9 Tips for Choosing & Caring for a Kitchen Knife

Are you often stunned to see the action of a chef at a Chinese restaurant with a large knife who is always successful in finely chopping the onions into meat? Curious to see a chef on a television cooking show casually cutting fillets from chicken or fish, and separating the bones so easily? Don't feel insecure just because you can't act like a professional cook. In order to be successful 'fighting' like them, you only need a tool called: a special knife!

It is said that at the beginning of the discovery of the knife, about 2.5 million years ago, the knife was made of stone which was beaten until it was thin and formed a simple blade. About 5,000 years ago, the material for making knives, apart from being made of stone, wood, or bone, was made of copper, iron and aluminum.

The first iron knife, both sides of the blade, on the left and right, were both sharp. This happened because of cheating the dagger. At that time, humans only processed food by roasting or roasting the prey, so it was suitable to use a knife with the same sharp sides. Furthermore, the sharp side of the knife is only on one side. Why? Because knives are no longer only used for cutting game, but also have begun to be used when cooking.

Just from cutting a pork loin to dicing a pineapple, recognizing how to team up with the vital Japanese Kitchen Knife is actually important to effectiveness in the cooking area. Equipping on your own along with the effective knives is actually crucial, claims Brendan McDermott, chef-instructor as well as resident knife skill-sets expert.

Now, the 'face' of knives is increasingly diverse. The material for the blade is made of aluminum, ceramic, or titanium. While the handle, looks more fashionable with alluring colors. In order for your knife collection to last, follow these 9 tips:

1 / It is wiser to buy knives one by one as needed, rather than buying a set of knives. Choose a good quality. Maybe the price is relatively expensive, but a knife can be an investment for your kitchen. However, if the budget is limited, choose a multipurpose knife that can be used to slice all types of cooking ingredients.

2 / When buying, hold the knife handle to weigh the size and weight, if it fits your hand. Don't be so heavy that you have trouble holding it, neither too light. Heavy knives are more stable and won't slip when you use them.

3 / The handle of the knife must also be comfortable when gripped. If the material is slippery, the knife should still be able to grip tightly without slipping your hand. Also make sure the curved part of the knife handle is snug in your hand.

4 / Although there are various types of multipurpose knives available, ideally, each knife is designed with its own function to give optimal results.

5 / We recommend that you place the knife in the knife holder so that the sharp edges do not scratch each other and make the blade blunt.

6 / Avoid storing knives in the kitchen drawer together with other items because the sharp edges can "injure" other items in the drawer.

7 / After use, wash the knife immediately and dry it with a soft cloth to maintain its sharpness. Be careful not to leave the knife submerged in the soapy water in the sink. Besides being able to dull the blade, if you are not careful because it is covered in soap foam, your hand can hurt when you pick it up.

8 / At the very least,sharpen the knife once a week to keep the blade sharp. Form an angle of about 20 ° between the knife and the knife sharpener for a perfect sharpening result.

9 / When used for cutting food, use a wooden or polyethylene cutting board. Never use granite, glass, or metal cutting boards as these can dull the blades.