The Importance of Good Cooking Knives
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Have you ever tried to use a bad knife on a tomato? You might as well try to cut with a spoon. In reality, a dull knife is worse because a knife is supposed to be used for cutting and not a spoon… everyone knows that. There are as many knives as there are uses for them. Some should be used for very basic everyday uses and others are specifically for specialty uses. You need to be very decisive when picking out knives. The key point is knowing what you will be using the knife for and therefore what features you need. First ask yourself: Should I get a set or just one knife? Knives can come in very elaborate sets. Second, what am I looking to accomplish with this new knife? Will you use it to chop hard vegetables or slice homemade bread? Is it useful for slicing meat or peeling a small orange? Third, am I willing to wash each knife by hand or do you want to be able to through them in a dishwasher. This is important to determine what type of handle you select. For everyday use, there are quite a few knives which are very helpful. To begin with, a good chef knife is essential. You can find them in all different sizes, ranging from 6-12 inches. Longer blades are helpful for those who have bigger. Another must have is a paring knife. It’s usually between 3-5 inches long and has a straight blade. It’s good for peeling vegetables or cutting up fruit. It’s the paring knife is a multi-purpose knife that can do just about any kind of small job. If you make or eat bread often, a knife with a serrated blade is a must. The tender crumb of bread will smash if you try to cut with a chef knife. And a paring knife isn’t long enough for most types of bread. One negative thing about a serrated knife is that you cannot sharpen it. So if the day comes that it’s dull, you have to buy a new one. |
