Knowing how and when to sharpen a knife properly can make a world of a difference, whether you enjoy cooking at home or run a commercial restaurant and want to carve items quickly and efficiently. When you are unsure of how to sharpen a knife properly, you may end up buying new knives frequently or worse, injuring yourself. With the correct equipment, though, it is a very simple process that takes little or no time to do. It will also save you a lot of money in the long run by preventing you from having to purchase pricey knife sets repeatedly. Let’s look at how to tell when it is time to sharpen your Commercial Knives, and different methods to do so.
How to Test the Sharpness of Your Knife
The Paper Test
The first method of testing if your knife needs to be sharpened, is the paper test. You will want to grab a piece of paper, (A4) being the best and hold it in front of you with your non dominant hand. Begin to slice down the center of the paper, using the knife that needs to be tested. Always make sure to slice away from your body. If the knife does not cut through the paper and either slips off or breaks the page, you will need to sharpen your knife.
The Tomato Test
The next method of testing if your knife is ready for sharpening, is the tomato test. Any sharp knife will cut through a tomato’s skin with no problems. However, if the tomato you’re cutting into turns into a sloppy mess, its time you sharpen your knives.
Different Methods of Knife Sharpening
Whetstone
Also known as a waterstone or sharpening stone, is a knife sharpener with a coarse or fine surface. The fine grit allows you to easily maintain a sharp knife, while the coarse grit allows you to re-grind a dull knife that needs sharpening.
Electric Knife Sharpener
An electric knife sharpener is a machine that is used to easily grind the metal from your knife, taking away the effort that is used with other manual sharpeners. Using an electric knife sharpener is the fastest and most efficient way of sharpening knives, however, can be a little less reliable than others sharpening methods.
Honing Steel
Honing steel, also known as Sharpening Rod, Sharpening Steel or Honing Rod, is a stick shaped tool that is used to give shape to your knife’s angle. This tool is not used for sharpening your knife; however, it does compliment whatever sharpening method you are using. Honing your knives does allow for a safer cutting experience, by straightening the blades cutting edge, providing a smoother slice.
Cooks Direct offers a wide range of Kitchen Equipment and Supplies. If you’re in need of a new knife sharpener or any other kitchen supplies, the Cook’s team would be more than happy to help! From the Mercer M10000 Diamond Electric Knife Sharpener to the FSE Dual Action Manual Knife Sharpener, our customer service and sales team can help you find the perfect knife sharpener for you. For more information, head over to cooksdirect.com.
