Knives

Saturday, we sold a lot of knives at the store, and it reminded me that I had planned to post about knives, knife care and selection, and what a cook really needs.

We have learned a lot about knives since we opened the store, and we try to share what we have learned with our customers when we can.

A knife is perhaps the single most important piece of equipment in the kitchen. It should feel like an extension of your hand. If you take good care of your knives, they should last a long, long time.

There is a lot of confusion about knife care and keeping an edge.  Here is what we have learned from our knife reps who teach knife skills classes in the store:

• hone your knife frequently, using a steel or a hand held 'sharpener.' This does not really sharpen, but realigns the metal on the edge of the knife.  This is the MOST important thing you can do to keep an edge on your knife.
• home cooks usually do not need to have their knives sharpened (by which I mean ground to put on a new edge) more than once a year.
• NEVER EVER put knives in the dishwasher, and here is why. The blade of the knife can knock into other things in the dishwasher, and get knicked. Dishwashing detergent is harsh and can damage the steel in your knife. You can get cut by reaching into the dishwasher and grabbing the blade by accident.
• the best way to care for your knife is to wash it, dry it and put it away in a block or another blade protecting device.

Knife companies make many many styles of knives and knife handles.  The basics everyone needs are a chefs knife (also known as a cooks knife) and a parer. You may also need a carving knife, and a bread knife of some kind. After that, you need to figure out what you need. A boning knife if you often remove meat from a bone; a flexible slicer for fish or ham; a little birds beak parer for fruit---and on and on.

We often get asked for 'knife sets,' but we usually do not carry them because everyone's needs are different.

That's it. Remember when you see a chef handling a knife, he or she has been doing it a long time, and probably chop all day. Don't expect to slice and dice that fast!

Come in any time to look at our knife selection.