There are plenty of cooking knives for sale on late night TV. You've seen the info-mercials. These amazing knives cut aluminum cans and shoes! I've been cooking for a long time, and I've never had to cut a can or a shoe. What makes this the test of a great knife?
I saw a TV commercial that offered a 26 knife set. It came with 12 steak knives. Again, when has anyone had to cook steak for 12 people in there home? Rarely, I'd say.
Chef Knife
You don't need an entire set of knives to be a great cook at home. Nor do you have to spend a lot of money on cooking knives. You need only 4 basic knives in your kitchen:
1) Chefs Knife - The chef's knife will complete 80% of the cutting tasks in your kitchen and will eliminate every chopper/dicer device sold on TV. It has no moving parts, it wipes clean easily, and with the proper technique, is the safest instrument in your kitchen.
The chefs knife has a tapered blade, wider at the heal and thinner at the tip. Rather than slam the knife against the cutting board repeatedly to chop items, the best was is with a "tip-fulcrum" method. This is where the tip of the knife stays on the cutting board and rocks back in forth with the heal doing the cutting.
2) Serrated Slicing Knife - This is a long knife with a serrated edge or "teeth". You might call this a "bread knife", and it can certainly be used for bread. This knife is used for items that the downward weight of the chefs knife would crush, like tomatoes or slices of bread.
The slicing knife is best used with one long stroke. Just because it has teeth doesn't mean you should use it as a saw. One slice makes an more certain and attractive cut.
3) Boning Knife - This is a 5 to 7 inch knife with a thin blade and a sharp tip. It's used ONLY for raw items. This is the knife for removing the fat from chicken breast or the silverskin from cuts of meat.
The boning knife should be the sharpest of all your cooking knives and used in a single, smooth stroke to avoid giving raw products a "hacked-up" look.
4) Paring Knife - A 3 to 5 inch small knife that's used for peeling, skinning, or close-up carving of vegetables. It's the only knife used with the sharp blade held toward your face. Items are pushed past the blade with the thumb of your knife hand.
Imagine cutting the green caps off strawberries. You'd set the knife against the crown of the berry and push the fruit under the blade to remove the cap.
If you are impressed with cooking knives that cut cans or shoes, you really need to get a better night's sleep. If you are looking for the proper tools to take your cooking from fair to fantastic, then just the 4 basic knives I've mentioned will have you well on your way without spending a lot of money.
See Chef Todd's cooking knives video as he demonstrates live!
Special Price!!! J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife
Oct 19, 2011 11:22:47
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J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife Feature
- Large-sized 8-inch multipurpose chef's knife for chopping, mincing, slicing and dicing
- Made of stain-resistant carbon steel that's hot drop forged for durability
- Triple riveted handle surrounds a full tang
- Full bolster provides weight and ensures safety
- Handwash with mild cleanser; lifetime warranty
J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife Overview
Classic knives are hot drop forged from a single piece of carbon, no-stain steel. This professional construction assures high durability, proper weight, and superior stain resistance. The hand honed blade guarantees a precision cutting edge that will stay sharper longer. The triple riveted, classic design handles are durable, comfortable, and unbreakable. The full bolster also provides added weight and ensures safety. Lifetime warranty.Features:>/B>
Triple riveted handles Durable and strong. POM handles Comfortable handle, hygienic, break proof, dishwasher safe*
J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife Specifications
A good chef's knife becomes your daily kitchen companion. It's used for everything from prepping steaks for the grill to finely mincing onions, and chances are you'll reach for it every time you cook--so it better be good. This lower-priced line from Henckels is a great value: excellent quality knives with their standard lifetime warranty. There's good balance, and the handles are a shade heavier than other lines, which some cooks will prefer. The 8-inch blade length is the most practical for multipurpose use, and regular sharpening will keep the stainless-steel blade razor-sharp. It's only minimally flexible, which makes it a great choice for vegetables such as potatoes and turnips. While it's dishwasher-safe, unless it needs sanitizing after use with raw meat, it's often easier to hand wash. --Jill LightnerSAVE NOW on the special offers below!
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