Use and care of kitchen knives

[camper226]

There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this website, and at this time I am turning to you again.

My large Henckel knife was frustrating me because it was so very dull. I’m having it professionally sharpened. My wife and I have a large cutting board as well as a large wooden cutting board. I mentioned that I would like a little cutting board for the times when you just want to crush a couple of garlic bulbs or cut some chives.

My wife picked up a small glass cutting board today. I’m a but (a lot, actually) concerned about using a knife on a hard glass surface. Will this dull the knife prematurely or is this “accepted practice”?

Your comments will be appreciated.

 

[Andy M.]

Camper, you are right to be concerned. Aside from wood, those white (or other color) plastic boards are the ones youi should be using.

Glass is too hard and will kill your knife's edge.

 

[fireweaver]

i have a calphalon santoku knife that i was all kinds of in love with, and it stayed right sharp for a good long time after i bought it...right up until the ONE time i used it on a glass cutting board (big dinner party, i was bringing in the fajitas, cut & served on that glass board). instantly dull by the end of the night.

wood is SO the way to go. just keep separate boards for raw meat and anything else, and you're set.

 

[Robo410]

as for sharpening...a diamond hone will keep your knife sharp with simple to use ease. scope the web for one and give it a try

 

[Jeekinz]

Another tip: For those using knife blocks with vertical slots, store your knives upside down to prevent the blade from rubbing on the block.

 

[Katie H]

Another tip: For those using knife blocks with vertical slots, store your knives upside down to prevent the blade from rubbing on the block.

Bingo, Jeeks. That's what Buck and I have been doing for years. It makes sense to protect the newly-sharpened blades.

 

[Caine]

Actually, bamboo is currently the best material for cutting boards. It doesn't warp or crack like wood, and it doesn't harbor germs like the synthetic boards do. I have a solid bamboo end grain cutting board that measures 12 x 15 x 1 1/2 inches thick, which is where I do most of my food preperation. I also have an oval shaped solid maple cutting board with a "drainage ditch" on one side that I use almost exclusively for carving cooked meat and poultry.

The glass cutting board your wife bought is, however, an excellent place to knead dough. I have an 18 x 24 inch tempered glass cutting board on my work table, which is where I do most of my baking chores.

 

[markgill]

A few minutes learning to care for knives can serve you the rest of your life. You need a whett stone (less than 1 ukp) and a steel (about 18 ukp) Place the whett stone one a cloth on your work surface with the rough side up. Draw the knife edge from heal to tip using equal pressure along the blade lenghth at a fairly shallow angle. Do this equally on both sides until sharp and then use the other side to get a finer edge. Finish in the normal way with the steel. If your knives are very bad your butcher may be able to help for a small fee and then you can keep them this way yourself. Blunt or dull knives are very dangerous and make what should be a pleasure a real chore.

 

[Mylegsbig]

A few minutes learning to care for knives can serve you the rest of your life. You need a whett stone (less than 1 ukp) and a steel (about 18 ukp) Place the whett stone one a cloth on your work surface with the rough side up. Draw the knife edge from heal to tip using equal pressure along the blade lenghth at a fairly shallow angle. Do this equally on both sides until sharp and then use the other side to get a finer edge. Finish in the normal way with the steel. If your knives are very bad your butcher may be able to help for a small fee and then you can keep them this way yourself. Blunt or dull knives are very dangerous and make what should be a pleasure a real chore.

Honing your knives with a sharpening steel to maintain the edge is one thing,

but actually sharpening them yourself is not as cut and dry as this sounds, there is skill involved...i would definitely do far more research before you decide to sharpen your own knives, especially if they are high end

 

[Michelemarie]

Another tip: For those using knife blocks with vertical slots, store your knives upside down to prevent the blade from rubbing on the block.

Great tip! Thanks!

Has anyone seen the "new" (at least to me) cutting boards called, I think, Epicurian. They claim to not harbor bacteria and not be dulling to blades. It is not wood nor plastic nor glass. They come in all sizes and in a brownish color and black.

 

[AllenOK]

Honing your knives with a sharpening steel to maintain the edge is one thing,

but actually sharpening them yourself is not as cut and dry as this sounds, there is skill involved...i would definitely do far more research before you decide to sharpen your own knives, especially if they are high end

Yes, there is skill involved, but it's not so much an "Art" as it is just shear repetition to train your wrist to maintain the proper angle of the blade on the stone. I received the bulk of my training in knife sharpening when I was just a kid in the Boy Scouts. When I went to college for Culinary Arts, they ran us through a bit of training on knife care, but for me, it was just a refresher.

 

[Mylegsbig]

For me personally, i'd rather spend like 30 bucks a year getting all my knives sharpened by a craftsman than risk ruining a 150+ dollar knife. Ive heard conflicting reports of the degree of difficulty involved, also, some people are naturally more skilled with their hands than others. It just seems for the average layman with a nice set of knives, it makes more sense to take them out once a year than to learn the craft.


Ive heard arguments from both sides of the fence however, i think it is not a black and white issue, you have to figure out if it is personally the thing for you.

cheers

Legsbig

 

[AllenOK]

Different strokes for different folks. Heck, even some cooks I've worked with prefer to have their knives sharpened by a "professional" knife sharpener. I'm kind of quirky about my knives; I don't like other people messing with the bevel and over-all sharpness of my blades.

On the flip side, I can't really repair my vehicles of all ailments. I can change the oil, and the spark plugs on one of them (front-w-d 4 cyl), but the v-6 van will have to be taken in, as I can't get to the back three plugs. Some folks can rebuild cars in their backyard. Not I.

 

[markgill]

sharpening your knives

I see that this can be an issue for some.I have been sharpening knives this way since I first started cooking at home.I was taught by my grandfather who believed that you should be able to keep your tools sharp and ready for use. I was shown again by a very accomplished chef some years later when I was cooking proffesionally. It is one of those things that should at least be tried, very few people find it impossible. I have had knives sharpened proffesionally (not my own) and had to spend more time on them myself as they where not very good.I find trying this with a cheaper softer blade the easiest way to learn as things happen quicker.I have looked for a basic video of this on the net but they are all a bit iffy so far.

 

[Robo410]

I was afeard of home sharpening fer sure myself. But I did teach myself without ruining any knives or bleeding to death. And I use a diamond hone and a steel. I have a stone if I need it. (And a pro in the county if I ever mess up but that's not likely now.) read up on it the internet. THe equipment is not expensive. get a protractor and find on your thumb where 20* is! and keep it there! now pull towards you in a banana arc ... then reverse and do it left handed! piece a cake, slice a pie, and only frightening until you do it a few times. But the diamond hone (even easier to use but still remember 20* on your thumb) will be used much more often. Practice on a cheap blade.

 

[dispute]

Anyone know any places to get a good empty knife block? I'm putting together my own set.

Only good one I found was nylon based but very $$$

 

[Andy M.]

Just keep checking the kitchenware websites.

I prefer a magnetic strip on the wall where I do my prep work. You can hang any size knives and they are out of the way and don't take up counter space.

 

[Zeasor]

Anyone know any places to get a good empty knife block? I'm putting together my own set.

Only good one I found was nylon based but very $$$

Search Amazon.com for "knife block" and you will see dozens of different styles by major knife manufacturers and many more. Ebay also has way too many, including exotic blocks of wood for making your own knife holder.

 

[GB]

Do a search on froogle.com.