Stop to think about how many times you pick up a knife in the kitchen. From prepping ingredients to enjoying your meals, knives are truly an extension of your hand when it comes to cooking. Good quality cutlery not only feels comfortable as you slice, dice and chop, it is also durable and crafted to withstand the wear and tear in the kitchen. Even if you aren’t a professional chef, using ultra-sharp knives that are made to last will quite literally cut down your prep time and even prevent knife-related injuries. Guy Fieri, the culinary rock star of the celebrity chefs, shares his top tips for choosing the best cutlery and keeping your knives sharp.
Super sharp knives prevent injuries
Though it may seem counterintuitive, the sharper your cutlery, the less likely you are to sustain a knife-related injury. Though razor-sharp blades are more apt to cut your fingers, dull blades put you at more of a risk.
“When chefs get injured from knife use, it usually has to do with a knife’s sharpness, not its design, but design is important, too,” says Chef Fieri, who recently partnered with Ergo Chef on a signature Knuckle Sandwich line of knives. “If a knife isn’t as sharp as it could be, it’s more likely to slip and it definitely won’t cut properly.”
On design, the unforgettable celebrity chef says, “Great ergonomic design and quality craftsmanship are really important, too, and the knife needs to hold an edge.”
Find the knife that works for you
Not all knives are made the same and one single knife won’t effectively accomplish all the knife requirements in the kitchen. Chef Fieri recommends getting your hand around a number of knives to determine the cutlery that works for you, likening it to playing a sport.
“If you’re playing tennis, you go out and try different racquets to get a feel for how they fit in your hand,” he explains. “You should do the same with knives to see which ones suit you best.”
In addition, Chef Fieri suggests using the right knives for the various cutting needs you have while preparing meals. “A knife that is too big or too small for the job can really affect how you hold the knife and how comfortable your cooking will be,” he adds.
Different knives and how to use them
Tips to keep your knives sharp
If your knives started out super sharp and now are akin to a butter knife, you may need to revisit your cutlery relationship. In addition to using quality knives, you’ve got to treat your cutlery with respect, says Chef Fieri.
“No more opening cardboard boxes with it, and don’t drag it across the cutting board,” he warns. “Also, use a steel to hone the knife – not sharpen, hone – and take the knife to be professionally resharpened once a year if you don’t know how to do it yourself.”
How to keep your knives clean and sharp
Take it from a celebrity chef
Chef Fieri, best known for his extreme taste in food, approaches cutlery like most professional chefs: Find well crafted knives that feel good and do a top-notch job.
“If you love food and you love preparing food, you definitely want to have the best instruments and tools that you can have,” he says. “I had been using the Ergo Chef Pro-Series line long before the Knuckle Sandwich line was conceived. I get a lot of knives to try out and when I thought about starting a knife line, I knew I wanted to go with them.”
You may not be able to craft your own line of cutlery, as Chef Fieri and other celebrity chefs have done, but you can choose the best knives for your cutlery needs. Once you find the right line of knives, not only will your kitchen time become more efficient and enjoyable, you will even feel more confident in your dicing, slicing and chopping skills.
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