Maintaining a sharp knife is an important task for a kitchen chef. To continue your job properly you just need a good quality sharpened knife. Sharp knife will not only save your effort but also save your job. That does not mean that you need a razor-sharp knife. But an obtuse knife can be dangerous while you are going to make good slices.
So as a chef what is the most important task for you? First of all, you should check if your knife is sharp or not. When you are doing your day to day cooking task, you can ultimately understand that obtuse or not. To make a lovely decorated kitchen dish you just need a sharp knife. Sharp knives mean more fun with a safer mood & less effort & using control.
How to Know if Your Knives are Sharp or Not?
Honing knife is not enough. You need to check the sharpness. Is it enough to make nice & exact shape, size & slices? Someone likes to check by placing the thumb against the blade. But it is not a safe method to check the sharpness. It can injure you seriously. So the safest indicator is testing by tomato or paper.
Paper test: if you want to test your knives sharpness by paper testing then it is a good idea. Paper can be available at any place. So take a computer paper on construction paper. What you like or avail; able there. Then start from the upper portion to make it pieces of different slices. If you get all the slices easily with a plain shape then the sharpness is enough.
Tomato testing: Tomatoes can not be available at any season. But if it is available or possible for you then you can also test by tomato slicing. Take a ripe tomato & make slices. If you have the slices properly with tomato skin then it’s ok. If you find any misplacement or difference between the thickness then you should hone it again.
Knives Sharpening
By following different methods you can sharpen your knives. You will get numerous ways of sharpening your knife. But all are not effective. To sharp both sides of the blades, you should follow the below methods. These will definitely give you a good result if you have a good quality metal knife. Maintain the optimal angles when you are sharpening your knife.
Sharpening Stone
It’s a true method for honing any knife of a professional cook. That can produce a flawless sharpness with reliability & durability. Sharpening stone will make the knife ready to cut anything. No need to maintain this every day. Just apply that day when the knife is significantly dulled. Three kinds of sharpening stones are available there. Each one also has good & bad sides.
- Oil stone – Before using this stone you need to grease with oil. To get a bit of a messy feeling you will apply this.
- Diamond stone – to get a durable service you should use this stone. This dry usable stone is more expensive than others.
- Whetstones – before using the stone one needs to soak it in the water for some time. It can be a lengthy process. But it can deliver you an extreme sharpness if you can use it perfectly. The lower point of this stone is, it is not as durable as the other stones. Its fragile quality. 10 minutes you need to soak that stone in cold water. Apply 20 degrees angles when accessing the stone. From the tip to the end of the blade needs to follow this way.
Ceramic plate
If you don’t have the steel or stone piece to sharpen your knives you can apply these tricks line a pure gold hack. take a ceramic plate & turn it back. This ceramic plate has a perfect surface for sharpening your knife. if you think that the plate can be smashing, no it’s not. you just need to pull it off. to secure your plate you need to fix it properly then apply back & forth motion as you do for a stone sharpener. it is not compulsory that you only can use a ceramic plate. You can also use another ceramic utensil like a coffee mug, cup, the bowl also.
Sharpening Steel
A long skinny type steel rod that you can use to hone your knife or sharpen fairly. This still a good sharpener for daily maintenance. But if you have a totally dulled knife then it will not work well. You can collect this sharpener from any online platform or from any professional sharpener. They can take $5 to $15 for each item.
To start sharpening the knife you need to hold the steep by your one hand & take the knife by another hand. Now apply the knife with pressure to have a sweeping motion. Across the steel with the knife by following the back & forth method. But this sharpness will be less effective than the other sharpener.
Electric Knives Sharpener
If you search on google or the market you will find different types of electrical knife sharpener. But you should do good research on it. Electrical sharpeners will give you a faster service. That means, within a minute you can prepare your knife for good use. This sharpener needs less time than a stone sharpener. The worst side of this sharpener is, it will be harmful to the health of your knives.
At the time of sharpening your blade, the motorized abrasives system can chip away your blade. Stone sharpeners need to be controlled by hands but you can control your blade by the electrical handhelds of the electrical sharpener. If you are using a knife value more than $100 then you should avoid this sharpener. It will also be harmful to your blade.
Sharpening by professionals
If you don’t have those sharpeners or you have enough time to sharpen your knife then you can contact a professional sharpener. He will take the proper of it within a short time. When you will do this job by a specialist, your confidence level will also grow. Sharpness like a razor will make you fully happy.
Keeping your knives sharp
The maximum time we can’t understand why the knives lost sharpness so first or without any use. After sharpening your knife you must need to follow some steps to keep them good. After doing or spending this effort you will not like to make them in vain. Because you have already spent time & effort on it. So you should also learn the below tips.
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Do not wash with dishwasher
Dishwasher or detergent is not appropriate to clean your knife. This will make your blade dull gradually by the passing of time. Because it is hard to type cleaner for your blade. You can use a mild type cleaner for your knife. Use hot water for cleaning & dry with a towel properly. Make sure there are no wet feelings or a drop of water on the knife skin.
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Keep knives in a separate space from other tools
You should give a different space for your knife. Tossing it haphazardly into the drawers with other spoons or tools can also harm the sharpness of your blade. You can use the knife box or the magnetic knife stick to store your knife. This will help to keep good health & sharpness.
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Using cutting board
You should always try to use a cutting board. If you think that the surface or the countertop of your kitchen is covered with marble or glass which are usable as a cutting board, then you are wrong. You can use this two or three times. But regularly applying the knives on these materials as an alternative to a cutting board can damage the sharpness of your blade. So the best solution is to use a cutting board instead of a plain surface.
Sharpening a knife can be an easy step for those who know the steps. But to the unknown it just needs practice. Which will make you perfect. To complete your practice season we have provided this guide, How to sharpen kitchen knives? Take your knife & check the sharpness & apply the methods you like to do. Definitely, all methods will be fruitful.