How to choose a chef’s knife?

The chef’s knife, also known as the “chef’s knife”, is the main “workhorse” in your kitchen. You can save on any knives, except for this one. Invest in a chef’s knife, if it’s good, you can handle any food without problems.

Kitchen professionals believe that just two knives are enough for comfortable cooking: one of them is a chef’s knife, and the second is a utility knife, we will talk about it next time. In the meantime, let’s deal with the “boss”.

How to choose a chef’s knife?

The size

This is the first thing to decide. Chef knives have a fairly wide range of sizes – from 12 to 30 cm. As a rule, people with a small hand are more comfortable with more compact models, but a large hand is more comfortable, of course, with a proportionally large knife

Weight

Many people think that a good knife is a heavy knife. This is not true. The weight of the knife does not affect its quality. Both light and a heavy knife can be good if the balance of the blade and handle is correctly observed.

The advantage of a heavy knife is that its weight helps to cut food, but at the same time such a knife will be difficult to lift.

A light knife, on the contrary, will require you to apply force when cutting, but it will not be difficult to lift it.

Balance

The most important thing when choosing a chef knife is the balance of the handle and blade.

There are two main types of weight distribution for a chef’s knife. The first is when the balance is shifted towards the tip. The second is when the balance is exactly at the junction of the handle and blade. Both types may be convenient for you, test and choose which one is more to your liking. But the option when the handle pulls the knife towards itself has no right to exist, you should refuse to buy such a knife.

Blade

The chef’s knife is used for a variety of products, including those that require cutting force, for example, when you need to chop medium-sized bones when butchering a bird.

This means that the blade of such a knife must be durable.

The necessary strength is possessed, first of all, by forged blades. For knife for the knife to withstand the load, a thickening must be made at the junction of the blade with the handle.

Lever

Most expensive knives have wooden handles. The tree can be processed manually, to achieve a smooth transition of lines, turning a perfect bend. And of course, the tree is tactilely pleasing.

However, when choosing such a knife, you need to remember that it cannot be washed in a dishwasher, but there are also handles, especially for elite knives, which cannot be not only washed but even wetted.

The most practical option is a plastic handle. Perhaps this is not the most aesthetic material, but comfortable.

There are knives with metal handles, they are convenient and practical, the only “but” is that if the room is cool, the handle will also be cold. Holding ice metal in your hand is not the most pleasant thing.

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