KITCHEN KNIVES CARE
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home, as
it is where the food that is essential for life is prepared. For some, this
space can become an obligation whilst for others it is a place of enjoyment.
Cookery enthusiasts and professionals take pleasure in cooking dishes for
the rest of the family, friends or clients. Those who are familiar with the
culinary world, which is constantly evolving, will know that, as in any
other job or profession, the tools used are extremely important. One of the
most indispensible utensils in cookery is knives.
On the market, the range of kitchen knives available
is very extensive. We can find kitchen knives of a very high quality as well
as cheap and nasty ones. Therefore, when making a purchase it is important
to make the right choice depending on how the knife will be used. Nowadays,
there are national and international knife companies that manufacture knives
of exceptional quality which are highly effective. Some examples are
Victorinox, 3 Claveles and Martínez Albainox.

In the Spanish and internatioanl market you can find high quality
kitchen knives
However, for the kitchen knife to have a long life and
maintain its original characteristics it is essential to ensure it is well
maintained and used correctly. Taking good care of knives will help to keep
the blades sharp so that the knife works the way it should, thereby avoiding
unnecessary risks.
There are three key concepts in relation to
maintaining our kitchen knives: use, cleaning and sharpening.
CORRECT
USE OF KITCHEN KNIFE:
Kitchen knives are tools which must be used only for
cutting. They should never be used as a “hammer” for hitting, or as a
screwdriver or engraver’s chisel; something which, unfortunately, can occur
commonly in our kitchens. For these hammering, screw driving or engraving
operations we have other more appropriate tools. The incorrect way in which
we sometimes use our kitchen knives causes them to suffer wear and tear such
as loosening of screws and springs, or even fracturing.

If we take a good use of our kitchen knives will
ensure a long life
The surface on which we cut using our kitchen knives is important. The best
approach is to use wooden, plastic or nylon boards for chopping, whereas
surfaces such as granite, marble, metal, glass and ceramic can affect the
knife by wearing down its blade.
CLEANING THE KITCHEN
KNIVES:
It is essential to clean kitchen knives, in fact, after correct use, it is
the second step in the utensil’s maintenance procedure. Our kitchen knives
constantly come into contact with substances which can be aggressive for the
tool such as acids in foods. Therefore, after use it is essential to clean
them correctly to avoid oxidation and transfer of odours and tastes to other
food which we chop with the kitchen knife afterwards. To clean them special
chemical agents are not needed, just a little warm water and soap. It is not
recommended to keep the knives under water for a long time, because if they
have a wooden handle, this can become damaged.

Water and soap are ideal products for cleaning the kitchen knives
After cleaning they must be dried immediately to avoid
oxidation (if the knife is made of carbon steel), to avoid rust appearing or
to prevent the blade from becoming damaged (stainless steel knives). It is
not advisable to clean kitchen knives in the dishwasher for various reasons,
but mainly because they can become worn down with other materials which
damage the blade. In addition, the use of detergents and harsh chemical
products can damage the material of the knife such as the steel of the blade
or the wood/plastic of the handle which will lose their natural shine when
washed.
If the handle of the kitchen knife is wooden we can apply a light patina of
olive oil to shine it which will help to close the pores of the wood and
thereby prevent dirt residues from penetrating into them.
KITCHEN
KNIVES SHARPENING:
Sharpening is a crucial element in the maintenance of the kitchen knife.
With every use the knife loses a little of the blade and along with it its
cutting capacity. It is well known that a knife with a badly sharpened blade
is more dangerous than a knife with a sharp cutting edge, as the strength
which we must apply for cutting is greater. This can make it more difficult
to control the cut and we can end up cutting something other than the food
itself. On the market there is a wide range of products available for
sharpening such as steels or stones for sharpening, which we discuss in more
detail in another of our texts.

Sharpening is the final task to ensure the maintenance of the
kitchen knife
To store our knives a wooden block with slots to insert the knives can be
extremely useful as well as magnetised strips which hang on the wall. This
way, the knives do not come into contact with each other or with other
cookery utensils thereby avoiding them getting damaged.
Accidents in the kitchen with knives are unfortunately one of the most
common risks at work. This is why it is so important to ensure correct
maintenance of our knives. To achieve this, they must be used in a suitable
way, on appropriate surfaces, as tools for cutting foods, using them in a
responsible way (keeping our fingers away from the blade), with suitable
blades and keeping the work area clear of any elements which could prevent
us from working comfortably. If we take all these tips into account, we will
be able to, without any risk, make use of the exceptional tool that is the
knife and make the most of the surprising and infinite universe of the
kitchen.

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