thickness with a high degree of elasticity.
The marking of the blade can not always contain the number 420. Little-known manufacturers usually do not put markings on the blade, or do they label type Stainless Steel, which means "stainless steel". Known brands, by contrast, rarely resort to such designations.
The flip side of the cooking tool can be qualitatively beat off tough meat, or simply to split a nutshell.
The second common brand steel knife is 440C. For a long time was the leader among foreign manufacturers due to the hardness and the availability of treatment.
Types of knives chef
In a professional environment, it decided to allocate so-called "Povarskaya three" blades, which necessarily must have every cook:
- Chef knife, which is the main working tool, which allows to produce not only a meat or poultry, but also cutting vegetables.
- Toothed sereytor designed for cutting bread and vegetables and fruit. External similarity with a saw, however, allows the blade length of about 20 centimeters to work very delicately, without dents on soft foods.
- A small knife length of about 6 - 8 centimeters for cleaning vegetables and fruit processing.
In the hands of a professional chef knife - it's quite functional device.
Japanese chef knives
One of the traditional world leaders in the production of high-quality professional kitchen cutting tool serves Japan.
Chef knives Japanese Santoku called, which translated means "sword, making one and the same time, three distinct steps."
In this country, it made more than 700 different types of knives. Particularly well-known among them enjoys chef knife named "Santoku", which means "three virtues". This versatile knife for meat products, fish and vegetable raw materials in the form of green fruits and vegetables. A Japanese chef knife, able to easily carve, cut and cut, is the dream of every chef.
Due to the high quality of the metal and the quality of balancing the "descendant katana" it has become very popular far beyond the borders of their Asian homeland.
European knives
Not less popular in Russia are the product of European manufacturers, especially German. The famous Solingen steel has proven itself over the centuries. In France, the main production knives focused in Their. At the same time familiar to us kind of kitchen knives purchased somewhere at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Rockwell European products correspond to the strongest possible steels which have a hardness level below 60 units.
Today, however, only a small number of well-known European brands of knives produced on this continent. The overwhelming majority of production shifted to South-East Asia region, and that made Today in Europe, it is significantly different in quality from the products manufactured by another couple of decades ago.
This knife is excellent for narubki, flattening and even shredding to quickly cut into the meat of fish and birds, all kinds of vegetables and fresh greens.
Dimensions chef knives
These products have a wide blade, cutting accuracy which is achieved due to its mass. The most popular option is blade length of about 20 cm. Such knives are universal, fit for either hand and cut everything from large pieces of meat and vegetables to small. Experienced cooks are not limited so long, and they resort to products up to 25-30 cm.
Good knife is made of a single piece of metal, while it must be included in the handle to its entire length.
The choice of chef knives
The criteria for selection of such products are:
- steel quality, which is made of a knife;
- the quality of its blades;
- sharpening the cutting edge;
- the state of the handle;
- ease of use.
The properties of the steel depends on the time during which the blade retains its cutting capacity, whether it is susceptible to corrosion, and the main features of the care of this product. The main steel grades going to manufacture chef knives, have been described above.
If you ask the cook what kind of knife is better, he said, the copy of which will lie perfectly in the hand.
On its blade should be no rough edges, chips or scratches, it must have a uniform structure. The cutting edge must be free of chips, on it there should be no dents. Preference should be given to products with blades of sufficient thickness and a smooth, polished surfaces.
As for the arms, they are of two types. In the first case, the metal part extends the entire length of the handle, in the second - to reach half or 2/3.
Not only the appearance of the knife plays an important role in the selection, it is imperative that the handle has an ergonomic and convenient for all kinds of grips.
The first embodiment is more preferable in terms of optimal balance.
Important! Liquids on the handle should not provoke a sliding arm.
As for amenities, the knife should not be too massive, and his arm shall hold well in hand.
Determination of the quality sharpening
the so-called "tomato test" is best suited for testing the sharpness of kitchen knives. To do this, ripe tomato is taken, from which, without pressing, cut a slice from the corner of his vegetable. If the skin is cut easily and without any effort, the knife is sharpened well.
When bad sharpening blade it simply slips off the rounded surface of the tomato, and a piece of the segment will require effort, crushes vegetable.
Caring for the kitchen chef knives
High-quality knives require special care:
- kept separate from other kitchen utensils, for which they must be kept on a special stand, or wrapped in cloth;
- immediately after the application, they must be washed and wiped dry with a cloth;
- Do not clean knives in dishwashers;
- Knife should be selected good board, and the best choice is wood;
- washing blades made of carbon steel can not be used hot water.
Popular models from well-known manufacturers
Samura Mo-V (SM-0094)
Knives brand samura made of steel AUS-8 with excellent performance. These durable, reliable and comfortable products with ergonomic handle of fiberglass, characterized by affordability and demand for many of the leading chefs of restaurants.
Knife highly productive work, has high ergonomistikoy and very appealing look brevity of its unique design.
The products do not stick to the blade during the cutting process. These products are easy to clean and does not require any special storage conditions.
Chef knife Tojiro (F-807) of 18 cm
Japanese tojiro is a multi-purpose product. Its main application performs shredder vegetables and cutting meat, and butt of the knife can be used for weaning meat. The blade is made of steel grade VG10, the hardness of the cutting edge is 60 HRC, which allows to obtain accurate cuts on any board.
Durable handle made of eco-friendly technology Eco Wood.
Knives Chef Series "Tramontina Century"
These knives are known for their affordability among the forged products from steel DIN 1.4110. Sentury Tramontina line was created specifically as a restaurant and for home cooking.
In addition to acute and "long" sharpening and excellent balance, Tramontina products are provided with hygienic handles made of polycarbonate.
Chef Knives "The strength of granite"
Blades of this series, made of stainless steel, have a special "marble" Granitex coating blade. The particular blade shape promotes ease of use, since it does not adhere to the particle products.
Acceptable nozhetochki ordinary use.
Chef knife "Samura"
Different sharpness and a high resistance portion of the cutting, and special its hardness eliminates the need for grinding. These products are equipped with an ergonomic plastic handle that prevents slipping.
Be sure to check with the store, how big chef knife you best choose for certain purposes - 200 mm or 300 mm long.
