Kitchen Knife Basics: How to Shop for Them, Care for Them, and Keep Them Sharp

Are you frustrated by your dull kitchen knives, but dread dealing with them? Does the whole idea of knife sharpening present a cobweb of unknowns: Will it be expensive? Do I have to learn how to do it myself? Will a sharpening service ruin my favorite kitchen knives?

Nate Ouderkirk (aka KitchenKnifeGuru) faced the same daunting questions, but finally rose up in rebellion against mangled tomatoes and decided to do something about it. A passionate home cook (and a bit of a nerd), Nate spent countless hours researching the topic. And, in Kitchen Knife Basics, he offers you a short, EASY, jargon-free guide to everything you need to know to get your kitchen knives sharp . . . and keep them that way. (No, you don’t have to do the sharpening yourself — it takes way too much time for the average home cook to master!)

In Kitchen Knife Basics you’ll learn about the most common edge styles for kitchen knives, what a hone (or steel) is and exactly how to use it, how to find and choose a quality sharpening service that’s not expensive — and much much more.

Some of the skills you’ll learn include how to:
• hone like a pro so your knives will stay sharp for a year or longer
• grasp what makes German- and Japanese-style knives different — and the different care each requires
• discern between the many kinds of cutting boards — and why the wrong boards can actually damage your knives
• use KitchenKnifeGuru’s Top Ten Tips to keep your knives sharp, sharp, sharp.

In the final two chapters, Nate also explains the characteristics of a great chef knife and recommends six high-quality chef knives, highlighting the differences in weight and feel.

If you love to cook, but dull knife edges are holding you back, take charge of your knives once and for all! As KKG says, “Sharp is the key to kitchen happiness.”