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If you were to ask a chef what the most important item is in their kitchen, they are sure to answer the knives. Without a decent set of chef knives, even the most proficient of chefs would struggle to create a decent dish. You may not realise it if you are new to cooking, but knives are invaluable and used for more things than simply cutting. For example, did you know that you can use the blade of a knife to peel a clove of garlic? Or, did you realise that the chefs use knives to see how far along in the cooking process their meat is? Probably not, but you can now appreciate much better the importance of chefs knives in the kitchen. If you take a cooking course at college, whether for pain or pleasure, you will find that the first piece of advice they give is to purchase a high quality knife block. Choosing a good set of knives takes skill and practice, but here we have developed a guide to help you to make the best choice first time. The first thing that you must consider is the brand of knives. You should never, if you are serious about cooking, buy a generic knife set from a non-specialist shop, such as a supermarket. Although these knives are cheap in comparison to the professional knives, they are by far inferior. Rather, you should opt for a brand that is recognised within the industry. Such brands include Master Class, Henckel, Kyocera and Robert Welch. Stick to these brands and you know that you are buying high quality knives. You need to buy a range of knives, but as a beginner, four should do. Make sure that you purchase a small knife, a paring knife, a large knife and a vegetable knife. Be sure to purchase a knife with a comfortable handle – this depends on your hand shape, so you need to pick them up and test them. Try to buy knives that have a little lump between the blade and the handle, these prevent slippage and are therefore safer. Generally speaking, we recommend buying steel chefs knives as they are easier to keep sharp and clean. Ceramic knives have their place, but you should avoid them until you are a better chef and until you understand how various knives improve your cooking. Find out further information from the manufacturers before you actually decide to purchase a particular knife. Knives are very expensive, particularly the high quality ones, and so you want to ensure that you make the best decision. Ask about any non-slip technology they may have, and whether or not the knives have been ergonomically designed for comfort. This latter point is especially important in you know that you will use the knives regularly, after a few hours of use, you may find that a poorly designed knife hurts your hands. If you would like further information, or if you are interested in purchasing high quality chefs knives, then please visit us at http://www.smithsofloughton.com/
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