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How to Sharpen Knives Like a Professional Chef
It is important to know how to sharpen knives if you want the best results in the kitchen. A blunt knife is actually more dangerous than a sharp one because you have to pull it roughly to get it to cut anything and that is when accidents happen. All knives need to be sharpened but before you do this, you need to find out whether or not they are already sharp enough.
To do this, rest the blade gently on a fingernail. Do not press it down hard or make a sawing motion. If the blade stops, it is sharp enough. If it moves up and down or slips, it needs to be sharpened. You will also know how sharp your knives are by how well they perform.
Can your knife cut thin paper or soft vegetables like tomatoes? Can you slice neatly through a steak or does it look ragged after you cut it? A sharp knife will cut even an overripe tomato and a sharp knife-edge does not reflect light so hold the blade under light to see whether this is the case for your knives. Hold a sheet of paper on its edge and try to cut ribbons from it with a knife. If the knife cannot do this, it needs attention. Most kitchen knives need to be sharpened every three to four months.
How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives
The simplest way to sharpen your knives is to use a sharpening steel, which is a metal rod. Hold the steel in one hand and the knife in the other hand. Put the knife under the steel's handle with the handle of the knife touching the bottom of it.
Draw the knife down the steel at a ten to twenty five degree angle. Repeat this until the whole surface of the knife has been drawn across the steel. Do both sides of the knife blade. You can get conventional steels and diamond steels. A diamond steel costs a little more but it straightens the blade and sharpens it at the same time, which means a longer time during sharpening.
How to Sharpen Stainless Steel Knives with a Sharpening Stone
These stones can be used wet or dry. Put your stone on the counter and hold the knife by its handle. Position the black at a ten to twenty five degree angle to the sharpening stone and draw it towards you across the stone. Repeat this process for the other side of the blade.
How to Sharpen Knives with Wet Stone
This method is exactly the same as above but using a circular method on a dry stone tends to give the fastest results. Some people like to use a wet stone and you might like to try it. Do not use oil on the stone because it can make the knives slipping and working with slippery knives is asking for trouble!
You can also get commercial knife sharpeners and these are good for busy restaurants. It is important to read the instructions that come with the sharpener although most models involve drawing the blade of the knife through the mechanism until the knife is sharp. Do not use commercial sharpeners for fine knives because they are too delicate. Serrated knives also need to be sharpened professionally and you might be able to get them sharpened where you bought them for a small payment.
