STORAGE AND PROPER CARE OF CHEF KNIVES
A kitchen knife is the main assistant in cooking, both in professional and in the home kitchen. A good knife optimizes the cooking process, allows you to quickly and deftly clean, chop, chop, chop. Let’s talk about how to properly store knives so that they remain sharp for a long time, look respectable, and are safe for households.
MODERN STORAGE METHODS
More recently, in most kitchens, only two types of storage were used: in the wooden stand that comes with the knives, and in the headset drawer along with other cutlery. Modern experts are sure that these are not the best solutions.
A bulky stand takes up space on the work surface, accumulates dust and dirt, and bacteria over time. In addition, the holes, as a rule, are designed for blades of a certain size, so this product cannot be called universal. When thinking about how to store knives in the kitchen, consider more functional options:
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- Universal coasters. Usually, they are compact, do not take up much space on the countertop, due to the fan arrangement of holes. Provide the ability to store knives of different types. Stands filled with polypropylene – brush stands help maintain the quality of sharpening, prevent the growth of bacteria and protect the blade from mechanical damage. Such an insert can be replaced with a new one if it is “worn out”.
- Special liners for boxes. Most often made of wood or plastic and provide for horizontal isolated storage of each knife. The blade is placed in the slot with the sharp side down, and access to the handle remains open. Such a device protects against possible cuts when placing very sharp professional knives, and also avoids blunting the blade. For added security in a house where there are children, you can insert a lock into the box.
- Magnetic holders. They can be made in the form of desktop structures in a minimalist style or planks that are attached to a kitchen backsplash or wall. This type of storage is convenient because the knives are always at hand, you don’t need to climb into the drawer with dirty hands while cooking or reach far. At the same time, they are not scattered over the surfaces and are collected in one place.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIGH CARBON STEEL KNIVES
The term impeccable service and the appearance of the knife largely depends on the quality of care. Be guided by the following recommendations:
- Store separately from other appliances. Including other knives. No, you do not need to put each in a separate box, but the blades of the knives should not touch. This will ensure long-term sharpness and prevent scratches and damage to the blade and handle. In addition, by removing a knife from a pile of cutlery, you risk injury.
- Rinse with hot water before first use. This is necessary to wash away possible contamination obtained during production and transportation.
- Use boards with a soft surface. The best options are boards made of wood and plastic. But fashionable glass, stone, metal boards are too hard and can quickly dull even the sharpest blade.
- Do not use in place of an ax. Including cutting frozen food, hard bones. For this, there are hatchets for bones and specialized knives. casino siteleri
- Apply as directed. No wonder professional chefs always have several varieties on hand. You should not cut meat with a bread knife, but try to cut vegetables with a sirloin knife. At a minimum, this is inconvenient and can cause a decrease in the quality of the cut.
- Wash promptly and properly. It is not necessary to accumulate dirty knives in the sink, they can accumulate bacteria on the surface, corrode, be attacked by food acid, quickly become dull and dull. Wash knives by hand with warm water using non-abrasive products and wipe dry immediately. Particular attention should be paid to the junction of the blade and handle – most often it is there that dirt accumulates and bacteria multiply. It is highly undesirable to wash knives in hot water or a dishwasher. Also, do not rub the blade with soda, chlorine-containing agents, and other aggressive and abrasive compounds. Otherwise, the steel may be scratched, oxidized, the handle may be deformed or even fall apart into its parts.
- Sharpen promptly. Even the highest quality knives need sharpening sooner or later. To do this, you need to purchase a specially designed device – a sharpener or a water stone of suitable grain size.
- Keep an eye on your appearance. For the knife to retain its original appearance for a long time, it is recommended to wipe the surface to a shine from time to time. For this, special tools for steel or pieces of raw potatoes are suitable. At the end of the procedure, carefully wipe the surface with a moisture-absorbing cloth.
CARE TIPS FOR CERAMIC KNIVES
All these features of knife storage are even more relevant to ceramic products. This material is very hard but more brittle than steel. Therefore, they should be used only for their intended purpose, and washing and cleaning should be even more thorough than other types. Consider the following nuances: online casino siteleri
- ceramic knives are designed for cutting non-solid products – vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, mushrooms, bread;
- not suitable for cutting bones, frozen foods, very hard cheeses;
- with a sharp impact on a hard surface (slab, porcelain stoneware, stone), there is a high probability of chips, scratches, cracks.
Ceramic knives can be compared to Ferrari cars. They have a narrow specialization, but they are incredibly good at what they do. Therefore, just as it is not worth driving a Ferrari across the field, it is also inappropriate to use ceramic knives for other purposes. Then they will serve faithfully for more than one year.
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