Are you ready to invest in an excellent set of kitchen knives, but don’t know where to start? A visit to your average K-Mart or Target will soon reveal pre-packaged knives encased in protective wrapping which makes it impossible for a potential buyer to handle the knife or test the sharpness of its blade.
You could always try your local gourmet store to see what types of knives they sell. They typically have a variety of knives to choose from, but they also typically have large price tags to go with them. Typically they sell knives separately and as sets, and have a diverse assortment of boning knives, chef knives, paring knives and slicing knives. The whole experience can be overwhelming.
You will find many knives at the gourmet store, and they will have a higher quality than those found at your local retail store. Generally, though, knives have developed over time so very few are of poor quality.
The kind of metal and how the knife is manufactured sets the overall price of the product. For instance, knives can be forged one by one or pressed from a sheet of metal. If you notice waves on the sides of the blade, that is from the process of folding the metal back on itself many times. That process is referred to as Damascus style. You can identify those styles that are Japanese because they usually have octagonal or “dee” shaped handles and their tips will be blunted. They are identified as Deba or Guyoto or Santoku or Usuba or Yanagi.
Your home kitchen will be well served by a limited selection of the right kind of knives. The kind of cutting you’ll need to do when preparing vegetables and/or meat for soups, casseroles, or stews requires a six or eight-inch chef’s knife. A paring or utility knife is ideal for the finer, more controlled cutting you’d need to do when slicing, sectioning or peeling smaller, less dense fruits and vegetables. You should definitely have a fillet knife or boning knife, used specifically to trim and/or de-bone either fish or meat. Remember to factor in a knife with a serrated (toothed) edge for slicing bread and a nice set of steak knives for your grilling masterpieces, and you’ll be set with the right blades for any situation.
If you feel like splurging, you can’t go wrong with a beautiful turkey slicer–complete with diamond coated honing steel, of course–just perfect for carving the bird and impressing the Thanksgiving guests. There are excellent blades to be had for any cutting task in your kitchen, and the knives listed here will get you off to a great start.
When you are searching for carving knife