Choosing the Best Knives for You, Brought to you by JCPenney Wedding Registry
One look at a knife block set, and it’s obvious that there’s more to them than sharp edges. We’ll break down the basics you should look for when selecting the right knives, along with the various types of knives and knife sharpeners, plus cleaning and storage tips.
To find the knives that work best for you, learn the four components that make up a knife: handle, tang, bolster and blade.
Handle– Made of wood or a synthetic material, such as plastic, the handle must be securely attached to the tang. Wood has a natural warmth in the hand, while synthetic handles are considered more ergonomic and resistant to cracking.
Tang– This is the extension of the blade. The best knives have tangs that run all the way through the inside of the handles.
Bolster– A thick piece of metal that runs between the handle and the blade, to add balance and safety.
Blade– The size and shape of the blade determine the function of the knife. There are many types of blades. Blades may be made from high-carbon stainless steel, high-carbon steel or ceramic. High-carbon stainless steel is the best on the market, as it contains 13% chromium, making it rust- and stain-proof. While high-carbon steel blades will tarnish over a long period of time, they are also more flexible and easier to maintain than high-carbon stainless steel. Ceramic blades are lightweight and very sharp, right from their first use. Yet because they are fragile and have the potential to chip easily, they must be backed by strong product warranties.
Forged features enhanced flexibility, density and hardness. Hand crafted and often heavier than other designs.
Stamped are lighter and generally less expensive, however, they do not have the same quality and balance as forged knives.
Laser cut knives are computer-designed and shaped to exact specifications. Because this knife must be replaced, and never sharpened, it is usually less expensive.
Here is a listing of the principal knives, in order of their task popularity:
Chef’s Knife The workhorse of the kitchen, it is used for nearly all cutting, slicing, chopping and mincing tasks. They come in lengths of 6, 8, 10 and 12 inches. The longer the knife, the heavier it is. People with larger hands prefer to use the longer knives, and the reverse is true for those with smaller hands.
Paring Knife Referred to as the fruit-and-veggie knife, it is used for carving and creating garnishes. It has a thin, narrow blade that tapers to a tip.
Carving and Slicing Knives Designed to carve roasts and poultry, as well as slice hams or bread—even open a watermelon. They have recessed spaces along their blades’ edges, to allow for smooth cuts.
Utility Knife Also known as a sandwich knife, this 5-6” long knife has a serrated edge, making it ideal for slicing meat, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
Boning Knife With a narrow, curved blade, this is used for cutting around the bones of meat and poultry.
Fillet Knife Its thin, long, flexible blade makes it ideal for removing bones and slicing skin from fish and non-crustacean seafood.
Bread Knife With an 8 or 9” blade and a serrated edge, its sole purpose is to cut slices of breads, whether hard- or soft- crusted.
Cleaver It cuts through bones and joints of meat. Commonly used by professional chefs and butchers.
Steak Knives With blades 4-6” long, these are meant for the table, to cut meat, fish, poultry into bite-sized pieces. Edges of the blades may be serrated or smooth.
Cheese Available in a variety of shapes, they are used to cut through cheeses of different thicknesses for serving them with garnishes.
Garnishing/Decorating Used for slicing vegetables into fancy shapes, their blades are wavy.
Grapefruit Serrated on both sides of the bent blade, it is perfect for removing the sections.
Tomato Its thin, serrated blades grip the skin of the tomato and slice them perfectly for serving a stylish presentation.
Santoku This short knife has a narrow blade, a low tip instead of a point and a straight, rather than angled, edge. The Santoku is commonly used for slicing vegetables.
Usuba Similar to a Chinese cleaver, this knife makes precision cuts, slices, chops and minces.
In addition to selecting the knives that work best for you, you must remember to maintain them once you have them, in order to get the best use from them.
We suggest registering for a butcher’s steel to keep your knives—all except for the serrated—their sharpest.
Often times, butcher’s steels are already included in knife block sets. When you register, if you find that’s not the case, we also carry them individually. Check to be sure that the steel is labeled “standard cut” or “regular cut.”
How to use butcher's steel: Plant the tip of the steel on a folded towel on your counter space. Find a 10-degree angle between the steel and the knife. Using medium pressure, gently slice the knife’s blade down the stick on one side and then the other, from the heel to the tip of the knife as you move downward along the steel.
Kitchen Basics: Cutting Boards
Once you’ve selected the knives you’re going to be working with in your kitchen, you’ll need to determine the best cutting surfaces on which to use them.
Let’s look at the factors that make up quality cutting boards, a comparison between plastic and wood cutting boards and cleaning tips.
To have the best-quality cutting boards that will work for you, look at these three key factors, which are all based on your own personal food prep styles:
- Available Counter Space
- Personal Aesthetics
- Footed vs. Non-Footed Cutting Boards
- High-Impact Plastic vs. Wood
Benefits of using plastic cutting boards:
- Price
- Non-porous surface, which means bacteria cannot penetrate (Please Note: While bacteria cannot penetrate plastic, it can still form deposits; therefore, regular cleaning must be done to avoid cross-contamination)
- Stain-resistant—Use hot soapy water to wash away the food remnants
- Lightweight
- Color-coding Options—Many registrants request several cutting boards in various colors, to use according to task. For example, blue for meat, fish and poultry or red for vegetables
Benefits of using wood cutting boards:
- Cutting surface easily accommodates knives of various sizes, with various blades
- Sturdiness—Wood offers stability, with or without feet
Cleaning Your Cutting Board:
Plastic Use hot, soapy water or mix one part bleach to three parts hot water and wipe the boards down to eliminate cross-contamination.
Wood In addition to regular cleaning with hot, soapy water or a bleach solution, wood boards must be rubbed with mineral oil once a week to keep their surface smooth.