What can be better than preparing your own meals? With some fresh veggies and the best chef knife at your convenience, you are sure to prepare some fine delicacies. Fancy restaurants and all are fine but having a home-cooked meal is some other level of satisfaction. With the perfect accessory, like a knife, slicing and chopping become a cakewalk, and so does the meal preparation. A chef knife is used for preparing food, especially a large, general-purpose kitchen knife. Usually, the chef knife is characterized by a length of 8 to 10 inches, with a blade curving upward along its length and ending in a narrow end. The chef's knife was primarily designed for slicing and disjointing large cuts of beef. However, it has become a primary general-utility knife for most western cooks today. A chef knife originated in Germany and France, came in serrated varieties, and is found in double bevels. Compared to other knives, a chef's knife is heavier to hold. Apart from this, a typical chef knife varies in size between 6" to 12". Usually, 8" is a popular choice but professionals prefer using 12". Now that you are, you must be a good cook for yourself, so we won't dare to give you any tips on how to prepare lip-smacking food, but we certainly can talk about a thing or two about knives. So in this article, we will talk about the features you should be considering while buying a chef knife.
1. Size We know sizes do not always matter, but we cannot say that it applies to chef's knives. The size of a chef knife set(distance from the tip to where the heel ends) is responsible for determining how hard or easy it is to maneuver the device. Typically, the blade of the best chef knife has at least 8 inches. However, you can get long or short versions. The knives that feature 10-inch blades have the capacity to process a large volume of veggies or meats, but people tend to feel a little uncomfortable. If you are one all for agility, you can go for a 6-inch version. It works like a charm if you want to slice and dice on the run. However, you must be careful not to chop off your fingers.
2. Weight The weight criteria of knives are quite subjective. It means that some chefs like heavier knives for that extra kick, but there are also some kids who opt for a lighter blade any day. So what we suggest is that you should try out as many knives as possible. It will help you to determine what works for you the best.
3. Balance Balance plays a crucial factor when you are choosing a chef's knife. To determine if the knife you are going to buy matches your needs, it is best to try the old trick: Hold out three fingers and place the knife, then move it a little to find the center of gravity. Of course, a good quality knife should be balanced perfectly, but if you feel that the knife is heavier in the front or the back, it implies that it is not properly balanced. Furthermore, such knives make chopping difficult. To add to this, an improperly balanced chef's knife feels quite unstable in hand.
4. Handle Next to balance, the handle also plays an important role. Without having a proper grip, no matter how good the knife is, it will be useless. Some of the knives do have bare handles, but most feature some kind of coatings such as plastic, rubber, or silicone. You can choose the one that feels the most comfortable. Pouring some water on the hand before maneuvering the knife for chopping will surely help you determine which one works for you the best.
5. Sharpness There is a popular practice that one can tell if a chef's knife is made out of good quality or bad quality steel while unboxing. According to the rule of the thumb, if the knife is super sharp while you unbox, it means that it is the real deal. Apart from this, a good chef knife set does not demand to be sharpened on a monthly or weekly basis. However, that does not mean you won't sharpen it from time to time. It is because veggies and meat take a toll on the blade. These are some of the features you should be looking for if you want to buy the best chef knife. If a knife has all these qualities, it is definitely worth trying.
Conclusion:
A chef's knife is a versatile kitchen accessory. However, buying it requires a lot of consideration. Can I use it to slice more than vegetables? What shape should I get? What about maintenance? All these questions keep coming up. To narrow it down, we have listed the features you should be looking for while buying one or an entire set. When you find one featuring all these features, you should make a purchase immediately as the availability of a good-quality knife is rare.
Are you on the lookout for the best chef knife? Dfackto is your answer. We are a one-stop solution for all kinds of knives. We aim to offer a premium range of rugged culinary items, catering to the different lifestyles of people. We have crafted world-class knives by merging a balance and precision of high-end kitchen knives with designs and materials meant to withstand extreme conditions. It will deal with extremely cold and heat conditions without worrying about slipping from the hand. Be it camping, tailgating with friends, or preparing a meal at home for family, we offer a suitable tool for the job. We look forward to having you join us on this adventure as we continue to release culinary tools that are ruggedly dependable and highly functional. Buy at our store today and cook delicacies every day!