KITCHEN KNIVES

Kitchen knives are made from stainless steel, making them easy to clean, but more difficult to sharpen. Many knives are available, each designed to do a specific job, and, not all are essential to the everyday cook. Knives should be stored carefully and safely, preferably in a knife block.

Cooks knife

A cooks knife is essential in any kitchen and is one of the most frequently used.

1. Has a long blade usually 20-23cm (8-9in) long with a short handle.

2. The blade is wide and heavy and usually stiff.

3. Coming to a sharp point at the end, it is ideal for chopping vegetables.

4. Also used for shredding vegetables, slicing and carving meat.

Bread knife

Designed to saw through bread, to produce evenly thin slices.

1. Has a long handle and blade usually23-25cm (9-10in) long.

2. Has serrated edged blade for easy sawing motion.

3. Cuts through both crusty loaves and fresh bread.

Chip knife

The chip knife is used to produce crinkled cut chips and adds decorative design to vegetables

1. Has a fairly short blade 12-14cm (5-6in) in length with a long handle.

2. The blade has indentations spaced at regular intervals.

Vegetable knife

The vegetable knife is probably the most frequently used knife in the kitchen.

1. Has small blade 6-8cm (2-3in) in length

2. Rounded handle for good grip

3. Has a dent on the handle near the blade for the index finger, allowing more control.

4. Has a sharp blade ideal for cutting small vegetables.

Specialized knives

Keen cooks may wish to add more specialised knives to their collection. These should include.

1. A steel for sharpening knives.

2. A Ham knife - has a long, flexible blade which is rounded on the end.

3. A Filleting knife - has a long , flexible and narrow blade.

4. A Carving knife - a sharp knife cuts thin, even slices of hot meat.