A cooks right hand
Knives
A cooks right hand
Jimmy
11-14-2005, 11:17 AM
Knives are a cook's best friend. When you buy knives, spend a little bit of money to get a quality set that will last you for many years to come. Treat you knives with respect and care and they won't let you down. Never put your knives in the dishwasher, the abrasive detergent will eat the blades over time and discolor the handles. Dont store knives in a drawer, keep them in a block on the counter or a magnetic strip on the wall (my favorite). Putting knives in a drawer is bad on many levels, number one, you can cut your hands and fingers reaching into the drawer to grab something. Also they will bang against each other and dull the blades, it's just not a good idea. If you plan on buying expensive professional knives, you can buy them 1 at a time so you don't have to drop off your whole paycheck at once. You see these 30 knife sets, and quite frankly you really only need a few to do what you need as a home cook. A nice Chef's knife is the most important to a cook and can perform a number of tasks. Buy a knife that is comfortable in your hand and has a nice balance. An 8 inch is the best length to use. A pairing knife is next, it is a small workable piece that can perform many tedious tasks. Bread knives are a necessity for cleanly and correctly cutting soft bread without smushing it. Finally, an good 6 inch everyday knife is a great tool to use for tasks that don't require the large chef's knife yet needs to be bigger than a pairing knife. You can get by fine with these, but as you cook more, you will find other knives you will want to add to your collection depending on you personal cooking needs.