Chef Knife – A Look At Professional Chef Knives
The chef knife, also called a cooks knife, is one of the most versatile knives you can have in the kitchen. Learn more about the available styles of chef knives online.
Find, Compare, and Buy Chefs Knives
The chef knife is used primarily for cutting fruits and vegetables. It has a sharp edge that can quickly mince, diced, or chop vegetables like carrots, onions, and scallops with ease.
There are many different shapes and sizes of chef knives, ranging in size from six to ten inches. A conventional chef knife has a sharp, tapered blade that ends in a point. There are other variations, such as the Japanese chef knife, also called a Santoku, which has a blunt tip and often has a hollow blade with a granton edge, which are small divots along the blade that prevent food from sticking to it.
Chef knives tend to have heavier blades than other kitchen knives like bread knives or boning knives. This makes it easier to chop denser foods quickly and consistently. A professional chef knife should have a heavy blade and an ergonomic handle so the chef can cut of hours with reduced wrist and arm strain.
Choosing the best cook knife for your purposes is complicated by the many varieties available. Some chefs prefer the Japanese chef knife, while others like the conventional chef knife. Still others like the strength and sharpness of a ceramic knife.
Many high-end cooks knives are expensive, but expensive knives tend to have better edge retention, good warranties, and have better ergonomic features, which makes them a good investment. Inexpensive knife sets such as the Chef Tony Knife, also called the Miracle Blade 3, are affordable and seem to be a good value for the average consumer.
All knives get dull, but cutting on a wood or acrylic cutting board instead of one made of a harder material, such as marble or glass, can extend the knife's edge retention. Cutting boards made from hard materials cause the edge of the blade to fold over, which dulls the knife blade quickly.
For day to day sharpening, sharpening steel is sufficient, but periodically every knife needs to be sharpened. In the home, one can purchase a whetstone, a diamond stone, or an electric knife sharpener, such as the Chef Choice Knife Sharpener, which uses diamond abrasives to sharpen and hone a knife in a matter of seconds.
Copyright 2004-2010 S&T US LLC
©2004-2010 Wise4Living | Contact | Advertising Info | Legal | Privacy | Directory
