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Why Dull Kitchen Cutlery Can Wreck Your Cooking

By: Robert Cooksey 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.

Every cook should have a good chef's knife. A chef's knife has a large handle, and blade that's wide at the base but tapers to a point. These can be used for almost all your kitchen tasks, and it's not really worth it to get a full knife set. Instead, invest in a single good chef's knife that will hold an edge, and keep it good and sharp.

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 been told that expensive knives hold their edges longer, but this isn't really the case. While good steel holds an edge longer than very cheap metal, remember that cutting a parsnip or sweet potato can take the edge out of true no matter what quality knife you have. To straighten your knife's edge, use a steel on a daily basis. A steel is the long stick that comes with many knife sets. Traditionally made of steel, they can also be diamond or ceramic. Using one just requires swiping it down the side of the knife at about a twenty degree angle. However, you can do this wrong, so there are other options for those who aren't comfortable with it.

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.

However you choose to keep your knives sharp, wash and dry them before and after you sharpen. Once you get used to having your knives sharp, it'll be easy to tell when the edge is going. Cutting will be a lot harder, especially on tough things. Want to test it? Slide the knife along the skin of a tomato or a peach, but don't press down. Sharp knives will cut in right away.

A knife should always be treated carefully if you want to preserve its edge. Never use cutting boards of glass, granite, or other hard materials. Wood and plastic are better. The edge should be preserved from damage by immediate washing and drying after use. Store your knife somewhere out of the way of other dishes, so it'll stay in good shape.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Robert Cooksey maintains a number of websites covering the art of cooking with emphasis on the tools necessary to attaining success, including About Kitchen Cutlery as well as Henckels Cutlery. Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

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