All Questions
72 questions
3
votes
1
answer
256
views
Honing rod with angle guide?
My mother-in-law likes to have sharp knives, but she also has unsteady hands. She needs a honing rod (not a sharpener) that has a very firm angle guide of some kind. Does such a product exist? I've ...
- 65.6k
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
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
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
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
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
2
votes
2
answers
402
views
Sharpening a knife
Lets say I sharpend my knife starting with Grit 400, then 1000 up to 3000 and 6000 but its still is too dull.
If i want to sharpen the blade again do I restart with grit 400 or 1000 ? And is there a ...
- 123
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How and when should I use a bread knife?
I know the answer is "it's for cutting bread" but what I really want to know is when does its uniqueness actually help?
What I've noticed is that it's sooooooooo much easier to use the santoku knives ...
- 318
1
vote
0
answers
173
views
Should a cook be concerned about the type of symmetrical edge-grind from the manufacturer on a chef's knife?
Asymmetrical edges are out of scope of my question because I feel like they're too different from symmetrical edges as it relates to the question.
If the stock edge-grind on a chef's knife is any ...
- 263
3
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What kind of cooking knife is this?
In a show (One Piece), the character uses the following kitchen knife. I've never seen anything like it before; what is it?
Here it is in action:
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Should sharpening nicked knives with whetstones leave the nicks in the blade?
This question is somewhat similar to How to sharpen knife with chunk missing?, but the knives I have are not ruined like the one in that question, and I doubt the answer here would be to just throw ...
2
votes
1
answer
183
views
How much does knife thickness matter?
I was looking to buy myself a chef's knife, and was interested in either the Richardson Sheffield V Sabatier range, or their Sabatier Trompette range. Now, the latter is a bit cheaper, and the only ...
- 123
3
votes
2
answers
428
views
Santoku knife from Victorinox vs Kasumi
Is there any significant difference between santoku knife from e.g. Victorinox versus santoku knife from e.g. Kasumi?
Can I as normal kitchen user :) be able to distinguish the difference between ...
- 133
1
vote
3
answers
3k
views
How can I remove surface rust from a cleaver and keep it off
I was in Amish country in Ohio last weekend and found this in an antique shop. It seemed interesting and reasonably priced so I bought it. I did notice the surface rust. The cleaver is 9" from heel to ...
- 113
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
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'...
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
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
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What do the numbers used to differentiate Chinese slicer knives mean?
I have a Chinese slicer knife which I bought quite a few years ago, but never much used, it is a stainless steel 3 rams number 2.
I am doing more Chinese cooking now, but when reading in my cooking ...
- 185
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
0
votes
0
answers
70
views
How can I sharpen my chef's knives at home? [duplicate]
I have a beautiful Calphalon chef's knife that has served me well for years. However, lately I've noticed that it is quite dull, and the blade slips sometimes when cutting tomatoes and onions. How can ...
- 447
1
vote
2
answers
739
views
How well do counter top knife sharpeners sharpen knives?
Are counter top knife sharpeners like the IQ knife sharpener good for sharpening knives (or cheap knives)? I have used the IQ sharpener and it is still hard to cut through big onions. I would like to ...
- 5,875
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
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
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
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
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
0
votes
3
answers
396
views
I only want to buy two knives, which two types to get?
I plan on cooking pretty simple foods and will need a knife for things like stir fry, the occasional meat dish, soups, casseroles, basically just standard fare. What brand and type will get me good ...
- 109
5
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Better kinds of knives for elderly persons?
I'm doing research for my culminating undergrad project on what kind of knives are appropriate for elderly persons, aged about 65-75 years old, and I've got three main questions:
A gerontologist told ...
- 59
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Will a sharpener for a wider edge ruin a knife with a narrow edge?
I'm loving my new Victorionox chefs knife, and I'm aware the it has a 15 degree blade edge. When the time comes to sharpen it, will using a sharpener for a 20 degree blade ruin the knife edge?
- 81
0
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Why get a chef's knife or santoku if I don't eat meat?
If I don't eat meat, is there any reason why I would choose a chef's knife or santoku over a vegetable knife (e.g. Japanese vegetable knives or Chinese cleavers)?
I eat all kinds of foods (from ...
- 1,397
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
3
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Is it true that even quality knives with wood handles can warp and be contaminated with bacteria?
I was at Bed Bath & Beyond and I spoke to one of the employees about knives with wood handles. She said that wood handles are no good because they warped from water and heat and were difficult to ...
- 1,397
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
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
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
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
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
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
0
votes
1
answer
239
views
What is the best utensil kit for the cost? [closed]
Ideally I would like a set to build a kitchen around. Knives and the most vital and commonly used utensils. The best kit relative to it's price, and not leaving out important things like varied ...
- 140
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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