Kitchen cutlery is one major area most home cooks fail to take seriously. Despite using knives almost every day, they usually fail to buy the right knife set for their kitchen. They don’t realize life is a lot easier when they have a good set of knives. From slicing a pineapple to dicing a pork loin, knowing how to work with knives is crucial to success in the kitchen. Knives comes in different sizes, styles and shape and from all across the globe, thus it is no surprise that so many people are sometimes unsure about which ones to get.
When you start shopping for your perfect kitchen knife – one that will make dicing, slicing, chopping, mincing more pleasurable and effortless – it is pertinently important to know your personal preferences and understand that there isn’t one knife that is right for everyone. A little research goes a long way in helping you identify the right knives for your kitchen. In this article, we will discuss the different types of knives and the roles they play in your kitchen.
From slicing a pineapple to dicing a pork loin, knowing how to work with knives is crucial to success in the kitchen learn more about knife sharpening angles is this article.
Chef
A chef knife is a classic, all-purpose kitchen knife and the most important in the collection of knives in your kitchen. It is considered the most essential knife for general kitchen task. If your kitchen tasks involve making classic cuts, dice, julienne and fine chops, then this knife should be your ultimate kitchen tool. This knife can be used for fish, meat and vegetables and you will need it to perform over 90 percent of your tasks. One good option to consider is the 8” chef knife offered by SCANDI. It is delightfully sharp and lightweight, making slicing and dicing a breeze. With a big blade and long edge, it comes easily as the most versatile and efficient kitchen knife you can have.
Paring
The paring knife is the smallest of the bunch. Usually a short knife with a blade 2-4 inches long, it is used for a bunch of small delicate tasks in the kitchen like trimming mushrooms and peeling garlic. Do you have small fruits like strawberry you want to slice? Then go for paring knife.
Santoku
This Japanese design multipurpose knife can be used as an alternative to a chef’s knife for dicing, slicing, and mincing vegetables. The straight edge, however, limits the rocking motion that chef knives do perfectly. Thus some find chef knives more efficient. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal choice based on your cutting style.
Boning
Usually a 5-7 inch long sharp thin bladed knife used for carving meats off bones and trimming fats. As the name implies, a boning knife is the most appropriate blade for cutting up poultry, fish or meat regardless of the size. A boning knife however, should not be used to cut through bones.
Serrated
Popularly referred to as the bread knife, the serrated knife works best for food items with soft core but firm outer layer like ripe melon and tomatoes. The toothed blade is known to take on almost any job not especially appropriate for a chef knife. The waxy blades can grip and penetrate those exteriors that the flat blade of a chef knife can’t. The jagged edge blade allows for controlled cuts of the other surface of the food but doesn’t crush the delicate interior.
Knife Blade Materials
Apart from different knife functions, you also need to decide on the blade material, which affects the sharpness, durability, and maintenance effort required by the user. Carbon steel has been the most common knife blade in the industry for several years. These blades are sharp and strong, keeping their edge for longer. However, they rust easily and discolor when they come in contact with acidic food like tomatoes, requiring high care to keep them in top condition. Stainless steel blades, on the other hand, do not rust as easily (they still do!), but they require more frequent sharpening as they go blunt faster.
Ceramic blades have been in the market for the shortest time but are gaining popularity. Made of very tough zirconium oxide, they tend to hold their edge up to 10 times longer than stainless steel blades. With ceramic knife, you rarely need sharpening as it always keeps its edge regardless of how much you use it. The hard material makes ceramic knives much more delicate than steel knives as they chip easier and are not suitable for cutting/chopping bones and frozen food. Nevertheless, over time, the sharper, lighter weight and more durable ceramic knives have won the hearts of many home chefs. The fact that a top notch steel knife offering the same sharpness is easily triple, if not more, the cost of a good ceramic knife makes ceramic knives a worthy investment.
With all these information, if you are still wondering what knives to buy, we recommend the SCANDI ceramic knife set. With a 5” paring knife and 8” chef knife, this set delivers minimalist knives embracing all the important features, making it well placed to handle 90% of your kitchen cutting needs. Read more about SCANDI knives here.
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