Kitchen Knife Blocks
When purchasing a kitchen knife block set, it is very important to many people that the blocks themselves are not only functional, but look good and match the decor of the kitchen as well. There are several types of kitchen knife blocks.
1) Sanitizing blocks. These blocks will actually kill bacteria and other germs when knives are placed in them. They come mostly in stand up block styles and use UV-C light to kill the germs.
2) Stand up blocks. They come in all different types of materials. Stainless steel, plastic, wood, and even plexiglass to name some. They come in many different styles and colors.
3) Lay down blocks. The knives fit into layered slots and actually sit upright in the block. They take up more space than stand ups and work perfectly in drawers. They come in many styles and colors as well.
4) Countertop blocks. These can actually be installed into the counter itself so that only the handles of the knives are exposed.
5) Cutting board blocks. These are multi-functional. The cutting board itself acts as a knife holder. Generally, the knives are inserted at the head of the cutting board which is curved upward to make accessing the knives easier.
How To Do a Good Kitchen Knife Review
Deciding on a new set of kitchen knives is hard to do and can be frustrating. There are very expensive ones, cheap ones, and many in the middle. How are you supposed to know what is the best choice for you? What is the best way to do a kitchen knife review?
There are two ways to go. Cheap or expensive. Generally speaking, the ones in the middle tend to let people down. We’ve read many reviews of middle of the road knife sets and realized that consumers expect more out of them than they are really worth. It’s better to invest in an expensive set and use them for life, or buy a very cheap set and get what you can out of them.
When doing a kitchen knife review, look at the material they are made of. If it’s a high caliber stainless steel, you are looking at a good product with a pretty hefty price tag. If the knives are stamped, they are not going to last very long but they could be good for the meantime and they will be very inexpensive. Is it a full tang? In other words, does the blade go all the way through the handle or is it just attached to the end? What went into the design of the handle?
The biggest factor to look at, however, is the warranty. It absolutely should be a lifetime warranty. Even inexpensive sets will often offer a lifetime warranty of sorts and this shows that the manufacturer has faith and confidenced in their product.
What is a Professional Knife Set?
There is a major price difference in kitchen cutlery. Some knives are very inexpensive while others cost a lot of money. Why is there such a big difference in a so called professional knife set versus a regular knife set? The answer is because of certain features that a professional knife set will have that other knives are lacking. Whether or not these features are important to you will determine which knives you will want to invest in.
Professional knives have full tangs. A full tang simply means that the blade of the knife runs all the way from the tip of the knife to the back of the handle. In other words, instead of attaching the blade to the handle, the handle wraps around the blade. This makes the knife much stronger and less likely to ever break off of the handle. It also provides better balance and strength.
The type of material used to make the blade is another big difference. Top kitchen cutlery will use a high grade stainless steel that will not rust. It also stays very sharp and holds its edge for a lot longer than knives made with inferior material.
The last big difference would be in the handle design. A lot of time and money can be put into the handle. Pro knives will be ergonomically designed, reducing the chances of the knife slipping out of your hand, even when it gets wet. Also, using a rivet system to attach the handle to the blade is one feature that will ensure durability.
Good Kitchen Knife Reviews
Many kitchen knife reviews are designed for one reason, and one reason only – to sell you a specific brand of knife. Sifting through the biased review sites to find honest customer and professional opinions on cutlery sets can be difficult. The best way to know whether or not a review is complete and honest is to take a look at the content and make sure that the review contains the following three qualities.
1) Forged or stamped. This is very important. The way the knife performs and the usages of the knife varies greatly between these two types. It is a common misconception that forged knives are superior to stamped ones. While this can be true, there are also very high quality stamped knives out there and they are usually less expensive and can offer better value than the forged sets. If a review site is bashing stamped knives, chances are it has an agenda.
2) Performance. The key to a good kitchen knife review here is the existence of negative aspects to the performance of a knife or set of knives. There is no perfect knife for every usage. All knives have their strengths and their limitations. If a specific review fails to list any negatives to the knife, chances are there is not much merit to that review.
3) Full tang or not. If a review does not point this out, chances are they may be hiding the fact that it is not full tang. Full tang means that the blade goes all the way through to the back of the handle. It is one piece, instead of two connected pieces. Full tang knives are much stronger and more durable than ones that are not.
It should also be noted that a good review of kitchen cutlery will include price information. If there is no price info, chances are the reviewers are just trying to get you to click a purchase tab.
What Type of Knives To Buy – Forged Kitchen Knives or Stamped Kitchen Knives?
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Shopping for new things should be fun. Shopping for a new kitchen knife set was anything but fun. I wrote this article to help those who are going through the process right now and can maybe benefit from the mistakes that I made. In my opinion, most of the top knife sets out there are very high quality – there’s not a huge difference between them. The biggest difference is between stamped knives and forged knives.
It is a common misconception that forged knives are of higher quality or are better than stamped. While this is true in some ways, it is also true that stamped knives have their benefits as well. First, a stamped kitchen knife doesn’t weigh nearly as much as a forged one. Lightweight knives are considered a must by many professional chefs. This is especially true of chefs who concentrate on a lot of asian style foods. In order to effectively cut small vegetables and thin meets, light knives are necessary.
The main benefit of a forged knife is that it contains a thicker blade. This leads to better durability and can hold it’s edge a little longer than the others.
Forged kitchen knives are formed by hand and heated, formed, cooled, then heated again as many times as it takes to shape the blade. The steel is heated as high as 1900 degrees. The blades of stamped knives are cut out of a thinner piece of steel like the way a cookie cutter cuts out cookie dough.
The sharpness of the blade is not determined by the style of manufacturing but rather the grade of stainless steel. The better the stainless steel, the sharper the blade. You can tell very easily how high a grade the knives you are considering uses. Compare the prices of the knives to the other high quality ones on the market. The higher the price, the better the steel.
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