Features, types and rules for choosing chef knives

In everyday life, many of us are accustomed to using comfortable and sharp knives in our kitchen, the quality of which during active work can not always be called ideal. If this tool is incorrectly selected, then it often causes painful calluses, serious pain due to pinching of the nerve in the wrist. By purchasing a high-quality knife for the chief cook, you can now, without much effort and as quickly as possible, cut any kind of meat, poultry carcass, make an accurate shredder, quickly chop the greens.

This is a proven tool for years, on which most professionals opt for excellent balance quality, a comfortable handle and a sharp blade.

Povarskaya is the largest knife in the restaurant kitchen and it looks really impressive. Its length reaches 300 mm, it has a rather wide and sharp blade. Thanks to this parameter, it can even be used as a spatula to move already cut foods. The indisputable advantage of this cookware is not only its versatility, but also its light weight - it is quite light, so even girls working as cooks in the kitchen can easily use it.

The main advantages of this device are as follows:

• it is the most convenient knife in use both in professional and in ordinary kitchen;
• perfectly suitable for cooking dishes of European and Russian, eastern and southern cuisines;
• provides high speed cooking of any dish.

A chef's knife will be the main tool in your kitchen. Its usual length is 20–25 cm or even a little more.However, an excessively long blade may not be convenient for everyone to work with. It is with such a chef fixture that approximately 90% of daily cooking work is carried out.

The ability to use it correctly is a science. High-class chefs work with these knives in the kitchen, striking ordinary inhabitants with their virtuoso preparation of complex dishes. The thin part of the product is neatly sliced ​​and fresh greens are shredded. The middle part is needed for chopping cabbage, dicing. The thickest part, and the one closest to the hilt, cuts meat, cuts the bones of chickens or fish.

The flip side of this cooking tool can be beaten hard meat or chopped nutshells easily. In professional hands, a chef-knife is a rather functional device. Do not use a chef's knife to perform such complex tasks as cutting meat or poultry carcasses; large vegetables are not peeled and cans are not opened.

Among the huge variety of modern chef knives stand out 2 most popular options - European and Japanese. The main criterion for their difference can be considered a sharpening feature. The European version will have a sharpening on both sides, with an angle of 20 °, the Japanese tool can have the usual sharpening on one side, with an angle of 15 °, but you can also find sharpening according to the European model - on both sides. Professionals fundamentally distinguish between the European instrument and the Japanese Santoku, habitually using both. For the average layman, the question of choosing one of the options will most often boil down to the convenience of their use.

According to the Rockwell scale, European products correspond to the most durable steels, which have a hardness level of 60 units. For these tools, the main characteristic is a wide blade with a length of up to 300 mm. The line of the butt closer to the tip will be underestimated, the tip is sharp. Such a knife is perfectly suited for chopping, forging, and even chopping, to quickly cut fish and poultry meat, all kinds of vegetables and fresh herbs. European products are divided into such varieties:

• traditional German - very practical, solid and quite heavy;
• more versatile French - will cope well with the finest slicing of fillet, cheese and fruit.

In addition, you can meet such options as:

• Chef-de-Chef with a very thick and fairly strong butt; It is used for cutting marine products;
• Super Cook Chef has differences in the thickness of the butt.

Professional chefs use different types of knives from Europe in their work, depending on the goals and specialization of the restaurant itself. An ordinary person, most likely, will not even see the difference between the two products, but he will appreciate the quality of sharpening of each blade.

Chef-knives of Japanese origin are called Santoku, which means "a blade that performs three distinct actions at the same time." Due to the high quality of metal and high-quality balancing, this “descendant of katana” has become very popular far beyond the borders of its Asian homeland. Santoku is perfect for slicing thin slices of fillet and fish, as well as for crushing and cutting. According to the well-known Rockwell scale, this product has a hardness value from 58 to 61. This knife has a rather modest length of 120–180 mm, it has a more straight edge and slightly lowered point.

Santoku, when viewed in profile, is a bit like a small hatchet. In addition, it has impeccable polishing, balance, and may also have special notches at the blade that will prevent the ingredients from sticking. Santoku is lightweight.The knife is very productive in work, differs in the increased ergonomics and very eye-catching with the laconicism of its unique design.

Sometimes in a professional kitchen you can find a Chinese knife. It features a wide blade in the shape of a rectangle. It is often called the "Chinese cleaver", although this tool has nothing to do with cleaver - its blade is too thin and light for this, so that they can chop something quite solid.

But this product is extremely convenient for shredding, as well as high-quality and quick slicing. Serbian kitchen knife chained from tool alloy steel. The uniqueness of the Serbian cook knife lies in the straight cutting edge with finer mixing and in the heavy weight of the blade itself.

According to the materials from which they are made, professional knives can be as follows:

• titanium - titanium is sprayed onto carbon steel, making the blade sharp and durable;
• with special linings made of Damascus steel - about 16 layers of carbon steel are superimposed on the base of the product, after prolonged polishing, the device acquires a characteristic pattern;
• ceramic - the lightest products, with a thin sharp blade; such tools help maintain the original taste of the products; it is convenient to cut cheese, various varieties of sausages and various fruits;
• stainless steel product - one of the cheapest options, the most affordable;
• Damask steel kitchen products are knives made of high-quality material, which are distinguished by excellent cutting properties; such reliable items are not susceptible to environmental conditions and are famous for their increased wear resistance;
• knives made of high carbon steel are considered the best; they can be either stamping or forged, while the latter among specialists are considered the most reliable and expensive.

A good knife will be made of a single piece of metal, while it should go into the handle along its entire length. If the blade in the product goes into the handle only partially or even ends at its beginning, then this knife will be considered weak and will quickly break. Sometimes professional knives can be glass or plastic. It is difficult to meet these models in ordinary stores, as they are chosen for work in a professional kitchen much less often. Such products can be found in the collections of experienced chefs who give master classes or participate in culinary competitions. Glass and plastic models are available with restrictions and are much more expensive than the same ceramic or steel products.

If you ask the cook which knife is better, he will answer: the copy that will perfectly hold in your hands. Not only the appearance of the knife plays a big role in the selection, it is extremely important that the handle is ergonomic and comfortable for all types of grips. A chef's chef's knife is usually selected individually for each professional. An important role can play the material of the handle, namely:

• steel - guarantees the strength and acceptable weight of the tool;
• wood - the most comfortable and environmentally friendly handles; the tree lies comfortably in the hand, looks aesthetically pleasing;
• ceramics - light, but will require the most careful treatment;
• polymers - these modern types of materials allow the knife handle to become very ergonomic and as durable as possible, but cheap plastic will be slippery to use, for this reason the handles can be very smooth and with a “rubber” non-slip surface.

Chef chef knives are produced by many well-known brands.

• Especially popular today manufacturers from Germany and Japan. Their knives are high-quality, and the design is pleasing to the eye. Chef-knives can be of different lengths, usually from 20 to 30 cm. A long blade allows for deep cuts in one movement, which is extremely important for the thinnest cutting. Knives of the "German style" have a slightly more curved blade, which is excellent for chopping products with swinging movements.
• Of the Russian manufacturers, the most famous is considered OJSC "Trud", which began to work in the 19th century in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Forged knives of this brand are very high quality and are sold at an affordable price. Once a brand even received a medal at an exhibition in Paris for the best quality of its products.
• Everyone calls one of the most famous Japanese brands. Kasumi Is a company that successfully combines Japanese edged weapon traditions with innovative developments in the production of professional cook tools. Such products look very impressive. Steel can be painted, and there may also be titanium spraying or stylish patterns on the blade itself. Japanese devices do not need sharpening for a long time, their handle is perfectly balanced.
• The sought after Japanese brand is Hattori. All knives of this company are made by hand, so they can be called real works of modern art. They are not ashamed to demonstrate in their kitchen.
• In Europe, several companies are the leaders in the production of knives at once, most of which are located in Germany. By purchasing German products, you can be completely sure of their high quality - all blades are made of hardened carbon steel, which is resistant to corrosion. German products differ from their Japanese counterparts in a more restrained design. Most often, this is a traditional combination of colors - the blade itself is silver-tone and black handle.
• French Sabatier products made by hand from quality steel. They are distinguished by a thin handle and a rounded base, which turns them into an extremely convenient and moderately elegant tool. Arcos knives can also be called quite attractive. Their blades are incredibly durable. They serve for a long time and are capable of holding grinding for a long time.

The top German leaders are several companies.

• Wusthof - a brand that produces products of exclusive quality. The brand has been making chef knives since 1814. They are in great demand among many famous chefs.
• Friedrich dick manufactures products since 1778. Today the brand produces excellent knives and accessories for the kitchen.
• Zwilling produces excellent cook knives with a durable rust-resistant blade. A characteristic feature of these tools is also the fact that their blade is made from a solid steel piece.

When buying a cook knife It is necessary to pay attention to the following points:

• what material the blade is made of;
• sharpening quality;
• handle characteristic;
• the presence of different rivets.

If you do not cook food on a professional level, then chasing the famous expensive products makes no sense. You will obviously opt for the most affordable product that will completely satisfy your culinary abilities. For a professional, his main knife should have several characteristics.

• Maximum ergonomics. This means that he should lie comfortably in his hand. Cooks work extremely intensively, so the balance of the product should not strain the wrist or hand.Cutting should be done without effort, but be as clear as possible. Therefore, you should select only a quality fixture, since a bad tool will ruin the products during cutting. Brands for the production of knives should take into account the anatomy of the hands of a specialist, the mechanics of the actions taken.
• Sharp blade. A dull or too soft blade will not allow to cut the fillet as thinly as necessary. The length of the blade itself will also be significant for many.
• The handle should be pretty heavy. High-quality, ergonomic, without unnecessary elements, it will play the role of a balancing plumb, with which the blade will receive an additional impulse.

You cannot choose a chef knife only by brand name or by the high cost of the product. It should be right for you, be “sharpened" under your brush. A product that is approved by a male chef may be too bulky or inconvenient for a female chef.

See what kind of knives chefs use in the kitchen in the next video.