About Ceramic Knife

Ceramic knives are a relatively new invention and always expensive. Basically, they’re made out of a high-purity zirconium oxide powder that is compressed at very high pressures and heated in a furnace at temperatures over 2700°F. This results in an extremely-hard blade, nearly as hard as diamonds.

SHARPNESS – The materials that make up a ceramic blade is very hard. It’s the second hardest material, ranked after diamonds. After it’s sharpened, it can keep its razor sharp edge and will not wear out.

NO METALLIC TASTE OR SMELL – Ceramic material is not very porous at all. This keeps the blade from transferring odors from one food item to another. You can cut something spicy, give it a quick rinse and then cut something else. The spiciness won’t transfer to the next food item.

SANITARY –The density of Ceramic blades is very high, and the blades have very little pores. Just like your face, the fewer pores there are, the less dirt and grime can get into the pores. A quick rinse in warm water can give your ceramic knife much clean than a thorough scrubbing on a metal knife.

LIGHTWEIGHT – Ceramic material is very light weight. The lighter the weight is, the less strain on your arms and shoulders. You can rip through all you’re cutting like a pro.

RUSTLESS -There is no metal, so there is never rust.

Test result

Cut one apple with a sharpened stainless steel knife and another with a ceramic knife. After 15 minutes, the apple cut with ceramic knife hardly oxidized at all (see right picture below), while the one cut with metal knife already showed some signs of discoloration. Fruits will not oxidize and turn brown so fast when using ceramic knife to cut it.

Ceramic Knife Care

• Use it with a plastic or wood cutting board. Avoid cutting on marble, stone, glass, plates, or tile
• Use your conventional steel knives for carving, prying, boning, and cutting frozen food and cheese. These applications involve twisting and flexing, which require a more flexible material than ceramic
• Hand washing with water and liquid dish soap; Do not wash in the dishwasher
• For discolorations not removed by normal washing, clean the blade only (not handle) with a mild bleach solution
• Avoid dropping on hard surfaces
• Avoid putting the blade in open flame (ceramic conducts heat)
• Avoid turning the blade on its side to smash garlic or other items
• Store in a knife block, sheath, or tray

When it comes to kitchen chopping blocks, the selection is enormous and you may become overwhelmed by all the choices. Depending on your preference, you can choose the type of chopping block that you will use on your kitchen.

In general, the most common type of chopping block is those that are made with plastic. The benefit of having this type of cutting board is that it is non porous which means you don’t have to worry about liquids from meat or vegetables from entering the pores and stay there for a long time. Because of this, the plastic type of chopping board is considered to be the most sanitary type of chopping board. aside from that, it can also be safely used in the dishwasher.

However, plastic chopping blocks rarely offer style for your kitchen. But with a little searching, you will soon find a plastic block that will match the theme of your kitchen. you can even make it match your main color scheme by finding a color that complements it well.

Another benefit of plastic chopping blocks is that they are very affordable and cost much less than other types of boards. In addition, they are portable and very light so they can be carried with you wherever you may need to take them. But because the plastic is very thin, they will eventually wear through and one day your knife may go right through it.

An additional form is the wood chopping block. This form of chopping block has been used for much time and remains the block of choice.

For many years of using the wood chopping block there aren’t any issues of contamination. Although people would question it in terms of sanitation because generally, these chopping blocks made from wood are not advisable to be used in the dishwasher and only mild detergent should be used for cleaning it.

Contrary to plastic, wood can soak in food juices and cause bacteria to grow. However, this can actually be avoided with the appropriate cleaning methods. after each use, you should wash it with mild soap and water and dry it with a towel immediately after. To ensure no bacteria grow on the wood, you can apply a natural disinfectant like vinegar.

These are the most popular forms of boards because they do not easily dull kitchen knives.

With the proper care of your wood chopping block, it will definitely endure for many years.

Want to find out more about grain cutting board, then visit Debra Glow’s site on how to choose the best butcherblock countertops for your needs.