The cutting edge

Debbie Mutz’s favorite set of knives has been in her family for about 20 years. The set belonged to her mother.

“They’re called American Chef Cutlery. I’ve bought several different brands, and they all seem to need sharpening, but these knives, I don’t have to sharpen,” said Mutz, of Sedalia.

“The handles are easy to grip. Except for the brand name of the knives starting to wear off, they look as they did when my mother first got them.”

All the knives in Mutz’s set have serrated edges, and that component is what makes food preparation a lot easier, she said.

“Because I love to cook, I still use some of my mother’s recipes, and I know that having a good knife makes all the difference in the preparation and presentation of all your foods,” Mutz said.

Chef Karen Breshears, a food preparation professor at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, said that having a good knife and knowing how to use it is the foundation of most culinary pursuits.

“One of the first things you have to learn is how to handle your knife, how to take care of it before you can do anything else,” Breshears said. “Because half your job is chopping, and if you don’t know how to chop and do it safely and efficiently, it’s no good.”

Most people, she said, have too many knives or have been using the wrong kind of knife for their food preparation.

“People cooking at home only need two knives. They need an 8-inch chef’s knife and a paring knife,” she said. “People can do anything they want to with those two knives. They’re universal.”

A chef’s knife takes care of the large quantity chopping. It’s good for foods like carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic, Breshears explained. The paring knife, on the other hand, works well for all the smaller, more detailed work, such as peeling. Most people, she said, are used to only using a paring knife, and don’t realize how a good chef knife will revolutionize the way they prepare food before the meal.

“Even when I teach the food prep class, the most basic food science course, I have a terrible time getting the students to use the chef knife,” she said. “They’ve used paring knives all their lives. But it really is such a versatile tool.”

Proper cutting techniques are important because they keep the cook’s fingers from getting lopped off when chopping vegetables, she said. “First you have the bearclaw. It’s a little bit awkward, but once you get used to it, it really does the job,” she said. “Keep your fingertips on your food and curl your knuckles out. As you’re chopping, your blade is going to come down and rest against your knuckles. Move you’re hand down as you chop.”

The next technique is the pivot point, Breshears said. The point of the knife actually stays on the cutting board. This technique combined with the bearclaw will make the chopping go much faster, while still keeping fingers safe.

There are two types of knife edges, the fine edge and the “never needs sharpening.” Both types work well, Breshears said. The fine edge requires more maintenance because it needs to be sharpened regularly. The quality of the knife also has to be good, she said.

“Just remember, Target or Wal-Mart knives aren’t meant to last forever, and they’re not very high quality,” she said. “You’re looking for a high carbon-steel blend in your blade. You want a blade that as you take it, you can’t wibble-wabble it. It’s going to be sturdy. You want the blade to go all the way through the handle.”

The price of the knife depends on quality and size. A good chef’s knife can cost $80 to $150, Breshears said. A paring knife can be as high as $50 or $60.

Once a cook invests in a knife set, Breshears advises the knives must be taken care of if they are to last. She recommends chopping blocks to keep them safe or plastic covers for the blades. “Don’t just throw them in a kitchen drawer. That’s how they get knocked around and chipped,” she said.

Breshears warns against putting good knives in the dishwasher, even if the manufacturer says they’re dishwasher safe. It better to just wash them by hand, dry them and store them in a safe place, she said.