One of the most useful tools in the kitchen is a good sharp knife. Geoff Jansz claims the most versatile knife to own is a six to eight inch chef or cook’s knife. It can be used for dicing onions with its tip, chopping herbs using two hands, slicing zucchinis with the middle blade, crushing garlic with the flat blade and using the back of the knife to slide away anything you’ve just chopped up. It can also be used to shave citrus fruit because it’s sharp and cut up chicken, even through the bones, by using the heel of the knife. Probably the second most useful knife in the kitchen is a smaller utility knife which is great for all sorts of fiddly jobs.
There are a range of knives available costing anything from $5 to $205 or more. The bottom line is you get what you pay for. The cheaper knives are often flimsy and the handles will break. They will lose their edge quickly and you’ll probably have to replace them within a year. So if you don’t care for your knives properly perhaps you should purchase a cheaper knife. However, Geoff Jansz recommends investing in a good knife and building up a good collection to suit your needs. But it doesn’t have to cost the earth because a number of the brands that Geoff recommends are quite reasonable in price such as Victorinox, rrp. $35.20. Other recommended brands include; Sabatier (rrp $88.10), Trident (rrp $146.40) and F.Dick (rrp $137).
Once you’ve invested in a good knife it’s important to care for it properly.
Don’t store good knives in a drawer. Apart from being dangerous because you might cut yourself, you’ll also damage the knife by knocking the point off it.
Use a magnetic strip (Arcos brand rrp $32.90) on the wall or a knife block to store good knives.
Note: If you have horizontal slits in the knife block you can slide the knives in and out without any problems. But if you have vertical slits make sure you slide the knife in back first so as not to dull the blade as you take it in and out.
When cleaning your knives don’t leave them in the bottom of the sink or put them in the dishwasher because the handle and steel will deteriorate. Instead use a warm soapy cloth over the blade and dry it immediately.
Blunt knives are no use to anyone so keep your knives sharp. The proper way to sharpen a knife is to use a sharpening stone. Place the stone on a damp cloth on the bench. Put a little bit of oil on the stone and slide your knife along in nice even sweeps. Do that six times on one side and six times on the other and repeat ten times, in total 60 sweeps on each side. Then use your steel, flicking the knife at the same angle (about 20 degrees) along the steel to keep the edge. The stone needs to be used only after a long period of bluntness whereas the steel should be used every three or four times after use.
Tip: A safety tip when using the steel is to hide your fingers behind the guard so that the knife won’t clip your fingers.
Alternatively get your knives sharpened by a professional. There are also cheap and easy sharpening devices available but they tend to wear away good knives. Self-sharpening knives are also worn away by the sharpening device and the knives themselves are often flimsy.
When choosing a knife go to a professional retailer or a good department store. They will guide you through a number of elements to check, such as the size of the handle to fit your hand, the weight of the knife which shouldn’t be too heavy and the balance of the knife. Check on the warranty that comes with the knife. A good knife should have at least a 25 year or lifetime warranty and when treated correctly should last a lifetime.
The selection of knives in our segment was filmed at The Essential Ingredient, 4 Australia Street, Camperdown, NSW, 2050. Phone: (02) 9550 5477 or fax: (02) 9550 5636.