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Questions tagged [knives]

182 questions
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Why would I prefer carbon steel (rust prone) kitchen knife?

I've seen this question and obviously carbon steel (not stainless) knives look quite bad without extra care (picture from the linked to question) Now my question is - why face the trouble? Why would I prefer a carbon steel kitchen knife over a…
sharptooth
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Is designating knives to avoid cross-contamination necessary?

I have a friend who assigns one knife for cutting raw meat, another knife for cutting fruits and vegetables, another for cutting cooked meat, etc. Is washing one knife after each specific use not sufficient to avoid cross-contamination? (Note:…
user5101
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1 answer

What kind of knife is this?

Found this knife in my Grandmother's collection. None of us can figure out what the semi-circle shape and slots are for (see attached picture). Anyone have any ideas?
D. Woods
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What is the name of this style of knife?

Several years ago I found this knife at a thrift store: I like this knife a lot because it is very effective at transmitting force to the food I am cutting. But I am anxious because I do not know how to find a replacement if this one breaks or is…
Paul Nijjar
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5 answers

How often should knives be sharpened?

I've a Wusthof classic ikon knife which i've had for about 5 months, it seems to be losing it's edge. It's regularly honed with a grooved honing rod, but I'm unsure if I'm doing it correctly. I've watched several videos on how to do this, keeping…
Graham Warrender
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3 answers

Knife sharpening equipment

I'm a novice at best when it comes to cooking, but I'm open to learning how to sharpen my own knives. However, I'm a quite overwhelmed with where to start and how to get things going. I have a few questions: What should I look for when purchasing a…
MarkE
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Are Damascus steel kitchen knives worth it?

Many manufacturers currently offer kitchen knives with Damascus steel blades at a premium. Besides looking cool do such knifes have any better characteristics compared to simply good forged stainless steel kitchen knives?
sharptooth
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Conflicting advice on which knife to use when cutting up a chicken, which should I use?

I recently took part in a knife skills workshop and during part of that workshop we were taught how to cut up a whole chicken into different sections. I was expecting to use a boning knife for this task, but in fact our instructor had said that the…
JoshWigley
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What kind of knife should I use to slice tomatoes?

Is it better to use a serrated knife, or a regular chef's knife that is really sharp?
joshaidan
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"Universal" aka "Bristle" Knife Blocks: Blade Damage and Hygiene

Does anyone have any experiences of /advice about "universal" knife blocks, i.e. blocks that hold the knives in place with a dense bunch of plastic bristles instead of the usual slots in the wood. I've recently got some decent knives, some that I've…
QuizzicalPigeonUK
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Do scalloped sides on a knife blade have any effect?

One of the first knives I was ever given was a Wusthof 7-inch Santoku. Over my years of use, I've never put much thought into the cut-outs along the side of the blade (which appear to be variously referred to as "hollows", "scallops", or a "Granton…
logophobe
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Sushi / sashimi knives

I've been making sushi for a while at home and now decided to get a set of knives specifically for this purpose (as I have only a couple of general-purpose knives which are horrendous). The question is - which types of knives should I get? Is there…
sashkello
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How do I care for a carbon steel knife?

I recently purchased a Dexter-Russell carbon steel Chinese cleaver, because they're supposed to be amazingly useful. I'm used to caring for good stainless steel knives, but don't know what special things I should do for carbon steel. So far, I…
BobMcGee
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How does a marzipan knife work?

So, marzipan - or is it marchpane? English is not my native language, but I own a cooking book where it is called marchpane - is pretty sticky, and cutting it with a normal knife doesn't really work that well. Luckily I have a marzipan knife just…
Sebau-nu-mu
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What coarseness of japanese waterstones is ideal for cooking?

Depending on the grit coarseness you can sharpen very blunt objects or refine an already sharp edge. Generally speaking, one can expect that a kitchen knife is much less heavily used than say, for example, carpenter tools or a pocket knife used to…
Omar Kohl
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