There is nothing worse than preparing a meal with a bad knife. Not only is it potentially harmful, but it also results in components that are haphazardly chopped and can bruise fresh fruit, hastening the rate at which it degrades.
Any knife enthusiast knows that one of the finest blades you can purchase is the Japanese one. Japanese knives are unparalleled in quality, sharpness and durability. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of buying your first Japanese knife and offer some tips and insights to help you find the perfect option for your cooking needs.
Types
Take your culinary aspirations to the next level with high-quality Japanese knife sets. When on the hunt for the ideal cooking knife set, you must be familiar with some of the types available as these come in different blade shapes and sizes. Generally, the Japanese set is designed for special purposes.
The Gyuto is a popular style of knife that is similar to a classic Western chef’s knife. Its edge features a gentle bend towards the point, making it ideal for cutting tougher items with a rocking motion, such as fruit and vegetables. It is also tall enough to ensure that your knuckles have adequate surface contact during chopping.
The blade’s shape allows for more contact with the cutting surface, which reduces user fatigue. Gyuto comes in a variety of lengths and is sharp on both sides. It’s lightweight and great for precision chores like chopping up light veggies and proteins. However, it would struggle to cut through difficult fruit or large items.
Another popular Japanese cooking knife among experts is the Santoku. This huge and multipurpose knife is a true workhorse. It performs well with meat, fish, and vegetables and offers three cutting options: slicing, dicing, and chopping. You can use it for nearly any dish that comes to mind. Vegans will appreciate the Nakiri’s usefulness, which is best suited for chopping veggies.
It has thin and wide blades with squared-off tips. Because of its straight blade, the Nakiri is ideal for julienne, brunoise allumette, and other fine vegetable knife cuts. It’s also a great tool for slicing vegetables with tough skin, such as pumpkins and squash.
Blade Material
In terms of materials, the most important decision you can make is whether to use a blade composed of high-carbon steel or non-high-carbon (stainless) steel. A great stainless-steel blade is corrosion-resistant, easy to maintain, and retains its edge well. Due to its properties, novice to intermediate users have begun to favour it more and more.
A high-carbon steel blade, on the other hand, is a higher-grade stainless-steel alloy that contains a specific amount of carbon. It was designed to combine the best features of carbon steel and conventional stainless steel. The high-carbon stainless steel blades maintain their sharpness for an extended period of time without fading or staining.
Hardness
Hardness is the knife’s capacity to endure deformation when pressured and subjected to external forces. The Rockwell C scale, often known as the “HRC” scale, is commonly used to measure hardness in knife steels, which is also known as strength. As previously explained, the majority of stainless-steel knives do not hold their edges adequately.
This is not true, however, if the steel has undergone heat treatment or other forms of hardening, resulting in a Rockwell grade of at least 56 or 58. If you’re considering different Japanese knife sets, make sure they are hardened to 56/58 or above on the HRC scale. They will fast lose their edge if they’re less than this.
Handles and Angles
The curve of the handle is critical to the knife’s balance, feel in your hand, and overall performance. You must be comfortable using your Japanese knife set because doing so makes it easier to use. If the handles are too large or too small for your hands, they will hurt and make it difficult to control the knife.
Japanese knives can be fitted with either Western-style or Japanese-style handles. The former is thicker, feels more durable, and is better suited to difficult cutting operations. The latter has traditionally been lighter, cylindrical or octagonal, and built entirely of wood. This classic shape makes the knife feel lighter and nimbler in your hand. Additionally, a strong, attractive, and high-quality hardwood handle adds much to the beauty of a knife.
The word “bevel” can also refer to the angle of a knife. European knives have a double bevel, which means the blade is honed on both sides. Traditional Japanese kitchen knives, on the other hand, have only one bevel, which means that one side of the blade, usually the right side, is sharpened while the other is completely straight. They are better suited for expert cooks because they are designed for highly accurate cuts and have a variety of purposes.
Maintenance and Protection
Knives, just like any piece of equipment, require some gentle loving care. Regular sharpening is essential and, depending on the type of steel, it should be dried immediately after use. Also, never put your Japanese knife in the dishwasher. Knives should be stored sheathed in the utensil drawer or on the magnetic knife strip. To remove the food you just chopped, do not slide your knife across the cutting board with the blade down.
