Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Maintain, handle and clean knives

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Knives Essential equipment for chefs. Available in different sizes, types and styles… …To suit different tasks.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Working with knives For best results, knives must be: Cared for properly Cleaned well after use Kept sharp. Good quality knives that are cared for will give good service and are less likely to cause injury.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Working with knives Chefs need to be trained in the safest and most efficient use of knives. Sharp knives are safer than blunt ones, if handled with care: the sharp blade cuts cleanly without needing excessive pressure. Hold a knife firmly for full control. Keep fingers and thumbs away from the blade edge to avoid cutting them.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Factors to consider when buying knives The tasks for which the knife will be used. The weight, balance and feel. Ease of cleaning and sharpening. Cost. Style, design and materials.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Chef’s knife Also known as a ‘chopping knife’. Has a heel and a rigid, broad blade. Blade is usually 15–30 cm long. A wide range of uses including: Chopping Cutting Slicing Shredding.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Paring knife Also known as an ‘office knife’. Has a small blade. Multiple uses including: Topping and tailing fruit and vegetables Peeling Trimming.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Fish filleting knife Has a fairly narrow, flexible blade. Designed to allow easy access between the flesh and bones of fish.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Meat boning knife Has a fairly short blade. Used to bone meat and trim around bones. Strong, rigid blade to allow accurate manoeuvring around bones.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Turning knife A small knife with a curved blade. Used for shaping vegetables. Image courtesy of Russums

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Serrated-edge knives Used for foods that are softer on the inside than the outside, e.g. crusty bread, tomatoes. Used to slice meat and terrines neatly. Sharpened by specialist companies, not usually in the kitchen.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Carving knife Also known as a trenchard. Has a long, thin blade. Long strokes with the knife give neat, efficient carving of meat.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Carving fork A two-pronged fork. Strong enough to support meat while it is carved. Also used to lift meat after carving. Image courtesy of Russums

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Palette knife A flat knife with a blunt, rounded blade. Used for lifting and turning food, scraping and spreading. Most used in the pastry section. Image courtesy of Russums

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Butcher’s saw Used in butchery and meat preparation. Saws through meat bones. Image courtesy of Russums

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Meat cleaver Also known as a chopper. Has a heavy, flat blade. Used to chop bones in meat. Image courtesy of Russums

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Secateurs and scissors Secateurs are used to trim chicken joints, whole fish and other foods. Kitchen scissors are used to: Snip herbs (e.g. chives) Cut lengths of filo pastry Cut paper to line tins/moulds Open bags and packets safely.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Steel Used to sharpen knives. Has a circular or oval metal shaft. Usually has a guard to protect the hands, plus a handle. Diamond steels are embedded with abrasive diamond particles – considered to be easiest and best to use.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Sharpening knives Run the knife at an angle (usually 45°) along the edge of the steel. Other sharpening tools: Whetstone Pull-through sharpener Electric sharpener.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: carbon steel Easy to sharpen and get a good edge. Can rust and stain easily.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: stainless steel Softer than carbon steel – needs sharpening more frequently. Resistant to rust stains. Very popular for chef’s knives.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: high-carbon stainless steel Higher-grade stainless steel with some carbon content. Resists rust and stains. Maintains a sharp edge for longer than standard stainless steel.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: laminated blades Made with hard steel and more brittle steel, sandwiched together. Has the advantages of both. Tough blade that stays sharp.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: ceramic The hardest blade material available. Holds a sharp edge longer than other materials. Can chip or break if dropped. Needs specialist sharpening. Lighter than steel. Knives usually have plastic handles.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Materials: folded steel Strong, very sharp blade. Layers of soft and hard steel are heated, folded and hammered. A centre of very hard steel provides the cutting edge. Layers act as shock absorbers for the brittle centre. Labour intensive to make and therefore expensive.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly Knife handles Traditionally, wooden, with the blade ‘tang’ secured by metal rivets. Plastic handles are now more common.

Published by Hodder Education © John Campbell, David Foskett, Patricia Paskins and Gary Farrelly One-piece knives Handle and blade are a single piece of stainless steel. Hard stainless steel that keeps a good edge. No joints, therefore hygienic. Handles are often hollow, sometimes filled with sand for weight and balance.