Have you ever been invited for dinner only to find that you can barely cut your meat with the knives given to you? How embarrassing! For everyone! Of course, a good set of kitchen knives would have prevented this problem. So, before you return the dinner invitation, make sure you have some great cutlery so your own guests can get through dinner without the embarrassment of eating their steak with their fingers!
When Martha Stewart decided to redo her Connecticut home, one of the most important design changes in her new kitchen was the addition of custom made drawers where she could keep her uber-expensive cutlery. Not content with just throwing them in a drawer, she had drawers designed that were padded, temperature controlled, and large enough so that each knife (and she has lots!) had room to lie flat without touching another one.
This might work for Martha, but for the rest of us we're lucky enough to have enough room for our china, never mind dedicated drawers for knives.
Martha probably spent on her knives what we spend on new living room furniture. And of course her knives will outlast our living room furniture. In an event, we don't really need that kind of quality; we just need something to get the job done, and done well. We just need to figure out what the "job" is before heading to the store and buying something only because it's on sale this week.
Knives range in price from under $100 to something close to a small used car. For the average cook, something around $150 is the perfect choice. Before rushing out for the next sale, however, do a quick assessment of the type of cooking you do and the knives you are most likely to use.
Most sets are fairly standard. A knife with a serrated edge, one for filleting fish, a paring knife, an all purpose chopping blade, and perhaps a butcher knife (meat cleaver). However, if you don't fillet fish and you don't dissect whole chickens, this may not be the best set for you, no matter how great a deal it looks like.
Keep in mind: price does not equal quality. To check for quality, make certain you can see what they call the "tang". This is the piece of metal that should run through the entire knife in one piece, starting at the tip of the blade. The blade is part of the tang, and it should continue into the handle. One piece of metal (forged is best) ensures added stability.
Learn how to find quality, too. Quality is all about the construction, and good construction means the knife has one single piece of forged metal running the entire length - this is the tang. The blade is actually the front portion of the tang, and the section inside the handle is the back portion. Without this one single piece construction, you have a good chance of breaking the knife in two with something as simple as chopping nuts or placing too much pressure in dissecting a chicken bone. - 33383
When Martha Stewart decided to redo her Connecticut home, one of the most important design changes in her new kitchen was the addition of custom made drawers where she could keep her uber-expensive cutlery. Not content with just throwing them in a drawer, she had drawers designed that were padded, temperature controlled, and large enough so that each knife (and she has lots!) had room to lie flat without touching another one.
This might work for Martha, but for the rest of us we're lucky enough to have enough room for our china, never mind dedicated drawers for knives.
Martha probably spent on her knives what we spend on new living room furniture. And of course her knives will outlast our living room furniture. In an event, we don't really need that kind of quality; we just need something to get the job done, and done well. We just need to figure out what the "job" is before heading to the store and buying something only because it's on sale this week.
Knives range in price from under $100 to something close to a small used car. For the average cook, something around $150 is the perfect choice. Before rushing out for the next sale, however, do a quick assessment of the type of cooking you do and the knives you are most likely to use.
Most sets are fairly standard. A knife with a serrated edge, one for filleting fish, a paring knife, an all purpose chopping blade, and perhaps a butcher knife (meat cleaver). However, if you don't fillet fish and you don't dissect whole chickens, this may not be the best set for you, no matter how great a deal it looks like.
Keep in mind: price does not equal quality. To check for quality, make certain you can see what they call the "tang". This is the piece of metal that should run through the entire knife in one piece, starting at the tip of the blade. The blade is part of the tang, and it should continue into the handle. One piece of metal (forged is best) ensures added stability.
Learn how to find quality, too. Quality is all about the construction, and good construction means the knife has one single piece of forged metal running the entire length - this is the tang. The blade is actually the front portion of the tang, and the section inside the handle is the back portion. Without this one single piece construction, you have a good chance of breaking the knife in two with something as simple as chopping nuts or placing too much pressure in dissecting a chicken bone. - 33383
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Make certain that you are selecting the best kitchen knife when you are cooking! Selecting the right kitchen knives will make your cooking experience fun and easy!
