ATOT Kitchen Cutlery Thread

[Crono]

Hey, keep it safe for work guys. Thread's gone nearly pornographic with all these Japanese babes blades.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Global 8 inch chef knife. Been using it for the past 13 years. It's probably around 25% smaller now than when it was new due to the wear and tear. I have brand new in the box for future replacement but the old one is still good.

I have one of these as well... just wish I had 4 so when I'm cutting up 10 different things I didn't have to wash it a million times back to back.

 

[bbhaag]

I've had 4 Wusthof Classics for over 15 years: 7" santoku, 6" boning, 3" paring, 10" bread. The santoku gets the most use by far. The boning and paring pretty much get equal use. The bread knife is used the least but my wife likes it and since she rarely cooks it's still basically like new.

I bought my wife a set of Wusthofs for Christmas. They replace her 15 yo Cutco knives. Anyway, her favorite knife in the set is quickly becoming the santoku. She loves the versatility that it offers when prepping different types of foods.

 

[agent00f]

I don't know shit about knives but I need new ones. Right now I have some cheap ass knife block that has like 6 different knives but I have really only used like 3 of them. 2 of them are big ones kinda like the ones shown in OP but they are different (not sure what is different about em). Then a bread knife that I don't think I've ever used in 5 years, this little short knife (probably a paring knife) and then one that is probably like 5 or 6 inches long.

Anyways I really only need one to cut veggies and one that is sharp as shit that will cut meat with ease. Then maybe like a cleaver. Can I get something decent from like amazon or something that won't cost me a shitload of money?

Frankly any half-decent knife that's been reasonably sharpened will do. Professional kitchens often use the cheapo stamped blades w/ molded poly grips that's available for nearly nothing in any restaurant supply store. I have expensive sets but mostly use a $15 10" from costco business. They are sharp out of the pack and work well with the standard tungsten carbide sharpeners once in while. Hone twice before use for best results.

More important is proper/efficient technique, like rolling on the top/tip for the french chef profile, or sliding along the top of the food for the vegetable cleaver.

 

[MrSquished]

NICE knife...I've bought a couple of these sets as gifts:

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro3pcset.html

Good quality, built to stand up to the abuse new Japanese knife users often subject their cutlery to...without knowing they've done it.

That's a great set. Chef's, Petty, Paring. That's really all anyone needs unless they open up a bagel store and need to cut bagels. Then get a bread knife. I've bought a couple Togiharu sets as gifts - a Santoku and a Petty together. These Japanese knife sets are a great gift idea, as you've pointed out. Change someone's life in the kitchen and be a great gift giver, what else is there?

Someone posted a Global knife. I mean I'm down to try it but I don't like the concept of a metal handle. Could be slippery, though I know they have those black grippies on them.

 

[agent00f]

I like a decent bamboo cutting board myself, have always read plastic ones can harbor bacteria easier.

No, it's the bamboo that has the large enough pores for microbes while plastic doesn't. Pro kitchens go with plastic--effective and economical.

 

[MongGrel]

No, it's the bamboo that has the large enough pores for microbes while plastic doesn't. Pro kitchens go with plastic--effective and economical.

Works fine if you've a vat of disinfectant ready for mass use.

I didn't know we were outfitting a pro kitchen here.

Bamboo is naturally a bit non microbial.

 

[MrSquished]

No, it's the bamboo that has the large enough pores for microbes while plastic doesn't. Pro kitchens go with plastic--effective and economical.

That's a good point. Shopping at restaurant supply stores I never saw a wooden cutting board. Nor did I see one in kitchens ever while working as a waiter.

Just plastic. And sometimes red boards for red meat, yellow for poultry, and green for veggies.

But I use a nice wooden block cutting board at home. Even though I have plastic ones too. Never had an issue.

 

[Carson Dyle]

That's a great set. Chef's, Petty, Paring. That's really all anyone needs unless they open up a bagel store and need to cut bagels. Then get a bread knife.

Or, um... bread. Get a bread knife.

A serrated sandwich knife, 7" to 8" with an offset handle can also be really handy if you love sandwiches. And it's perfect for bagles.

I live with rinsing off my chefs knife as I use it, but having multiple paring knives makes life a whole lot easier.

 

[MrSquished]

sexy time

 

[lxskllr]

So....

Plastic or wood chopping boards? What about glass? :whistle:

Wood. My mother uses a glass board, and it pisses me off. I used to sharpen her knives, but no more. She can buy new fuckin' knives if she wants them sharp. She broke the last one, and I thought that was it, but she went and bought a new one after awhile. I'm pretty sure it's cause she's dumb as a brick.

 

[lxskllr]

No, it's the bamboo that has the large enough pores for microbes while plastic doesn't. Pro kitchens go with plastic--effective and economical.

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm

 

[agent00f]

Works fine if you've a vat of disinfectant ready for mass use.

I didn't know we were outfitting a pro kitchen here.

Bamboo is naturally a bit non microbial.

The reason I mention pro kitchens is because they do this for a living, vs. home chef whose workload is insignificant in comparison and objects of fancy are bought partly as toys.

 

[agent00f]

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm

There are other key factors at play like enviro conducive to microbe survival, and woods keep moist longer.

 

[Crono]

Aren't the expectations different for a pro kitchen different from a home kitchen? For instance, they are more focused on costs. And given the risky nature of the restaurant business, knives may not be seen as long term investments, whereas if I buy a knife it may be with the expectation it could last me a lifetime with proper care.

 

[agent00f]

Aren't the expectations different for a pro kitchen different from a home kitchen? For instance, they are more focused on costs. And given the risky nature of the restaurant business, knives may not be seen as long term investments, whereas if I buy a knife it may be with the expectation it could last me a lifetime with proper care.

Professional environments tend to focus on effectiveness/value, instead of aesthetic appeal or such. A restaurant knife will also probably see more mileage in few months much less its lifespan than home cook lifetime.

This is the kind of stuff they buy: http://www.webstaurantstore.com/2835/chef-knives.html

The second 10" stamped one is similar to what I use, I probably misremembered the price from costco. The first one is forged for not much over $10. It's likely not as nicely finished as the pricey brands, but will work just as well.

 

[WelshBloke]

I want to get the Wusthof flexible fish filleting knife but I'd be open to a Japanese style alternative to that (I generally prefer German style chefs knives) but for fine fish work I could go something a bit lighter.

So in answer to this...

This... http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-classic-fish-fillet-knife-7-18cm.htm

Or this... http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-classic-flexible-fish-fillet-knife-8.htm#tabbutton3

 

[lxskllr]

There are other key factors at play like enviro conducive to microbe survival, and woods keep moist longer.

Plastic traps bacteria and allows it to multiply. It doesn't multiply in wood.

 

[WelshBloke]

Plastic traps bacteria and allows it to multiply. It doesn't multiply in wood.

You can stick a plastic board in a hot dishwasher.

 

[agent00f]

Plastic traps bacteria and allows it to multiply. It doesn't multiply in wood.

Wood keeps wet easier; that's arguable the key to microbe survival.

 

[lxskllr]

You can stick a plastic board in a hot dishwasher.

The standard for killing bacteria is boiling for 10 minutes, so to translate that to dish washing, you have to get the board to 212F for at least 10 minutes. Not sure a home dishwasher will do that. No idea what they use in commercial kitchens.

 

[WelshBloke]

Wood keeps wet easier; that's arguable the key to microbe survival.

As long as you let it air woods pretty good at retarding microbial growth. It does hold on to some smells though!

 

[MrSquished]

The standard for killing bacteria is boiling for 10 minutes, so to translate that to dish washing, you have to get the board to 212F for at least 10 minutes. Not sure a home dishwasher will do that. No idea what they use in commercial kitchens.

As a waiter in some restaurants, there is no way those dishes spend 10 minutes in those commercial dishwashing machines getting all hot and bothered.

 

[agent00f]

The standard for killing bacteria is boiling for 10 minutes, so to translate that to dish washing, you have to get the board to 212F for at least 10 minutes. Not sure a home dishwasher will do that. No idea what they use in commercial kitchens.

Foodborn bacteria die on contact in boiling water.

 

[WelshBloke]

The standard for killing bacteria is boiling for 10 minutes, so to translate that to dish washing, you have to get the board to 212F for at least 10 minutes. Not sure a home dishwasher will do that. No idea what they use in commercial kitchens.

I doubt that anyone with even moderately good kitchen hygiene has become sick because of a plastic or wooden board.