How To Choose a Set Of Kitchen Knives
One of the questions we're asked time and time again in the Cookshop is what makes a good set of kitchen knives. We offer a variety of brands to cater for all tastes and budgets but we always advise the following:
- The strongest knives are made from one single piece of steel. A joint will always be the weakest point in any knife and may suffer bending or breakage over time
- Even though many ranges of kitchen knives are certified as 'Dishwasher Safe' by the manufacturers, we have found that dishwasher detergents can react with the metal components in knives, causing them to discolour and lose sharpness. The intense heat and moisture can also cause damage to the handles
- To keep your kitchen knives in tip top condition we recommended wiping them with a wet, soapy sponge or cloth before rinsing and drying thoroughly with a soft, dry tea towel or cloth
For the average family kitchen, we recommend the following as a guideline when purchasing a new set of knives:
- A Vegetable / Paring Knife (8cm/3" blade length) - Perfect for peeling and trimming fruit and vegetables
- A Utility Knife (13cm / 5" blade length) - Probably the best 'all-rounder' and perfect for use with a whole range of foods including meat, vegetables, fruit and cheese
- A Bread Knife (with long serrated blade) - Ideal for cutting fresh bread and bread products such as rolls, bagels and wraps. Can also be used for slicing soft fruits and tomatoes
- A Chef's Knife (20-23cm / 8-9" blade length - Perfect for dicing, slicing and chopping raw and cooked meat, poultry and vegetables
- A Carving Knife - Ideal for carving thin slices slices of meat and poultry from roasted joints
- A Knife Sharpener - A knife steel or quality pull-through sharpener will help to keep your knife blades in great condition
Further information on our range of individual kitchen knives to suit all tastes and budgets can be found via this link - Our range of quality kitchen knives or click here to view Our range of quality kitchen knife sets.