Whether you consider yourself a great chef or an aspiring one, having the best chef knife you can afford, will no doubt come onto your radar sooner or later. In the kitchen there is a tool for every job, and this perfectly shaped sharp quality steel knife makes life in the kitchen so much easier! So what is a chef knife?
A chef’s knife is the most versatile knife you can have in the kitchen. It is a fairly large knife (usually ranging from about 6-14 inches in length) with a broad and sharp blade and has a range of uses. These uses of a chef knife include chopping, dicing, slicing and mincing of a range of foods such as meats, vegetables, herbs, nuts – pretty much anything.
Unlike your standard knives, you most likely have in the kitchen, the best chef knife for home cooking will make all the tasks mentioned above super easy and therefore is a must for anyone who wants to make meal preparation quicker and easier. Just like a real chef would.
The Important Factors
When looking for the top chef knives, consider the following factors before purchasing a chef knife:
1. Sharpness: Perhaps the most important factor of a chef knife is how sharp it is. Now all knives are sharp when you first purchase them, even the cheap ones, but you want a knife that is sharp enough to cut through a tomato without any resistance every single time.
2. Size / Shape / Length: The most popular length chef knife is 8 inches as this length is said to be more versatile. For professional chef’s or the serious home cook, other knife lengths to consider are the 10-inch, which is said to be better for cutting through thicker food items. For the timid, the 6 inch is considered best for agility.
3. Blade Type: The material the blade is made from will determine the sharpness and durability of the knife. The most common type of material blades are made from is either stainless steel or carbon steel.Carbon steel is sharper than stainless and requires sharpening less often. However, carbon steel knives are high maintenance. Stainless steel is the more popular choice as the knives are typically less expensive and resistant to corrosion. However stainless steel blades do require more frequent sharpening.
The Most Popular for Chefs
The professional range of chef knives styles include Japanese, German and French styles:
— Japanese knives are world renowned and tend to be lighter, sometimes with a thinner blade made from hard, sharp steel. It’s important to remember, nobody does steel, like the Japanese. The chef knife is also called a “gyuto” knife.
— German knives tend to be bulkier with thicker and heavier blades. These types of knives can withstand much more of a beating including cutting through chicken bones and harder vegetables.
— French knives is similar to the German knife, but tends to be a slightly thinner and a bit lighter than the average blade.
Who do you stand with? If you haven’t experienced what a difference the chef knife will make in meal prep, then you are seriously cutting yourself short.
Link to much longer and better Source Article
