Quality Kitchen Cutlery

Quality knives and Cutlery need to be sharpened to smooth and hone the blades and to keep your knives with a sharp edge.  There is nothing more frustrating to anyone in the kitchen or even devestating to a professional chef than to have a blade that is dull or with jagged tears.  To avoid this, quality knives and cutlery must be sharpened with a whetstone on a regular basis…at least every two or three months.  The very best way to sharpen a knife would be to have it professionally ground or sharpened, however, it is not practical to take your knives each time you want them sharpened to a professional craftsman.  Therefore, tools are available for sharpening your knives and cutlery yourself.  There are various styles of knife sharpeners but to get the best and sharpest edge is to use the whetstone and sharpening steel.  It may seem a little difficult to master the sharpening if using a whetstone and honing steel, or sharpening steel, but with practice you can do it yourself with much success. 

It is recommended that you first start with a whetstone which is made of carbonundum or another abrasive that comes in three densities:  coarse, medium (for all-purpose shrpening) and fine.   The coarse stone is good for sharpening Chef’s knives, while the fine stone is better for slicing knives or boning knives.  The whetstones come in two basic types–oil or water.  The oil whetstone is prepared by lubricating it with a few drops of oil which is smoothed to a light film across the stone.  A water stone will have to be soaked in water for approximately 15 minutes to absorb moisture.   Regardless of the type of stone you use, after it is prepared, be sure to place it on a non-stick surface, such as a tea towel, to steady the stone before you begin the sharpening.  Using the whetstone may leave a few minuscule pieces of jagged metal and therefore following up with the use of the honing steel is needed.

The honing steel, or sharpening steel, is a tool that serves a different purpose from the whetstone but they work in conjunction with the each other.  The honing steel is a steel rod up to one foot long, rounded in cross section with longitudinal ridges or grooves in it and it’s purpose is to smooth out or remove any microscopic nicks or jags in the edge left from using the whetstone and make the blade smooth.

It is recommended that you use your honing steel before each use to remove any tiny burrs and maintain the edge in between sharpening on the whetstone.

Whatever you do, don’t allow the blades of your knives and cutlery to become dull.  Keep them sharp using at least some type of knife sharpener on a regular basis.

Kitchen knives are available in sets or they can be purchased as a single item in both Chicago Cutlery or Ginsu.  Block sets come in a variety of combinations with just a few basic knives or with a wide range of all the kitchen knives you would ever need for any task performed in your kitchen as well as a variety of block woods and colors.  You might ask what is the best knife and block set.  You might start out purchasing a quality knife or knife set and then add to it or you might  want to purchase a block set to begin.  Quality knives and block sets range in prices but it is recommended that whatever you purchase, keep in mind the quality, what kind of warranty it has, is it made by a reputable company, what kind of durability, precision and balance does it have, and last but not least, is it a knife or block set that will best suit your needs.

The name of Ginsu has become a familiar name since it earned its way from the country fair to America’s finest kitchens and restaurants.  Ginsu has great quality knives that can be purchased separately or in block sets.  The Ginsu cutlery set comes in a various combination of knives and is also available in different types of storage blocks such as the under the counter space saver block.  With Ginsu you can look not only for great quality but also it’s designed for beauty.    You can depend on Ginsu because it’s built for extreme strength and lasting durability.

Chicago Cutlery knives evolved from a knife conditioning service that catered to professional butchers and packing plants.  Then a demand for sharp knives increased and  that is when Chicago Cutlery began to manufacture knives.  Their knives are designed to meet tough demands of professional knife users as well as for home use.  Their knife blades are constructed with high carbon stainless steel that resists rust and stains and has a lasting beauty.  The knife blades are made with either extra thick stamped stainless steel or forged steel.  The stamped steel is punched out of a single sheet of steel but the Chicago Cutlery knives are made of extra thick steel that adds strength and control.  The forged steel blades are made from one piece of steel that is heated until soft and then pounded into shape with a hammer.  Forged knives are very strong and heavy with a bolster (located where the blade meets the handle) for safety  and balance.    Some of Chicago Cutlery knives can be purchased with serrated edges and others with a fine edge.  The serrated edges never need sharpening while the fine edge must be sharpened after every couple uses to maintain its very sharp edge.  Chicago Cutlery knives come with wood, polymer or stainless steel handles.  The wood and polymer handles are triple rivited to the blade for safety.   Chicago Cutlery knives would be a very attractive addition to any kitchen.

Chef knife sets usually consist of different knives for various tasks performed.  Chefs usually look for quality but just as important to them is that they find a set that  offers optimal balance and is comfortable for them to hold.  Knife sets are constructed with a variety of handles but each chef wants one that fits his/her hand the best.  Just as difficult as it is to work with dull knives is also trying to work with knives that are too big or too small and just does not fit your hand comfortably; so it’s important to get the set that best suits you.  Chef knife sets are sold in a variety of brands and a wide range of prices.  Check out Chicago and Ginsu Cutlery.

One of the most important tools in food preparation for a chef are their knives.  They require high quality knives usually constructed of high carbon, no-stain stainless steel to achieve their desired results, maintain their sharpness, and be a tool on which they can depend.  Chef cutlery knives must be crafted for optimal balance with handles ergonomically designed for comfort in handling.    Chefs use different knives for varied tasks and therefore look for superior quality as well as design for their specific need and comfort.

Carving knife sets usually consist of a carving knife and a carving fork and are usually sold as a set.  The carving knife is sometimes called a slicer tho generally constructed a little different.  The carving knife has a shorter and wider blade than the slicer which usually has a longer and narrower blade.  The carving knife usually ranges from 8 to 15 inches in length and is used primarily to cut thin slices of meat such as ham, poultry, roasts or other cooked meats.  A carving knife is thinner than a chef’s knife which allows it to cut thin slices.   

The carving fork is a long, two-pronged fork used to hold the meat while carving the meat.  It’s important to use a carving fork while carving meats to keep it from slipping aroung and allowing a more controlled cut with the knife. 

Knife blocks are important for storing your knife sets.  The blocks are recommended as a safe means for storing the knives to protect both the knife and user.  Knife blocks usually come in bamboo or hardwood with wood grains and wood colors.  However, Ginsu also offers a black knife block with some of their knife block sets which would add a contemporary look,  style, and color coordination to your kitchen if you did not want the wood color.

Chef knives are a good all-purpose knife and sometimes referred to as the “Cook’s Knife.”  A chef’s knife can be used for other cutting tasks but is used mainly for chopping, dicing, slicing, and mincing.    The blade of the chef’s knife is curved and allows the cook to rock the knife on the cutting board for a more controlled precise cut.  The length of the chef’s knife can be found with different lengths anywhere from 6 - 12 inches, although 8 inches is the most common.  It is usually recommended using the size that is most comfortable for the cook’s hands.  Larger knives can be more difficult to handle but they can cut more and are versatile.

The best way to peel an apple while minimizing any risk of nicking yourself with a paring knife or a vegetable peeler is to core the apple first. After you core the apple, insert your index finger into the apple’s center, and begin removing the skin with a peeler, switching from one end of the apple to another to peel completely. Upon finishing, slice the apple according to your particular recipe’s instructions.

There are a number of apple corers available in supermarkets and department stores. Some are thin with a circular cutting tool at the end that is pushed straight through the fruit by its handle, while others are able to core and slice the apple at the same time. You can also cut an apple in half and use a melon baller or a teaspoon to remove the core if you don’t have an apple corer.