Finding The Right Knife Set For Your Home

Finding The Right Knife Set For Your Home

We never know quite how it happens, but yet again, you've been roped into cooking for the entire family at yet another impromptu gathering. And to top it all off, your knife set needs replacing. Oh, what to do? I find it's extremely important to know not only whata specific kitchen knifeis meant for, but also what materialsit can be made from, and how to ensureit willlive a healthy, long life in the comfort of your kitchen.

First and foremost, there are two ways in which kitchen knives are made. The first being the forged knife made by pressing hot steel into a mold which is then either hammered into a specific shape or put through several or processed through several different machines. Your second option being stamped knives which are made by stamping them from a single sheet of steel that is then sharpened and finished. The finished products are in fact fairly different: while forged knives are more expensive, they offer a much more well balanced blade whereas stamped knives are much thinner and typically prone to imbalance.

Your best option for peeling potatoes and cutting small vegetables is going to be the paring knife, which is no more than four inches long thus offering increased maneuverability on a small surface. Utility knives generally offer a blade anywhere from four to seven inches in length which can also be serrated or smooth; these are mainly suited for fruits, vegetables, herbs and the like. Now serrated knives in and of themselves usually have a five to ten inch blade and are best for cutting fresh bread however, I wouldn't recommend them for much of anything else as they cannot be sharpened and need to be replaced regularly for that reason. Boning knives are intended for pulling meat from the bone and for that reason, the blade is five to six inches in length and very thin in order to ensure that they are effective at their task.

Cleavers have up to a six-inch blade, which is also very wide, making it your best bet for cutting anything thick or crushing garlic cloves, for example. Chef's knives are available anywhere from six to 12 inches in length, but keep in mind, bigger isn't necessarily better as you want it to balance in your hand. Therefore, smaller hands are best when handling smaller blades, as these particular knives are best suited for ubiquitous tasks such as chopping, dicing, mincing, and slicing. Carving knives are meant for slicing cooked meats, typically sold with a carving fork in order to hold down whatever it is you're cutting. Usually around eight inches in length they are available with either a pointed or rounded tip and both are equally effective.

There are also different types of materials used to create the handles for your kitchen knives; exotic woods, stainless steel, and porcelain, just to name a few. They do however have their own pluses and minuses as well as care and keeping tips. Wooden handled knives, for example cannot be immersed in water because that would cause the wood to swell, thus damaging them. But it is also recommended that you rub mineral or lemon oils on the handles occasionally in order to maintain them. Ceramic handled knives are best known for their durability, but my favorites are the stainless steel handled knives; these are the least likely of the bunch to gather rust.

In order to keep your kitchen knives like new, it's best that they be stored in a wooden knife block. This not only keeps them sharp, it also keeps your hands safe as keeping them loose in a drawer is more likely to result in cuts and scrapes. It is also best that your knives only be used on surfaces such as wood and plastic, not metal because that will wear down the blade. As always, keep your knives out of the dishwasher and hand wash them immediately after each use. Now, you may think the goal here is to find the cheapest option available to you, when in fact you really do get what you pay for. So, as with so many other decisions one has to make, it comes down to whether you want to make one larger purchase or several smaller ones as you find yourself in need of replacing them again and again.

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