The Consumer’s Guide to Cutlery
Cutting to the Quick in Knifeware
The most important tool you will ever need in your kitchen is a kitchen knife. Unless you subsist solely on cereal from the box and pasta with canned tomato sauce, quality knives are an essential part of your successful culinary activities. In other words, good knives mean good cooking!
Kitchen knives are sold in a host of sizes and styles to answer your diverse cooking needs. You will find broad sturdy chef knives and small dainty paring knives, sleek smooth-edged knives and long serrated bread knives. Various types of knifeware serve different functions. How do you know just what to choose?
To decide which knives to add to your wish-list, ask yourself just what it is you will be cutting. Does your cooking repertoire consist of chopping vegetables and slicing bread, or do you also want to debone poultry and fillet fish ? When was the last time you peeled an orange with a potato peeler? A paring knife will do the trick. And then there’s style. Perhaps you prefer wooden handles, or does shiny stainless steel catch your eye?
Form With Function: Types of Knifeware
Function determines form where knives are concerned. The particular cutting function for which the knife was designed determines its size and style. Let’s review the various types of kitchen knives most commonly used.
Chef’s Knife
This is the hardest-working knife you will keep in your kitchen. Generally 6-, 8-, or 10-inches long, this large, sturdy knife is used with a cutting board to chop, dice, and mince fruit, vegetables, and meat. Its wide blade allows you to control its up-and-down chopping motion with your other hand. Of all the knives you will possess, quality is the most imperative when it comes to your chef’s knife. In other words, no skimping here! Look for excellent weight and balance, which promote the utility of this type of knife. The size of your hand will be important in selecting which size to buy.
Slicing Knives
These are the plain-edged non-serrated knives which you can use either with a cutting board or without. They will slice tomatoes and other vegetables beautifully, with precision and without tearing - provided their sharp cutting edge is maintained by occasional re-honing. These knives usually come with narrow blades, which prevent the food from sticking to them as you slice. Your preference will determine style and size. It is easier to use a blade that is longer than the food you are cutting, so you will most likely want to have more than one.
Paring Knives
Also known as peeling knives, these are the short 2-to-4 1/2”-long tapered knives which help you slice, peel, and make decorative cuts in fruit. The blade may have a hooking curve at the end which peels off the rind from citrus fruit most easily.
Serrated Bread Knives
Bread knives come with serrations on the cutting edge, allowing them to cut beautifully through a crusty loaf of bread. They may also be used for sausages, tomatoes, and other foods according to your preference, though they do not cut through with the same precision as plain-edged slicing knives. In case you ever wondered, the reason for the serration is so that only part of the cutting edge will come into contact with the cutting surface. This preserves the sharpness of the knife for longer, particularly significant with a serrated knife, which cannot be resharpened (only touched-up lightly). Bread knives tend to be long, though serrated knives are available in a range of sizes.
Specialty Knives
If your food preparation includes fish, meat, and poultry, you will likely find these a wonderful addition to your knifeware.
Fillet knives are used to fillet fish. Available in lengths of 5” to 7”, these are straight knives with thin, flexible blades most suited to the task at hand.
Boning knives are just what you need to debone poultry. Their slightly curved blade may be either rigid -which will help you cut the meat away from large bones - or flexible, which will cut legs from breast or debone poultry for chicken cutlets. Now your favorite Viener Schnitzel will be a cinch to make!
Carving knives are perfect for slicing those thick, large roasts, even after your dinner guests have already arrived. Some feature a granton edge, a hollow oval area on the side of the long, thin blade which prevents food from adhering to the blade.
To Dissect a Knife…
How can you fathom a knife company’s claims to fame and quality if you are unfamiliar with knife construction terminology? So - back to the basics we go.
The blade is the part which determines the function of the knife. It is comprised of the cutting edge, the spine (which is opposite the cutting edge), and the tip or point. Above we explored the ways in which the type of blade affects the purpose for which a knife is intended.
The tang is the extension of the blade to which the handle is riveted. A tang is said to be full when it runs the full length of the handle. A full tang increases a knife’s stability, balance, and overall strength, and as such is used in all-sized knives of superior quality. In addition, tangs can run thick or thin. The narrowness of a stick tang can accommodate a fuller handle around it, which for some cooks proves more comfortable.
The bolster is a thick piece of metal that some knives have between the blade and the tang. In adding a buffer zone between your fingers and the blade during cutting, it acts as a safety device. Moreover, a bolster improves a knife’s balance and heft.
The handle is really where you come in most. Covering the tang, the handle may be larger or smaller, taking into consideration the size of your hand and your deftness in wielding a knife. For some the handle is the knife’s crowning glory, with fancy silver-handled knives or beautifully-crafted rosewood handles. Stainless steel handles are both esthetic and low-maintenance. Whether your preference lies in metal or wood, however, don’t forget that an ergonomically-shaped handle will promote a safe, sure grip that is comfortable, as well.
Construction
There are different methods by which to construct a knife from its various parts. To produce a forged blade, a steel blank is heated to a very high temperature. A drop forge machine then pounds it into shape, thus creating a strong knife with a thick bolster from a single piece of steel. This type of knife is more expensive but well worth the value.
A stamped or blocked blade is produced by cutting blade-like shapes out of sheets of steel. After the blades are ground and edged, handles are attached. This type of knife has no bolster and thus has less strength and balance. On the other hand, it makes for a knife.lighter in weight and less expensive.
Worth Its Metal
A knife is only as good as its metal, so it’s worth knowing about the differences prior to your purchase.
Stainless Steel and Surgical Stainless Steel are wonderfully rust-resistant and stain-proof. The softer alloy of stainless cutlery does not allow for optimal retention of the sharp cutting edge, but the affordable price and low maintenance requirements are attractive features with universal appeal.
High Carbon Steel is known for its strength and durability. The high content of carbon is that which makes it hard. Reliable and flexible, knives made from this metal take and maintain an extremely sharp cutting edge. They are not rust-proof, however, and they can stain and discolor if not cared for properly. Take care to wash them promptly after cutting acidic fruits and vegetables, and be sure to dry after each use.
High Carbon Stainless Steel is the winning combination found in most high-quality cutlery today. Taking the best of both metals, high carbon’s hard, sharp edges are coupled with a 13%-minimum-chromium alloy. The result is a maintenance-free stainless steel product prized by the modern consumer.
Titanium is steel’s impressive competition. Created from an alloy of titanium and carbides, knifeware made from this maintains a sharp cutting edge. It is more durable than steel yet at the same time is lighter weight and more flexible. Moreover, no metallic taste is transferred to the food. Not intended for decorative precision cutting, they make excellent boning and fillet implements for any contemporary kitchen.
Ceramic is a recent choice in cutlery available today. The blades made from this non-metal material are lightweight, very sharp and – you guessed it – delightfully non-corrosive. Though they are not given to re-sharpening at home, they require very little, anyway, as they hold their edge for a very long time. The fragile, nonflexible blades necessitate diamond-cutting tools for honing. They are not for use with china dishware, which would become scratched as a result. Rather, be sure to use these knives with a cutting board to slice through onions, tomatoes, and other foods with the ceramic blade’s gentle, sliding motion. Note the excellent warranty that comes with most ceramic knifeware.
Preference and Priority: A Cut Above
Now that you have familiarized yourself with the distinct characteristics of knifeware, ask yourself again just what it is you value most. If it is precision cutting that you want, you would do well to go for one of the Japanese-style knives being sold. Their hard, thin blades are lightweight, well balanced, and maintain their extreme sharpness for quite a while. If you maintain them properly with periodic honing and proper cleaning, you will enjoy these knives as you make your favorite Sushi or prepare pleasing fruits and vegetables with decorative cuts.
Your primary focus, on the other hand, may simply be on low maintenance knives to do your chopping with the greatest of ease. If it is, then take note of the American- or European-style models. These tend to have softer steel and a thicker blade. They do not boast sharpness so much as durability, but their strength and heft will require little or no maintenance and will serve you faithfully as you chop, slice and dice to your heart’s content.
Whichever you go for, you will go farthest if you wash your knifeware by hand and soon after you use them. Storing them in a knife block will preserve them further. Be sure to sharpen as often as required. And for your own sake, never cut while in a rush!
With all this newfound information in hand, your newly-purchased kitchen knives are sure to be a cut above the rest.
