Kitchen knives, invest in quality!

KNIVES and TOOLS

As a food blogger and with a passion for cooking, I work in the kitchen every day. Cooking becomes even more enjoyable if you also have decent material available. That’s why I invested in a professional knife set last year. But after a while it turned out that I was still missing a specific kitchen knife. We are quite a fan of all kinds of tartare dishes and also fruit or vegetable carpaccios. Well… two cutting techniques that you can’t immediately combine in one knife… A while ago I came into contact with Knives and tools and explained them my dilemma.

I was offered a beautiful solution: The Eden Kanso Aogami with a cutting blade of 13.5 cm. What a fantastic and tough Japanese kitchen knife! The blade is thin and allows you to finely cut both fish and vegetables. In addition, it is sharpened on both sides which makes it incredibly convenient to use. The blade is made of very hard steel so that it stays sharp longer but can also be sharpened if necessary. Sharpening is best done manually, with a sharpening stone.

IMPRESSION

My first impression when I used the knife was the light weight and the round handle that immediately fits well in the hand. Moreover, it lived up to the expression: “it slid like a knife through butter”… Tuna, salmon, tomato or beetroot were all subjected to this kitchen knife and have never been cut so finely. The sharp point allows for really fine work. A great pleasure to work with.

For the carpaccio, Knives and tools suggested I use the French Opinel Parallèle knife. Wow, with its 30 cm long cutting blade I was impressed. Before, I used a filleting knife for carpaccio… I know, not really professional. But now, with this longest knife in my range, I cut carpaccio of all vegetables. For example, I recently made a dish with pumpkin carpaccio. I also lent it to Spanish friends to cut the “Jamon Iberico” and that also went very smoothly.

MAINTENANCE

The Japanese Eden Kanso Aogami does require proper maintenance. It’s not a good idea to clean it in the dishwasher! The blade is not stainless steel but “blue paper steel”. After use, a patina layer may form on the blade, which will protect it against rust. After use, clean it and dry it well with a dry tea towel or paper towel. If you would like to know how best to maintain this Japanese knife, be sure to read these tips.

The French Opinel Parallèle carpaccio knife can go in the dishwasher, but I don’t do this myself. I clean all my kitchen knives by hand and a dry tea towel. After all, you have invested in good material and I want to keep that optimal for as long as possible.

CONCLUSION

You don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone. Once I now use both knives, I would no longer be able to do without them. Not only is everything smoother and more accurate, it also feels nice to get started. So to the question: “Is investing in a sustainable knife set a good idea as a food blogger, hobby chef or kitchen prince(ss)?” I say a resounding “yes”… Knowing what I know now I would have done it before…

Just to add that once I had placed the order, the knives were delivered in Spain within 5 working days. So I am very satisfied, not only with the advice but also with the delivery …

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