Paring Knife

Tired of leftover pizza and Ramen noodles? Say goodbye to takeout boxes and say hello to your first X piece knife block Nothing says you're ready to embrace kitchen adventures like getting your very own X piece knife blockand if you have not made up your mind yet which one to get, here is a round-up of our top picks in the knife department.



1. Wusthof Dreizack - Solingen, Germany is not known as the world's Cutlery Capital for nothingand Wusthof's knives are excellent proof that when it comes to knife-making, the Germans have not lost their edge. Wusthof's knives are drop-forged from stainless, high-carbon steel and have ergonomic handles that are specially molded for precision and balance.



Start with Wusthof's entry-level Grand Prix II 8-knife set. It retails at $300, and has most of what you need to start slicing, dicing, and chopping up a storm



2. J.A Henckels - Guess how long J.A Henckels has been in the business? Since 1731 When you produce knives for nearly 300 years, you're bound to have learned a thing or two about knife-making that others have notand that is precisely the case with J.A Henckel's Zwilling sets.



Zwilling, the company's premium knife line, have blades that are specially produced from special-formula steel. These blades have been ice-hardened and laser-controlled for extra sharpness. They also come with soft but molded handles to provide you with a better grip.



3. Hattori - Hattori knives are made in Seki, a sword-making city in Japan. Not surprisingly, the knives in this X piece knife block set are famous not just for their beauty but also for their performance. The knives have a rust-free edge that's incredibly thin, and on each blade is engraved, in Kanji characters, the Ichiro Hattori name. There is no doubting the sharpness, strength, and beauty of a Hattori knife. The only downside is that it is more expensive than most knives.



If you can afford a Hattori, splurge on an X piece knife block set that comes with a paring knife, a chef knife, and slicing knife. They will serve you long and well.



4. Victorinox - Who does not know Victorinox? Since 1891, the company has been making knives for the Swiss armyand for kitchens everywhere. If you pay for an X piece knife block set with the Victorinox name, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you're getting one of the best knives in the world. Victorinox knives come with African rosewood handles, a horizontal tang, and stainless, high-carbon steel. It's used by butchers and chefs everywhere



5. Global - In the world of celebrity chefs, Global has the unique distinction of being Giada de Laurentiis and Susur Lee's blade of choice. What makes them so special? For one, they're made of harder alloy than most knives. They also have a narrower angle. Then there's the handleit's impossible to miss because unlike other knives, it's black and dimpled.



If you're serious about your culinary venture, get a Global X piece knife block set. It's much sharper, it keeps this sharpness longer, and it lets you do more accurate cutting work. If you are working with a tight budget, however, you may want to go for an X piece knife block set with a lower price tag.



Buying knives need not be difficult, daunting, or expensive. Start your search with the knife sets from these manufacturers. There's no way you can go wrong when you put your money on an X piece knife block set that delivers.

Are you looking for a new kitchen knife or cutlery set, but have no idea what you should be searching for? Between the infomercials, the inexpensive sets found at big-box stores, and the more expensive specialty cutlery sold by major names in the knife industry, how do you decide what's best for your kitchen? Luckily, most kitchen knives share the same basic attributes, making it relatively easy to define what makes a good kitchen knife.



Size and blade style - Bigger is better, right? Not always. For most everyday kitchen tasks, a small paring knife is easier to use than a large butcher knife. Size is often tied to the style and intended use of the blade. Of course, you'll need a variety of knives to complete your kitchen.



The basic kitchen knives include:



Chef's knife. With an 8-10 inch blade, this versatile knife can be used for many kitchen tasks.



Santoku knife. This substitute for the chef's knife is growing in popularity. Usually from 5-8 inches long, the blade of this Japanese knife has a sharper angle, allowing for precision cuts not possible with some chef's knives.



Bread knife. With a serrated edge measuring 8-10 inches long, the edge of this knife allows you to cut bread without crushing the loaf.

Paring knife. This smaller knife, with a 3-4 inch blade, is used to peel or slice fruits and vegetables.



Filet or boning knife. If you routinely cut whole chickens or fish, you'll need one of these.



Steak knives. The familiar serrated-edge knives used to cut steaks, you'll need at least 4 to 8 of these.



Blade material - The sharpness of the blade is reliant upon the quality of the materials used to make it. Carbon steel is easy to sharpen and holds a sharp edge longer. However, it can rust, corrode, or stain. Stainless steel will not discolor and is inexpensive, though it may need to be sharpened more often. Look for high carbon stainless steel for the best properties of both types of metal. Other knives, including titanium, ceramic, or laminated blades, come with their own pros and cons. Titanium is lightweight, with a flexible edge, while ceramic blades will not discolor but break easily.



Knife construction - A blade may be forged or stamped. There are pros and cons of both methods; do your research to find the knives that will work best for your kitchen. Stamped knives are made from a single sheet of metal, with a blade ground into one side. These are less expensive, but do not have the balance of a forged knife. Forged knives have a more ergonomic weight, yet tend to be more expensive than stamped blades.



Handle - Many people neglect to consider knife handles when selecting a knife that they will be using every day in the kitchen. The handle has a significant impact on how the knife feels in your hand. The choices range from rubberized handles – easy to grip even when wet – to fancy decorative handles. Look for a handle material that is easy to clean and feels comfortable in your hands. Look for full tang blades, which means that a metal edge of the blade can be seen through the full length of the handle.



When you have found a good quality set of kitchen knives, you'll be ready to prepare any recipe. Slicing, dicing, and chopping will be easier than ever. Look for a high quality kitchen knife set – along with a good cutting board and knife sharpener – if you want to enjoy your time in the kitchen.

When purchasing a new gourmet knife set, you want to make sure you have the right combination of knives in the set so that all your food cutting needs will be met. Additionally, quality sets will have good fringe and complimentary components as well.



Chef's Knife



The staple of most knife sets is the chef's knife. Also called the French knife, originally this knife was used primarily for cutting meats. Typically the blade measures about eight inches in length and one and a half inches in width. Currently the functionality of this knife serves more of an all purpose role. It is used for cutting, mincing, slicing, and chopping various food items such as meat, fish and vegetables.



Santoku Knife



The Santoku knife can be thought of as the Japanese version version of the chef's knife. It is different enough that most good gourmet knife sets include both a chef's knife and a Santoku knife. It is thinner and not as long as the traditional chef's knife. The Santoku knife is designed mostly for cutting boneless or lightly-boned meats, poultry and seafood. It is also great for handling vegetables, whether you are slicing, dicing or chopping them.



Paring knife



A paring knife is a small knife that is ideal for peeling fruits and vegetables. It is also good for precision cutting, such as de-veining shrimp or removing seeds from fruits. This is a common knife found in all good knife sets.



Bread Knife



Bread knives are long, thin knives that are serrated so it can cut soft bread without crushing it or causing it to crumble. These are a must for any knife set since bread is one of the most commonly eaten foods there is.



Boning Knife



A boning knife is a long, thin extremely sharp knife that is used to separate meat from bones in beef, poultry and fish. The material connected to the bone is usually tougher and more elastic than the actual flesh, so the narrow sharp boning knife is perfect for this function.



Complimentary Components



There should also be useful complimentary components in a good gourmet knife set. To house the items, knife sets use a wooden block with slots for the items. This should be made of quality wood such as bamboo or oak. Also, most sets include kitchen shears, which are perfect for cutting string and twine.



So make sure the gourmet knife set you intend to purchase includes the above items - this will ensure all your kitchen cutting requirements will be met.

An artist is only as good as her tools allow her to be. This is especially true for the culinary arts as having quality tools takes a lot of the sweat and effort out of prep and cooking. Investing in quality cooking knives, tools and accessories is going to be a life-long occupation. That said, you don't need to mortgage the house to buy quality cooking knives if you know what to look for.



Chef's Knife



If you are just setting up house or buying good quality cooking knives for the first time you only need to buy a few basic tools to work with. A quality chef's knife is essential for prep and chopping things like peppers, onions and the like. If you cook a lot you will find that the work goes much faster and takes less effort with a quality chef's knife.



Do not buy cheap knives at your local big box retail outlet. I repeat, do not waste money on a cheap knife. You will find it impossible to keep a sharp edge on it and using cheap quality knives can put more stress on your body and lead to developing carpal tunnel syndrome.



Get a good quality forged steel chef's knife with an ergonomically designed grip. Don't choose the first one you see or the cheapest one. You will want a knife with a blade between 6 and 10 inches long.



You can get a great chef's knife for under $200 and a good one for around $100. Invest in one good chef's knife that you can use for decades instead of a series of cheap throw away knives that lose their edge quickly.



Paring Knife



The second knife you will need is a good paring knife. Once again do not skimp on this investment. You will literally use this knife for years and buying quality means easier work, less effort and keeping your attention on the food where it belongs.



Get a paring knife with a quality forged steel blade that will take an edge easily. Good quality knives sharpen with just a few strokes on the steel so that you can start carving those delicate tomato roses quick and easy.



To make the job easier, get a paring knife with an ergonomic grip. If you do a lot of prep work, your hands will thank you for it. Buying a quality paring knife is one of the best opportunities to get quality for a good price. You can find high quality carbon steel Kershaw paring knives for under $20 or if the budget permits get a professional quality paring knife for around $100. The return on your investment will be years of faster and less stressful kitchen prep.



These three knives will be big guns in your kitchen arsenal. Invest a bit more to get quality knives now and you can add other cooking knives and tools as time and your budget permit. Cooking knives that handle well, feel good in your hand and keep their edge well are any cooks best friend in the kitchen.

Ergonomic kitchen tools are increasingly used nowadays in many areas. One such area is our kitchens. Working every day in kitchen often requires tools that are easy to handle, so it is better to go for assistive devices as they reduce the strain and force, and make the work easier for people with a physical disability.



Ergonomic kitchen tools are one of the most important tools for senior people suffering from arthritis or reduced grip strength, which are very common at a senior age. Ergonomic kitchen tools permit the optimal performance of all kitchen tasks, which are designed to provide a soft feel and relaxation to hands and wrists reducing bending and squatting.



Safety, comfort, easy of use, productivity, and performance are the factors in ergonomic tools that benefit in using them. A knife is one of the most important tools used in kitchen. It is used in nearly all kitchen tasks where material is to be cut or separated such as pricking, carving, splitting, peeling and scraping.



The objective of designing a set of ergonomic kitchen knives for professional use by elders is to allow for optimal performance of all cutting tasks encountered with few different types of knives possible.



Different cutting jobs in kitchen require different blades and knives to make performance easier. The most essential knives are peeling knife, paring knife for slicing fruits and vegetables, utility knife for general peeling, slicing, and carving, and cooks knife for chopping and dicing, and bread knife. Ergonomic angled kitchen knives are designed to keep the hand and wrist in 86 degree stress free neutral position providing comfort.



The movement of cut depends on tasks. There is a direct interrelation between cutting task, form of movement, manner of gripping and blade type, based on it different tasks are performed. For example below is the list of tools used to perform different tasks:



Ken onion knife with Damascus steel is the one used for cutting onions which features an angled handle and bamboo stand. The angled handle of these tools keeps your hand and wrist in a natural position, making cutting easier, and also it has a bamboo stand displaying handsome knife to perfection. The Damascus blade of these knives will reduce sticking with out any rusting problems.



Rocking knife, tool used to quickly and adeptly cut meat in one motion. The cutting aid tool, simplifies cutting tasks as it sits firmly and keeps the item to be cut in position, where knife fits in the guides, which means that a person with tremors or impaired sight can cut straight and safely.



All these kitchen knives have the same essential parts but are shaped different for best use in specific tasks and for the materials to be cut. Examining the knife will provide a fairly comprehensive look at how these parts are used and what to look for when selecting a knife. For more information on different types of knives, visit www.Elderluxe.com.



www.Elderluxe.com is one of the best sources of providing ergonomic knives and ergonomic kitchen tools for seniors from the top brand manufacturers and suppliers.