The knife is an essential kitchen attribute. It is impossible to imagine modern life and the cooking process without it. What if he stopped cutting and his blade became dull? Running to the store for a new tool? Take your time to buy a new one, we will tell you how to sharpen it quickly and easily and give you step-by-step instructions for sharpening at home. This work will be within the power of even a beginner.
Interesting fact! In 2005, Forbes magazine conducted a sociological survey of people on the topic: "What object, created by man, had the greatest impact on the history of all mankind?" - and the first place was taken by the knife.
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Types of general purpose kitchen knives
- Povarskaya (French). This is a utility knife most often used by real chefs for shredding. Has a very sharp blade.
- Chopping. Such a blade is used for cutting meat or fish.
- Hatchet knife (cleaver). It has the shape of a small hatchet, which is why it got its name.
- For cleaning vegetables. This tool is small in size with a curved or straight blade. Used for peeling vegetables and fruits.
- For bread. It has wavy teeth, which makes even soft bread amenable to slicing.
- For oil. The blade is missing, it is rather a table accessory.
- Oyster. It is characterized by a thickened blade.
What materials are used to make kitchen knives? It can be:
- Carbon steel and stainless steel. Such knives become dull quickly, so they need to be sharpened regularly.
- Ceramics. Modern knives are made mainly from this material. They are practical and do not dull so quickly.
- Plastic.
- Titanium. These kitchen tools are durable and cost-effective.
- Multi-layer coating.
- High carbon stainless steel.
How to sharpen and choose the best sharpening angle
Before the process of sharpening your knife, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this lesson. One of the main things is the angle at which you will sharpen your tool. The angle is determined depending on the material and the purpose of the product.
Correct angles:
- 10 degrees - surgical scalpels and razor blades are sharpened at this angle;
- 15 degrees - sharpening for fish, meat and bakery products;
- 20 degrees - sharpening of universal tools;
- 25 degrees is the optimal angle for hunter knives.
Placing the blade at the correct angle is fairly easy. Just take a regular piece of notebook paper and fold it diagonally. You will get an angle of 45 degrees, bending it in half, you get 22.5, etc.
The lower the sharpening angle, the sharper the blade of the blade, but sharpening at a large angle allows you to keep the sharpness of the product for a long time.
The best knife sharpeners at home
Manufacturers provide us with a huge selection of sharpening tools: from a grinding bar (the classic version of sharpening) to modern electric sharpeners. The cost is significantly different: you can choose for yourself both a democratic sharpener for a few dollars, and a professional sharpener with a fabulous price. It all depends on your financial capabilities. However, when buying an expensive or cheap device, you must know all the intricacies of its use.
Musat for sharpening
It is very popular both in home use and in professional kitchens. It is an oval file. The blade is controlled with the help of musat.
This should be done after using the tool and before cooking.
- It is best to hold the musat in an upright position, fixing one end on a hard, dense surface, and sharpen the knife with the other hand.
- The sharpening process is similar to planing, i.e. you need to draw the blade from the top point of the musata to the handle.
- Repeat the action no more than 5 times on both sides of the blade.
- Do not put pressure on the blade when sharpening!
The price of steel is quite affordable - from several hundred to 3 thousand. Russian rubles.
Grindstone
This is a fairly budget option, but nevertheless very effective for sharpening knives at home.
Types of stones:
- Natural origin.
- Diamond.
- Ceramic stones.
- Japanese.
How to choose the best option
- Pay attention to the size of the stone. It should be twice as large as the blade.
- The stone should not be chipped or damaged, the shape should be perfectly flat.
- A stone with a medium density is suitable for a beginner in this craft. Replenish your kit over time with stones of different grain sizes.
To sharpen a tool blade, you need to follow a series of steps:
- Rinse kitchen utensils with cold water for better sharpening.
- Wet the stone a little so as not to clog the pores with metal dust and provide better sliding.
- Position the knife at an angle of 20 degrees in relation to the sharpening stone.
- Sharpen the blade starting from the handle and working your way up to the edge.
- You need to make about fifty such movements on each side of the instrument.
- The sharpening process must be completed by processing the blade on a stone with fine grain.
Tip: Practice using an old waste knife first so as not to ruin your favorite kitchen tool.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this craft, a few minutes of wasted time - and your favorite kitchen assistant regained its former shape. Such a stone is worth a penny - a maximum of 200 rubles, and it will bring considerable benefits to the household.
Sanding block
The sharpening process with this device is completely identical to working with a sharpening stone. Therefore, if you bought a block in order to sharpen your tool, follow all the steps from the step-by-step instructions to the above.
The cost of a bar can vary from 500 to 10 thousand. rubles. It depends on the manufacturer and the quality of the product.
Features of working with an electric sharpener and a special machine
Grinder
This is a very effective and quick way to sharpen your blades. In household use, such devices are quite rare. They are mainly used in industrial plants.
A feature of working with such a device is the use of minimum revolutions, since the blade heats up to incredibly high temperatures.
Progress:
- Press the blade of the knife against the circle of the apparatus. All movements should be smooth and even, without jerking and sudden jumps.
- The optimal level of sharpening is 30 degrees.
- If you are a beginner in this craft, it is better to use simpler sharpeners. Such a device requires a certain skill and skill, therefore it is not recommended to sharpen at home on an electric sharpener.
The price of such machines "bites" and can go off scale up to 20 thousand. rubles.
Electric sharpener
It is gaining popularity in home use, it is lightweight and effective. This device can choose the angle of sharpening itself, which is a huge plus for beginners. With the help of electric sharpeners, you can sharpen any sharp and stabbing objects: scissors, knives, screwdrivers and others. Just insert your tool into the hole and the electric sharpener does it all for you.
The price of such a device can vary from 1 to 10 thousand rubles. Russian rubles. You can buy an electric sharpener in a specialized store or order it online.
How to sharpen a ceramic knife at home
This assistant is very popular among housewives. This is a relatively new and affordable type of blade. Such products are durable, but they are quite fragile: one wrong movement and your tool can break.
No matter how convinced you that you will not have to sharpen such a tool and it will always be sharp - do not believe it. Any blade becomes dull sooner or later, and therefore requires editing. The maximum life of the house is 1 year. Then sharpening is required.
Do not try to sharpen pottery at home by yourself unless you are a professional: you can easily break it. Therefore, it is better to take your blade to the workshop, where it will return to its former sharpness with the help of special pastes and diamond discs.
How to sharpen a hunting knife correctly
To sharpen the knife, we will use a grinding stone from a domestic manufacturer.
- We wipe the hunting knife on the stone on both sides.
- We need to achieve a perfect blade edge and sharpen the blade.
- We carry out the actions from the handle to the tip at an angle of 30 degrees.
- To test the sharpness, we run along the edge of the blade. This must be done very carefully so as not to cut yourself. A sharpened product is characterized by the formation of a so-called burr - a small roughness.
- We smooth out this unevenness with a grinding stone, making smooth and measured movements.
There are some simple ways to determine how sharp your blade is: try cutting a piece of paper or slicing a tomato. A well-sharpened product will simply cope with the task at hand.
How to sharpen a knife without using a sharpener
Is this really possible? Of course, there is one unique old-fashioned way. Take a regular ceramic plate, turn it upside down and sharpen the knife on a rough circle. Make smooth movements and maintain the correct sharpening angle.
Video: how to quickly sharpen kitchen knives
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