| Kitchen knives can be the most utilized utensil in | | | | might be best. |
| the kitchen. Just one high quality chef knife can | | | | On the other hand are Western knives. These |
| make food preparation so much faster and more | | | | utensils are different in that they are made from |
| pleasurable. Brand names such as Wusthof and | | | | a softer kind of steel. These are usually a good |
| Henckels display German craftsmanship and | | | | deal easier to maintain than the Eastern knives. |
| reliability that have become American favorites as | | | | They are also thicker and have more obtuse |
| well as in other countries. | | | | angles. These knives may be a little less sharp, |
| Before you decide which brand of kitchen knives | | | | but they are more sturdy. Western style knives, |
| to buy, learn a bit about the different kinds that | | | | for example, are good to use for chopping. |
| are available. | | | | There are other types of knives, but they |
| For most people, there are very few things | | | | traditionally fall into subsets of these two main |
| known about the differences between kitchen | | | | hardnesses of steel. The Japanese are also known |
| knives. Knowing before you shop what you need | | | | to make knives that have a chisel grind and are |
| and which materials will best suit your needs will | | | | made from sandwiched steels. In these steels, |
| ensure you find the best buy. | | | | there is a hard steel for edge retention and a soft |
| Basically, there are two main schools of thought | | | | steel or iron to improve the toughness of the |
| among kitchen knife makers: known simply as | | | | knife. |
| Eastern and Western. | | | | Perhaps the names Yanagi, Deba, and Usuba are |
| Eastern style knives are those made from a | | | | familiar. These are all types of blades on may of |
| harder steel. They are significantly thinner. | | | | the Eastern style knives. These kinds of knives |
| Japanese steak knives are an excellent example | | | | require a good deal of maintenance, but are also |
| of this style of utensils. Thanks to the thinness of | | | | known to cut very well. These are good knives |
| these knives, they weigh less and the angles are | | | | to use for Eastern-style cooking. |
| more acute. | | | | You may have a choice to make before you buy |
| This is advantageous to many people because it | | | | knives. If you are on a budget, consider the |
| means that these knives will hold an edge for a | | | | cuisine you cook most often. If you will be doing a |
| longer period of time. They will also be sharper, | | | | lot of cutting of thin slices or other kinds of |
| however they definitely require more | | | | decorative slicing, then perhaps Eastern knives are |
| maintenance. These types of knives are | | | | best for you. |
| wonderful when you are cutting and you need to | | | | On the other hand, if you are more interested in |
| be accurate. This means that if you are doing | | | | cutting quickly and not needing to constantly |
| something like making sushi or if you need to | | | | maintain the knives you purchase, perhaps it |
| make any kinds of decorative cuts, these knives | | | | would be best to look for Western-style knives. |