The kitchen is one of the most important places in a house, and the home can hardly function without it. Several components make up a kitchen, including the cooktop, the sink, and the pantry area where food is stored, among others. Kitchen utensils are also a primary requirement for any kitchen, and knives are must-haves. The importance of knives in the kitchen cannot be overemphasized, and the uses are quite essential as well.
A kitchen knife is any knife that is made and set aside for kitchen purposes. And although these knives can be used for several other purposes around the house, they are primarily intended for kitchen uses. Kitchen knives are very popular utensils, and they can be purchased along with knife blocks and cutlery sets | imarku. One very distinctive feature of kitchen knives is their portability and pattern, and it is common among many kitchen knives.
Construction and Parts of Kitchen Knives
Kitchen knives, like most other knives, consists of two main parts;
- The blade: The blade is generally made of steel. And although several types of steel are utilized, carbon steel and stainless steel are the most used when constructing kitchen knife blades. The blade of kitchen knives is often single-edged, which means that only one edge is sharpened and used for cutting, while the other blunt edge is referred to as the spine.
- The handle: The handle is the lower part of the knife that is held when cutting. It is often made of either plastic, wood, or composite materials, and it is used as a cover for the extended lower part of the blade to shield it from causing any injury to the person using it. The handle is attached to the metal with metal pins called rivets.
Types of Kitchen Knives
There are many types of knives used in the kitchen for cutting and other similar tasks. But while some of them are just additions that can be omitted in some kitchens, others are extremely necessary. Here is a list of the most needed knives in any kitchen.
- Chef knife: Also known as a French knife, the chef knife is arguably the most important in the kitchen. It is rightly named the chef’s knife because it is nicely fabricated to give a more precise cut, and it is also used as a multipurpose knife to serve multiple purposes.
- Paring knife: A paring knife is also used for cutting different food items in the kitchen. It is a small knife of between 6 to 10 cm with a plain edge that is most ideal for peeling fruits and vegetables. It has a similar shape to the chef knife, but it is made a lot lighter to enable easy handling.
- Bread knife: The bread knife is also referred to as a serrated knife, and it can be used to cut both hard and soft foods alike. It has a long, evenly sized blade, and one serrated edge that is shaped like a saw blade. It is used to cut soft foods like bread, in a way that the food is not crushed.
Conclusion
Knives are one of the most used and most important utensils in the kitchen, and they are relatively easy to use as well. However, you must practice caution while using a knife, to prevent cutting yourself accidentally.
