Best kitchen knives

It’s impossible to imagine a kitchen without a knife; everyone uses such equipment. It is important for both a high-class chef and a simple housewife that the dishes are of high quality and the cooking process is enjoyable. In order for the cooking to be fast, high-quality and comfortable, the best kitchen knives are used. Traditionally, the best tools are those made in Germany and Japan. Let us consider in more detail the types of knives, their differences, manufacturers.

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How many knives do you need in the kitchen?

When you go camping, one knife is enough - a penknife, but in the kitchen this will not work. Different devices are designed for different products. Consider the types of knives:

• Bread, loaves, pastries. Such a knife is distinguished by a long serrated or wavy blade, the width is the same everywhere, the handle is large.
• Tough, solid foods. Long knives (25-45 cm), which are distinguished by a wide blade, a sharp tip and a rounded cutting surface.
• Trimming meat with bone. It has an average length, widened at the base and bent to the tip of the blade, smooth cutting surface without nicks.
• Cheese and sausages. It is characterized by a long and wide blade, a cutting surface without bending.
• Fish. The same width of the entire flexible blade, there are notches.
• Butter and paste. The knife has a wide blade of medium length, the tip is rounded.
• Mushrooms. Plastic blade, hard brush on the handle for cleaning hats.
• Cutting meat, chopping bones. This hatchet knife is characterized by a wide sharp blade and a powerful handle.

Important! The kitchen must have at least three knives of different sizes.

There are also knives, the purpose of which is the products of certain types. For instance:

• You can get a salmon or sirloin knife.
• Using a special slicer, slicing cheese will be quite simple.
• Thanks to the serrated knife, which is distinguished by a narrow blade with serrations, it is easy to cut tomatoes, citrus fruits and kiwi.

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Choose material

Knives made of ceramics and metal vary significantly. All the pros and cons of metal products have already been heard, consider a relative novelty - ceramic knives.

Advantages and disadvantages

Sometimes it seems that such a material is not at all suitable for cutting, and it has a lot of positive qualities:

• The composition of the blade. Zirconia is a fairly solid material. A sharpened blade will last at least ten months, and if it is used correctly, it will not be necessary to sharpen at all.
• The lack of pores. Due to this, there is no transfer of taste from product to product. If you chop hot pepper or garlic, just rinse the blade.
• The density of the structure. This quality, combined with minimal porosity, allows the device to be as hygienic as possible.
• Weight, which is much lower than that of metal products. This leads to a decrease in the load on the arm and shoulder.

The disadvantages are:

• Fragility. Such devices are not intended for cutting very hard foods, such as bones and frozen meat
• Lack of versatility. Such a knife can only perform certain actions.
• The impossibility of self-sharpening.

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How to choose a knife for the kitchen?

It is important to know how to choose kitchen knives. In this case, you should pay attention to several points:

• The quality of the blades.The best kitchen knives are made of stainless steel, in which chrome is added for hardness. It is possible to use an alloy of chromium, vanadium and molybdenum.

Important! Forged blades are considered the best and most durable.

• Sharpening. In that case, when viewed from the side of the blade, waves are visible on the cutting surface, then you can safely refuse the device. The cutting surface should not have dents or chips.

Important! For high-quality knives, the cutting surface is double-sided.

• Handle. An ideal option would be a metal handle on which cracks will never appear.
• The surface of the blades. The best kitchen knives feature blades without scratches, stains, various roughnesses and nicks.
• Sharpening methods. The best option is laser sharpening. It will be more expensive, but durable.
• Blade mount. Inside the handle, the blade must extend the entire length. Rivets should be tight to the base.

Important! A bad option would be to choose molded plastic handles without rivets.

• Cost. A quality product cannot be cheap.
• The sharpness of the blade. With branded quality knives, sharpening is performed using professional equipment. Usually this is not necessary at home.

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Choose a brand

The rating of kitchen knife manufacturers has been led for many years by European and Japanese companies. Their products are impeccable, which will serve for more than one year. Consider the rating of kitchen knives.

WÜSTHOF

This German company has been manufacturing knives since 1814. Each product has a unique code, thanks to which you can find out when it was made. If a manufacturing defect is detected, the code is sent to the factory in Germany, where after its identification a product will be replaced.

F.DICK

This brand can be safely called a cult. Kitchen knives - which are the best? Of course, those for the manufacture of which high-quality molybdenum-vanadium steel is used. In addition, the products of this brand are distinguished by the gap-free connection of the handle with the blade, so that dirt and bacteria do not accumulate.

Güde

The company began producing knives in the 18th century. For production, high-quality carbon steel is used, in which chromium, molybdenum and vanadium are added. The hardening of the blades lasts several hours, while alternating low and high temperatures.

Hattori

These are, without a doubt, the best Japanese kitchen knives. Production is manual, and the process is controlled by Ichiro Hattori, the founder and owner of the brand, which has become legendary. The price of the knife will be rather big, but the quality is worth it.

MASAHIRO

This brand was created by Mr. Hattori's father. Despite the fact that the cost of products is slightly lower than that of the previous company, but the quality still remains excellent. Considering the best kitchen knives for the home, the rating would be incomplete without these products, for the manufacture of which high-carbon molybdenum - vanadium steel is used. This guarantees high strength and durability.

Important! Sharpening is carried out using exclusive equipment, which is based on water grinding stones. For the manufacture of handles used organic Japanese pine.

Hatama

The rating of the best kitchen knives cannot do without the HATAMOTO company, which produces ceramic knives. Sharpen them do not need at least three years. Odor does not persist on the blades; oxidation and darkening are not characteristic of them. But it should be remembered that such products can not be used to open cans and bottles, slicing solid foods.

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Stock footage

If you believe in signs that state that knives cannot be donated, forget about them. Different brands have gift sets in a suitcase that absolutely everyone will like. Such a gift certainly will not have to be covered with dust in the closet!