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When you are busy in the kitchen, there are few things that are worse than a blunt knife. Whether you are a professional chef, a casual cook or simply someone who enjoys cooking in their own kitchen, we are sure you know exactly what we are talking about.
When it comes to sharpening knives there are numerous devices and gadgets available. However, as you may already know from experience, many of these are too ‘grind-happy’ shall we say. That’s right they tend to grind away too much of your knife’s blade, certainly not something you want to happen to the costly knife set you like to use.
Why Is A Whetstone The Ideal Choice For Sharpening Your Knives?
Once you start using a whetstone from www.amazon.com/dp/B078GGZNXW to sharpen your knives it is unlikely that you will wish to return to a previous gadget or device that was grinding far too generously. Not only do whetstones know how to keep your knives razor sharp, they are also going to help you save on time and money; a win-win in anyone’s kitchen from where we stand.
Is Razor Sharp Not A Little Dangerous?
Granted, the initial thought of having razor-sharp knives in a home kitchen may not be a favorable one, to say the least. However, take the time to compare how you use a dull knife and how you use a sharp one. With a dull knife, you need to apply a lot more pressure to get that onion finely chopped, to cube your potatoes or to prepare your carrots. So if a slip does occur, and let’s face it everyone has a slip every now and then, there’s a lot more pressure being forced onto that knife and into your skin.
On the other hand, a sharp knife will cut with ease, meaning you are investing a lot less effort into the cutting. It’s logical when you think about it, isn’t it? So using a whetstone to ensure that your kitchen knives are good and sharp can actually make your kitchen a safer place.
I’m Won Over To Whetstones For Sharpening My Knives, But How Do I Get Started?
We didn’t think it would take you long to see why using a whetstone to sharpen your knives can make life in the kitchen a lot more enjoyable, as well as a lot less hard work! However, if you have never used a whetstone before, you may be feeling a little apprehensive about how to get started. Don’t worry, we plan to fill you in on the ins and outs of sharpening your knives the right way. Ready to get started? Great! Here we go.
Choosing Your Whetstone
We know that most of you love to get a bargain, in fact, so do we. However, there are some items that are worthy of being bought as a quality item; whetstones are one of these products. A cheap version may end up causing frustration and failing to deliver on what you are expecting. of course, we certainly don’t mean for you to go out and spend an arm and a leg, however, you should make sure that you purchase a whetstone from a reputable supplier and choose a product which has already received good reviews.
It’s best to opt for a two-sided whetstone, there will be coarse grit on one side and fine grit on the other side. Why are the two-sided whetstones a better choice?
Do you have a set of identical knives as your main kitchen tools? We hardly thought so! Different food preparation types, as well as different types of ingredients, call for different knives. This means that your knife set likely compromises of a selection of knives in different shapes and sizes. Different knives are going to have different maintenance needs, especially when it comes to their sharpening needs.
One knife may need to be applied to the whetstone at a set angle, while another knife will require a different angle, as well as a different coarse type. You can check the instructions that came with your knife set if you are unsure on the sharpening angle, or you may be able to find information online.
It May Be Called A Whetstone But Don’t Use It Wet!
We know that the name ‘whetstone’ can be a rather confusing one, but allow us to state one very important fact; you don’t want to use your whetstone, wet! When you use oil or water on a whetstone it will trap little particles of metal in the liquid, this will then affect the edge that you achieve, making it more ragged; not exactly the end result you would be hoping for.
That being said, it is worth noting that some whetstones are designed to withstand the wet so it’s best to check with the instructions that come with your whetstone before you decide whether to allow it to come into contact with water.
A Few Tips To Have Your Knives In Tip Top Shape
Hopefully, you are feeling more confident about how useful a whetstone is for sharpening knives, as well as how to use one. Now, let’s take a look at a few tips on sharpening your knives to razor success:
– Keep the sharpening direction the same, whether you go front to back or back to front.
– Ceramic knives are not for sharpening, they are likely to break due to their brittle makeup.
– By caring for your knives and storing them correctly you will be able to extend the lifespan of a good knife set.
Indeed, for many of us, the kitchen is the place that we call home. Don’t let your kitchen magic be disturbed by knives that are dull or knives that have been sharpened too much. If you think a whetstone could be the right choice for your kitchen why not check out what is available in your local stores or online. Most of all, enjoy your cooking experience; cook safely, cook adventurously and whatever else happens, keep cooking!
We are a group of 5 Moms with 15 kids. We “Brag” about products and companies we think are Fabulous. All the products we review have actually been in our hands and are mom and kid tested. Find out from us what is “Brag worthy!