2. Knives and Hand Tools in the Professional Kitchen
Chapter 8
Knives and Hand Tools in the Professional Kitchen

3. Objective
Explain the elements of knife construction and how they relate to quality
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4. Knives The knife is the chef’s most important tool
The cutting task seems almost effortless with a sharp, well-constructed knife
An aspiring chef should invest in a good quality chef knife
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5. Choosing a Knife Factors to consider Type of metal used for the blade
Length of tang
Handle material and weight
Bolster
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6. Choosing a Knife Metals used for knife blades Carbon steel
Benefit–easy to sharpen
Drawbacks–discolors quickly; rusts if left wet; may transfer metallic flavor to foods
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7. Choosing a Knife Metals used for knife blades (continued)
Stainless steel
Benefits–does not pit, rust, or discolor; no affect on flavor of foods
Drawback–more difficult to sharpen and keep sharp
High-carbon stainless steel
Benefits–easier to sharpen and maintain; does not rust or discolor
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8. Choosing a Knife Length of the tang
Full tang: one continuous piece of metal that extends to the end of the handle
Rattail tang: thin piece of metal that extends into the handle of the knife
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9. Choosing a Knife Handle
Handles can be made from hardwoods, plastic, rubber, or composite materials
The weight of the handle should be balanced with the weight of the blade
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10. Choosing a Knife Bolster
More expensive knives are constructed with a bolster that strengthens the blade at a stress point where knife blades often crack or chip
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11. Cutting Boards
Cutting boards can be made from synthetic composite or hardwoods
Synthetic boards may be color-coded to specify their use
Cutting boards must be cleaned and sanitized after each use to avoid cross-contamination
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12. Objective
Recognize various knives and hand tools used in the professional kitchen
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13. Knives and Their Uses Chef Knife Slicers
Used for chopping, slicing, and most other cutting tasks
Lengths vary between 8 and 14 inches
Slicers
Use a light sawing motion to cut cooked meat, poultry, and other foods into thin, even slices
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14. Knives and Their Uses Utility Knife Serrated Slicer 5 to 7 inch blades
Blade is more flexible but not wide enough for chopping tasks
Serrated Slicer
Useful for cutting breads and pastries
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15. Knives and Their Uses Boning and Filet Knives
Blade is approximately 6 inches long and narrower than a chef or utility knife
Boning knives are used for separating muscle from bone on meat or poultry
Filet knives are often used for filleting and portioning fish
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16. Knives and Their Uses Paring Knives Tourné Knife
Designed to cut away skin or peel, also useful for cutting intricate garnishes and other detail work
Tourné Knife
Used for cutting vegetables into tournés
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17. Knives and Their Uses Scimitar Cleavers
Excellent for cutting steaks from large cuts of meat
Sometimes called a butcher’s knife
Cleavers
Used for chopping
Heavier cleavers can chop through bones
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18. Knives and Their Uses Oyster Knife Clam Knife
Blade is not sharp, but the pointed tip is used to pry apart the top and bottom shells of oysters
Clam Knife
Blade tapers to an edge, but is not honed sharp
Blade is wedged between the top and bottom shells of the clam to pry it open
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19. Knives and Their Uses Palette Knives and Spreaders
Come in various lengths and widths
Have flexible blades, but are not sharp
Designed to spread coatings on foods and also used to turn food
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20. Objective
Apply techniques to sharpen and maintain a good edge on a knife using a steel and whetstone
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21. Sharpening Knives Knowing how to keep a knife sharp is very important
The tools used to sharpen knives are the steel and the whetstone
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22. Using the Steel
The steel is designed to remove very small, rough metal irregularities on the edge of the blade
When using the steel,
hold the blade at the proper angle to the steel
use only moderate force when stroking the steel
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23. Technique: Using a Steel
Method One
Hold the steel in front of you parallel to your body. Place the heel of the blade at the top end of the steel with the knife at a 20-degree angle to the steel.
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24. Technique: Using a Steel
Method One (continued)
Rotate the wrist of your knife hand downward and gently draw the length of the blade across the steel, ending with the tip.
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25. Technique: Using a Steel
Method One (continued)
Repeat the process several times on each side of the blade until the edge has a fine finish.
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26. Technique: Using a Steel
Method Two
Place the tip of the steel on the cutting board and grasp the handle so the steel is vertical, butt side up.
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27. Technique: Using a Steel
Method Two (continued)
Place the heel of the blade at the top of the steel keeping the edge of the knife at a 20-degree angle to the steel.
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28. Technique: Using a Steel
Method Two (continued)
With even pressure draw the blade across the steel to the tip maintaining the 20-degree angle.
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29. Technique: Using a Steel
Method Two (continued)
Repeat the process several times on each side of the blade until the edge has a fine finish.
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30. The Whetstone
Whetstones can be made from a variety of abrasive mineral materials that act to grind and hone a knife to a sharp edge
Most stones have a rough side, used first to grind an edge on the blade, and a fine side, used to hone it
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31. Lubricants
Lubricating a stone makes sharpening easier and helps remove the filings of metal created during sharpening
Water or mineral oil is commonly used
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32. Technique: Using a Whetstone
Place sharpening stone on a wet towel or rubber mat to prevent it from slipping. Begin with the coarsest side of the stone.
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33. Technique: Using a Whetstone
If using a lubricant, saturate the surface of the stone with an even layer of water or mineral oil.
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34. Technique: Using a Whetstone
Hold knife at a 20-degree angle to the surface of the stone.
Maintain 20-degree angle as you begin with the heel of the blade in the upper left-hand corner of the stone.
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35. Technique: Using a Whetstone
Draw knife down and across the stone until the tip of the knife is on the lower right-hand corner of the stone. Maintain even pressure on all parts of the blade.
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36. Technique: Using a Whetstone
Repeat process on other side of the blade. Begin with the heel in the upper-right corner of the stone and finish with the tip in the lower-left corner.
Repeat the process 5 to 10 times depending on the dullness of the blade. Apply equal pressure to all parts of the blade and an equal number of strokes to each side of the blade.
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37. Technique: Using a Whetstone
Turn stone to its finer side, lubricate it, and repeat steps three through six.
To finish the edge, hone it on the steel.
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38. Objective
Recognize various knives and hand tools used in the professional kitchen
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39. Hand Tools Peelers Used to remove the skin of fruits and vegetables
Stationary peeler has a slit blade that does not move
Blade on a swivel peeler swivels or rocks
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40. Hand Tools Whips and Whisks
Used to incorporate air into a mixture or blend ingredients
Wires may be flexible for incorporating more air into a thinner substance, or rigid for mixing thicker substances
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41. Hand Tools Meat Fork Tongs
Used to turn large pieces of meat during cooking and test for doneness
Tongs
Act as an extension of the hand for handling food items
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42. Hand Tools Parisienne Scoops Spiders
Used to scoop a variety of foods into small balls
Available in a variety of sizes
Spiders
Used to strain items or lift them out of liquid
Mesh disc at the end of the handle resembles a spider’s web
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43. Hand Tools
Skimmer
Designed to remove impurities that form scum on the surface of simmering liquids
Can also be used to perform the same tasks as a spider
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44. Hand Tools
Ladles
Used for portioning liquid products; come in a wide range of sizes
Volume capacity is usually imprinted on the handle
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45. Hand Tools Kitchen Spoons
Sturdy stainless steel spoons can be solid, slotted, or perforated
Slotted and perforated spoons are used for draining wet products
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46. Hand Tools Offset Spatulas Used to lift, turn, and carry food items
Available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses
Some models are perforated to allow for draining a food product
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47. Hand Tools
Spatulas
A flexible rubber or plastic blade on a long handle
Used to remove food product from containers
Heat-tempered spatulas are also used for cooking in nonstick pans to avoid scratching their finish
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48. Hand Tools
Scrapers
A plain plastic blade without a handle used by bakers and pastry chefs
Particularly useful for scraping down large mixing bowls
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49. Hand Tools Zester Channel Knife
Designed to remove fine strips of the outer rind of citrus fruits
Channel Knife
Cuts a decorative groove in the surface of fruits and vegetables
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50. Hand Tools Garnishing Knives
V- or U-shaped chisels used to carve decorations from fruits and vegetables
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51. Review Explain factors to consider when choosing a knife
Metal used for blade: carbon steel, stainless steel, high-carbon stainless steel
Tang size: full, rattail
Handle materials: hardwoods, plastic, rubber, or composite materials
Bolster
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52. Review Name and describe the two tools used to sharpen knives
Steel: a rod designed to remove very small, rough metal irregularities on the edge of the blade and to realign it
Whetstone: used to sharpen the edge of a blade that has become dull
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53. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Palette knives
Tongs
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54. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Parisienne scoop
Utility knife
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55. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Boning knife
Meat fork
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56. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Scraper
Slicer
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57. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Tourné knife
Skimmer
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58. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Whisk
Oyster knife
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59. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Scimitar
Serrated slicer
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60. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Spatula
Paring knife
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61. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Filet knife
Cleaver
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62. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Ladles
Clam knife
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63. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Garnishing knives
Chef knife
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64. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Channel knife
Peelers
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65. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Offset spatula
Zester
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66. Knives and Hand Tools Identification
Spoons
Spider
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67. Glossary
bolster. A thick, metal collar running from the heel of the blade to the handle that strengthens the blade.
carbon steel. The material used to make knife blades that is the easiest to sharpen to a finely honed edge.
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68. Glossary
high-carbon stainless steel. An improved combination metal used to make knife blades that is easier to sharpen and maintain, and does not rust or discolor.
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69. Glossary
Parisienne scoop. A utensil that is available in a variety of sizes and forms foods into appealing ball-shaped garnishes, also known as a melon baller.
spider. A long-handled utensil with a mesh disc at one end used to strain items or lift them out of liquid.
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70. Glossary
stainless steel. A material used to make knife blades that does not pit, rust, or discolor, and does not affect the flavor of foods. These blades are difficult to sharpen because this material is so hard.
steel. A rod used to keep the knife blade sharp as you work.
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71. Glossary
tang. The portion of the knife blade that extends into the handle of the knife.
whetstone. A flat, abrasive stone used to sharpen a knife once its edge is dull and worn.
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