Kitchen knife universal: features, main characteristics

Correctly selected knife universal can replace in the kitchen various types of special tools designed for cutting. Usually it is purchased for many years, so it is not recommended to save on it.

One for all

Knives are an indispensable attribute of any kitchen. Of course, you can not do without special devices when you need to cut bones or cut frozen foods. But to perform the simplest operations it is quite possible to use a single knife for all cases. Equally successfully coping with the cutting of fish, meat, slicing vegetables, he is able to replace even the standard chef troika.

A universal knife does not necessarily belong to a well-known brand. Often a knife, made by the hands of a master who has put his soul into his product, can far exceed the performance of famous brands by its performance characteristics. Therefore, it is hardly worth pursuing fashion, brand and price. The main thing is that the knife is pleasant and easy to use.

Types of universal knives

These tools for the kitchen differ in many ways. They can have different length and shape of blade, and blades are ceramic, titanium or stainless steel. For the manufacture of handles are used as metal, and wood or high-quality plastic.

A high appraisal of consumers received tools for the kitchen of Japanese production. For example, each Hatamoto Color universal knife undergoes additional cryogenic processing, which increases its flexibility and uniformity of structure. Comfort when working with this tool provides a smooth back of the handle, and a granular inner surface helps to hold the tool even in a wet or oiled hand, which will exclude injury.

Japanese knife santoku (producer Gipfel) is capable of cutting, and chopping, and crumbling. The very name of it in Japanese means "three uses". The invention in the form of recesses on the working part of the blade does not allow to stick slices of the product at the moment of cutting. Such a tool perfectly copes with the cutting of meat, fish, mushrooms, vegetables. Santoku is quite affordable and at the same time very convenient modern universal knives (photo can be seen below).

What to look for when choosing

A good kitchen knife has certain parameters and characteristics, which you should pay special attention to when choosing a tool. The quality of the cut depends largely on the material from which the blade is made. It should be high quality stainless steel. Its hardness and anti-corrosion properties are affected by various additives (chromium, molybdenum, silicon, etc.). Parameters such as hardness and brittleness of the blade must be balanced. It is important that the blade is not dull for a long time.

When choosing, you should pay attention to the absence of inclusions and divorces on the blade (this does not apply to Damascus steel).

Particular attention should be paid to the handle. Made of wood, on the one hand, it is convenient, but on the other hand it is not entirely practical, because wood is not a very resistant material, and with prolonged use, cracks can form in it, in which dirt will accumulate over time. In addition, from poor contact with water, poorly treated wood begins to lose shape.

More practical are the handles made of high-quality plastic. True, they do not always look aesthetically pleasing and presentable.

But the knife, the handle of which is made of stainless steel, is more durable. The feature of such tools is a more significant weight compared to others.

It is believed that the best universal knife should be sharp, have a small weight and hold sharpening for a long time. These parameters correspond to instruments with a blade made of zirconium ceramics. Their only drawback is the increased fragility.

Knife sharpening

To ensure that the universal knife that has been purchased meets all expectations, close attention should be paid to sharpen it. It can be two-sided or one-sided. The first option is the most popular, especially if the knife is designed for home use.

Of great importance is the characteristics of the blade. A cutting edge with a hardness of up to 60 units will require the use of a diamond grinding tool for sharpening. Choosing a knife universal, it is necessary to take into account.