Recommendations for the care of kitchen knife sets The main rule is a clean knife

When it comes to caring for quality knives, regardless of what tools you have in your kitchen—a chef's knife or a paring knife, one or two products, or kitchen sets, Japanese models or European ones — the basic recommendations will be the same. And the main one is that the knife should be clean.

You should wash your knives often, literally after every use, to keep them sharp longer. The fact is that the acid found in pickles, tomatoes, oranges, and other foods can very likely have a negative effect on the material, namely dulling the edge and corroding the blade.

All knives from the set are always washed in warm, but not hot, water, with detergent and a sponge. When finished, the tools are wiped with a soft towel. Do not use a dishwasher! Being in it will definitely dull the blades, and possibly ruin the handle. If you do not plan to use the knives for a while, be sure to treat the blades with rust oil, which is included in the kit.

Another important recommendation is the correct use of knives.

Cutting boards should only be made of wood or soft, high-quality plastic. They are strong enough to do their job and do not damage the edge. Metal and glass boards, as well as ceramic plates, should not be used for cutting, as they will dull the knives.

Storage - professional knives should be "untouchable"

A quality knife that a housewife uses in her own kitchen should not be thrown into a drawer with other cutlery, because it will become dull from contact with other objects. The ideal option is a device with magnetic mounts. They come in desktop and wall-mounted versions, and any of them is best suited for those owners who want to store their knives properly.

If you don't have a magnetic stand, you can store your knives in a special box with slots for the blades inside. It also keeps the edges safe from contact with other objects, so the knives will stay sharp and stay organized.

Knives need to be sharpened properly

Every knife in your kitchen set needs to be sharpened from time to time, not just sharpened, but also adjusted. The latter is done with a whetstone, which smooths out the edge. When the tool is too dull, you should take a whetstone and remove the layer of material. To sharpen a knife well, you need certain skills. If you don’t have them, it’s better to take the tools to a workshop.

In the SavaKnife online store you can purchase wooden cutting boards, ceramic knives, and stands with magnetic holders for storing knives.

A kitchen knife set allows you to perform all the basic operations during cooking - but only if you properly care for the tools.

Sincerely, SavaKnife workshop!

Recommendations from professionals - how to choose a quality set of knives

What knives are needed in the kitchen?

According to professionals, a well-chosen set of 5-7 kitchen knives is enough to do up to 95% of the work. A good set consists of the following tools:

1. Chef's knife (cook's knife). The blade is about 25 cm long, although it can be 20 cm or 30 cm, but these are less convenient. The blade is wide at the handle, tapering to a point at the tip. It has a massive (2 mm) butt for strength and better balance. This knife performs up to two-thirds of all "cutting" work. Despite the fact that the chef's knife seems clumsy, it is convenient to even finely chop foods with it. To do this, you can not tear it off the surface, it is enough to swing it, moving it along the board. It will cope thanks to the fact that it is sharp and quite heavy.
2. Fillet (slicer). Thin, flexible and very sharp. The blade is narrow or medium-width, in which case it is sometimes made with notches - air pockets. It is used to remove the film from meat or fish, process fillets without loss, clean tendons and other delicate work that requires precision and high maneuverability. Indispensable for preparing steaks. It is used to cut sausage, ham, vegetables, etc.
3. Vegetable. The blade is up to 10 cm long, tapering to the tip. It is convenient not only for peeling vegetables, but also for cutting out holes in potatoes or damaged areas.
4. Universal. Medium size (15-18 cm), has a thin and hard blade. It is longer than a vegetable knife and narrower than a chef's knife. You can perform many different operations with it. But not all, one knife will not replace a whole set. In general, the disadvantage of all universal tools is that they are not bad, but usually they are not as convenient to work with as specialized ones.
5. Cheese knives. Such knives can be different, the most common are large and wide, with holes on the blade so that the product does not stick.
6. Bread knife with serrated sharpening. This is the name given to a blade with a wavy or saw-like edge. The blade length is usually 20-25 cm. It cuts soft foods well, even when they have a crispy crust.
7. Axe (cleaver). The main purpose is to cut meat and chop bones, although it is usually used much more widely. It has a wide, thick blade made of high-quality steel and quite a lot of weight. The handle is short, for one palm. The knife is sharpened on both sides and well balanced (the center of gravity should be exactly on the bolster), that is, it is made specifically for chopping, not cutting.

Additionally, you can buy a short knife (blade 10-13 cm) with a serrated sharpening for lemons, tomatoes and other soft vegetables and fruits. A small knife (from 7-8 cm) for carving and in general for any precise work will not hurt: to clean something up, to trim something, etc. A slider knife will come in handy for safely shredding cabbage for salad. All of them are optional, but they are more convenient. If you have to limit yourself at first, keep in mind that a chef's knife, a universal knife and a vegetable knife make up the "cook's three", that is, the minimum set of the most necessary cutting tools.

What materials are kitchen knife blades made of?

Carbon steel

This material is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is thanks to the latter that such tools acquire significant strength. They wear out very slowly, hold their sharpness for a long time, and do not have to be sharpened often. Another plus is their moderate cost. Among the main disadvantages is the need for careful care. If the storage rules are not followed, the blade will become dark or even start to rust.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel differs from carbon steel in that its surface is covered with a protective film containing chromium. Due to this, it is resistant to aggressive substances and has anti-corrosion properties. But this protection is not absolute. In critical situations, with excessive or prolonged exposure to moisture, high temperature or chemicals, as well as due to the use of non-recommended cleaning agents, rust or stains may still appear. However, you should not worry too much. The material is generally reliable, so if the owner follows the rules for caring for knives and storing them, there will be no issues. From time to time, knives will have to be sharpened, but this is not a big problem. Moreover, you can buy knives made of high-carbon steel, they remain sharp much longer.

Damask

A Damascus steel blade is a multilayer product, in which layers with a high carbon content provide the sharpness of the blade, and with a low one - its strength. Thanks to a special technology of joining the layers and their processing, a durable, sharp and reliable blade with an original pattern is obtained. But its price is high.

Ceramics

Ceramic knives are very sharp and never rust. Their main disadvantage is fragility. You should not allow such a product to fall to the floor, you should carefully remove it from a dense product (cheese, cooked meat), etc. In addition, there are restrictions on the use of these tools (do not cut hard or viscous products, do not use as a lever, etc.).