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Chef's and Cook's Knives
A chef’s knife, also known as a cook’s knife, is primarily for chopping and slicing fruit and vegetables. The blade is broad and curves upwards to allow for fine mincing while the weight and strength of the spine helps with chopping hard vegetables.
Chef’s Knives Characteristics
Looks like:
- Wide blade
- Pointed tip
- Granton or flat blade
- Heavy, hard steel
Use For:
Chopping and slicing vegetables and fruit.
How to Use:
- For precise control grip the blade itself with the thumb and index finger in a “pinch grip”. Alternatively wrap fingers and thumb firmly around the handle.
- For fine slicing and mincing, raise the handle up and down, keeping the tip in contact with the chopping board.
Made from:
Ice tempered, hardened steel.
Stainless steel is made by combining chromium with steel to make the resulting metal rust resistant. The chromium, however, makes the edges dull more quickly so the stainless steel is hardened to create a durable blade. Ice tempering consists of heating steel to achieve optimal hardening and then cooling it rapidly to preserve the hardness.
Handle Materials:
Our chef’s knives have handles made from Wood, Polypropylene, Steel and Plastic.
Wood:
- Wood is attractive and has a natural, warm feel to it.
- Hardwoods such as Rosewood and Olive wood are generally used for durability.
- Wooden handles are sealed and riveted.
Do not immerse your wooden handles in water as they can expand and crack.
Polypropylene:
- Polypropylene is a very hard, manufactured material that is impervious to water and very durable.
- Polypropylene handles are riveted together.
Steel:
- Asian knives use one piece of steel to create the knife and handle.
- The steel is generally textured for a secure grip.
- The full steel construction creates very strong leverage.
Plastic:
- Plastic handles are generally glued together and provide a lightweight handle for smaller cutting tasks such as preparing vegetables.
- Plastic handles provide a more economic knife and are excellent for taking out of the kitchen when camping or on picnics.
See The Knife Explained and Which Knife for more useful information on knives.
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