How to Use Cooking Knives

One of the most basic kitchen skills is learning how properly to use a cooking knife. A good kitchen knife is a cook's most important culinary tool, used not only to prepare food for cooking but also to create garnishes and do other decorative work. Learn which knives you need and how to use them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Buy high quality knives that are as heavy as is comfortable in your hand. You should be able to maneuver the knife quickly easily. Stainless steel is a must.

2. Purchase a sharpener for your knives or ask if the store will sharpen them for you (many stores offer this service free of charge if you buy a knife from them). Make sure you know how often your knives need sharpening. Proper care ensures that a knife will last a lifetime.

3. Make your first purchase a basic chef's knife. Chef's knives can handle almost any task you might need to do in a kitchen. Serrated knives are handy for cutting breads, cakes and other foods you want to cut without crushing them.

4. Get a paring knife if you do a lot of detail work, like cutting up small slices of fruit or making garnishes. Purchase a boning knife, which is flexible, if you often cut up meat and poultry.

5. Ensure that your cooking knife is durable by making sure that is has a full tang. This means that the metal of the blade extends all the way into the handle. A full tang gives a knife weight, sturdiness and balance.

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