What's a
Kitchen without a good set of Cutlery? The Proper Cutlery Set
will allow you to have the proper knives on hand ~ to cut your favorite
breads, cheeses, meats, fruits, and more! Here is a short
summary on how to select and care for these important kitchen items.
How
to Select Kitchen Knives
Assess
how much you cook. You'll need a few decent knives even if you cook
infrequently. If you cook a lot or plan to, it might be worthwhile to
invest in fine cutlery.
Look for a
chef's, or French, knife. This is the standard workhorse knife of
Western kitchens. It's a
wide knife that tapers to a fine tip and can be used for cutting,
chopping and slicing.
Select
a chef's knife with an 8- to 10-inch blade. Long knives are actually
easier to use than smaller ones because there's more blade to do the
work.
Look
for a chef's knife with a stainless-steel blade. The entire blade
should be sharp and should continue for the entire length of the handle.
Select
a thinner, 6-inch utility knife and a 3- or 4-inch paring knife. Almost
all kitchen tasks can be accomplished with these basic knives.
Augment
your basic set with a serrated knife for cutting breads and fruit and a
honing steel to keep your knives sharp.
Expect
to pay $25 for the least-expensive knife of serviceable quality. Such
knives often have plastic handles and are made from stamped steel.
Plan
to pay from $50 to $125 per knife for the finest kitchen cutlery. These
knives have molded or riveted handles and are made from forged steel.
They will cut well and last a lifetime with proper care.
How to
Clean Knives
Fill
the sink with warm water and dish soap to clean stainless steel knives.
Fill the
sink with warm water and baking soda to clean carbon steel knives.
Keep the
water level low, so that you can easily find the knives you're washing
without having to wave your hand blindly through the water.
Rinse
any excess food off the knives, then scrub them with a nylon-backed
scrub sponge.
Rinse
well.
Dry
the knives with a soft cloth immediately after washing. For safety,
hold the cloth at the knife's spine rather than its edge.
