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| Knives
- we say... Kitchen
knives vary enormously in price. The most expensive, "fully forged", knives are
individually hammered into shape (forged) from a single billet of steel, hardened,
tempered and precision, taper ground.
Less expensive knives are mass-produced
by stamping out a blade and tang from sheet steel and moulding on a handle. The
whole blade may be fully (taper) ground to an edge or, in the least expensive
knives, only a narrow edge is hollow ground.
Carbon steel (relatively little
used these days) will produce a slightly keener edge than stainless - its disadvantages
are that it rusts readily and can discolour some foods and taint their flavour.
High quality modern stainless blades are easy to keep razor sharp and they
will neither discolour nor taint food.
As with so much other kitchen equipment,
on the whole you get what you pay for! | |
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Kitchen knives should be kept sharp and stored safely - a blunt knife or one that
is left loose in a drawer is dangerous. | •
Sharpen all good knives little and often - think rather of keeping them sharp
than of working hard to sharpen them once they have become blunt. (Contrary to
popular opinion, sharp knives are safer than blunt ones because they cut through
food effortlessly and without hacking.).
• Use a sharpening steel - one that
is coarsely grooved provides more "cut" whereas fine grooves have a gentler action.
Diamond coated and ceramic steels work extremely efficiently and will often revive
a knife that has been neglected.
• Sharpen by sliding the knife edge against
the steel, keeping an angle of 15° - 20° (think of a capital letter V) between
blade and steel. An easy ways is to hold the steel vertically, with the tip resting
on a table (see illustration). Holding the knife edge downwards, draw it towards
you from heel to tip, letting it travel down the steel at the same time. Repeat
on the other side of the edge and steel. Six to eight strokes each side should
result in an immaculate edge. Ask the cookshop sales assistant for a demonstration.
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• Knives
may also be sharpened using one of a variety of patented sharpeners, following
the manufacturer's instructions.
• After extended use, if normal sharpening
fails to renew the edge, it may be necessary to have your knife professionally
re-ground. Most specialist cook-shops offer a re-grinding service.
• Store
knives either in a knife block or on a wall-mounted magnetic rack.
• Cut
onto a wooden or soft plastic board - glass and marble boards play havoc with
knife edges!
• Because not even stainless steel knives are entirely impervious
to marking and staining, wash them in hot soapy water and dry them thoroughly
as soon as possible after use. Knives should not be left with food on them (this
is especially important with acidic foods such as lemon or tomato) nor should
they be left wet.
• Although some knives may be washed in a dishwasher, the
high temperature, some detergents and jostling in the cutlery basket can damage
blades and edges.
If you have bought expensive knives, cherish them
and they will give you many years of daily use. They should not be used to open
tins or for digging weeds out of crazy paving! |  | We
also have a printed catalogue, the Cook's Companion, which you may have
seen. In addition to the Companion we also have a Companion shop
online, featuring all the products in the Companion but available and readty
to purchase. To go there just clck on the Cook's Companion logo to the
left. | | |
| | The
Complete Cook Shop, Unit 3, Granby Croft, Matlock Street, Bakewell DE45 1EE.
Tel and Fax: 01629 814 499 You can e-mail us at: info@the-complete-cook-shop.com |
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