How do you choose the best kitchen knife based on your needs?
Many chefs and cooks became lost in the minor specifications and qualities of the knife when looking to make a purchase a new piece for their kitchen. What they often forget to consider is the actual use that their new knife will undertake.
Knives are designed for a variety of tasks in the kitchen. Choosing the right knife for a specific recipe and preparation method will make a safer and easier time for you. This is why we want you to consider the realistic use of your next knife before going out to make a purchase.
What Changes Influence a Knife’s Uses?
Generally speaking, a wider knife blade is designed for tougher veggies and fruits. A wide blade offers a cleaner cut straight through and can dice at a much better rate. Wide blades are less effective for more intricate cuts, such as paring. Wider blades are also able to slice and dice at a much faster rate. For cutting a larger cut of meat or fish, choose a chef’s knife or bunka knife to fill your needs.
For more, surgical precision cuts, choose a thin blade knife. These are perfect for paring, cutting fish, and preparing meats. Santoku knives are designed to provide more precise cuttings for veggies, fruits, meat, and fish.
Regional Differences
Furthermore, the region where you belong and have access to plays a role in the style of knife you will readily find nearby. The reason being is that cooking styles of western kitchens vary from those of eastern styles. Eastern and Western dishes utilize different staple items, side dishes and ingredients, which means that different foods need to be prepared and cut accordingly. Choosing a knife based on use also comes down to the region in which the knife was made. Ask yourself, “what kind of food will I prepare with this knife” for a better understanding of the specifics you will need to continue on with your knife purchase.
Cutting-Edge Qualities
For those who desire putting little strength or effort to cut an ingredient, it is always essential to have a sharp blade. The overall blade design must be thin as this will offer an amazing cut every time. There is a word of caution with these knifes for Chefs, as these thin knives break and wear at a faster rate given their delicate construction.
If you are looking for a knife that will perform more heavy duty work such as splitting a coconut in half or scaling a fish, it is important to grab a thicker blade that is designed for heavy duty cutting.
For those just getting started on their journey with high-quality knives, you might be looking for an all-around performer. For this case, we recommend something with a sturdier blade that also offers some more precision. The all-around knife you are looking for can be the Bunka style knife, which offers amazing aesthetics and performance. This takes the best quality of premium Japanese knives and combines it with Western style uses.
For more information on quality knives and their usage, you can visit sikkina.com or follow us on Instagram (sikkina_usa)
