I don't know if everyone will encounter this situation. They are tired of taking out food and have a sudden desire to make their own dish, only to find that the kitchen only has a kitchen knife, which is not suitable for handling ingredients. The hot blood in the kitchen seems to be immediately extinguished. When I decided to buy a set of cutlery, facing a dazzling array of products but not knowing what to choose, I felt extremely melancholy in my heart.
So the question arises, how should people who don't often cook and don't understand the classification of cutting tools choose when purchasing them?
What Qualities Should the Good Cutlery Have?
The most important attributes of a cutting tool are undoubtedly its purpose and sharpness, ranging from a cleaver knife to a paring knife, with different uses and design ideas. As for the material of cutting tools, stainless steel is still the main material, but in recent years, Ceramic knife have sprung up and occupied a lot of market shares.
The advantage of Ceramic knife is that it is more sharp, and has corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, is not easy to wear and rust, and will not affect the original taste of food. These advantages seem good, but we should also consider the fatal shortcomings of the Ceramic knife. It is too fragile to cut hard objects. It may be damaged if it is dropped, and individuals cannot polish the Ceramic knife.
Ceramic Cleaver Knife for Kitchen & Home
The Ceramic knife is used incorrectly, which may cause the Ceramic knife to become blunt quickly. If the sharpness of the ceramic knife edge decreases, it means that you need to replace the knife. Unlike stainless steel knives, they are sharpened on a grindstone and become as sharp as new immediately. A set of high-quality stainless steel cutting tools, which can last for several years or even decades, is not a problem. Overall, stainless steel cutting tools are still the preferred choice today.
In addition to attributes such as sharpness, purpose, and material, some people also have special needs. For example, those who lack wrist strength or cook a lot have higher requirements for the weight of the cutting tool. People who frequently handle vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers may hope that the cutting tool does not leave any juice or stick to the knife. So the question arises, is there really a tool that can meet all needs?
One Knife Cannot Defeat a Set of Knives
It is unrealistic for a knife to solve all the problems in the kitchen, especially for beginners who need to purchase at least one set of knives to meet their daily cooking needs. According to the type of use, in general, a kitchen requires about five knives, namely a large kitchen knife, a medium-sized cleaver knife, a small paring knife, kitchen scissors, and a melon and fruit peeler.
Large kitchen knives are mainly used to chop bones and meat, and to process large pieces of meat ingredients. It should be noted that some knives are not sharp enough, so they may be heavier. When chopping bones, it is usually a "miracle with great force". Nowadays, with the continuous upgrading of craftsmanship, high-quality kitchen knives can compensate for weight with sharpness, balancing durability, sharpness, weight and other attributes as much as possible.
Don't underestimate this little change. For people who cook frequently, reducing the weight by 10g will reduce the pressure on their wrists and prevent them from being twisted or damaged due to overwork.
A medium-sized cleaver knife is responsible for cutting small pieces of meat or vegetables. The chef's knife is relatively lightweight and compact, and when handling ingredients for a long time, the pressure on the wrist is not too great. This kind of tool is similar to the Ceramic knife, which is light and sharp enough.
SS 5cr15 for blade and ABS SS18/0 forged handle cleaver knife
The purpose of a small paring knife is not only to peel fruits, but also to cut shredded meat and carve fruits and vegetables. However, it is quite challenging for newcomers to cut shredded meat and carve fruits and vegetables. You can first practice cooking with vegetables such as potatoes, cut shredded potatoes, carve a potato statue, and enjoy the fun of life.
3.5" Paring Knife - Ergonomically Design & High-Quality Stainless Steel BH6513
How to Choose the Cutlery?
A set of five cutting tools can basically meet the needs of users, but facing thousands of Chinese cutting tool brands and countless overseas cutting tool brands, how to choose is the difficulty. In fact, it's not much different from choosing other products. When purchasing cutting tools, we just consider factors such as quality, demand, and price.
First of all, let's talk about quality. The most important thing to observe is the material of stainless steel cutting tools. Modern Damascus steel is generally forged from multiple layers of steel, which can ensure both toughness and strength. Moreover, the blade density is higher than that of ordinary steel, and its durability and corrosion resistance are also strong. If asked about the drawbacks of this material, it is estimated that the cost is too high, and the price of kitchen knives made of this steel is usually not cheap.
Cleaver Knife & Japanese Knife (Made in China)
If it is a medium-sized chef's knife or a small fruit knife, ceramic materials can also be selected, but the kitchen should be larger and have enough space to place Ceramic knife. The Ceramic knife is too fragile. If you drop it carelessly, it may be scrapped. For families with crowded kitchens, stainless steel knives with high sharpness are more suitable, and there is no need to worry about breaking them. They can also handle hard objects.
3.5" Paring knife and 4.5" Utility knife
In terms of demand, sharpness and weight need not be mentioned much. We need to consider certain special needs, such as non stick knives. The reason why people who often go to the kitchen have high requirements for kitchen knives is because some low-quality kitchen knives can easily stick to the cutting surface, especially when dealing with high viscosity or juicy ingredients such as sausages and tomatoes.
Some cutting tools now use special textures and techniques to ensure that the ingredients slip off after cutting and do not stick to the cutting surface. This little upgrade can greatly improve user efficiency. During this year's Spring Festival, with so many relatives visiting, many people in the kitchen are busy. If the quality of the kitchen knife is not good, it will not only affect efficiency, but also the mood of the chef.
For newcomers to the kitchen, there is no need to buy expensive knives. If expensive knives are damaged, users may experience a period of pain. Choosing some cost-effective entry-level cutting tools is obviously more suitable for practicing one's cooking skills.
