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The authors of The New Cooks' Catalogue certainly know what to look for when choosing cooking equipment. These
leading culinary experts have been evaluating cooking equipment for over 25 years. The following information is what they
consider important when selecting a chef's knife.
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- The best chef’s knives are forged (rather than stamped) from high-carbon stainless steel. They can take and hold a sharp edge and recover from bending without breaking.
- The handle should be constructed from a durable and sanitary material like plastic, rubber, stainless steel or impregnated wood.
- A full tang indicates strength and balance in a traditional forged knife.
- The blade should be the right length for the task at hand. Consider having at least two, a large and a small. We recommend purchasing a 6- or 8-inch blade, and a 9- or 10-inch blade.
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Introduction
A chef’s knife is a vital piece of equipment used for chopping and mincing. It is made of four parts: blade, bolster, tang and handle, all designed to support the blade's impact on the chopping surface. One-piece construction, in which the same blank of metal is used to make the blade, the bolster and the tang, is traditionally the strongest.
This tool is used so frequently that we think it's worthwhile to invest as much as you can afford, for it will last a lifetime if properly cared for.
Blade
A chef’s knife blade is rigid and tapers evenly, with a smooth curve on a broad blade that ranges from 5" to 14" lengths. It’s helpful to have at least two different sizes, a small and a large to tackle various tasks. Don’t be afraid to handle a seemingly big, heavy chef’s knife—its weight helps you do the job, and its length means fewer pauses to bring foods back to the central spot where you are doing the chopping.
The best metal for a chef’s knife is high carbon stainless steel. It will take a sharp edge and hold it, meaning it can be sharpened easily but won’t dull too quickly. It won’t stain, pit, rust or interact with foods. It recovers from bending without breaking and with proper care and sharpening will last a lifetime.
Some cooks remain devoted to traditional carbon-steel knives, which sharpen more easily than harder high-carbon stainless steel. Keep in mind that they may also rust and react unpleasantly with food if not properly cared for.
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Bolster
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The bolster, between the handle and the back of the blade, helps keep your fingers from riding up on the blade. It is the thickest part of the blade and tells you the width of the original blank of metal used for a forged knife---thicker is better. The absence of a bolster means that the knife has been stamped from a sheet of metal rather than forged.
Tang
The tang is the part of the blade that extends past the bolster and forms part of the handle. A full tang is the same length as the handle and is often visible sandwiched between the two capping handle covers. A rattail tang is, as its name implies, long and skinny. It extends the full length of the handle but is only a fraction of the width. A part, or half tang is as wide as a full tang but extends only partially into the handle.
Many fine chef’s knives have a full tang. A full tang balances the weight of the knife between the long heavy blade and the handle to assist the rocking motion of chopping. But it is not completely accurate to say that a tang should be visible within the handle. A molded polypropylene handle may conceal the tang. Other manufacturers, like the Japanese company Global, achieve proper balance without a traditional tang by filling the handle with metal.
Handle
Handles are made of natural and impregnated woods, plastics, synthetic-rubber compounds, or stainless steel and vary in their degree of durability. Natural rosewood remains the most popular for its beauty and strong resistance to splitting and cracking. (However, no wood should ever be left soaking in water.) If you’re looking for the most durable and sanitary selection, opt for plastic, rubber, or stainless steel.
Rivets
Tube-like “snaps” called rivets secure a handle cap to its tang. Their heads should be completely smooth and flush with the surface of the handle so you cannot feel them. Some knives use handle caps that are glued to their half-tangs; they usually loosen with washing and should be avoided. If there is a wooden handle and even a part tang, you should be able to see that tang and two or three rivets.
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