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How to choose a good knife - Culinary Basics 1
If you're like me, you love food, and love to cook. One of the most important tools in the kitchen is the knife. Choosing the right tool for the job is critical to correct preparation of the food, and keeping yourself safe and happy.
I am a corporate trainer in the food and beverage industry, so I've had a lot of experience with kitchen knives. One of the first things I learned was how much difference a good knife can make in your cooking experience. (This is especially true if you are working an 8 hour shift cutting fruits and vegetables.)
"So what constitutes a good knife?" you may be asking yourself. First, you want to look at the parts of a knife, and how it is made. There is more to a knife than a handle and a blade, but let's start with the handle. As you will be holding the handle, how it's made, and what it's made of can greatly affect your performance with it. The parts your hand touches are called the scales. The end of the handle is called the butt, and is very rarely covered in metal. This is known as a "butt cap". (This is much more common in hunting knives and swords.)
Personally, a nice traditional wooden handle works well, but you need to be aware that you could have bacteria grow in it, because wood is porous. Some handles have a nice soft rubberized grip, which is pretty nice for long periods of usage, but it is also porous. There are some nice synthetic materials that are not porous.
Some less expensive knives have plastic handles, the main problems with that tend to be the weight is not very well balanced, so it makes it harder to use the knife. Additionally, I had one set of cheap knives with plastic scales that kept pinching my finger while I was using it. By the end of the day, I almost always had a blister.
I've also seen knives with metal handles. While they look really cool, and have a pretty decent heft, they tend to slip out of my fingers when I'm using them, so there is a safety factor to consider.
Another thing you want to consider about the handle is how the blade is connected to it. Generally there are three ways knife blades are connected to the handle. All three have part of the blade extending into the handle. This part is known as the "tang". If you can see the metal tang all throughout the handle, it is known as a "full tang" knife. Typically there will be 3 bolts holding the wood in place. A full tang is usually regarded as the best. If you can see the metal from the blade extending into the handle, but it only goes 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the end of the handle, you have a "partial tang". These will probably have 2 or 3 bolts holding the handle together. This is better than the third type, the "rat tail tang". The rat tail tang is not visible at all on the outside of the handle. It is a much smaller piece of metal which may be tapered and ridged to grip the handle material. This is the reason for the name. Because these types of knives use less metal, they tend to be the least expensive type of knives. If you've ever had a handle slip off of the blade, you probably know all you need to know about these.
As you've probably guessed by now, the weight and balance of a knife are something that you should consider. The most easy to use knives tend to be well balanced, which means you don't have to work as hard to use them. A great influence on the weight of a knife is the blade. Blades come in two basic types, stamped and forged.
Stamped knives are stamped out of a big sheet of metal and tend to be less expensive to produce than forged knives. Forged knives are forged from molten metal, and are pressed into a form for their shape. They have a metal part adjacent to the handle called the bolster that gives the knife weight, balance, and protects your fingers. Forged knives are generally regarded as the highest quality, and can seem very expensive are first glance. A truly well crafted forged knife can last you a lifetime, so you should buy the best knife you can afford.
Another part to consider is the spine of the knife. this is the top edge of the knife directly opposite the cutting edge of the blade. Forged knives have a thicker edge, because the blade is beveled compared to a stamped knife which is mostly uniform thickness. The spine can be used for crushing or cracking open things you don't want to cut. Again, it can contribute to the overall heft of the knife.
The actual sharp part of the blade has a few parts to know about. The "point" of the blade can be used to pierce things. The "tip" is the forward quarter of the blade, and includes the point. This part of a knife is used for more delicate or fine work. The "edge" runs from the point of the blade to the bolster. This is where the majority of the work happens. The "heel" is located next to the bolster, and is the part of the cutting edge used for cutting that requires more force. This is where you would cut large or tough foods.
One final consideration is the edge itself. The edge can be concave or convex, both serve different purposes. Concave blades work well as wedges and are very durable due to the amount of metal. The drawback is they get dull quickly. Convex blades hold a razor sharp edge, and tend to have less food stick to them, but they are not as durable due to being less metal. The metal of the blade is usually some type of stainless steel, so it shouldn't rust. High Carbon stainless steel is usually a higher end product, and holds a point linger. Something that holds a point even longer is porcelain, but those blades can be prohibitively expensive.
To sum up, look for quality. Choose a knife that feels good in your hand, and buy the best knife you can afford. Those are the main things to consider. I hope you have enjoyed this article. Keep your eyes peeled for new articles including sharpening knives and choosing the right type of knife for the job.
About the Author:
Jim Waller is a corporate trainer in the food and beverage business at one of the theme parks in Orlando, Florida. He is the webmaster at Share4wealth.com. Born in Buffalo, NY. Raised in New Port Richey, FL. Lived in Magny Le Hongre, France for a year and worked as a waiter. over 20 years experience in the restaurant business.
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How to choose a good knife - Culinary Basics 1