Home >
Information Center >
Kitchen
Cutlery
Vermont Cutting Boards Information Center
Kitchen Cutlery
The term cutlery actually applies to any and all “utensils.”
Kitchen Cutlery is specific to the knives we use in the kitchen
to slice and prepare food. We use cutlery on a daily bases from
chopping, to slicing, to the Japanese kitchen knife that is
growing ever more popular. Kitchen cutlery is an absolute must
have in all kitchens.
Have you been without a knife when you really needed one? Have
you, for example, wanted to cook a delicious meal that you have
all the ingredients for only to find that you have absolutely
nothing to slice the onions with, or the meat, or the fruit?
It can be exasperating not to have the right utensils at your
fingertips for doing all that you need to do in your kitchen.
It makes sense to spend time finding the right kitchen cutlery
for your use.
There are just a few things to consider when purchasing
kitchen cutlery.
Handle: Is the handle a clunky piece of hardwood
or a sleek piece of rosewood? Or do you prefer a synthetic handle,
something a little more ergonomic? The choice can often be personal,
and it's not simply a matter of price. Wood has natural warmth,
but the process of mass production limits actual shaping. Synthetic
handles won't crack and often have the feel of custom-made cutlery.
And you'll want to take the size of your hand into account:
a small hand will quickly tire of a hefty handle.
Construction: There's a reason that stamped
blades are less expensive than forged blades: they are punched
out of sheets of steel with knife-blade-shaped dies. High-end
knives often lay claim to being hand-forged. This doesn't mean
an Old World master craftsman worked the blade at a forge and
anvil with a big hammer. Picture a factory laborer with a pair
of tongs holding on to a hot piece of steel for the several
blows of a 100-ton drop forge. There are, however, many steps
in the process of making a high-quality knife, and in a couple
of them you can count on some human intervention.
There are basically three materials blades are typically made
from: High-carbon stainless steel, high-carbon steel, and ceramic.
Each has its positive and negative aspects. Chose the one that
would work best for your needs.
Buy the best knives you can afford, and plan on using them
for the rest of your life. Knife design has evolved over hundreds
of years. A couple of questions to ask yourself: Will the new
design stand up over time? Will it be comfortable? Is it necessary?
Avoid making what could potentially be an expensive mistake
by doing your homework before purchasing your first or next
kitchen cutlery. You won’t be sorry!
Chopping
Blocks
