KITCHEN KNIVES
Several General Purpose Knives Can Take Care of a Lot of the Work
A kitchen knife is any knife that is intended to be used in food preparation. While much of this work can be accomplished with a few general-purpose knives, there are also many specialized knives that are designed for specific tasks.
Of course, whether you have a specialized knife for every purpose, or several well-chosen multi-purpose knives, the key feature of a knife's utility is its sharpness. To keep you knives sharp turn to
WESTSIDE SHARPENING & CUTLERY CENTER
1207 4th Street, #150
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 395-3075
We're conveniently located for customers throughout the Westside of Los Angeles, Brentwood, Westwood, Marina del Rey, Culver City, and Venice in the charming Downtown District of Santa Monica, CA.
Kitchen knives can be made from several different materials.
Knife Blades
Steel knife blades can be manufactured either by being forged or stamped.
Forged knife blades are made in an intricate, multi-step process, often by skilled manual labor. A chunk of solid or powdered steel alloy is heated to a high temperature, and pounded while hot to form it. The blade is then heated above a critical temperature, which varies depending on the alloy, quenched in an appropriately, and tempered to the desired hardness. After forging and heat-treating, the knife blade is polished and sharpened. Forged blades are typically thicker and heavier than stamped blades, which is sometimes advantageous.
Stamped knife blades are cut to shape directly from cold-rolled steel, heat-treated for strength, then ground, polished, and sharpened.
Serrated Blades on Knives
The edge of the knife can be sharpened to a cutting surface in a number of different ways. Serrated blade knives have a wavy, scalloped or saw-like blade.
Serrations help when cutting things that are hard on the outside and soft on the inside (such as bread or tomatoes); the saw-like action of the knife blade breaks the surface more easily than anything except the very sharpest smooth blade.
A serrated knife is more practical for a user who is not prepared to sharpen it frequently; a well-maintained and sharpened smooth edge is keener.
Paring Knife
A paring knife is a small knife with a plain edge blade that is ideal for peeling and other small or intricate work (such as de-veining a shrimp, removing the seeds from a jalapeño, or cutting small garnishes). It is designed to be an all-purpose knife, similar to a chef's knife, except smaller. Paring knives are usually between 2½ and 4 inches long.
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Carving and Slicing Knives
A carving knife is a large knife (between 8 and 15 inches) that is used to slice thin cuts of meat, including poultry, roasts, hams, and other large cooked meats. A carving knife is much thinner than a chef's knife (particularly at the spine), enabling it to carve thinner, more precise slices.
A slicing knife serves a similar function to a carving knife, although it is generally longer and narrower. Slicers may have plain or serrated edges. Such knives often incorporate blunted or rounded tips, and feature scalloped blades to improve meat separation. Slicers are designed to precisely cut smaller and thinner slices of meat, and are normally more flexible to accomplish this task. As such, many cooks find them better suited to slicing ham, roasts, fish, or barbecued beef and pork.
Contact Laurence Segal
WESTSIDE SHARPENING & CUTLERY CENTER
1207 4th Street, #150
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-3075
[We're located at the SE Corner of Wilshire and 4th, with 2 hours of free parking across the street in the City Parking Complex.]
Email: info@westsidesharpening.com
Website: westsidesharpening.com
