Buying the right knives is essential to ensure ease and efficiency in handling different tasks like chopping, dicing, slicing, cutting, and mincing food items. However, just buying the right knives would be of no use if you fail to take good care of them. It is also necessary to keep the knives sharpened for proper use. Here are a few things to keep in mind for taking proper care of the knives Japan.
Cleaning and maintenance:
You need to wash the knives after every use. However, keep in mind that this must be done by hand. Washing the knives in a dishwasher may lead to corrosion of the blade and damage to the wooden handle. The prolonged moisture content in the dishwasher, the high water temperatures, and the detergents may cause such problems. The blade may also chip if placed inside the dishwasher with other items.
If the knives you bought do not have rust proof blades, which are common in the Japanese knives, it is necessary to ensure that these are completely dry before you store them. Wipe them with a soft cloth after a wash. It is also a good idea to coat the knife blade with non-flavoured cooking oil to ensure that the blade does not rust. Food grade oils, like sunflower oil, are good for this purpose.
Storing the knives in a wooden or bamboo knife block is necessary to keep the delicate blades safe from any kind of damage. This makes it possible to keep these kitchen essentials handy. It is a better option than keeping them in your cutlery drawer. Moreover, keeping the knives in blocks, instead of cutlery drawers, prevents injuries to anyone who opens the drawer for some other item.
Keeping the blades sharpened:
It is necessary to sharpen the knife as soon as you notice any imperfection in the performance and efficacy of the knife. The chief reason chefs prefer a Japanese knife is its fine, sharp edge, which makes it possible to accomplish tasks like cutting, dicing, chopping, and others, with minimum effort. Regular sharpening of the blades ensures longevity, reduces efforts and enhances efficiency.
You should invest in a Japanese waterstone to ensure proper sharpening of chef knives. It is not a good idea to try sharpening these knives with steel. The majority of good quality Japanese knives are made from high-carbon steel, which is much harder than steel. Use a coarse waterstone if there are chips on the blade. After removing these, use a medium grade waterstone and finally a honing one to complete the sharpening.
It is a good idea to go for knife sharpening classes if you want to handle the task on your own. Keep one essential point in mind the bevel angle of the blade needs to be maintained throughout the task of sharpening. It is also important to keep it consistent across the complete length of the knife edge. Japanese knives have a more acute bevel angle than other knives.
Taking care of your kitchen knives would prolong their working life with ease.
Cleaning and maintenance:
You need to wash the knives after every use. However, keep in mind that this must be done by hand. Washing the knives in a dishwasher may lead to corrosion of the blade and damage to the wooden handle. The prolonged moisture content in the dishwasher, the high water temperatures, and the detergents may cause such problems. The blade may also chip if placed inside the dishwasher with other items.
If the knives you bought do not have rust proof blades, which are common in the Japanese knives, it is necessary to ensure that these are completely dry before you store them. Wipe them with a soft cloth after a wash. It is also a good idea to coat the knife blade with non-flavoured cooking oil to ensure that the blade does not rust. Food grade oils, like sunflower oil, are good for this purpose.
Storing the knives in a wooden or bamboo knife block is necessary to keep the delicate blades safe from any kind of damage. This makes it possible to keep these kitchen essentials handy. It is a better option than keeping them in your cutlery drawer. Moreover, keeping the knives in blocks, instead of cutlery drawers, prevents injuries to anyone who opens the drawer for some other item.
Keeping the blades sharpened:
It is necessary to sharpen the knife as soon as you notice any imperfection in the performance and efficacy of the knife. The chief reason chefs prefer a Japanese knife is its fine, sharp edge, which makes it possible to accomplish tasks like cutting, dicing, chopping, and others, with minimum effort. Regular sharpening of the blades ensures longevity, reduces efforts and enhances efficiency.
You should invest in a Japanese waterstone to ensure proper sharpening of chef knives. It is not a good idea to try sharpening these knives with steel. The majority of good quality Japanese knives are made from high-carbon steel, which is much harder than steel. Use a coarse waterstone if there are chips on the blade. After removing these, use a medium grade waterstone and finally a honing one to complete the sharpening.
It is a good idea to go for knife sharpening classes if you want to handle the task on your own. Keep one essential point in mind the bevel angle of the blade needs to be maintained throughout the task of sharpening. It is also important to keep it consistent across the complete length of the knife edge. Japanese knives have a more acute bevel angle than other knives.
Taking care of your kitchen knives would prolong their working life with ease.
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