An ordinary kitchen knife is not suitable for cutting cheese. Some types of cheese begin to crumple under high pressure from the tool and turn into tasteless food, and hard ones break in half, and this looks unsightly. Therefore, in establishments and at home, the knife should be of a special type. When choosing a model, consider that the kitchen tool is presented in different types, each of which has original properties and advantages.
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Features of the tools
The unique feature that distinguishes the cheese knife from other types of this tool is the location of the handle. It is often located above the blade. Due to this, the cutting procedure is simplified, and the product itself does not break or crumble into pieces.
The knives should be 37 cm long and the blade 24 cm. The other 13 cm is the handle. The thickness of the tool is less than 1.6 mm, and the width is 4 cm. The blade is sharpened at an angle of 20 degrees for working with hard cheese and 15 for soft cheese. For mixed types of cheese, straight knives and other tools are used.
For reference! There is no set of cheese knives with ceramic blades. The latter should not be used on the product.
The tip is made of high-quality steel, which is also called "Damascus". The handle of the product can be individual.
Main types of cheese knives
What types of cheese knives are there and what is a spatula used for? Any type of product requires the appropriate tool for high-quality serving of the dish.
Classic Cheese Knives
For sandwich varieties, products with blades and a handle are suitable. The latter should be located above the blade to facilitate cutting and distribute pressure evenly. The design feature is a raised top for cutting hard cheese. The end of the tool can be made of 2 parts to use it as a knife-fork.
To avoid sticking when cutting, you need to use classic knives with perforated blades of oval or figured shape. The holes protect the surface and simplify the process of cooking. They also perform an important task - eliminate mixing. The blade of a classic tool can be in different shapes - a mini-saw, reducing sticking and improving cutting of the edge.
Lever
These tools are presented in the form of a board for the product with a knife that functions as a lever. The board can be made of wood, metal, steel or stone (marble or granite).
Using a cheese slicer is easy: place a piece of product on the board, adjust the width, lower the cutter and cut off a piece of cheese. You need experience and an eye to get a quality cut.
Leaf-shaped Parmesan knife
The tool is equipped with a wide and short blade, resembling a spatula, equipped with a sharp end.
The leaf-shaped knife is made of steel with a high-strength handle, because Parmesan is a hard variety, and it takes a lot of force to cut it. It is better to use models with cast handles. They do not break.
Cheese planers
These tools look like spatulas with holes drilled into them. They cut a piece of cheese into thin slices.
There are models with 2 holes to cut the product into different thicknesses, and with a fork. The width of the slice is adjusted by the angle of the cheese planer.
Knife with two handles
Designed for cutting cheese of different sizes. There are varieties that have a high density. The model has 2 handles to ensure cutting force with weight distribution along the length. The special design gives the cut precision and evenness.
A knife with two handles is used in trade and production of various types - shops, hypermarkets, cheese factories. The weight of the tool is 350 grams, the length is 400 mm. The thickness of the sharp plate is 2 mm. The blade is long.
Giroux knife
Designed for TetDeMoine cheese. The cutting principle is circular. The tool scrapes the product into original cheese flowers. With the help of Girol, you can solve hard varieties: Eddam, smoked and other products that fit the size of the knife.
The steel knife-girol on the base makes shavings that look like a thin rose. Such fragrant flowers delight lovers and are suitable for decorating dishes and preserving the freshness of the product.
String knife
There are different types - with a wooden board or a metal stand. Depending on the structure of the mechanism, the tool can be vertical or horizontal. Use your dexterity to use the cutter. A flexible string with handles will take up less space. It is suitable for any pieces of any width. The string will need to be stretched.
The string knife for soft cheese balls is similar to an egg slicer. The tool cuts a piece of product into slices. String slicers work in a similar way to get slices and cubes in large quantities.
Spatula knife
It is used for soft and hard varieties. It looks like a blade with a convex pointed cut in the center of the blade. This structure of the blade-blade cutting surface makes it possible to obtain thin and transparent slices.
There is another model - like a chisel and a knife-spatula with a blade in the form of a fork. The latter is a suitable option for breakfast with soft cheese. For serving, choose options with small handles.
Types of knives
Each type of cheese has certain cutting rules, taking into account the shape of the head. With the help of a quality tool, you can cut the product into original slices, slices and cubes. There are knives for such hard and soft cheeses on sale. They have a certain shape, size and operating principle.
For hard cheese
To cut the top of such a product, you will need to use a long two-handed knife - first dividing the cheese in half, and then, separating parts, prisms and triangular slices from the halves.
For hard cheese, choose a large blade and, to reduce the product sticking to its surface, it should be embossed. Additionally, equip the side of the knife with Teflon.
Hard cheeses such as Parmesan are peeled from the hard rind using knives that resemble chisels. The product is often broken into small pieces with a sharp spatula knife.
For soft cheese
Products with a soft consistency are cut on the table using a tool in the form of a sharp spatula, which performs 2 actions at once - cutting and serving on a plate.
For very soft Ricotta and Almette, choose a knife that resembles a butter knife. An elongated spatula is convenient for cutting cheese.
What you need to know when choosing a knife
Please review the following characteristics.
- Blade material. Blades should be made of stainless steel. Check the markings to make sure they include chrome and nickel. Steel that is enriched with nitrogen has high strength. If you are afraid of infection, you can choose a knife with an antibacterial coating.
- Sharpening angle. For a universal blade, it is 17° on average. For delicate types, you can use 15°C. Less is not necessary.
- The handle material and length depend on the direction. When buying small bars, 9 cm is enough. If the product in heads up to 1 kg, choose a blade of 20 cm. For large ones, use a string knife. The handle material can be solid and attached. Plastic, rubber, wood, metal and glass are used for this. A wooden product is better held in the hand.
When choosing a tool, pay attention to the possibility of using it in the dishwasher. Look for the corresponding symbol on the packaging or in the description of the parameters.
How to Use a Cheese Knife
If you have a cheese planer in your hands, move it towards you. You will get narrow sheet shavings. Parmesan is very hard, so you can’t cut it, it’s better to split it into pieces.
Keep the knife parallel to your body. Point the blade down away from you for safety. Do not press down on the tool. If it hits a board or other surface, it will be impractical and noisy.
Popular brands of manufacturers
The quality of knives is guaranteed by compliance with standards during production. It is difficult to check the production procedure, so focus on the manufacturer.
Popular brands are:
- Tramontina;
- Samura;
- Tojiro;
- Mikadzo;
- Wusthof;
- Kyocera;
- Yaxell;
- Dick.
There are popular models that are intended only for men - this is the Chef knife from Wusthof and the universal model from Samura.
Important care and storage tips
It is recommended to wash the tools yourself under a stream of warm water. Use a soft sponge and detergent for high-quality cleaning. After washing, completely wipe the surface of the knife with a towel.
How to store correctly?
- Knives should be kept away from forks and spoons.
- Avoid contact with other utensils to prevent deformation of the blade. Each model must perform its own action
- Keep out of reach of children.
Tools will last longer if used with a wooden board. Hard surfaces will reduce the sharpness of the blade and wear it out.
Consider the recommendations of experts before buying cheese knives. Pay attention to the quality and appearance, so that there are no rusty spots or cracks on the blade. The knife should fit comfortably in your hand, the handle should be fixed.
