Knives for kitchen

Do you need a knife in a modern kitchen, if there is a huge amount of home appliances? And the fact that the stores sell all kinds of cuts, sets of already cut vegetables and chopped into small pieces of meat, seems to make the usual kitchen knife an object is not required. However, any self-respecting hostess will say that a knife is needed, and preferably not one. What are the knives for the kitchen? Let's figure it out.

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When to buy a knife?

Circumstances that cause a person to go to a hardware store behind a knife may be very different. The handle broke, the notch appeared on the blade - the reasons are quite respectful, to update the kitchen arsenal. In addition, such an object can be an excellent gift for both women and men. It is important to choose it correctly.

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Male knife

If a representative of the stronger sex loves to cook and makes such a pilaf that you lick your fingers, he certainly will like the chef's knife. This product you probably saw in the picture in some book, where the cook is one of the main characters. This is a large knife made of stainless steel, from 20 to 25 cm in length( more often 21 cm - this size of the blade is considered universal).

This is truly a knife for everything - they can cut vegetables and cut meat, however, not only to cut. If desired, such a tool can and properly discard pieces. And if the tool is branded and released by one of the world-known companies, like Zwilling J.A.Henckels or Wusthof - a man will simply be flattered by this recognition of his culinary abilities.

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Gift knife for woman

A beautiful lady will also be happy with a comfortable knife. Only you should choose something more tiny, with a blade length of 13-16 cm. For most kitchen works, it is quite suitable, besides, it is easier to chef knife. It is important that steel is quality, and the handle is comfortable.

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What are the knives?

Even if you are not particularly keen on cooking, but are preparing something simple, you probably noticed that the knives are all different. The shape, length and width of the blade, the size of the handle differ.

Which knives are best for the kitchen? To answer this question, let's talk about what they are and why they are needed. In any store you can find kitchen tools:

• chef;
• for bread:
• for cleaning fruits and vegetables;
• knife-hatchet;
• for cutting meat from bones;
• for sausage and cheese;
• for fish:
• for mushrooms.

And that's not all, but only the most popular representatives of the "knife kingdom."

Important! This list did not include their dining cousins, intended for butter, pâté and other soft foods - they have medium-sized blades, not too sharp, and the tip is rounded.

Accessory of the chef

The chief knife is a universal tool. Comfortable handle, wide sharp blade, good balance - all this will make cooking interesting and enjoyable.

Bread knife or serritor

This tool has a large handle, a long wavy or serrated blade. The width is the same along the entire length of the blade.

Important! This knife can easily cope with both soft and hard bread, they can cut puff cakes, vegetables and fruits.

It usually has a length of 20-25 cm and in its appearance resembles a saw blade - its blade is notched( sometimes it can be wavy).

Important! When choosing such a knife, pay attention to the size of the teeth.

Knife for cleaning vegetables

They can also cut garlic and do some other work. This is a short knife - the length of the blade is only 8-10 cm. It has a sharp tip, a large handle, a smooth cutting surface.

Important! There is also a variety for potatoes and carrots - a rounded surface, and in it - a slot with a sharp edge.

Toporik

This tool is designed for cutting meat and cutting the bones. It has a strong comfortable grip and a wide blade. Sometimes on the other side of the blade there is a hammer that allows not only to cut, but also to beat meat. The handle can be wooden and metal. If you need to choose such a knife for the kitchen, please note that the second option is more convenient - it will not fly off at the most inopportune moment.

For cutting meat

This is a tool of medium length, with a narrow, curved blade to the tip. The handle has a wider blade, the cutting surface is completely smooth, without any waves or teeth.

For cheese and sausage

This object has a wide blade, sometimes even very wide( for example, there are square knives for cheese).Cutting surface - straight, no notches on it.

For fish

Elegant thing - a flexible and fairly thin blade, the width is the same over the entire length. Cutting surface - with notches.

For mushrooms

Mushrooms, of course, can be cleaned with any knife, but avid fans of "quiet hunting" prefer a special tool - a short plastic knife with a hard brush on the handle. This brush is very convenient to clean the hats oily, as well as shoot all sorts of leaf-needles from other mushrooms.

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Kitchen trio

Each housewife equips her kitchen in the way she likes. This applies to knives - they can be a dozen or two or just a few. But the most minimal set, which is useful for everyone, is the so-called "kitchen trio".

This company is designed to cut a variety of products. The kit includes:

• chef;
• the supervisor;
• knife for cleaning vegetables.

Important! You can buy them both together, and individually - as you like. The kit has its advantages:

• material of the same quality;
• general design;
• kit will cost less than several items separately.

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Steel or Ceramics?

The twenty-first century is a victorious procession of ceramics. On the kitchen equipped with the latest technology it can be found literally everywhere. Glass ceramic hobs are extremely popular, as are kitchen sinks. So is it logical, if other equipment will be of the same material?

Asking the question how to choose a kitchen knife, the landlady will certainly think - will not you try ceramic? This material has its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

Ceramic blades are made from zirconium dioxide. This is a fairly hard material that holds the sharpening well.

Important! The ceramic knife remains sharp ten times longer than the steel knife.

There are other advantages:

• is a minimum porous structure, that is, when cooking, there is no mixing of flavors - after you crushed garlic, the blade is enough to rinse lightly:
• - the material is easy to clean;
• blade, of course, does not rust;
• the knife is not magnetized and is not oxidized;
• lightness - the ceramic knife is many times lighter than steel, so the hands get tired less.

Cons

The disadvantages of such products are also lacking:

• material itself is fragile, so it's unlikely to cut frozen meat to them;
• such a tool can not be universal;
• ceramic knives are more expensive than steel knives;
• you can hardly sharpen it with your own hands.

Important! You can, of course, buy one or two such knives for various small operations as an experiment, provided that you have several good steel knives.

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Look at your old knife

Having decided to part with the old knife, carefully look at it. It is best to choose a knife for the kitchen like to perform the usual actions. If the gun is relatively new, but you decide to buy another, think about why. Perhaps you do not like:

• weight - too large or vice versa;
• long or too short blade;
• appearance of rust or the fact that the knife does not hold sharp;
• uncomfortable handle;
• rubs the shoe;
• insufficient width - the products are not cut to the end.

Important! There may be other shortcomings, which should be avoided when buying a new knife.

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Steel Type

Good kitchen knives are made of quality steel. The material is very important, because it depends on how long the knife will hold the sharpener, it will be covered with rust or not. Steel can be different, but more often for the manufacture of kitchen equipment are several types:

• high-carbon stainless steel;
• carbon steel;
• ordinary stainless steel;
• steel with chromium addition;
• steel with the addition of chromium and vanadium.

Than they all differ:

• The most popular material is high-carbon steel. Good knives for kitchen from this material perfectly hold sharpening and keep a beautiful appearance - long remain shiny. Such knives are somewhat more expensive than their counterparts from carbon steel and ordinary stainless steel, but the difference in price pays off with interest.
• Carbon or carbon steel keeps a sharp grip, but this material quickly fades. The usual stainless steel glitters, but it is a fairly soft material, so the blade is dull faster than the tools made of high-carbon and carbon steel. It is necessary to sharpen such blades once a month and a half.
• Excellent blades are made of steels with the addition of chromium or chromium and vanadium. On sale you can also find knives made of steel with the addition of molybdenum.

Important! To find out what material the knife is made from, it is possible by the inscription on the package or from the booklet, which a solid producer will certainly attach to the product.

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Look at the blade

The most important element is the blade. How to choose a knife for the kitchen? Of course, so that later do not suffer, sharpening the cutting surface after each cooking.

Important! Ideal - a knife with an open heel, that is, the blade is sharpened from the tip to the heel. This is important for maintaining the cutting surface when cutting solid products or cutting the bones. Chef-knives are most often made with a closed heel.

Pay attention also:

• for the thickness of the blade - the more, the better;
• on the smoothness of the blade - it must match the purpose, that is, the chef-knife surface is smooth, in others - can be jagged, rounded or wavy;
• for the processing of the shoe - it should not rub.

Sharpening

Of course, if it's good knives for the kitchen, the cutting surface should be absolutely smooth - without dents, chips and other defects. The exception is the bread knife, where the edge is with denticles.

Important! It is best when the sharpening line is continuous from the tip to the handle. In addition, a good European cutting tool sharpening will always be two-sided.

Note these moments:

• Surface of the blade. The surface should be without any scratches, roughness and other unpleasant little things. Smooth surface indicates the uniformity of the material.
• Method of sharpening. As for the method of sharpening, then it has laser knives. It can be distinguished by matt incisions. Such tools stay sharp for a long time.
• Mounting the blade. The quality knife has very few fasteners - only the linings are attached to the shank. The rivets must be snug and not move away.

Important! A knife from a good manufacturer is always taken out of the package, so you can see it.

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Let's examine the handle

This is a very important detail! A good kitchen tool has a blade and a handle made of one piece of steel. The part that falls on the handle( shank) is clamped to two plates. Such a weapon is well balanced.

Important! Pay attention to whether the handle is solid and how strong it is. Where there are parts, there should not be any gaps. Good knives do not show traces of welding.

The material of the plates should not slip, even when grease enters it. Usually, wood or rubber is used for these parts. But you can find both plastic and composite.

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Checking the balance

The knife can be differently balanced:

• with heavy handle;
• with heavy blade;
• with parts approximately equal in weight.

Here it is difficult to give advice - choose the one that suits you best. To begin with, evaluate the knife that you want to replace, and think whether you are satisfied with its balance or want the handle or blade to be heavier, Consider the following:

• hand size;
• the ratio of the length of the blade and the handle.

Important! For a big hand you need a big knife. A large knife can cut food faster, but a small one is safer.

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European and Japanese - what's the difference?

In this case we are talking about chef-knives. They can be:

• European;
• Japanese;
• made in Japan by European standards.

We take into account that we will prepare:

• For European dishes, the European knife is more convenient - at any rate, it is very convenient for them to cut meat. At such tool the cutting edge is rounded, and sharpening - from two parties.
• The Japanese knife has a one-sided sharpening, a thick shoe, a straight or almost straight cutting edge. Its hard enough to sharpen. In general, such a knife is suitable for those who often prepare dishes of Japanese cuisine. You can buy such a tool, but it should not be the only one.
• The connoisseurs of culinary art speak highly of hybrids - European-type knives made in Japan. These tools are very much appreciated for the high quality of steel. However, you should take care of such products very carefully.

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A little bit about the

companies Kitchen tools are released by everyone, who is not lazy. However, there are firms that have been engaged in this for more than a decade or even a century, and have proved themselves very well. Traditionally, quality knives are made in Germany.

Wusthof Dreizack

These are tools from hardened carbon steel. The knives do not rust and retain the hand-sharpened grip for a long time.

Zwilling J.A.Henckels

"Zwilling" is one of the leaders in this genre. The knives are durable, with manual sharpening, they are not corroded. Of course, the blade and shank are made of a single piece, as the most stringent standards require.

Victorinox

Switzerland is also famous for its products. Not only carbon is added to the steel, but also molybdenum, silicon, manganese. Accordingly - the knives are solid, perfectly grind and not rust.

Sabatier

Elegant, truly French knife with a round base and a thin handle. Convenient for cutting different products.

GLOBAL

One of the hybrid variants is a Japanese knife of European design. Very high quality molybdenum vanadium steel. These knives serve for a very long time and are resistant to corrosion.

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How to handle the knives?

It would seem, well, it's complicated - just keep them clean. But this is not enough. It is necessary to properly store tools, then they will not only last a long time, but will also please the eye. And it is necessary to do this, adhering to such rules:

1. You need a special knife holder - or a magnetic holder.
2. Ensure that the blades do not rub or beat against each other.
3. Buy the right boards - best wooden or plastic. Glass and stone boards very quickly dull your knives.
4. If you still bought a ceramic knife - keep it in a special case.
5. Knives immediately need to be wiped - soak them not to be, as well as simply forget in the sink.
6. Washing large knives in a dishwasher is not a good idea, it negatively affects sharpening.
7. Try not to heat the knives - in order to mix the contents of the frying pan, you need to have a special spatula.

Important! Never need to save on tools, including kitchen. If the price seems excessive to you, do not be scared. A quality knife is not cheap, but it will last long.

Now you know everything you need to choose the best quality kitchen knives. Hence - you do not have to change them every month to new ones and sharpen them after each cooking dinner. From now on, the cooking process will be faster, more enjoyable and safe for you.