All Questions
72 questions
97
votes
13
answers
15k
views
What knives are "required" for a serious home kitchen?
I consider myself a serious home cook. What knives are essential?
- 1,435
56
votes
12
answers
6k
views
How should I care for my knives?
I've finally put down the money to buy a quality knife and it's sharpness is amazing!
How do I take care of it so that the edge lasts and the knife stays sharp?
- 2,637
40
votes
6
answers
7k
views
What should I look for in a good, multi-purpose chef's knife?
If I want to buy a good multi-purpose chef's knife, which characteristics should I look for?
- 7,072
34
votes
12
answers
19k
views
Why not put knives in the dishwasher?
What is it about the dishwasher that harms knives?
The only reasons I've found are:
You could get cut... I personally have a greater change of getting cut by trying to wash them by hand.
The blades ...
- 10.9k
33
votes
9
answers
37k
views
What is the proper way to dispose of a kitchen knife?
How do you throw away a kitchen knife (or for that matter, any knife)? It seems extremely dangerous to just throw it in the dumpster, even if it's wrapped up real well.
- 513
30
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What are the names and purposes of these six kitchen knives?
My longtime neighbor had this collection of six GONON-GIRONDE high-carbon steel knives that she inherited from her mother. I thought that they were incredible, and must be wonderful to use.
Sadly she ...
- 699
26
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Cutting boards: What are some general tips on purchasing and using a cutting board?
I have heard various debates on the merits of wood versus synthetic cutting boards, and their affect on food safety, knife edges, and ease of cleaning and storage.
What are the pros and cons of the ...
- 2,918
25
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife?
In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp?
- 353
24
votes
6
answers
18k
views
How do you properly clean a cutting board and knife to prevent cross contamination?
I have one very nice cutting board that I like to use with my chef's knife. Because I only use this single cutting board and chef's knife, if I have a recipe that calls for cutting raw meat as well ...
- 1,530
20
votes
10
answers
38k
views
20
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Do honing steels wear out?
We have a knife set that's approximately 15 years old, and as we were honing a knife tonight, a question arose. Do honing steels get worn down over the years? Should they be replaced? If so, how often?...
- 7,492
19
votes
8
answers
4k
views
What tasks require or work best with a knife point?
Most kitchen knives have pointed tips. I can imagine trying to improve safety (e.g. if they're accidentally dropped) by rounding the tip. For example, a paring knife might look like the one on the ...
- 960
19
votes
6
answers
19k
views
Can you hone a knife properly by using another knife?
I recall seeing this in movies. Can it be called the poor man's steel?
- 1,804
18
votes
14
answers
74k
views
When is a Utility Knife to be preferred over a Chef's or a Paring knife?
A Utility knife is a kitchen knife that is midway in size between a Chef's knife and a Paring knife.
Although I own a Utility knife, I don't believe that I have ever used it except when my Chef's ...
- 7,118
18
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What should I look for in a new kitchen knife set?
We've had the same knives for a very long time now, and we need a new set. What should I look for (or avoid) in a new kitchen knife set?
- 281
17
votes
7
answers
88k
views
What are the advantages of a Santoku over a French Chef's Knife?
When it comes to general cooking knives the santoku and french chef's are generally the ones most often mentioned. Is the style of use very different? The only real difference I'm aware of is that you ...
- 6,203
16
votes
7
answers
3k
views
How many ceramic knives do I want?
I've heard that ceramic knives are the new thing. It's far easier, though, to find metal knives that look and feel nice.
So, budget notwithstanding (within reason) and assuming that I have to buy a ...
- 1,473
16
votes
7
answers
4k
views
How to find a competent knife sharpener
I have a santoku that I will be wanting to get professionally sharpened in the next few months. This is the first knife I've owned that was reasonably expensive so I want to make sure I take care of ...
- 6,203
16
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Ridges on knife steel?
Is there any functional difference (not related to things like embedded diamond grit) between a smooth-surfaced knife (or honing) steel, and one that has visible ridges? Would there be any reason to ...
- 73.4k
15
votes
7
answers
13k
views
How do you sharpen a serrated knife?
I have some quality serrated knives but over time they get dull.
How do I sharpen them?
- 2,322
15
votes
3
answers
737
views
Am I using my knives for the correct jobs?
I've got a limited collection of knives which I was moderately pleased to discover meet the "minimum requirements". But, recent activity on here has got me thinking - am I using them for the correct ...
- 1,775
14
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Does this tool where a knife edge is dragged between two angled abrasive pieces hone or sharpen?
A few weeks ago I bought an awesome Global knife. I ordered this tool from Amazon:
My question: Does this tool hone the knife, or does it sharpen it?
- 341
14
votes
4
answers
5k
views
What is this double-serrated knife good for?
I was recently given an unused knife from an elderly relative who downsized her home. It is stainless steel with a sort of "double serrated" edge.
Out of curiosity I gave it a try and it more "...
- 61.4k
13
votes
1
answer
3k
views
When honing with a ceramic rod, why alternate edges of your knife? Why not hone each edge separately?
Starting at 0:58, Owen in Vancouver counsels you to alternate the knife's edges. Each time Owen pulls the knife, he alternates as he advised. But why? Why not hone one side with 15 consecutive ...
user91594
12
votes
12
answers
99k
views
Are Damascus steel kitchen knives worth it?
Many manufacturers currently offer kitchen knives with Damascus steel blades at a premium.
Besides looking cool do such knifes have any better characteristics compared to simply good forged stainless ...
- 1,283
12
votes
10
answers
16k
views
Why would I prefer carbon steel (rust prone) kitchen knife?
I've seen this question and obviously carbon steel (not stainless) knives look quite bad without extra care (picture from the linked to question)
Now my question is - why face the trouble? Why would ...
- 1,283
11
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How sharp should a paring knife be?
Recent bought a chef's knive and a paring knife, both are high carbon stainless steel. The chef's knife is quite sharp and can cut a piece of butcher's twine just by touching it, with little or no ...
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Knife sharpening equipment
I'm a novice at best when it comes to cooking, but I'm open to learning how to sharpen my own knives. However, I'm a quite overwhelmed with where to start and how to get things going. I have a few ...
- 1,397
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is the name of this style of knife?
Several years ago I found this knife at a thrift store:
I like this knife a lot because it is very effective at transmitting force to the food I am cutting. But I am anxious because I do not know ...
- 111
10
votes
4
answers
7k
views
"Universal" aka "Bristle" Knife Blocks: Blade Damage and Hygiene
Does anyone have any experiences of /advice about "universal" knife blocks, i.e. blocks that hold the knives in place with a dense bunch of plastic bristles instead of the usual slots in the wood.
I'...
9
votes
6
answers
34k
views
How do I care for a carbon steel knife?
I recently purchased a Dexter-Russell carbon steel Chinese cleaver, because they're supposed to be amazingly useful.
I'm used to caring for good stainless steel knives, but don't know what special ...
- 18k
9
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Do scalloped sides on a knife blade have any effect? [duplicate]
One of the first knives I was ever given was a Wusthof 7-inch Santoku. Over my years of use, I've never put much thought into the cut-outs along the side of the blade (which appear to be variously ...
- 14.9k
8
votes
6
answers
21k
views
Are fluted knives a gimmick?
I haven't been able to find a post specifically on fluted knives, so hopefully this isn't a duplicate.
I was wondering if fluted knives actually work. I came across a comment (possibly an Amazon ...
- 1,397
8
votes
6
answers
749
views
I'm not looking to learn a new skill; how do I make my knives better at cutting?
I am a reasonably proficient casual kitchen user and I have a set of kitchen knives I bought from a (British) supermarket a few years ago. Recently I've noticed they've become less good at cutting ...
- 12.2k
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Which knife is best for somone just learning to cook?
I'm just self-learning to cook and I'm looking for a chef's knife. I've read the many differences between a chef's knife and a santoku knife, but it's still not clear to me which one I should choose. ...
- 1,397
8
votes
1
answer
446
views
How does a marzipan knife work?
So, marzipan - or is it marchpane? English is not my native language, but I own a cooking book where it is called marchpane - is pretty sticky, and cutting it with a normal knife doesn't really work ...
- 81
8
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How to tell the difference between stamped and forged knives
I know the difference between the process of making these knives, but if you saw two knives -- one stamped and one forged -- how do you tell the difference simply by looking at them?
I guess you ...
- 225
8
votes
5
answers
22k
views
How to properly sharpen Santoku and any other knife using a water sharpener/Japanese whetstone?
I've recently bought a really nice Santoku knife from Wüsthof along with a Japanese water sharpener, and since then I've been watching a lot of videos and reading a lot of guides about how to use the ...
- 183
8
votes
1
answer
46k
views
Does a sharpening steel ever need to be replaced? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do honing steels wear out?
I've been using my sharpening steel for several years. The tiny little ridges that run along its length seem to be somewhat worn, although they're ...
- 81
7
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Are electric knives used in foodservice?
After learning several months ago that immersion blenders and many other kitchen gadgets/appliances have foodservice equivalents that are usually much more powerful and durable than the consumer ...
- 55.2k
7
votes
2
answers
884
views
What cost-effective things can I do to help my knives stay sharp longer?
I'm a poor college student that doesn't know much about his knives, pots, and pans. Specifically is there anything that I can do to make my knives stay sharp longer and maintain them without spending ...
- 283
7
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What regular maintenance is best for a Japanese knife?
My amazing fiancee just got me a Nenox gyuto as a graduation present. (You can't have her, she's mine.) Until now, I've only had Western knives. I understand that I should never use a steel on this ...
- 1,247
6
votes
2
answers
51k
views
Where can I find a quality comparison for Zwilling Knives?
I'm trying to find comparisons between various knives from Zwilling. I know the difference between the lines: JA Henckels International tends to be of different build quality as compared to Zwilling.
...
- 347
6
votes
5
answers
14k
views
What's optimal hardness for a kitchen knife blade?
Many knife manufacturers provide the hardness value for the knife blade in the specifications - like 53HRC or 57 HRC.
What's the optimal hardness for kitchen knives? Do I always prefer the ones with ...
- 1,283
6
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to convert knife edge angle "ratios" into degrees?
European-style Japanese knives seem to be described (also here and here, and in my most recent post) in terms of "ratios" that always add up to 100. It's not exactly clear what this means in terms of ...
- 1,247
5
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What are the purposes of the various specialty knives?
I generally tend to use a paring knife for most of my cutting, but I'm sure I should be using a different knife. Recently I also made the mistake of trying to cut a watermelon with a big, straight-...
- 553
5
votes
6
answers
475
views
What are some suggestions for cooking tools/techniques for people that have arthritis?
I've recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and my grip is VERY poor. I can't even make a fist anymore. A few days ago I found that cutting up a left-over, cooked chicken breast was VERY ...
5
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Gyuto knife - What it can & can't cut? What cutting techniques?
I bought a Gyuto knife but now I am unsure what I can cut with it. The manufacturer says I shouldn't try to cut bones or frozen things with it, which seems clear to me.
But how about raw potatoes &...
- 1,979
5
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How to choose good quality Chinese slicer knives?
Chinese slicer knives look like cleavers, but are very thin and meant to chop foods that are reasonably soft, e.g. not bone.
I've heard that Chan Chi Kee (CCK) is the best, but it's very difficult to ...
- 233
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Fruit peeling techniques
I came across this page (How to peel a mango) while surfing and I found it very interesting. What kind of methods and knives/kitchen gadgets do you use to peel fruits? Are there different tools to ...