Professional Chef Services

Here are some of the popular knife types and their uses:

• Chef’s knife – from 6-14 inches, it’s the most versatile knife and can be used for almost every cutting task
• Utility knife – this is versatile and is used for coring vegetables, slicing tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables
• Boning knife – this knife with an average 6-7 inch curved blade, is used to bone meats and poultry. The blade may be firm or flexible
• Filleting knife – the most important part of this knife is it’s flexible, sharp blade; both very essential for the filleting process
• Slicing knife – this long knife may have a rounded tip and is used for boneless meats, poultry and fish. Pointed tipped knives are used for meats on the bone
• Santoku – this Japanese version of the chef knife has a unique shape and “dimples” on each side. A chopping technique is used instead of the rocking motion used for a traditional chef’s knife
• Paring knives – These are used for peeling vegetables
• Serrated knives – These are used for breads, rolls and soft foods like tomatoes
• Steel – This is used to keep a sharp knife sharp. It will not sharpen a dull knife. A few swipes on each side at a 20º angle should be done often

Knives can be made from many materials each with their own pros and cons:

• Carbon steel – this holds an excellent edge but requires a lot of maintenance
• Stainless steel – it’s resistant to stains and corrosion but is more difficult to sharpen and does not maintain an edge for long
• High carbon no-stain steel – less resistant to abrasion then stainless steel but it’s easier to sharpen

All types of knifes should be washed and dried immediately after use!

No matter how you resist, you must sharpen your knives based on how much you use them. Sharpening once a month for the frequent cook and once every 3 months for the occasional cook is a good rule. If you’re using a whetstone make sure to place a damp wash cloth under it to keep it in place. Using the rough side of the stone and with light pressure, start sharpening from the heal of the knife placing the blade at a 20º angle and start a sweeping motion towards the tip of the blade. Repeat this about 5 times and then continue on the other side of the knife. Flip the stone over and repeat the process on the finer side. You can now use your honing steel to finish the process and then clean your knife thoroughly.