Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A Sound Knife Set for a Serious Cook

Which knives and cutlery accessories should a good cook of Western foods have at hand? 
• First, the material. Stainless steel. Not ceramic or high carbon steel. Those have their value, but this is the basics.
• Second, how many? If only one knife, an 8-inch chef's knife. Next, a paring knife. Third, a bread knife. Fourth, a boning knife, and finally a carving knife for roasts and other large objects. Other favorites: grapefruit knife, Japanese sushi knife (special gift to DrDaddy from his sons), hefty cleaver, microplane, serrated peeler.
• Third, what else? A good knife sharpener is essential. Preferred is the PriorityChef Knife Sharpener, about $15. An alternative is the excellent hand-held Accusharp 001, about $10. Cutting boards (maple or teak, and a polyethylene board for dishwasher cleanup, and a steel or ceramic hone round out the system. To prevent injuries, store knifes  on a wall-mounted magnetic carrier for ready access and edge protection.
• Which knives? Victorinox (the Swiss Army knife people) offer great quality at a modest price. Buy from Amazon or other value-oriented, reputable, online vendor. Here's what to get:

  • Victorinox 40520 8-Inch Chef's Knife
  • Victorinox 47508 3-1/4-Inch Paring Knife
  • Victorinox 47547 10-1/4-Inch Wavy Bread Knife
  • Victorinox 47513 6-inch Flex Boning Knife
  • PriorityChef or AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener
  • Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife

No comments:

Post a Comment

We hope our work is useful to others. Comments are welcome from any reader. All posts are moderated by DrDaddy.