The Hospitality Guru: (cooking) Back to Basics - Knives
Knowing how to classify your kitchen tools and being able to select the right piece of equipment for the job you are working on will help you to understand all the important safety features & help with ways to work more efficiently. Effectively being able to apply maintenance & cleaning procedures to your kitchen equipment & utensils makes any kitchen hand, cook or chef a valuable team member, it’s a good idea to understand that trade tools, equipment & utensils are just as important as recipes.
Your tools are used constantly throughout the day; they allow you to work comfortably and proficiently, your tools are your assistants, your right hand man! Because they are expensive, your tools must be cared for and maintained so that they continue to work for you. The tools you need will depend on your career path & you may be required to upgrade your basic tool kit.
Knives are the cook’s basic tools; they are designed to perform specific tasks. The shape of the blade varies according to the task; For example, a thin-bladed knife is best for carving. Knives with thick blades are stiffer & so are more suited to chopping.
Modern knife blades are usually made of stainless steel or high carbon stainless steel & its important to be aware that sharpening a knife is best done through the abrasive action of a material harder than the knife being sharpened.
The Rockwell Scale is an indicator of the hardness of particular materials. The higher the number, the harder the material! Most cooks’ knives fall into the range of 54-47 on the Rockwell Scale & most sharpening steels range from 64-67.
Check out THE HOSPITALITY GURU for more information.
