Is there the best kitchen knife?
This question has been on our minds for a long time. We’ll shed some light on this.
At TYPEMYKNIFE® we deal with our more than three hundred different knives from European manufacturers every day.
We have our own favourites. But everyone judges a knife according to their own criteria. How is it in the hand? Is the handle warm wood or sturdy plastic? Even that is a matter of taste.
All of our knives are made of high-quality stainless steel and are very comparable in terms of hardness and sharpness. Highest European standard. An even more individual decision as to whether the knife suits me depends on the design.
German knives are very functional. The shapes are developed for the respective use in the kitchen. They must be insensitive to moisture in order to be able to guide them well. The edge retention, i.e. the question of how long my knife stays sharp, is always optimal with these knives.
Regardless of whether you buy German, Italian or French knives from TYPEMYKNIFE®, they all meet the high quality standards that we place on them.
Regardless of whether you buy German, Italian or French knives from TYPEMYKNIFE®, they all meet the high quality standards that we ourselves place on them.
French knives are often more elegant in design with a narrow waist, i.e. a smaller bolster. The handles and blades often have more swing. Overall, the look is a bit lighter and finer.
In terms of design, the Italian knives follow their traditional models.
The handles curve slightly downwards and widen towards the end of the handle. Fine handle materials such as buffalo horn, bocote and boxwood are also used.
In another blog we will deal with each country of manufacture separately.
Which knife do I need? And why are there so many different types of knives?
The perfect chef’s knife
The chef’s knife, the epitome of a knife for the kitchen. A real all-rounder. It can be used universally and allows a wide variety of cutting techniques.
What you need to know about chef’s knives.
The chef’s knife is usually offered with a blade of 15 – 26 cm in length.
The knife edge is curved in a slight radius. This allows for a swaying cut.
She tapers to a point with the back of a knife. The back of the knife is very pronounced and tapers towards the tip. Fine cutting work can also be carried out with the sharply ground tip.
The goal of the knife geometry, high rigidity and break resistance of the blade, even for heavy-duty cuts such as dividing pumpkins and working with bones
To prevent the cuttings from sticking to the blade, chef’s knives are also available with a hollow edge.
The hollow reduces the surface of the blade. At the same time, the hollow prevents the adhesive effect of a closed surface.
What are chef’s knives used for?
Professionals usually use the classic chef’s knife for a rocking technique that requires very safe hand guidance.
It is suitable for rough work, but also for cutting small pieces of vegetables such as julienne, brunoise, or batonnets.
As a multi-purpose knife, the chef’s knife is also the most suitable knife for many other cutting techniques.
Which chef’s knife suits me?
The first decision you need to make is blade length. If you are a hobby cook, we would recommend a blade length of 16 – 20 cm.
For a dedicated, experienced chef, it can go up to 26 cm in length, but you need a very steady hand.
Whether your chef’s knife should have hollows depends on whether you often have problems with pieces or slices sticking to the blade. Kullen can help here.
The handle shells can be chosen according to taste and personal use. The most resistant are plastics such as POM, new materials such as Kevlar or the composite material Micarta.
Wood brings warmth, flair and elegance to your kitchen. But needs more consideration and care.
The office knife is a constant companion.
The paring knife is the little brother of the chef’s knife and belongs in every kitchen.
All finer, filigree work can be carried out with it. The knife is lightweight and, despite its small size, needs to be handy in the ball of your hand.
With its short blade length, it is perfect for cutting, peeling and decorating fruit and vegetables.
Office knives have a slim, pointed blade. The blade length is usually between 8-12 cm. The blade steel is relatively thin but very rigid.
The rigid blade should not bend when filleting vegetables and fruit. This keeps the cut precise and the risk of injuring the hand holding the cuttings is low.-
Office knives usually have a very slender handle so that the knife can be turned effortlessly in the hand held.
This is an important feature of this type of knife, especially when turning, serving, cutting and carving fruit and vegetables.
Why do you need a paring knife?
Fine peeling and decoration work are the most important areas of application for paring knives. Paring knives are held flexibly in one hand while the other firmly encloses a fruit or vegetable.
Which paring knife should I choose?
Demanding professional chefs usually have two to three paring knives of different lengths.
The choice of knife usually depends on the position in which you work in the professional kitchen. This type of knife is particularly in demand as an entremetier and garmananger as well as a patissier.
As a chef at home, you should embark on the golden mean. A 10 cm blade length is best suited for this. All you have to decide is whether you want to use natural materials or plastic for the handle scales.
In the next blog post we will deal with the small professional knives for special use in the kitchen. The carving, tournament and filleting knife.
You can find a large selection of all these knife types on our shop page at TYPEMYKNIFE®