Knives.All-StarGear.com

Expensive knives might not be the ones that are the best in the kitchen. That’s because any knife that’s not maintained in good condition will be hard to use, no matter what the price. Keeping the right knives and making sure you take care of them is a vital part of keeping things running well in your workspace.

Make sure that you have a quality chef’s knife - the one blade every cook should have. This is a large handled knife with a blade that starts out wide near the base. It then tapers to a point. This is the knife you’ll use for the majority of your cutting in the kitchen. Since chef’s knives are so versatile, a full knife set isn’t really worth the cost. Investing in a single, high quality chef’s knife and keeping it very sharp will serve you better in the long run.

Remember that not every chef’s knife is the same. These blades come in many different sizes, and are measured by the length of the blade. Don’t get one that’s too small - the smallest knife you should buy for all purpose use is around eight inches long, not including the handle. Small knives may seem safer or easier to use, but that’s not always true. Large knives can be used to cut small things, but the reverse doesn’t work.

The variety of knives can be bewildering, since even an eight inch chef’s knife comes in examples between fifteen and a hundred and fifty dollars. Look for a knife that’s around twenty-five dollars if you’re on a budget, but more money can get you a more attractive knife. A significant overhang below the handle will help you keep it sharp.

You might have heard that a costly knife will hold it’s edge longer. That’s not really true. Good steel does keep an edge better than the cheapest metal, but cutting any sturdy root vegetable will cause the edge to go out of true. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a mediocre knife or one that’s top of the line. To help fix this, use a steel to straighten the edge on a daily basis. Steels are the long sticks you’ve probably seen with knife sets, and are traditionally made from steel. However, many are not ceramic or diamond. Using a steel is just a matter of swiping it down the side of the knife at a twenty degree angle, but this takes some experience. For those who aren’t comfortable with this process, there are also a few easier options.

Knife and tool sharpeners come with their own built in angles. They’ll help you straighten your knife without needing a lot of skill. Just hold the knife edge up, with the tip hanging off the edge of the counter. Swipe the sharpener over that edge several times, and you’ll find the edge is a lot keener than when you started. However, you should keep in mind that this type of sharpener shortens the life of your knife. It takes metal off the edge of the blade, but a sharp knife for a few years is still better than a dull one for life.

No matter how you decide to sharpen, be sure to wash and dry them both before and after. Once you get used to a good edge, it’ll be more obvious when knife are getting dull. It gets a lot harder to cut, particularly tough objects. If you want to test a knife, slide the tip of the blade along the skin of a peach or tomato without pressure. If the knife is sharp, it’ll split the skin.

Knives should always be treated with care. Don’t use glass, granite, or other hard cutting boards. Instead, try wood or plastic. You should also keep the edge from getting damaged by washing and drying with right away after use. This keeps it from being damaged by other dishes and tools.