Flash in the Pan

Although most people think steel when considering a knife, there's another material that can do an amazing job: ceramics. And the Kyocera FK-075 ceramic paring knife is as sharp as they come -- or, at least as sharp as I've found. (We reviewed the Kyocera ceramic Y vegetable peeler back in 2007.) The edge is so keen that it's scary. We've had to tell people to be mindful, because at first glance you could swear it was a toy. I do wish that it came with a blade guard, as a number of paring knives that I've reviewed over the years have had. The knife cleans up easily. According to the Kyocera site, the company can sharpen the blades when they eventually dull, though that seems to be taking a very long time. The downside is that you can't sharpen it yourself and so you'll have to factor in the shipping time back and forth when it comes to that. You get your choice of several handle colors. The price is $29.95, so steep compared to some other blades that do an admirable job. If you're on a budget, check the Zyliss paring knife, which we reviewed last year and cost about $8 at list price.

Labels: knives, reviews, tools

A Zyliss paring knife came in for testing just before Thanksgiving and it proved itself a pleasure in the kitchen. The hollow-ground stainless steel blade (the marketing copy says that the steel is from Japan, but I'm not convinced that matters) has perhaps the sharpest edge I've seen shipped. The packaging keeps it (and fingers) safe during shipping. The blade has a longer handle than I'm used to seeing on a paring knife, which I found a delightful match for my large hands. My wife, with considerable smaller hands, also liked the feel because it helps add control. A slide-on cover uses a friction fit to stay snug for safe transport and storage in a drawer. The thin blade is also good for peeling and making fine slices. Even at the list price of $7.99, it's inexpensive for a quality tool. There is a serrated version, but not having tried it, I can't speak for its utility.

Labels: knives, product, reviews

Sharpening knives isn't a horrible task, but who wants to do it any more than necessary? So I've got a few suggestions that will help keep the edge around, at least a little longer:

• Don't chop. Slice. Many recipes call for chopped this, that, or the other thing. But chopping doesn't mean that you have to take that beautiful knife edge and swing it in a wacking arc down to the hard cutting surface below. Instead of bouncing the blade off the surface, slice through the food. You can still get large chunks while retaining control (and it's a heck of a lot safer, as well).


• Use a blade guard. If you store blades in a drawer, put guards on them. You've got a range of choices that run from the hinged cover that locks into place to a strip of plastic that fits on the edge side of the blade. When things rattle as you open and close drawers, you won't be dulling the instruments.


• Careful when you pile your cuttings. After you've cut up an ingredient, how do you get it from the cutting board to wherever it needs to go? If you slide the knife blade along to push the food, stop now, because you're quickly dulling the edge. You can just flip the knife over so that its back is down. Then use that unnecessary part to do the pushing.

Labels: edge, edges, guard, knives

Labels: case, knife, knives, Messermeister, storage. culinary