I just received my first ceramic knife in the mail on Friday (a Kyocera). The documentation says to "Use steel knives for carving, prying, boning, cutting frozen foods, and slicing cheese". I understand all but the cheese. Why would you not want to use a ceramic knife on cheese?
Ceramic knife and cheese?
- Thread starter jet
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GB
Chief Eating Officer
Cheese is very dense and could end up chipping the blade if you try to force it through the cheese. I am assuming they are taking about hard cheeses like cheddar, not soft cheeses like brie.
Cheeses have a tendancy to stick to the cutting medium. That is why cheese knives have holes all along the blade, and why most people prefer the wire cheese cutters. The sticking will be even more severe with the ceramic blade than with metal.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I don't think it would chip becasue the cheese is soft, but it could break in half because of the density and, as caine says, the friction.
I cut all kinds of cheese with mine, though.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
That is what I was saying Jenny. I was assuming they must not be talking about soft cheeses, only very dense cheeses.
I bought my ceramic knife last year specifically for cutting up lettuce (I eat a LOT of salads) because ceramic doesn't make the lettuce turn brown. It will also slice tomatoes REALLY thin for sandwiches. I use a speciality knife that looks like this for slicing cheeses.
I'd prefer the wire type, but the wire seems to stretch really quickly.
I'd prefer the wire type, but the wire seems to stretch really quickly.
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I bought my ceramic knife last year specifically for cutting up lettuce (I eat a LOT of salads) because ceramic doesn't make the lettuce turn brown. It will also slice tomatoes REALLY thin for sandwiches. I use a speciality knife that looks like this for slicing cheeses.
I'd prefer the wire type, but the wire seems to stretch really quickly.
Just curoius, Caine, why would you want REALLY thin slices of tomato for a sandwich?
Because I'm not all that crazy about raw tomato, but I can awlays use an extra vegetable serving.
nathanKent
Assistant Cook
I bought my ceramic knife last year specifically for cutting up lettuce (I eat a LOT of salads) because ceramic doesn't make the lettuce turn brown. It will also slice tomatoes REALLY thin for sandwiches. I use a speciality knife that looks like this for slicing cheeses.
I'd prefer the wire type, but the wire seems to stretch really quickly.
I don't like the wire type because I hate trying to clean them. What kind of knife is that?
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
Poppinfresh
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2006
- Messages
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It is just for dense cheeses. The theory behind it is if you cut into a really dense cheese, you could potentially not cut steady and end up cracking the blade while trying to wrench the knife out of the cheese. It's a stress thing.
Personally I wouldn't worry TOO much about it, but it's probably worth noting that I use wire, not my ceramics.
Personally I wouldn't worry TOO much about it, but it's probably worth noting that I use wire, not my ceramics.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
sorry, just being childish. i hurt myself giggling about whether i should post this.
I can't believe I said that. Sadly, sometimes it's true ....
