know your knives

Quick.
For example, what kind of knife would you use to cut carrots?
If you\'re like Antonia Prescott, you don\'t care as long as it cuts.
\"I should care.
\"But I just use the knife people give me, whatever is closest,\" Prescott said . \".
She recalled that in the fresh field shop in Glover Park, she was set off by a variety of green plants with five kitchen knives.
Most of them are jagged.
One is fruit, she thinks.
\"But I really don\'t know what\'s good.
\"Many of us have mysterious knives.
The worn-out hardware that we pull out from the drawer or knife seat without knowing what they expect to function.
We may cut the meat with a bread knife and cut the bread with a boneless knife.
Many of us are also using blunt, unsharpened knives that lost their advantage a few years ago.
\"People don\'t realize that blunt knives are dangerous.
You put pressure on the carrots, the knife slides, and you cut it yourself, \"says Jean Luc Nicolas, executive chef of the big event at Ridgewells in Bethesda. based caterer.
In addition, Nicholas said that it is impossible to produce high-quality works with a blunt knife.
The vegetables are \"crowded\" and the fish are messy.
\"At 2000 international Houseware Fair, held in Chicago in January, more than 75 companies that produce kitchen tableware presented their products.
Special knives for fish or poultry.
There are styles of \"bird\'s mouth\" and \"sheep\'s feet.
\"But just to cut ham, how many families need a blade tool with a round tip?
Most home chefs do not need fancy, expensive collectibles, but only four basic elements: the first and most important is the chef\'s knife, followed by peeling, utilities and bread knives.
The chef\'s knife is the most important tool for the chef.
Triangle blade heavy and wide-
Range from 6 to 10 inch long-
Perfect for cutting carrots, mashed garlic cloves or chopped coriander. A high-
A strong chef.
Nevertheless, it is flexible at the tip of the slice.
The balance, weight, and curved blades can easily achieve the rocking action of shredding. More eight-
The chef\'s knife sells more than any other knife.
Zucchini-peeling, prune-
Hemp point and Apple
It is easy to take the core with a peeling knife. It\'s versatile. The three-to four-
The inch blade can be used to clean the shrimp, remove the eyes on the potatoes or carve the radish.
Also useful for trimming poultry and a small amount of meat. A six-
The inch cutter is the choice of cutting cheese, cold cutting and production.
For any work that the chef\'s knife is too big to comfortably complete, grab the tool, sometimes called a sandwich knife. Hard-
There are baked bread here.
Every kitchen should have jagged, 10-
An inch bread knife.
Sharp fan edges can also tear tough edges
Tomatoes that do not damage the soft skin inside.
The price of these four essential multi-purpose kitchen tools purchased separately ranges from $35 to $250.
Why are prices so volatile?
The price of the knife is what it is made of and how--and where--it was made.
Traditionally, high
The quality kitchen knife is old.
Old-fashioned carbon steel in France and Germany.
This knife is easy to sharpen if you are good at using grindstone and steel.
They have a good advantage.
On the other hand, when used to cut citrus fruits or onions, the carbon steel cutters change color over time.
Salt air and water, even humidity, leave spots on the leaves if not dried quickly.
Anyway, there are fans for carbon steel knives.
\"They are not for everyone.
You must take good care of them.
But all the knives in my kitchen are French carbon steel, \"said Nancy Purvis Pollard, owner of La Cuisine, a specialty kitchen store in Alexandria.
She prefers them because they are easy to keep sharp.
\"Knives made of stainless steel vary in quality from manufacturer to manufacturer.
They are often hard to grind.
\"Imagine that the blade cut off from the cookie chip has no advantage of squinting,\" Pollard said . \".
There is still a stain on such a knife. resistant.
The expensive ceramic knife will remain sharp for a long time, but the blade is easy to break and hard to Sharp.
What is the metal now?
In a technology, modern
A day of marriage, the winning features of various alloys have been combined.
Most tableware companies in the world choose highcarbon, no-
Stain steel for tools with excellent sharpness and stains-resistance.
The hardness of the steel is measured by the industry standard, the Rockwell scale.
Most of today\'s tempered steel knives are rated 55-to 57-degree range.
Jay Alpert said: \"Consumers who want a knife that can be grinded, a knife that can maintain an advantage in a reasonable period of time, should buy a knife in this range, president of Professional tableware direct selling company, a catalog company focusing on kitchen knives.
But it is clear that a Rockwell of size is not suitable for all people.
The complicated thing is, a tableware
The manufacturer may post Rockwell ratings on the packaging and the other will not.
Some companies choose to make knives with softer steel: they will soon become dim, but they will be easy to grind.
Other consumers prefer harder steel in Rockwell 60degree range.
The blades of these knives are longer but hard to Sharp.
Forged knives are usually twice as expensive as stamped knives. At the Wusthof-
Trident production facilities in Solingen, Germany
The world tradition of the blacksmith shop, red-
Hot steel is forged in 38 manufacturing steps, hammer, tempered, ground and polished at two tons of pressure.
The result is: a beautiful, heavy tool with a lot of feeling.
A fully forged knife is sturdy and made of a piece of metal extending from the tip to the hip. (
Some manufacturers forge components and then weld them together. )
There is a thick steel pillow between the blade and the handle, adding balance and weight.
The pillow is also a safety function to prevent the finger from hitting the blade.
A superior forged knife has a complete soup-
The metal covered by the handle extends from the pillow to the butt.
The Knife of half a Tang Dynasty was originally weak.
In tests conducted by national magazines and consumer groups, the chef selected forged knives and Wusthof-
Trident, forged. then-
Welding tool made by J. A.
Henckels score high in strength and durability.
The stamping tool cut from the steel plate has long been considered as inferior to the forged tool. That was then.
These knives today-
When high-carbon, no-stain steel--can be of high-
Quality and good value.
Some imitate the fake look by adding a weighted handle and a support.
In fact, the stamping tool made by Forschner in Switzerland is the preferred tool for many butchers.
\"They have a great, lightweight feeling and a comfortable balance,\" says Greg Preast, head butcher of the market at Wagshal in the Spring Valley of the region.
The four Forschners of Preast have been around for 11 years and his handle is made of mahogany.
But a classic wooden handle is the only way out.
Most chefs prefer molded polypropylene handles that are easy to disinfect.
Such handles can also eliminate cracks in the blade\'s contact with the handle, which can capture food and carry bacteria. Trend-setting all-
Metal knives like razors
The sharp beauty made by Japan\'s global, tangible into a seamless dimples steel handle. An eight-
The inch globe chef knife costs about $70.
If you want to start your own knife collection, where do you start? On a budget?
Buy the best you can afford, buy one at a time.
Consider buying as an investment of a lifetime.
Start with the chef\'s knife.
Add a peeling knife.
Each hand is different, so choose a high quality knife, but choose a knife that fits your hand size and shape.
In the store, pick up the knife one by one.
How do they feel?
Test the balance and weight.
Choose the blade length that suits you.
\"You have to feel comfortable,\" says Pollard of La Cuisine . \".
\"If the length of the blade scares you, you won\'t use it.
\"Be sure not to miss the top cooked.
Fred ground the flint stone.
In many families, from caves to apartments, they are husband\'s husbands.
Traditionally, it is a man\'s business to keep the kitchen knife sharp.
But no one in the family will grind the kitchen knife correctly. Ever.
For 72 years, six days a week, died on October, at the age of 87, tool grinder Tony wedchyarei criss-crossed the alley in Northwest Washington, for people who don\'t know how to grind knivesHe rang a bell.
Sometimes the whole family takes the abused, mismatched knives it collects to his van.
400 first-
Then grind the stone with honing and he gives each knife a sharp edge.
He also sharpened his scissors and repaired his umbrella.
This spring, his son John plans to receive Tony\'s tool grinding service on a limited basis (call 301-935-
Appointment 4730).
Vecchiarelli is destined to be busy.
There are many blunt knives outside. -
Dangerous tools that require excessive force when cutting--
This increases the chances of injury. The problem?
Most people don\'t know how to use the grindstone correctly, which is the grindstone used to create new edges on the blade.
Pushing and pulling the blade along the length of the stone at a consistent angle requires practice.
Other people don\'t own oil stones.
They scream on a common brick or granite and do more harm than good.
Few people know how to deal with rough thingssurfaced pole--called a steel--
This is their knife cover.
Other people use it incorrectly. Sharpening-
Description and Operation method of steel-
The picture shows the problem presented by the novice.
By using and abusing, they can read and understand how the thin edges of the knife are folded up to become dim.
Sharp steel, which is often used, exhibits edges, removes burrs and straightens the metal.
But for a sharpener who has not practiced, from one or two-
How to place the knife at the correct angle to the size chart of the steel.
Some directions give the degree of accuracy;
Others instruct the user to point the knife up slightly.
\"Anyway, the knife can be destroyed if the knife and steel are not the perfect angle.
Also, if the sharp steel is not made by the same company as the knife, then the two may not be compatible.
The knife ground the steel very sharp.
Beginners need an expert to show them how it is done.
For serious chefs, the easiest way to keep the tool Sharp is to use a good electric curling knife.
A few of the best chefs choose ($59-$139)
, Provides consistent edges using diamond abrasive and magnetic guide rails.
For those who don\'t need another piece of kitchen equipment, professionals can bring most dull knives back to life.
They can also demonstrate how to keep the tool sharp with sharp steel.
* Chesapeake Cutter store, a cutter store with 11 regions (call 703-278-
Information 8100)
Straight grinding-
Blade knives of any size, $3 per knife, $5 for aliasing.
* Nancy Purvis Pollard, owner of La Cuisine (323 Cameron St. , Alexandria; call 703-836-4435)
Make both carbon steel and high steel Sharp
Carbon Stainless Steelsteel knives.
She is $3 per knife.
* Many hardware stores will update the edge of the kitchen knife.
Check the yellow pages under the \"hardware\" store with \"sharpen service.
* Popular tool series produced by Cutco (call 1-800-828-0448)
There is a guarantee of \"always sharp\" for a lifetime.
In order to grind the knife, the knife owner can send the knife back to the factory with a three-knife handling fee of $3.
Watch out for the knife and it will stay longer.
Cutting on porcelain, glass, granite and metal surfaces quickly folds the edges.
Choose a cutting board made of wood or polyethylene.
Regardless of the manufacturer\'s statement, the cutter is not dishwasher safe;
They should wash and dry by hand.
A loose knife in the dishwasher can cause damage to glassware, porcelain, dishwasher and knife.
Those bulky blocks occupy valuable counter space, which is not the last word of storage.
Many chefs like to put magnetic strips on the wall behind the main work area.
Most kitchen supplies stores have cheap plastic covers, which is a great way to protect good knives stored in drawers. EQUIPMENT;
Want to feel sharp?
There are kitchen knives of all sizes and prices.
Some are forged from the hammer height. carbon, no-stain steel.
Other people stamp-cut cookie-cutter style--
Thin sheet from the same metal.
Each cutting task has a knife made by companies from all over the world.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to distinguish each other.
This is changing.
Cutlery suppliers have introduced new ergonomic handle design and eyescatching all-
The steel style of their series.
Here have qi ge ba ge
In January in Chicago, 2000 International Home Furnishing Show debut inch chef knife. 1.
Jacques Pepin series from Lunt, practical and lightweight (4. 6-ounce), easy-to-
A sharp, stamped knife with a blue or black hard plastic handle;
$28 on the website of Tavolo: www. tavolo.
Com or directly from Lunt; call 1-800-344-LUNT. 2. Top-of-the-
Line Culinar made in Germany by Wusthof-
The Trident is a big one (9. 5-ounce), forged, one-
Knife with brushed stainless steelsteel handle;
$108, available through Williams-Sonoma, call 1-800-541-2233. 3.
Fashion Fuso from Sabatierpiece, 6. 9-
The Oz seamless knife is assembled with an aggravating handle and laser welding;
$130 in mid-
It is available at Bloomingdale and Macy\'s. 4.
Ultima in Ginsu, Arkansas-
Headquartered in a commercial advertising company, 7 was launched for the first time. 5-
Ounces, stamped with chef\'s knife on April.
This is part of 14-
A set of $79 assorted knives.
99 stores. 5.
The Pro of Oxo Good Grips is a beautiful stamping tool with a weight of 8 kilograms. 5 ounces.
The feeling is soft and the rubber Mountain is flat;
$40, 4 months 1 day can be bought in Linen \'n Things and crates and barrel shops after Bed Bath and later. 6.
Weighing at 7.
9 oz is the blue band of mondiller, a completely forged chef\'s knife with a tapered French
Triangular blade with brass rivets and unique blue Polypropylene handle;
$85 was sold in specialty stores and department stores in May 1. 7.
Future Australia
The Furi design made by furitechnic is very heavy (9. 5-ounce), one-
Seamless welded knife with slender taper handle;
$70, available via mail from Novon Co.
Pleasanton, California. ; e-
@ Trivalley\'s mail novon. com. or call 1-925-417-0617.