Surely you are tired of all those kitchen knives that overflow from your drawers but none of which cut properly...
It's not easy to do a good job with cutters that tear or crush food instead of cutting it, is it?
It's time to give you a real knife that cuts, a professional quality knife.
But which one to start with ?
A good kitchen necessarily needs good utensils, and if there is something necessary and precious for a self-respecting cook, it is obviously his knife!
Knives are very important for a cook, it's a bit like candy for children, except that a good knife is both a pleasure but also a tool to do "a good job".
Apprentice cooks and professional cooks are ready, or are already spending a fortune, to equip themselves with quality knives . Knives from well-known traditional brands such as Kai, Sabatier, Global, or even Chroma sell knives for several hundred euros and cases of knife sets that can go up to thousands of euros.
Today many cooking enthusiasts have understood the interest and the importance of having a good knife and they too want to enjoy the pleasure of cooking and cutting with real professional knives, real efficient and high-performance chef's knives.
But between the chef's knife , the santoku knife , the paring knife, the sole fillet knife, the vegetable knife, the slicing knife, the ceramic knives, the stainless steel blade knives, the Japanese knives (and I on the way ) ...
... Hard to make a choice.
So how do you choose the right kitchen knife?
Let's first focus on three important characteristics of a good kitchen knife: the blade, the shape and the handle.
The blade
This is the most important part of your knife since the quality and precision of the cut will depend on it.
There are 3 main blade compositions:
1. The stainless steel blade
It is composed of at least 12% chromium and a slight percentage of carbon which varies between 0.2 and 1%.
The higher the carbon content, the more efficient (and durable) the cutting edge.
Composed essentially of iron and carbon (0.6% to 1%).
This blade therefore benefits from a superior and more durable cut quality than stainless steel knives, but is also more sensitive to oxidation and therefore requires more specific maintenance. On the other hand, it will stay sharp longer and it will need a sharpening session much less often than the others.
3. Ceramic knives
Composed essentially of zirconium acid, they have very hard blades with a powerful and durable edge. Their blades do not oxidize and do not require sharpening for several years. (On the other hand, beware of the risk of breakage because the ceramic is very hard).
Good to know : To know the hardness of a knife, there is a hardness index called "Rockwell index" or HRC. For knife blades it varies between 50 and 60 HRC. For a kitchen knife, from 54 HRC, it's already very serious.
The form
We can say that there are as many forms of knives as uses, the choice of your knife will therefore depend on the use and the use you want to make of it:
The chef's knife : this is the favorite knife of chefs, the versatile knife par excellence. Its sharp blade can measure between 15 and 25cm and is ideal for slicing, cutting, mincing and chopping meats, vegetables, fish and herbs.
The universal knife : smaller than the chef's knife (with a blade of 13 to 15cm) it is also ideal for cutting and slicing vegetables, herbs and meats.
The paring knife : with its short, rigid and pointed blade, it is mainly used to cut and peel small vegetables and fruits.
The santoku : it is the Japanese kitchen knife par excellence, the chef's knife in the same way as the European chef's knife. Handy and very versatile with a blade of 14 to 20cm, it is ideal for slicing, cutting and mincing but also chopping thanks to its excellent pendulum.
Sole fillet : with a longer, finer and narrower blade of 15 to 18 cm, it is ideal for cutting with precision and lifting fish fillets.
The slicer : it is a knife specially adapted for slicing meat, it has a very long and narrow blade which measures 20 to 25cm.
The bread knife : this knife has a long, serrated blade, allowing you to slice and cut bread without crushing it.
The handle
Comfort and a good grip when cutting are important, you have the choice between three types of ergonomic handle for your knife:
The raw wooden handle : the heaviest and with the feeling of natural touch in addition.
The synthetic wood handle : this type of handle made of a mixture of wood and resin offers an excellent compromise between comfort and resistance.
The plastic handle : it is a handle that guarantees you the best hygiene and good resistance to corrosion.
What is the advantage of cooking with a professional kitchen knife?
It's obvious: if you cook regularly you will reap huge benefits from using a real knife.
A professional knife will not simply allow you to save time by cutting all your food in a single gesture and easily like the great chefs.
Or even take pleasure in making very clean and precise cuts during your preparations.
Using a real kitchen knife will bring you pleasant feelings of efficiency and performance, and you will thus feel the pleasure that a chef feels when he has his knife in his hand and is ready to face the kitchens arena for hours.
In short, having a good knife is absolutely essential for optimal performance and to be comfortable during your many culinary exploits!
