Introduction to Kitchen Blades Part 2
Carving Knife
What are the features of carving knives?
Length of blade: 8 to 12 inches, the handiest size of all is 10 inches. To severe joints with ease and working smoothly along the bones as well as ribs, a really sharp tip is an absolute must.
Heel width: Every manufacturer makes different width sizes, nevertheless considerably slimmer than the chef’s knife without any belly, ordinarily from 1¼ to 1⅜ inches.
It is used for?
People use it to carve meat on the bone, of course!
What are the features of carving knives?
Length of blade: 8 to 12 inches, the handiest size of all is 10 inches. To severe joints with ease and working smoothly along the bones as well as ribs, a really sharp tip is an absolute must.
Heel width: Every manufacturer makes different width sizes, nevertheless considerably slimmer than the chef’s knife without any belly, ordinarily from 1¼ to 1⅜ inches.
It is used for?
People use it to carve meat on the bone, of course!
Scalloped-Edge Knife
What are the features of scalloped-edge knives?
Length of blade: 5 to 18 inches. Scalloped-edge knives that are 18-inches in length are often utilized commercially. A 10-inch blade is best for the average user. The tip of this blade is normally circular or angled, but blades that are pointed can be found as well.
Heel width: Varies based on length of the blade as well as the company that produces them.
It is used for?
It can be used to slice food items with crusts and skins like bread, bagels, sandwiches, tomatoes, eggplants, citrus fruits, melons, pineapples, boneless roasts, meat loaf, brownies, loaf cakes, strudel, puff pastry, and semisoft cheeses.
What is commonly known as the serrated or bread knife is in reality a scalloped-edge knife. The proper name hails from the sharp teeth running from the tip and all the way to the heel just like cutouts in between each tooth. The steak knives in your kitchen drawer are in all probability serrated. If you have the time, try to make a comparison to a scalloped-edge knife and pay attention to the difference between both knives.
You should not regard this extremely invaluable knife as merely a bread knife. It is more than that! The reason this particular knife works marvelously on crusts and skins of all sorts is because of its very distinctive functioning which allows continuous motion of sharp teeth across a surface. And since it is slimmer and less heavy than the chef’s knife, the chances of it ruining fragile pastries are close to zero.
The blade’s length matters a lot, just like the chef’s knife. The tasks I mentioned earlier – I often accomplish them with the aid of a 10-inch blade scalloped-edge knife. Merely a handful of strokes are all I need to accomplish those tasks. However, in some cases, I would make use of either a 5- or 6-inch blade – usually to make thin slices of cucumber, lime or lemon.
What are the features of scalloped-edge knives?
Length of blade: 5 to 18 inches. Scalloped-edge knives that are 18-inches in length are often utilized commercially. A 10-inch blade is best for the average user. The tip of this blade is normally circular or angled, but blades that are pointed can be found as well.
Heel width: Varies based on length of the blade as well as the company that produces them.
It is used for?
It can be used to slice food items with crusts and skins like bread, bagels, sandwiches, tomatoes, eggplants, citrus fruits, melons, pineapples, boneless roasts, meat loaf, brownies, loaf cakes, strudel, puff pastry, and semisoft cheeses.
What is commonly known as the serrated or bread knife is in reality a scalloped-edge knife. The proper name hails from the sharp teeth running from the tip and all the way to the heel just like cutouts in between each tooth. The steak knives in your kitchen drawer are in all probability serrated. If you have the time, try to make a comparison to a scalloped-edge knife and pay attention to the difference between both knives.
You should not regard this extremely invaluable knife as merely a bread knife. It is more than that! The reason this particular knife works marvelously on crusts and skins of all sorts is because of its very distinctive functioning which allows continuous motion of sharp teeth across a surface. And since it is slimmer and less heavy than the chef’s knife, the chances of it ruining fragile pastries are close to zero.
The blade’s length matters a lot, just like the chef’s knife. The tasks I mentioned earlier – I often accomplish them with the aid of a 10-inch blade scalloped-edge knife. Merely a handful of strokes are all I need to accomplish those tasks. However, in some cases, I would make use of either a 5- or 6-inch blade – usually to make thin slices of cucumber, lime or lemon.
In the above photo, you can see there are 3 smaller types of scalloped-edge knives (from top to bottom: Wüsthof, Messermeister, and Henckels’ pointed-tip entry into the field). The Messermeister is commonly known as a tomato knife. Although known as such, the knife is not actually suitable to be used on all types of tomatoes. The truth is the Messermeister isn’t big enough to cut large-sized tomatoes, thus it is more suited for cutting plum tomatoes. The Henckels is a type of scalloped-edge knife crafted in such a way that it actually has a very pointed tip.
One thing you ought to know about scalloped-edge knives is that it is not possible to sharpen or hone them. Yes, once the knife is dull, you just have to purchase a completely new one. To discover burrs on the knife, you just have to examine the blade’s flat side and of course you can have them removed via a method which entails stroking it lightly on the steel. Just remember not mess around with the side of the scalloped-edge knife!
Apparently the scalloped-edge knife is the only knife that comes with left-handed as well as right-handed versions. An array of styles and sizes of the left-handed variant are available thanks to Wusthof. Another well-known manufacturer that produces an assortment of left-handed scalloped-edge knives is Mundial. I’m sure there are other manufacturers as well as, so if you wish to find out more, a quick search on the internet would do the trick.
One thing you ought to know about scalloped-edge knives is that it is not possible to sharpen or hone them. Yes, once the knife is dull, you just have to purchase a completely new one. To discover burrs on the knife, you just have to examine the blade’s flat side and of course you can have them removed via a method which entails stroking it lightly on the steel. Just remember not mess around with the side of the scalloped-edge knife!
Apparently the scalloped-edge knife is the only knife that comes with left-handed as well as right-handed versions. An array of styles and sizes of the left-handed variant are available thanks to Wusthof. Another well-known manufacturer that produces an assortment of left-handed scalloped-edge knives is Mundial. I’m sure there are other manufacturers as well as, so if you wish to find out more, a quick search on the internet would do the trick.
Granton-Edge Slicers and Carvers
A Granton-edge knife is a knife featuring hollowed-out grooves ground that are arranged alternately on both sides of the blade. The knife was invented by an English company called the Granton in 1928. The company wanted to produce a knife that has the ability to minimize the friction from fat and juices during the slicing of a juicy roast.
The grooves generate air pockets between the knife’s surface and the roast, and this helps in decreasing suction so that sticking doesn’t occur. It appears that such grooves are rather popular these days, as they show up quite regularly on knives that don’t really require them, such as the chef’s knife, paring knife, and even the Santoku knife.
A Granton edge is advantageous on a carving knife but its capability at keeping celery, potato or anything moist from sticking to the blade is quite unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the grooves won’t be able to function properly if they do not come to the very edge of the blade. All in all, if you want to add this knife to your kitchen tools, you should make certain it satisfies your toughness criteria.
A Granton-edge knife is a knife featuring hollowed-out grooves ground that are arranged alternately on both sides of the blade. The knife was invented by an English company called the Granton in 1928. The company wanted to produce a knife that has the ability to minimize the friction from fat and juices during the slicing of a juicy roast.
The grooves generate air pockets between the knife’s surface and the roast, and this helps in decreasing suction so that sticking doesn’t occur. It appears that such grooves are rather popular these days, as they show up quite regularly on knives that don’t really require them, such as the chef’s knife, paring knife, and even the Santoku knife.
A Granton edge is advantageous on a carving knife but its capability at keeping celery, potato or anything moist from sticking to the blade is quite unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the grooves won’t be able to function properly if they do not come to the very edge of the blade. All in all, if you want to add this knife to your kitchen tools, you should make certain it satisfies your toughness criteria.
In the photo above, you can see a selection of the knives described previously. The knife located at the bottom is the infamous Granton company’s slicer. Positioned above it is a Wüsthof 8-inch Granton-edge carver, an F. Dick scalloped-edge, sharp-tipped slicer/carver, a Wüsthof 10-inch scalloped-edge slicer, a LamsonSharp 10-inch scalloped-edge slicer with a distinct curve to the blade plus a wooden handle, a Henckels straight-edge carver, and Wüsthof’s Super Slicer, whose scalloped edge is rounded. Many baking professionals are fans of the Super Slicer knife because it is so good at cutting sheet cakes. A left-handed version can be purchased as well.
Read the next installment
Read the previous installment
Read the next installment
Read the previous installment