Cooking Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [knives]

182 questions
97
votes
13 answers

What knives are "required" for a serious home kitchen?

I consider myself a serious home cook. What knives are essential?
Nathan Koop
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56
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10 answers

How should I care for my knives?

I've finally put down the money to buy a quality knife and it's sharpness is amazing! How do I take care of it so that the edge lasts and the knife stays sharp?
Eclipse
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40
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6 answers

What should I look for in a good, multi-purpose chef's knife?

If I want to buy a good multi-purpose chef's knife, which characteristics should I look for?
apaderno
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37
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2 answers

Do magnets dull knives?

A friend of mine bought some new, very sharp knives. He has a magnetic strip that he uses to store knives, but he does not put these new knives there because he says magnets dull knives. Is that true? I've never heard of this. If so, why do magnets…
David says Reinstate Monica
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37
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8 answers

How to test that a knife is sharp enough?

As per the question - how to I test that a knife is sharp enough? And/or, how do you know when a knife needs sharpening? Edit: Yesterday I attempted (I feel quite successfully) to hone my knives for the first time ever (requiring me to purchase a…
DMA57361
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34
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2 answers

Why did James Bond heat up the knife for his foie gras?

I was reading Fleming's Casino Royale and ran into the following curious detail, when describing James Bond's meal: Later, as Bond was finishing his first straight whisky ‘on the rocks’ and was contemplating the paté de foie gras and cold langouste…
DVK
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34
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12 answers

Why not put knives in the dishwasher?

What is it about the dishwasher that harms knives? The only reasons I've found are: You could get cut... I personally have a greater change of getting cut by trying to wash them by hand. The blades can damage the plastic-coated metal shelves... so…
JustRightMenus
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32
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9 answers

What is the proper way to dispose of a kitchen knife?

How do you throw away a kitchen knife (or for that matter, any knife)? It seems extremely dangerous to just throw it in the dumpster, even if it's wrapped up real well.
JustinP8
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30
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1 answer

What are the names and purposes of these six kitchen knives?

My longtime neighbor had this collection of six GONON-GIRONDE high-carbon steel knives that she inherited from her mother. I thought that they were incredible, and must be wonderful to use. Sadly she passed away, and her husband, who does not cook,…
Cary Jensen
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29
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9 answers

Should I buy steel or ceramic knives?

I am soon to be moving to a house with a very nice kitchen, and so the time has come for me to buy myself a proper set of knives. I have been looking around at the various types available. There seem to be cheaper steel knives with plastic or wooden…
Mark Hatton
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27
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1 answer

Do plastic cutting boards dull knives faster than wood boards?

I've heard on numerous occasions that plastic cutting boards dull knives faster than wood boards. I use a large wooden cutting board often, but recently I've been finding it heavy and it sometimes leaves behind a flavour on food despite good…
Behacad
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26
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7 answers

Cutting boards: What are some general tips on purchasing and using a cutting board?

I have heard various debates on the merits of wood versus synthetic cutting boards, and their affect on food safety, knife edges, and ease of cleaning and storage. What are the pros and cons of the following and why? Wood versus plastic or other…
JYelton
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25
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5 answers

Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife?

In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp?
Alinium
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6 answers

How do you properly clean a cutting board and knife to prevent cross contamination?

I have one very nice cutting board that I like to use with my chef's knife. Because I only use this single cutting board and chef's knife, if I have a recipe that calls for cutting raw meat as well as vegetables, I have to take turns with the same…
Ben McCormack
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21
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9 answers

Does putting knives in a wooden block blade down wear out the blade?

I'd always wondered. The blocks usually seemed designed to have the knives go in blade down, so that the blade touched wood coming in and out. But I know that when I whittle, cutting the wood wears the blade of a knife down very, very quickly. …
Daniel Bingham
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