Be Careful with Knives

Thousands of individuals visit emergency departments each year due to injuries they sustained while using kitchen knives. But you may prevent the largest risk of kitchen work with a few cutting-edge suggestions. This is how:

In half

To create a flat, sturdy end when chopping or dicing curved items, such as zucchini or eggplant, first cut the item in half. Start by aligning the flat surface with the cutting board.

Just wait

Chefs are taught a certain gripping method that safeguards their fingertips. Use the tips of your fingers to press on the food while bending your fingers beneath. Let the knife follow your knuckles.

Sharpen your knife

It's really riskier to use a dull blade than a sharp one. This is why: It takes more energy to cut with a dull blade, which increases the likelihood that the knife may slip violently. The surface "bites" more readily with a sharp knife.

Use a suitable cutting surface

Your blades will become dull if you cut on a metal cooktop, plate, tile, or Formica surface. The greatest cutting boards are made of plastic or wood.

Turn a pepper

A bell pepper should be cut in half first, then chopped or sliced with the meaty side facing up. The difficulty of slicing through its waxy skin is lessened as a result.

Plaster that bagel

If you attempt to hold the bagel in your hand while slicing it in half, you run the risk of cutting yourself. The trick is this: Slice the bagel parallel to the cutting board after laying it flat on a cutting board and stabilizing it with your palm. Cut the bagel approximately halfway through. Finish by turning the bagel while holding the knife in place, or stand the bagel on end and "saw" through to the other side.

How to pick the right blade

Knives are instruments, thus it's important to use the proper one for the task at hand. A quality knife will have a blade made of carbon steel or carbon steel plus stainless steel that extends all the way through the handle. In your palm, it should feel balanced and at ease. A well-stocked kitchen's cutlery may be seen here:

Kitchen knife. This knife's 8 to 12-inch blade is suitable for chopping carrots and slicing tomatoes. Roasts and other large, thick meats may be sliced with ease with its help.

a paring blade. This knife is tiny enough to peel apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables thanks to its thin, sharp, 3- to 4-inch blade.

Sharp knife. Perfect for slicing bread with a crust or anything else that has a soft interior and a hard outer. However, avoid using it to chop meat. The flesh will be shredded by its saw-toothed edge.

Boning tool. This knife is suitable for delicate cutting tasks like boning poultry and filleting flounder because of its razor-sharp, incredibly thin, and almost point-like blade.

knife used for general use. This knife, which is comparable to a chef's knife but roughly half the size, can handle everything but the most delicate tasks. When your other knives are not available, keep it close by.