Choosing Knives for Flexible Kitchen Preparations

When buying knives to equip the kitchen, every cook is faced with questions like do I buy a whole set of knives or will one knife serve all my needs? Does a long knife work better than a short knife? Price ranges make it even harder to decide because high prices do not always guarantee good quality. The concern of ending up with the wrong knife can be overwhelming but choosing kitchen knives does not have to be such a hard task. Below are some features that you should factor in when choosing knives.

Focus on essentials

Every functional kitchen should have at least four different knives. A chef’s knife is the most important since it can be used to do a variety of tasks like cutting, chicken, chopping and dicing several types of food. Small slicing tasks like slicing fish, cutting chicken require a utility knife. For delicate tasks like cutting through soft-skinned vegetables such as tomatoes and slicing small fruits a paring knife is perfect. A bread knife is commonly used to slice bread as well as other foods with a solid crust and delicate inside like ripe watermelons.

Blade construction

Blades are either stamped or forged which contributes heavily to the pricing of knives. Stamped blades, which are made from a smooth metal, are lighter and cheaper than the forged blades. However, despite being made of light metal, they work very well. On the other hand, the metal in forged blades is first pounded to form the shape of a knife before being melted and cooled to become hard. This process results to quality blades and are quite expensive. They are less flexible and do not bend after frequent use.

Full tang

When choosing a knife, go for a full tang knife. In a full tang knife, the metal runs from the top of the blade to the handle. This feature gives the knife more stability allowing you complete control of the knife to work efficiently in your food preparation and avoid putting unnecessary pressure which could cause bruises to your hands. The full tang knife also comes in handy when carrying out harder tasks like cutting meat.

Ease of care

Since you use knives on a daily basis, choose those with high quality and most durable. They are washed every day and often forgotten in the sink with other dirty utensils. Thus, knives that are not likely to corrode are the most preferable. Also, go for knives that stay longer before going blunt such as those made of hard steel. It is quite a hassle and tiring sharpening knives every time after use.

Handle

Knives handles are made from wood, plastic or metal. Each type has a different quality and grasp. A good handle should;

Be comfortable to use and stable.
Allow complete control of the blade to help you work efficiently.
Be easy to wash with no chances of breaking or rusting.

The best method to select a suitable handle is by holding the knife to feel if you like its weight and the grasp.

Final Verdict

Best kitchen knives are essential tools necessary for any food preparation. As such it is important to consider all factors when choosing knives for your kitchen. Put in mind the material that makes the knife, so you do not end up spending your savings buying knives frequently due to poor quality and check for any special care of maintaining it. A knife may be superb, but if it is quite difficult to maintain, then it is not worth your money.