Whether you are a seasoned chef or just aspiring to be one, there is one kitchen staple that you need to have – knife. You use knife to perform various kitchen tasks such as slicing, cutting, mincing, etc. And you can’t just use any other knife if you wish to have perfectly cut and minced ingredients. Chef’s knives and Japanese knives are among the most popular staples in the kitchen for seasoned cooking aficionados.
Both the Chef’s knives and Japanese knives have distinctive design and different uses. However, no one can say which knives are superior over the others; rather, it is about your personal preference on which type, brand and size you want to use.
Get to Know Chef’s Knives
Also known as the French knives or cook knives, the Chef’s knives are used for various foods preparation chores. When the knife has been introduced, the Chef’s knife was primarily meant for slicing and disjointing large cuts of meat – particularly beef. It is now being considered as a primary utility knife for most cooks.
Generally, you can find Chef’s knives with blades measuring from 8 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. You can also find other models with sizes ranging from 6 up to 14 inches long.
When buying Chef’s knives, you should consider their physical characteristics. Since these knives are usually made from either hot-forged or stamped blades, you need to decide which ones you want to get. Hot-forged Chef’s knives are full-tang; the metal runs from the knifepoint’s tip to the handle’s far end. Hot-forged knives are also usually expensive as compared to stamped knives. Now, stamped knives are made by cutting directly from cold rolled steel; then the knives will be grounded, sharpened and polished.
You should also choose from among the four types of blades used to make Chef’s knives – carbon steel, stainless steel, laminated or ceramic. The edges of the knives are also ground in different ways. You can choose from double grind and double bevel edge, convex edge, hollow-ground and chisel edge.
Get to Know Japanese Knives
When it comes to knives, many consider Japanese knives as among the top choices. There are also various options when it comes to buying Japanese kitchen knives; you can get the “deba bocho” (kitchen cleaver), “usuba bocho” (vegetable knives), “santoku hocho” (all-purpose knife), “nakiri bocho” (vegetable knives) or the yanagi ba and tako hiki (sashimi slicers).
Among these, the “santuku hocho” has become really popular among cooks in the West. This Japanese knife can be used for cutting vegetables, fish and meat. You can only used the knife for boneless meats or lightly boned meats though.