How to choose the kitchen knives

A kitchen knife is one of the most important and necessary tools in the arsenal of both professional chefs and ordinary housewives. It is on this subject that the convenience of cutting products, the speed of work and the safety of the cook depend. An excellent knife must meet several mandatory requirements at once:

• be sharp;
• comfortable to use;
• do not be blunt for a long time;
• be able to sharpen.

A huge number of products from various manufacturers are represented on the modern world market, which differ in their appearance, material and cost.

How to choose a decent kitchen knife from all this variety?
First of all, you need to understand for what purposes it will be used? There are a huge number of models for meat, vegetables, fruit peeling, etc. There are also specific knives, for example, for sushi. Ideally, of course, you should have a knife for each specific type of work. However, if you are looking for a utility knife, then it is better to give preference to Japanese manufacturers, for example, Tojiro.

It is this brand that produces first-class products with first-class stainless steel blades. The company manufactures knives with up to 63 layers. Other elements are added to stainless steel to improve wear resistance, acid resistance, cleaning agents and blade hardness.
By purchasing a kitchen knife from Tojiro, you can make sure that not all of these items are the same. And sometimes it is worth paying for the quality, rather than being content with cheap Chinese counterparts. Japanese kitchen knives are divided into categories. They depend on the amount of steel added to the blade during production. One-layer are considered one of the most affordable. These knives are also very sharp, but you will need to sharpen them more often.

The most expensive are products for the kitchen made of Damascus steel, which also have an aesthetic pattern. This is the dream of all professional chefs.

What else to look for if you need to buy a knife?

It is not only the material that is important, but also the correct ergonomics. Look at the shape and construction of the handle. Plus, if it has a slight thickening at the end, which makes it possible to more confidently hold the knife in hand. For women, a cylindrical handle can also be comfortable. It is thinner. Here everyone decides for himself how comfortable he is.

Modern kitchen knives have an intermediate ring located between the handle and the blade. It is this that prevents food residues from accumulating at the blade attachment point. Moreover, it is more hygienic and safer to use.

What material should the handle be made of? It can be wood, metal or plastic. Wooden handles are more aesthetic and beautiful, but less durable. Although Tojiro manufacturers were able to solve this problem. They make handles from hard wood, carry out a special heat treatment and add impregnation under pressure. Obtains a material that even surpasses metal or plastic in its characteristics. Knives with such wooden handles are marked “ECO”, which stands for environmental friendliness. Today, more and more often knives with handles made of plastic imitating wood appear on sale. Most often it is made in China. Alas, the plastic handle will not be able to withstand too high temperatures, does not hold well in wet or oily hands. It is not as durable as metal or wood.

Perhaps these are the main nuances that you should pay attention to if you plan to update your knives in the kitchen.