| With some know-how and practice, a kitchen | | | | bones of poultry, meat and fish. |
| knife can be your best friend during food | | | | Bread Knife |
| preparation, or it can be a potential source of | | | | Bread knives are usually serrated. It's |
| serious injury. Depending on your skill and what | | | | recommended that a serrated knife have pointed |
| you already know about knife safety, it's always | | | | serrations rather than wavy serrations for better |
| a good idea to hone knife safety skills. The first | | | | control and longer knife life. Consider using a |
| step in kitchen knife safety is purchasing the | | | | 10-inch serrated bread knife for whole loaves and |
| most quality set of knives you can afford. Avoid | | | | a six-inch knife for cutting smaller items, such as |
| sets that have gaps at the joint - where the | | | | sandwich buns. When cutting through bread with a |
| blade and handle meet. Quality knives should feel | | | | bread knife, use a sawing motion. |
| heavy and solid in your hand. And most | | | | How to Safely Use a Knife |
| importantly, take the time to learn how to use | | | | When using a knife, the most important guideline |
| the knives and care for them. | | | | to follow is to chop the knife slowly and carefully. |
| There are five basic types of kitchen knives: | | | | Always cut away from your body. Use a nonslip |
| Chef's Knife | | | | surface to cut on and make sure your hands are |
| A chef's knife is typically the largest knife in the | | | | dry. Fingers on the hand holding the food should |
| kitchen, with a wide blade that is eight to 10 | | | | be curled under to protect from the knife. The |
| inches in length. For the best wear and stability, | | | | knife should not leave the surface you're working |
| the knife should have a full tang. In another | | | | on. |
| words, the blade should go all the way through | | | | Keeping Your Knives Sharp |
| the handle. The chef's knife is one of the most | | | | Knives that are not kept sharp are unsafe. They |
| important tools you can own when it comes to | | | | can easily slip off food that you are cutting and |
| cooking. It can be used for slicing, chopping, dicing, | | | | cut your fingers instead. Keep knives sharp by |
| mincing, julienne cuts, disjointing large cuts of | | | | using a steel, which sharpens knives by |
| meat, and even smashing garlic. | | | | straightening out the edge. When sharpening a |
| Paring Knife | | | | knife, hold it in your dominate hand and the steel |
| Another often-used kitchen knife is the paring | | | | in the other with the steel point pressed into a |
| knife, which is generally 3 to 4 inches in length. It | | | | solid waist-high surface. Holding the knife base at |
| is ideal for peeling and coring fruits and | | | | the top of the steel at a 20-degree angle, slowly |
| vegetables, cutting small objects, and slicing. | | | | draw the knife down the length of the steel so |
| Utility Knives | | | | the entire blade, from base to tip, moves against |
| Longer than paring knives but smaller then chef's | | | | the steel. Repeat on the other side. Sharpen the |
| knife, utility knives are typically 5 to 8 inches long. | | | | knife like this five to six times. Rinse off and dry |
| Utility knives are also referred to as sandwich | | | | immediately. |
| knives because they are an ideal size for slicing | | | | Storing Your Kitchen Knives |
| meats and cheeses. Utility knives are good to | | | | Knives that end up in a drawer will become more |
| keep around as extras. | | | | quickly than those stored in a knife block or |
| 4. Boning Knife | | | | magnetic knife rack. Plus, there's a better chance |
| Generally 4 to 5 inches long, the boning knife has | | | | of injury reaching into a drawer full of knives. High |
| a more flexible blade that curves around the | | | | quality knives should be washed by hand and dried |
| meat and bone. With a sharp point and narrow | | | | immediately. Avoid putting your knives into the |
| blade, the boning knife is used for removing the | | | | dishwasher. |