Anyone who cooks knows how important high-quality, dependable knives are. When investing in professional-calibre knives, there are several factors to bear in mind to ensure you have the best tools for the job and if you are using them in a professional kitchen there are additional guidelines and procedures that you need to follow. If you are unsure of what these are you should speak with a Food Safety Consultants who can help you ensure all your process and procedures are in place.
What you need
First, think about the tasks the knife must perform. Not all knives are the same, and some are designed for different purposes. If you perform a variety of cooking tasks, you may need a range of knives. Filleting a fish is a very different manoeuvre from chopping onions.
Your own preferences come into play as well. The knife should feel like it has a good weight in your hand and a pleasing balance. You should be able to clasp it easily and comfortably. The blade of the knife can vary as well. For more on the almost infinite variations to be found in knives, see this report in The Guardian.
Parts of the knife
A knife is composed of different areas, which all have names and purposes. These include the tip of the blade and the sections of the blade such as the edge, the front, the back, and the heel, which is the section near the handle. Dividing the blade from the handle, you have the return, which is a bit thicker and marked with a bolster lip, the bolster itself and a finger guard. The back of the blade can be used for crushing small items, and the sides of the blade are useful for flattening and tenderising.
The handle is divided into areas, including the back, the handle guard, and the handle head. In a professional kitchen, you don’t want to skimp on having knives with all the correct features and safety guards.
Chefs often have their own set of knives because these tools are so important. A kitchen professional will get to know their knives and may refuse to use anyone else’s. A professional kitchen should always offer a reliable set of high-performing knives for whoever needs to use them. Without quality knives, it’s very hard to do quality cooking and to create the beautiful dishes that you dream of.