Ceramic Knives: A Touch of Class
When you think of your dream kitchen, what makes you giddy? Is it the cool-looking refrigerator? Is it the glass-top stove or the dishwasher-in-the-center-island? Or maybe it's that snazzy bar counter that will allow you to cook and keep an eye on your kids while they do their homework and fill you in on the school day's happenings.
All that sounds great, right? But what would you say to something that's both sophisticated and simple at the same time? After all, not everything has to have gears or a motor to feel like you're living like the lord or lady of the castle. Sometimes, in this hectic, super-caffeinated world we live in, we might not necessarily need a fancy dream kitchen. We might just need to change one item to change how we see the kitchens we have in the now, while keeping things simple, even just a bit Zen.
What might this one item be? Ceramic knives.
The Fashion Cycle
Steel knives have long held a place in people's minds as the ultimate in pro-level, high-class cooking, be it in the restaurant or at home. However, just as clothing fashions come and go (though at a much faster rate than cooking utensils), so does the fashion of which utensils are the best for food prep tasks, both professionally and domestically. And just as in the fashion world, when the professional cooks and chefs take notice once more of something like ceramic knives, the home cooks follow suit, because it's the professional world that tends to hold a place of high esteem in the minds of many.
Some might scoff at such a thing, but there's a reason why professionals choose the tools that they do, and if it's good enough for the pros, those who mind the kitchen at home feel it's more than good enough for them.
Why Ceramic Knives?
“But why ceramic knives?” you might be asking. “Isn't steel better? Isn't steel 'stylish' anymore?”
Well-made kitchen knives, no matter the material, are always going to look appealing to the eye, especially if you take care of them, and that goes for both steel and ceramic. And steel will always have its place in a foodie's kitchen “toolbox” so to speak, because you simply want the right tools for a particular job, such as cutting bone, which you don't want to do with a ceramic knife. It would damage the blade.
But there are specific advantages that ceramic has over steel that has the cooking world taking another look at this otherwise neglected material. And believe it or not pure functionality has a level of 'cool' all its own, as kitchen gadget lovers will tell you.
Here are three of those advantages that might have you adding ceramic to your own lineup of cool-and functional tools:
• Sharp & Lightweight. While it's true that cutting bone can damage a ceramic blade, knives made of ceramic are by no means truly delicate. The only thing that's truly harder thatn a ceramic knife is a diamond. Ceramic blades, unlike steel, are lightweight, which means you can fly through veggie and fruit prep like you never have before, and you therefore have greater control over the instrument. And ceramic blades take years to get dull, unlike steel, which you have to sharpen fairly frequently, depending on how much you use it.
• Non-Porous. Ceramic knives aren't just lovely to look at, especially if you get the black ones from Wilson Cutlery, they will aid you on two fronts: easing your worry about foodborne illness and transferring strong odors from one food to another. Why is this? Ceramic, unlike steel, is non-porous, which means it will be difficult for illness-causing bacteria to remain on your knife of choice. Of course, if you wish to be extra cautious, you can wash your knife between the types of food you're prepping, but that said, ceramic is still your best friend when it comes to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Also, because ceramic is non-porous, strong odors such as onions, garlic or other savory or spicy foods and herbs will not transfer to any other food you're cutting, as long as you wipe the knife before you use it on the next item.
• No Rust. Unlike steel, ceramic is completely rust-proof because there is no metal in ceramic. So this leaves your ceramic knives at an aesthetic advantage, at the very least, over steel, and you definitely don't want rusty knives anyway, as they're not going to function well, period.
Clearly, ceramic knives are just as effective as steel, perhaps more so because of the qualities mentioned above. but as you might have noticed, they're also classy-looking and between their good looks and superb food-prep functionality that supports both simple and sophisticated, fast-paced living in the 21st century, you'll want them gracing your kitchen counter for always.
All that sounds great, right? But what would you say to something that's both sophisticated and simple at the same time? After all, not everything has to have gears or a motor to feel like you're living like the lord or lady of the castle. Sometimes, in this hectic, super-caffeinated world we live in, we might not necessarily need a fancy dream kitchen. We might just need to change one item to change how we see the kitchens we have in the now, while keeping things simple, even just a bit Zen.
What might this one item be? Ceramic knives.
The Fashion Cycle
Steel knives have long held a place in people's minds as the ultimate in pro-level, high-class cooking, be it in the restaurant or at home. However, just as clothing fashions come and go (though at a much faster rate than cooking utensils), so does the fashion of which utensils are the best for food prep tasks, both professionally and domestically. And just as in the fashion world, when the professional cooks and chefs take notice once more of something like ceramic knives, the home cooks follow suit, because it's the professional world that tends to hold a place of high esteem in the minds of many.
Some might scoff at such a thing, but there's a reason why professionals choose the tools that they do, and if it's good enough for the pros, those who mind the kitchen at home feel it's more than good enough for them.
Why Ceramic Knives?
“But why ceramic knives?” you might be asking. “Isn't steel better? Isn't steel 'stylish' anymore?”
Well-made kitchen knives, no matter the material, are always going to look appealing to the eye, especially if you take care of them, and that goes for both steel and ceramic. And steel will always have its place in a foodie's kitchen “toolbox” so to speak, because you simply want the right tools for a particular job, such as cutting bone, which you don't want to do with a ceramic knife. It would damage the blade.
But there are specific advantages that ceramic has over steel that has the cooking world taking another look at this otherwise neglected material. And believe it or not pure functionality has a level of 'cool' all its own, as kitchen gadget lovers will tell you.
Here are three of those advantages that might have you adding ceramic to your own lineup of cool-and functional tools:
• Sharp & Lightweight. While it's true that cutting bone can damage a ceramic blade, knives made of ceramic are by no means truly delicate. The only thing that's truly harder thatn a ceramic knife is a diamond. Ceramic blades, unlike steel, are lightweight, which means you can fly through veggie and fruit prep like you never have before, and you therefore have greater control over the instrument. And ceramic blades take years to get dull, unlike steel, which you have to sharpen fairly frequently, depending on how much you use it.
• Non-Porous. Ceramic knives aren't just lovely to look at, especially if you get the black ones from Wilson Cutlery, they will aid you on two fronts: easing your worry about foodborne illness and transferring strong odors from one food to another. Why is this? Ceramic, unlike steel, is non-porous, which means it will be difficult for illness-causing bacteria to remain on your knife of choice. Of course, if you wish to be extra cautious, you can wash your knife between the types of food you're prepping, but that said, ceramic is still your best friend when it comes to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Also, because ceramic is non-porous, strong odors such as onions, garlic or other savory or spicy foods and herbs will not transfer to any other food you're cutting, as long as you wipe the knife before you use it on the next item.
• No Rust. Unlike steel, ceramic is completely rust-proof because there is no metal in ceramic. So this leaves your ceramic knives at an aesthetic advantage, at the very least, over steel, and you definitely don't want rusty knives anyway, as they're not going to function well, period.
Clearly, ceramic knives are just as effective as steel, perhaps more so because of the qualities mentioned above. but as you might have noticed, they're also classy-looking and between their good looks and superb food-prep functionality that supports both simple and sophisticated, fast-paced living in the 21st century, you'll want them gracing your kitchen counter for always.
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