Quality Kitchen Cutlery

There are so many brands and tastes for almost anything you may buy and each person is certainly entitled to his/her choice.  Sometimes the quality of a product lies in the name or brand because of a company’s many years of reputation and good workmanship. Price cannot always be the determining factor these days.  Usually you pay more and should be able to expect more in quality, but this is not always so. There are many times in changes of management and buy outs when a company lets it’s guard down and begins to offer less quality.  There are also times in changes of styles of product when the new is not as good as the old.  This is a good reason to shop wisely when you shop.  Consider the materials and workmanship as well as the recent reputation of the company.

If price and quality is a factor to you choose brands like Chicago or Ginsu which are two companies who have not let down their guard and who still offer high quality knives and cutlery at reasonable prices. Surely you can choose brands with longer standing names and good reputations but you will find the quality of these two companies very comparable to some very expensive brands.

Shop wisely and save more.

at reasonable

Chefs and cooking enthusiasts hold their knives in the same regard writers hold their favorite pens or word processing software—their favorites just feel right and, to make a bad pun, sharpen their skills.  It helps to have a rudimentary knowledge of some components of the knives themselves.  The blade of the knife is, of course, the most essential.   A most desirable type of knife blade is thought to be “taper-ground”, meaning the blade was forged from a single sheet of metal and then ground so it tapers smoothly from the spine to the cutting edge with no apparent beveling.  Frequently used chef cutlery knives often have taper-ground blades. 

Handles are also very important.  They should fit the user’s hand comfortably, increasing the speed and ease of use.  A poor fit can result in fatigued hands.  You should spend some time holding the knife, making sure you are not straining your grip to grasp the handle.  And as it should be, there are knives available that are especially adapted for left-handed users.

The word “Santoku” signifies “three virtues” throughout Japanese history.  The knife chops, dices and minces spectacularly, so the name Santoku is an apt one.  Santoku knife blades usually range in sizes from five to seven inches, but smaller ones can be found.  They are styled like a narrow-bladed cleaver, allowing for a well-balanced grip and simultaneous full blade use.  Santoku knives are also known for superior cutting performance due to their blade edge and blade edge release patterns.

Quality of steel or ceramic construction details and assembly influence the prices of Santoku knives.  The knives should hold their sharpness if stored and cared for properly.   An occasional professional sharpening is best to restore their correct bevel.  Dishwasher use is not recommended for Santoku or any other cutlery knives, which should be washed by hand and dried completely before use.

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.