Learning Center

  Choosing and Using Kitchen Cutlery

There isn't any tool in the kitchen more important, and more dangerous, than the cutlery! A good guide to the best cutlery and the basics for using it, caring for it and storing it is essential to any cook's skills. Good knives are a critical investment in your home, helping you to cook and serve up interesting and delicious foods. Since it is so important, you want to get it right the first time!

Knowing what you actually need will 1. be much more affordable; 2. be safer because you won't be tempted to use the wrong tool for the wrong job; 3. help you get the most out of the knives you do need.

Care and keeping: are you planning to just throw your knives in the dishwasher or are you willing to wash and care for them by hand? Your answer to this question will determine the best materials for your knives. Some knives can be tossed in the dishwasher without problem; others need careful handwashing and even oiling to keep them at their best. Knowing yourself and the maintenance you are willing to do is an important factor in being happy with the knives you actually purchase.



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  The new forged kitchen knife range from Victorinox Forged knives for the well-equipped kitchen

"Perfectly balanced" are the best words to describe the new forged kitchen knife range from Victorinox, the knife manufacturer from the Swiss Knife Valley. With ergonomic handles and excellent steel, these knives are beautiful to look at and elegantly shaped. They are forged in Solingen, Germany, according to the specifications of the Victorinox designers. Not only are these knives attractive in appearance, they are also perfectly suited to every kitchen application. The renowned Victorinox sharpness is guaranteed with all these knives, as the blades are sharpened twice and the blade edges laser tested.

Because a single knife cannot do every job, Victorinox supplies a range of tools to perfectly meet every requirement. For preparing and cutting small vegetables, a short, rigid blade is required. For cutting bread and tomatoes or carving a roast, a serrated knife is the recommended tool. For effortless slicing, kitchen professionals need a knife with a smooth blade, and a large kitchen knife is a useful tool not just for cutting, but also for finely chopping herbs and onions. Kitchen knives and Santoku knives are truly multi-functional tools and invaluable kitchen helpers. It is of course possible to clean the knives in a dishwasher.

However, there are disadvantages to this method of cleaning. In the dishwasher, knives and cutlery are placed in a basket. There is a risk that the knives may knock against each other during the cleaning cycle and become blunt. This can also happen if sharp knifes cut into the plastic coating of the dishwasher.

If you want to give your knives the best care and attention, it is best to clean them immediately after use with warm water, a damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid.

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  Epicurean Cutting Surfaces

Epicurean started out as a contractor specializing in building custom skate parks (as in skateboarding). They found that the material that is used for the skate parks also worked well for cutting surfaces. They founded Epicurean Cutting Surfaces as a way to reduce waste from the excess material and sell "professional-grade" cutting surfaces for the residential kitchen. Plastic boards seem to stain easily and melt quickly if bumped against a hot surface; and a good, sharp knife can destroy a cheap board pretty quickly. A cutting board made from the same material that can hold up to countless hours of angst-filled teenagers skating on it can easily withstand any and all abuse you might put it through. Made from layers of paper soaked in a food-safe resin, the cutting boards cutting surfaces come in many different shapes and sizes to fit your application or needs. There are boards for the BBQ, Camping, Carving, and any other cutting application you can think of.



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