Cutlery

by Micah Black

If you’re in the process of outfitting a kitchen, whether you’re updating your existing kitchen equipment or starting from scratch, you can usually afford to cut some corners. For example, you don’t need to have an all-oak, three inch thick cutting board. Something a little less heavy-duty will do just fine. Your cookie sheets don’t necessarily need to be industrial grade; anything that will hold cookies and get them warm will probably work. You can save quite a bit of money this way too, since professional grade cooking tools will usually cost you quite a bit more then their more domesticated brethren. However, some corners should never be cut.

One place where it doesn’t pay to go the inexpensive route is when it comes to cutlery. Knives that get sharp and will stay sharp will be your most used tools in the kitchen and, if you get quality cutlery, your knives will last you the rest of your life. Sure, you can get cheap cutlery, but you’ll regret it.

A chef’s knife is perhaps the most used tool in the kitchen. It’s essential in preparing almost all meals, and will be used in just about every recipe aside from those dealing with baking or dough. Since the chef’s knife is the most used piece of cutlery, it should be the best knife in your kitchen. A cheap chef’s knife will feel flimsy and light in the hand, while a quality knife will feel heavy and solid on the cutting board. Though you may be able to get a sharp edge on a bargain-basement chef’s knife, it won’t hold its edge for very long and will soon dull. A quality knife, on the other hand, will quickly sharpen to a razor’s edge and hold the edge for a long time due to the superior hardness and craftsmanship.

When shopping for knives, also pay attention to the handles. Hold the cutlery in your hands for awhile to get a feel for how the knives will handle, since an uncomfortable handle will make the knife awkward to work with, while a good handle will make cutting and chopping a pleasure. Though what handles feel the best is largely a matter of personal preference, pay attention to how the blade is fastened to the handle. Is it one solid forged piece? If a wood or acrylic handle is attached to the blade, is it bolted all the way through? How many bolts hold the blade on? If you look for quality in craftsmanship in cutlery you won’t ever regret it.

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