How To Choose a Knife
- December 3, 2007
- 2,319 Views
from
Grace Choi
(and 9 others) Subscribe
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Chef
Grace Choi
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Directed by
Kevin Hall
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Writer
Courtney Knapp
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Voice-Over Artist
Mario Bueno
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Production Designer
Karin Olsen
- Cosmetics Provided by M·A·C
- Kitchenware Provided by M·A·C
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Music
Edison Music Corp
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Art Director
Dew Gueramian
A brilliant painter needs just the right brush, a great mechanic needs just the right tool, and a true chef needs just the right knife. Choose wisely and half your work is done.
You Will Need
- A wide selection of knives (chef's knife, santoku, serrated knife, etc.)
Step 1: Chef's Knife
For just about any basic kitchen task, choose a cook’s “go-to” knife: the Chef’s Knife. Its strong, hefty, and relatively wide blade is sturdy enough for heavy jobs, but sharp enough for delicate cuts too. Its size and weight are ideal for everything from mincing to chopping, and the blades rounded shape allows for a speedy rocking motion.
When buying a chef’s knife, hold it in your hand and feel how it is weighted. Women may feel more comfortable with a smaller chef’s knife that won’t feel overwhelmingly large in their hands.
Step 2: Santoku
For tasks that require a thin, sharp edge, choose a santoku knife. This knife originated in Japan, where its design was adapted from a Western chef’s knife. The result: a shorter, thinner blade perfectly suited for cutting vegetables and even fish.
Step 3: Serrated knife
To cut through the skins of juicy fruits like tomatoes and plums without damaging their delicate flesh, choose a serrated knife. Usually about 10 inches long, serrated knives are also perfectly suited to cut bread and cake.
If you want neat, tidy slices, it is best to use a firm but gentle sawing motion when cutting with a serrated knife.
Step 4: Paring knife
For smaller jobs, choose a paring knife. This 3- to 4-inch shorty is another go-to knife that makes jobs like peeling, carving, or cleaning vegetables like shallots much easier. With its short blade, this knife allows you to maneuver around objects rather than simply slicing through them.
Step 5: Slicing knife
If you love to cook meat, choose a slicing knife. Its long, narrow blade makes it ideal for carving picture-perfect slices. But herbivores find it useful too—it’s also is well suited to cutting large vegetables or fruits.
According to TSA regulations, all knives “except for plastic or round bladed butter knives” are prohibited from being carried onto domestic and international flights—so if you’re carting your cutlery to a cook-off, be sure to check it underneath.
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Comments (1)
Okay, first of all, I don't like granton edges except for on my Santoku. I would never own a granton edged chef's knife, as is shown in the video.
Second, your selection of knives is down to you, and what you do. I have no use for a paring knife, for instance.
Third, if you keep your knives sharp, there is no reason to use a serrated blade to slice tomatoes, and there is certainly no reason to saw at them, as is shown in the beginning of the video. A truly sharp knife will go through just about anything in one smooth slice.
And, fourth, that ";slicer"; looked a lot like a large chef's knife to me. My slicer, or carving knife, is the only serrated knife I own, and is a long, straight, and thin blade.
over 2 years ago by Cornelius
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