Views: 296 Author: Vickey Publish Time: 2023-10-24 Origin: Site
Particularly when it comes to working in the kitchen, we are all guilty of bad habits, some of which we aren't even aware of. Even though some poor habits are difficult to eradicate, being aware of them when using knives is a useful first step toward adhering to the safety guidelines.
Check out these 15 poor habits to kick if you want to adhere to kitchen knife safety regulations and stay sharp in the kitchen.
Keeping your blades sharp is one of the most fundamental kitchen knife safety rules. This defies logic—wouldn't a sharp knife be more dangerous? You would assume so, but how a kitchen knife is used determines its level of risk.
You will need to use greater effort and possibly areas of the blade that weren't designed for the task at hand as you search for a spot on the blade that is sufficiently sharp to cut the ingredients on your board in order to achieve the same cutting effect as a sharp knife. Your blade is considerably more likely to slide and cut something other than food with all this added energy and movement.
Even if you do manage to avoid getting cut, using dull knives will result in additional work and less appealing outcomes since they will mash through your components.
Sharp kitchen knives require careful handling, which is just as vital as maintaining their sharpness. In the kitchen, there are two primary knife grips employed. The handle grip is the simplest technique, and it is exactly what it sounds like: you wrap your hand around the blade's handle.
Professional cooks and chefs frequently employ the second technique, the blade grip or pinch grip, as it provides significantly greater control. When using the blade grip, your hand is positioned sufficiently forward on the handle such that your index finger and thumb squeeze the blade at the base of the handle. You are still holding the knife practically in your fist. Simply explained, the thumb gives the knife far more control by pinching the blade against the second knuckle of the index finger. The chef's knife is the tool most frequently used for this method.
If you've ever observed chefs cutting and dicing through ingredients, you'll note that they maintain their off-hand's fingertips curled under as they move the food toward the knife. The "claw" method, so named because it allows you to use your knuckles rather than your fingers to guide the blade as you cut through ingredients, is a simple approach to safeguarding yourself from mishaps. Although it may seem strange at first, this technique is crucial to master.
A typical error is to place your index finger on the top of the blade, especially if you are still learning how to hold your knife with the blade grip. Many individuals believe it would increase their sense of control, but it really reduces it.
The index finger is critical to maintaining the blade in place if you're employing the blade-grip technique; thus, it must always be kept folded back rather than lying along the rear of the blade. You may be using a dull knife or the incorrect knife for the job if you find yourself repositioning your finger to help you apply additional force down the length of the knife. Proper knife handling is a crucial component of kitchen safety.
The proverb "never run with scissors" may be familiar to you. The same holds true for a knife, though. Running with a knife is undoubtedly a bad idea, but you should also be mindful of your handling habits when moving about the kitchen.
If you're working in a kitchen with others and need to move your knife from one area to another, be sure to hold the knife down by your side with the blade facing backwards and warn others by saying "sharp behind or beside" to them.
It's advisable to set a knife on the counter while giving it to someone else so they can quickly grasp the handle. As an alternative, you can grasp the knife by the handle and roll it back in your hand so the spine of the blade sits on the web of your hand between your thumb and forefinger, making it simple for them to grasp the handle.
Knives are intended for cutting, not scraping. The strength of the entire blade is what allows a knife's sharp edge to withstand vertical pressure, but scraping the edge along your board can actually bend the edge out of alignment, making it much more difficult to properly sharpen again. This brings us back to the risks associated with chopping ingredients with a dull knife.
Although they make extremely attractive display platters, ceramic, glass, and stone boards are not suitable as cutting surfaces. The excessive hardness of these surfaces will dull your knives. Additionally, cutting on a rough surface makes it challenging to keep your knife still, increasing the likelihood of an accident.
Choose a cutting board made of wood or plastic for your knives, and make sure you set aside one for raw meats and another for veggies to prevent cross-contamination.
Similar to the undesirable habit of scraping your board with your knife's sharp edge, using a knife to pry open a can, crack open nuts, or engage in any other non-cutting activity can result in permanent harm. Only use your knives for cutting; in the worst circumstances, you run the risk of breaking one.
Even though it should go without saying, this error is nonetheless all too common. Licking a knife is an extremely poor idea for a variety of reasons. They are sharp, to start! It's quite difficult to savor the food you've worked so hard and long to prepare while your tongue is cut. You run the risk of contracting food poisoning if you lick a knife or any other kitchen tool used for chopping or dicing uncooked items.
A kitchen sink full of dishes is a recipe for disaster since you never want your knives banging around against metal, glass, porcelain, and other hard surfaces that can dull or chip the blades. Furthermore, the knife's sharp edge can surprise someone if they reach into a sink without realizing it is there. Separately washing your knives will keep them and you safe.
The longer you let your knives stay wet, the more likely they are to start picking up spots of rust that dull and weaken the blade. The ideal approach to taking care of your knives is to wash them as soon as you're done using them, quickly towel-dry them off, and then properly store them—that is, in your knife block.
For those weird, large utensils that don't fit nicely anywhere else, everyone has a drawer. Don't give in to the urge to keep your knives there! You run the risk of breaking yourself when you reach into the drawer and come into contact with a knife blade rather than the handle, in addition to the blades getting damaged when they bump into your potato crusher and balloon whisk.
Make sure your knives are stored correctly for basic kitchen safety.
Additionally, you may store your knives in a chef's knife roll for convenient storage inside and outside the kitchen if you want to be really fancy or simply don't have the counter space.
Metal is tough when it comes to physical abuse, but throw a little food at it, and corrosion is inevitable. After using your knives, be sure to wash them right away to get rid of any residue and protect your knives from rust. You'll also prevent unintentional cross-contamination if your knives are clean.
There's a lot of back-and-forth movement in a busy kitchen. Knives should be kept away from the edges of the counter because it is easy to knock them off as you move around the area, similar to how you should turn the handles of pots and pans away from the walkway. Additionally, keeping blades out of the reach of curious toddlers is another important aspect of kitchen knife safety in homes with young children.
Playing catch with a kitchen knife is obviously not a good idea. Why, then, if it's tumbling off the counter, would you try to grab it? Refrain from reaching out to grab it, take a step back, and then pick it up when it reaches the ground.
If you have some of these terrible cooking habits, you may be endangering your hands and fingers in addition to damaging your most valuable kitchen appliances. You will get closer to remaining sharp in the kitchen by kicking these behaviors, even one at a time.
