The Cooks Friend Company Ltd - Buying Guide for Kitchen Knives

Guide to buying and using kitchen knives

Choosing a Knife
Knives are arguably the chef's most essential tool in the kitchen. Whether you are a professional chef or simply enjoy cooking at home it is important to choose a knife which is most suited to your needs. There are many different brands of kitchen knives available, each unique. The Cooks Friend Company sell a full range of Henckels knives. When choosing a knife there are many aspects to think about such as suitability for the job in question, handling, comfort, sharpness, durability and obviously cost.
Firstly, how will you decide which knives you need when looking at a range? Think about what tasks you may need to use a knife for. Remember different cutting jobs require different blades and knife sizes, using the proper blade is safer and makes preparation easier. In a typical kitchen there is perhaps not always a need for specialist knives such as palette knives or filleting knives. The most essential knives are perhaps a small 2" or 3" peeling knife for round vegetables, a 3" or 4" paring knife for paring and slicing fruit and vegetables, a 5" or 6" utility knife for general peeling, slicing, and carving, an 8" or 9" cooks knife for chopping and dicing and an 8" or 9" bread knife. Also a carving knife and carving fork are always a good idea.

What about cost? There is huge variance in price between different brands, though usually a high quality knife will more than pay for itself over the years. More expensive brands such as Global or Henckels are made of harder steel which is sharper and maintains its sharpness longer than cheaper knives. These will cut far more easily and last a life time even under rigorous use, washing and sharpening. Usually these makes are designed for optimum balance and comfort, though this is often down to your own preference. However even budget knives come with sharp blades and most are suitable for everyday use at home.
If you are serious about getting the best out of your knives you must also acquire a sharpening steel or whetstone as knives are at their most effective when sharp. A sharp knife needs less effort to cut and makes the job easier and safer. Have a look at the sharpening guide below for more information on this.

Cleaning your Knife
Hygiene is very important in the kitchen and thankfully knives are simple to clean. Most knives are dishwasher safe, but normally this is not necessary as your knife can be cleaned by thoroughly wiping each side of the blade. Cleaning can be made easier if you choose a knife which has a smooth join between blade and handle as this will help avoid a build up of dirt.

Sharpening Guide
Using a Whetstone
Using a whetstone is the best method for sharpening most knives, although using a sharpening steel can be used in between stone sharpening or in place of it if you prefer. Follow these steps for using a whetstone:
1. Wet your stone.

2. Hold the knife so that the blade meets the stone at a 10-15 degree angle, then push back and forth across the stone in smooth steady strokes maintaining the angle. You will know you are maintaining the same angle from the sound the knife makes against the stone. If you are making the same sound with each stroke back and forth against the stone you are maintaining the same angle.

3. Repeat this on both sides of the blade going from one side to the other until your knife is sharp and there are no burrs on either side.

4. During sharpening a certain amount of wet powder will appear. Do not wash or wipe off this residue, continue sharpening. Although it appears unsightly, it is this residue which sharpens the knives.

5. After sharpening your knives should be washed in hot water and then towel dried.

Using a Sharpening Steel
If you prefer to use a sharpening steel then this is easy to do. Ceramic and diamond coated sharpening steels produce better results than conventional metal sharpening steels. Follow these steps:
1. Holding the steel in one hand and the knife in the other, place the heel of the blade (the cutting edge nearest the knife handle) near the tip of the sharpening steel. The cutting edge should be at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to the steel.

2. Pull the cutting edge down across the sharpening still in a slight arc holding the same angle.

3. Repeat this action with the other side of the cutting edge on the other side of the steel.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 five to ten times or until no burrs remain on the edge, always alternating the left and right side of the cutting edge.

Speed is not of the essence. However it is very important to maintain the same angle and to sharpen the full length of the cutting edge each time.

CLICK HERE: FOR AN EVEN MORE COMPREHENSIVE KITCHEN KNIFE BUYING GUIDE.

CLICK HERE: FOR A COMPARISON GUIDE TO THE FULL RANGE A HENCKELS KITCHEN KNIVES

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