| Buyers' guide to kitchen knives | | | | blade follows the bones closely, avoiding waste. |
| Stylish kitchen knives that cut more than the | | | | Use a heavier knife to remove fish heads. |
| mustard! | | | | 5. A boning knife with a narrow blade and a sharp |
| Kit out your kitchen with knives that are both | | | | point is used solely for removing bones. Some |
| practical and stylish with our comprehensive guide | | | | have a flexible blade for poultry, while others |
| Possibly the most essential and frequently used | | | | have a rigid blade for dealing with bigger joints. |
| piece of equipment in any kitchen, a good knife | | | | 6. A carving knife is long and flexible enough to |
| can determine whether cooking becomes a | | | | allow meat to be sliced thinly. Some have a point, |
| pleasure or a chore. 'A knife is one tool that has | | | | used to free meat from a joint with a bone; |
| to perform well in your hands every single day,' | | | | those with a round tip are for boneless joints and |
| says Jay Patel, owner of The Japanese Knife | | | | known as slicers. |
| Company, which supplies some of the most highly | | | | 7. A serrated bread knife should be long and rigid |
| esteemed chefs and restaurants in the world. 'Like | | | | so it can cut through a hard crust without |
| a pen, an iron or a vacuum cleaner, if it doesn't | | | | squashing the slices. Serrated knives can't be |
| work well, it will cause immediate frustration.' | | | | sharpened in the usual way, so only use on a |
| Purchase the right knife, however, and not only | | | | wooden or polypropylene surface. Never use |
| will you find food preparation is easier and quicker, | | | | them for chopping. |
| but safer and more enjoyable, too. If it's looked | | | | 8. A pallet knife is long and flexible with a rounded |
| after properly, a quality knife will last a lifetime. | | | | tip for easing cakes out of tins, sliding under |
| Buying a knife | | | | pastry or spreading cream or icing. |
| Although it's tempting to rush out and arm | | | | Sharpening |
| yourself with a full set, the majority of work you | | | | So you've invested in a knife that will make you |
| do in the kitchen will be with one or two knives. | | | | the next Nigella. Well, unless it's sharpened |
| Professional chefs may buy a blade for a | | | | correctly your money will be wasted. Ideally, this |
| particular purpose, but when choosing knives for | | | | should be every time you use it - here are your |
| your own kitchen, it's likely you won't need a vast | | | | options:o The European method of sharpening is |
| array. As Marcia Barrington, tutor of the | | | | to use a 'steel'. Old- fashioned steels were a |
| Divertimenti cookery school's most popular class, | | | | cylindrical metal rod with grooves, but modern |
| Knife Skills, advises, 'Begin by buying one or two | | | | steels are ceramic or diamond-coated and more |
| essential knives, then build your ideal set over a | | | | effective. It's essential to maintain the correct |
| period of time as you find you need other blades | | | | angle when using a steel (20 - 30 degrees, |
| for more specific tasks.' | | | | depending on the style of knife), otherwise you |
| When choosing knives, remember the following:o | | | | could end up doing more harm than good. A flat, |
| Buy the best knife you can afford. You get what | | | | diamond steel will never blunt and is more |
| you pay for and a high-quality knife will last for | | | | abrasive, so works quickly, but take extra care |
| years. Better to invest in a good knife and | | | | as any mistakes will be more exaggerated. A |
| sharpener, than a whole block you don't | | | | ceramic steel works less quickly, but removes |
| necessarily need.o 'A knife is a tool, not art, so | | | | less metal, so prolongs the life span of a knife.o A |
| choose function over form and buy a blade not a | | | | mini, pull-through sharpener has a knife guide and |
| brand,' says Jay Patel of The Japanese Knife | | | | ceramic wheels placed at the ideal angle to give a |
| Company.o Hold a knife before buying it, to make | | | | perfect finish, so is a foolproof way of |
| sure the handle sits comfortably in your palm and | | | | resharpening steel knives.o The traditional way of |
| that you're comfortable with the weight. You | | | | sharpening a Japanese knife is on a flat, abrasive |
| don't have to buy the same brand for every | | | | surface called a whetstone. Combination stones |
| knife - many chefs use a whole variety of | | | | with a variety of abrasive surfaces for honing |
| different manufacturers.o A well-balanced knife | | | | blades are available relatively cheaply. Some also |
| means the handle and blade are almost the same | | | | have a guide to ensure you keep the correct |
| weight, therefore the knife will rock easily. To | | | | angle when sharpening your knives.o It is possible |
| test, hold it as you would on a board and rock it | | | | to get knives professionally sharpened, but make |
| back and forth to see whether it feels | | | | sure they know exactly what they're doing: a |
| comfortable. Ideally, you have to use your wrist | | | | grinder that takes off excessive amounts of |
| less to achieve a rolling action while cutting. | | | | metal can do more harm than good. |
| However, unless you're a professional chef, you're | | | | Need to knowo Stamped blades (the cheapest) |
| unlikely to get RSI, so, although it's nice to have a | | | | are punched out of sheetsof steel then |
| balanced knife, it's not absolutely essential. | | | | sharpened. Rolled, hammered or dropped forged |
| Choosing your knives | | | | knives are also cut out, but then heated and |
| When it comes to knife shape, straight, narrow | | | | pressed, which makes the metal denser so it |
| blades are best for cutting raw or cooked flesh | | | | holds its edge for longer.o More expensive layered |
| and are not suited to chopping, or cutting fast or | | | | or laminated knives are made by layering or |
| with a traditional rolling action. Wider blades with a | | | | folding the metal to create a really strong blade.o |
| curved edge are ideal for preparing vegetables (it | | | | Generally, the higher the carbon content in the |
| can rest against your knuckles as you chop) but | | | | blade, the better it is. However, a high carbon |
| they are unsuitable for paring or peeling. | | | | content makes the knife brittle and prone to rust, |
| A basic set of knives might include two or more | | | | so other elements are often added.o Good quality |
| of the following: | | | | ceramic blades are not as brittle as you'd think, |
| 1. A 15-17cm cook's knife is essential and the first | | | | but can still chip or break if dropped. The absence |
| knife to invest in. Initially, it may seem big, but | | | | of metal means that the purity of flavour is |
| with practice it will become your knife of choice. | | | | maintained and food doesn't discolour.o A special |
| 'This is the knife you'd choose if you were stuck | | | | technique is required for using and sharpening |
| on a desert island,' says Camilla Schneideman, | | | | Japanese single-edged blades. Bear this in mind |
| director of the Divertimenti cookery school. 'Learn | | | | before buying one. |
| to use it properly and it will be an extension of | | | | Storage and care |
| your own arm'. A good all-round knife with a long, | | | | Leaving knives loose in a drawer is not only |
| wide, general-purpose blade, it can be used for | | | | dangerous, it lets them bang against each other, |
| slicing, dicing, crushing, chopping and mincing. | | | | blunting or damaging them.o Try a magnetic knife |
| Additionally, you may want a bigger 25cm chef's | | | | strip on the wall. The knives are easily accessible |
| knife that will take your weight when cutting | | | | and nothing comes into contact with the blade.o |
| things like squash or swede. | | | | Use knife guards - plastic or wooden sheaths that |
| 2. A paring knife is the most commonly used | | | | slide over the blade. You can buy these |
| blade in a domestic kitchen. At 7.5-10cm long, it's | | | | separately if they're not provided.o A wooden |
| a mini version of the chef's knife used for slicing | | | | knife block will minimise blunting. Eva Solo does |
| and dicing vegetables and delicate pastry cutting. | | | | blocks with flexible plastic inserts, The Japanese |
| Models with a hooked curve are handy for cutting | | | | Knife Company has a polypropylene block to |
| zest from citrus fruit. | | | | prevent damage and Henckels does a block that |
| 3. A serrated tomato knife is one item that can | | | | suspends blades between fibre-optic strands.o If |
| be cheap and disposable (less than £10). It | | | | you're building a collection, a fabric knife roll, like |
| cuts through tough, shiny tomato skins without | | | | the ones used by professional chefs, is a good |
| squashing the flesh and is also good for | | | | idea.o Never put knives in the dishwasher. Heat |
| segmenting oranges. | | | | and chemicals blunt blades, cause pitting in the |
| 4. A filleting knife is thin, flexible and pointed. The | | | | steel, and can work handles loose. |