Kitchen Design https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery Kitchen is fun! Series of articles by professional cook en-us Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:37:30 +0300 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:37:30 +0300 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery root@sky-net-eye.com (noreply) root@sky-net-eye.com (noreply) Kitchen Design https://www.sky-net-eye.com/images/logo_en.png https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery 5. Kitchen Range, Stove and Ventilation https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-range https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-range Kitchen Design Vatel

We begin consideration of light and heavy machine-assisted kitchen inventory from the most important (and heavy) thing – kitchen range and exhaust ventilation


So, the Kitchen Range



The question is: what type of the range is more preferable – gas or electric? In ninety nine percent of cases it does not depend upon our preferences – the choice was made by the architect, who designed our house :). However if there is a possibility of choice, one should pay attention to the following:
- it is certain that it is more natural, easy and comfortable to cook on a gas stove.
One doesn't need to wait for the stove to be heated up to the temperature needed or cooled. Moreover for some of us the matter of cooking with live fire is very pleasant of itself. However:
- Electrical range is much more safer.
First, you don't need to be afraid that your old family chaps would open the gas cock and forget to fire it (Note from translator: there are still many old fashioned gas stoves used in Russia, those do not have the contemporary and well-known guard functions.)
Second, as it is mentioned above, the gas stove means open flame, and this implies more risk from the fire safety point of view.
Third, the design philosophy: the gas cock is more complicated thing and therefore less reliable and durable.
At last: modern electrical ovens are undoubtedly more handy, for instance, because of more even heating.
An obvious shortcoming of an electric kitchen range – an extra time needed for heating, however electric ranges with glassceramics surface "lacks" this discomfort almost completely.
As you see, everything has own pluses and minuses.
Nevertheless, there is a distinct compromise settlement: module kitting-up.
As a rule, when we want a kitchen made to order, we prefer to build-in the range and the stove not as a single unit, but as two independent modules. Thus, if it is technically feasible, you can build-in a gas range and an electric stove. By the way, if your budget affords this, it is certainly better to choose an electrical stove with steam and convection heater automatic functions. Convection will allow you to cook (without lack of quality) on 2 (or even 3) surfaces at the same time and the function of steam spray will also find very handy applications.

The next thing is Kitchen Exhaust Ventilation


When choosing the exhaust ventilation, first of all one should:
- bring into correlation the efficiency of the ventilation (for ex., litres/minute) with the kitchen space one have.
- make sure the borders of the ventilation's "umbrella" protrude at least 10 sm over the HWD of the kitchen range. This will provide the best performance for the ventilation.
What other mechanisms and tools we may need for our kitchen?

Meat Grinder


I think this item does not need much explanation. The main criterion when choosing grinder – the compromise between the grinder's power and size.

Mixer is a must


You can't do without mixer nowadays. You can shake up some cream, or even mashed potato. It is desirable that your mixer would have variable rate and descent power.

Blender


Buying blender should be considered in case you are keen on puree–soups (sauce soups) or creams. If not, then blender is definitely not the breath of your life, certainly unless you love blending fancy cocktails. However, if you decided to buy one, then choose blender with a thick-walled glass bottle. It will serve you longer and look neater.

At last – Kitchen Machine


To tell you the truth, I personally think kitchen machine is absolutely useless. Anything it is able to give, you can do handmade or with a slicer, and even faster and with better quality. Moreover, if you use a kitchen machine the dishes loose special tire with the cook's hands, and this is bad. The cook's hands always add some kind of positive energy to the dish being cooked, but this electro-monster rather makes the dish “empty”.
For all that, if you enjoy assembling the whole thing, grate an onion with it, then pull the stuff out (loosing nearly a have on it's walls), then disassemble the machine, then wash and dry the parts, and finally repeat these steps again and again :) — then I can admit, that you certainly need a kitchen machine. Just go and get one!

In the end: squeezers and juicers, washing machines and other wonders of kitchen appliances are not in the scope of this review. Off topic :)


]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:13:52 +0300 6. Pans and Pots https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots Kitchen Design Vatel The artical is not available in English yet.
]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:12:25 +0300 4. Auxiliary Utensils https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils Kitchen Design Vatel

Graters


We need grater, in general, for example, for the apple puree, breading crumbs, as well as cooking "draniks" and the like. One good stainless steel 4-side grate, in principle, is sufficient. The main things in grater selection are its walls thickness and quality, especially of the upper handle. Grater must be able to withstand some very decent pressure from the top, thin-walled products with frail handles will collapse in a time.

Vegetable slicer may serve as a nice complement to the grater



There are vegetable slicers with replacable cutting surfaces which will allow quickly and qualitatively slice vegetables by dices, straws and slices of various sizes and thicknesses.
Pay particular attention to the quality of the holder of the vegetable slicer. The holder should have to be tough and able to live long. Unfortunately, the lack of such holder makes the vegetable slicer very unsafe utensil.

Also we will need sieves and strainer


Two titles of each. One sieve to sift such as flour. The second sieve to grate anything, such as red beans used for Armenian soup cooking. This is the thing, I would say. I will tell you how to cook it somehow later.
I would recommend conical shape sieves (there are). The product is backfilled into the sieve and just pushed with a pestle for mashed potatoes. Very convenient.

Colanders



One colander to have is a classic, the one with a handle. To wash fruits and berries. Second — panlike shape, it is convenient to lift the finished pasta (spaghetti, for example. Not to be confused with the tomato paste). But you can certainly do with only one colander, it is up to you.

Next is all sorts of spatula, as well as ladles and skimmers


This is always selected at ones taste, taking into account the type of the kitchen utensils. Teflon to Teflon, as the saying goes. The main thing is that these tools are not to be too flexible. Better more solid. In any case, you will not do without wood here. Wooden spatula and spoon must be always at hand.

Rolling-pin


Again, feel free to pick and choose. This all depends on how you hand was set, in other words, how and with what you rolled out dough for the first time. Typically, it remains for life. Personally, I use only thin (1 cm in diameter) and long (1.5 m) rolling-pin, which can roll out 1 kg of stiff dough into a thin sheet at one stroke. Because this is the way my grandfather did, and so did my grandmother and mother. Consequently, I can not roll out in another way.
Once you’ve gor a brand new rolling-pin, remember, to carefully wipe it with dry towel and then treat with oil, any plant (refined!) oil. Oil will soak, and the dough will not adhere to the clutch.
Just in case, note: rolling-pin cannot be washed! Just wipe it thoroughly with dry tissue after use.

What is left? Perhaps a pair of kitchen pliers and a cookery needle


The pliers are mandatory. It is inconvenient to turn over steak in a pan with a fork to the cook and traumatic for the pan.
The needle is optional, but very helpful. First, to determine the readiness of meat or poultry. It is better pierce the food with a thin needle than make four holes with a fork. Second, kitchen needlw is useful while stuffing poultry as a sewing tool.
Well, in general, that’s all with kitchen utensils.
Once again, all that I showed you, knives, boards, nets and so on is a sufficient minimum kitchen set.
With this set you can get almost everything. But this does not mean that you do not have the right to add anything that you feel is useful. Do not refuse to take the pleasure in, buy whatever you want — knives for pizza, cakes, etc. Even a kitchen combine.

About kitchen processors, mixers and other “electric monsters” we will talk separately


]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:10:35 +0300 b) Are you left- or right-handed? https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_2 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_2 Kitchen Design Vatel

Next step is to determine if you are left- or right-handed


And that is why: for right-handed persons it is more natural to move from left to right — the working hand goes first. Indeed, the way we write is the same. For left-handed the opposite is true.
Have you ever noticed how it is inconvenient for a left-handed person to write? There you are!

Thus, having known the steps that constitute cooking as a process, we can put the things together with the furniture


Assume you are right-handed. Therefore, our cooking chain will emerge from left to right.

Stage 1: Washing and Peeling


What piece of the kitchen furniture will be the first left link in our, as chefs say, cooking "ridge"?
Guess what? It will not be a sink, but the frige. It is a fridge from where we get meat, vegetables and greens and send them further to the right — the cooking hub #1 – to the wash. In the box under the sink it is useful to keep roots like potatoes, carrots, onions and others, which should not be kept in the frige.
Note: Some words on the water taps for the kitchen sink. It is desirable to install a ball-type water mixer (singlehanded). You will not need to rinse your hands every time before opening/closing water. With this type of water mixer you will do it with only one finger. Saves much, believe me.

Stage 2: Cutting


Taking out the rinsed and cleaned meat and vegetables from the kitchen sink, we send them further (note, from our left hand to the right) to the cutting-table — cooking node #2.
All the subsidiary objects are grouped around the cutting surface, such as knives and other cooking “tools”, cutting boards, cups, as well as kitchen appliances.
Think and decide which of these items you will use most often and put them on the right hand, preferably open (not in the kitchen drawers and cabinets), and hanging. But never place them on the table.

Cooking table should be clean and free


Items needed less, but nonetheless actively used should be placed on the left, also freely accessible, if possible. Finally, rarely used, as well as large objects (such as appliances) can be placed in the kitchen drawers, cabinets etc.

]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:53:46 +0300 Slicer https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/slicer_knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/slicer_knife Kitchen Design Vatel

Used for:

  • The thinnest slicing before serving

Read more about this knife in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives

]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:44:28 +0300 2. Knives https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware Kitchen Design Vatel

It is time to talk about chef’s essentials — about cooking-knives


Good news: about the tachi-knife — you most likely will not need this type of knives, may be except the cases when you need to scare away the bothersome household, breaking into your kitchen with a question: "But when will the dinner be ready?" ;-).
For the true cook his favorite knife is very special. The knife is being cared of and cherished. The Knife is being trusted. But the knife, in turn, trusts only you.
Surely you have noticed that once caught up in the wrong hands your faithful Kitchen Knife begins to behave strange, and in severe cases, run out of obedience, trying to cut you ;-). This is because the true cook (that is truly loving their job) and the knife are always in inherently intimate relations. And once, getting into rude and cold strangers hands, you knife is trying to avenge.
You see, others are not aware of the knife behaviour, they can blunt the knife, chop it off, or even kill it by breaking the knife's tip.
If you have not guessed yet, I will explain:

Self respecting Cook treats his Knife as a living being


The choice of the steel assistant is a separate consideration.

]]> Wed, 04 Jul 2018 20:56:59 +0300 c) Cutting zone, stove and ventilation https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_3 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_3 Kitchen Design Vatel

Let’s move on


The oven (or stove) is directly bordered with the cutting table. Here our space is limited. On the left we have the cutting zone, over the stove — ventilation, on the right – the serving area.
Conclusion: You will have to find a place to store kitchen utensils — favorite pots, pans, coppers and others.
After all, the whole set could be prepared in advance, before cooking. With one exception:

Try to layout (hang) the tools required during the heat treatment on the right side of the stove:


skimmers, ladles, curtain rods must be always at hand (right hand!), and not be subject to be looked feverishly in the box on the other side of the kitchen and piled with old newspapers.
All the same, at the right hand, on the open shelves it is desirable to put jars with the kitchen "reagents" ;-) — salt, spices and seasoning.
Suppose our chicken fillet Stroganoff in red wine with cherry and orange juice is prepared. And on the right from the stove, the plates are waiting on the kitchen serving table. For this layout all you need is to take a stew-pan with your left arm, make a step to the right and quietly spread the ready dish on the plates.

Finally, the dishwasher completes the right-wing of our kitchen


Note — minimum efforts and unnecessary movements. Thus, for the left-handed — the same sequence, but from the right to left. That's all.
In conclusion: while designing furniture in the kitchen, remember – there is never an extra place to store cookware. The more shelves, drawers and a locker — the better.

Next time we will discuss the cookware — knives, boards (cabbage and the Kings ;-)) and other things we can’t do without in our kitchen


]]> Sun, 15 Nov 2015 08:35:52 +0300 1. Planning the Interior https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace Kitchen Design Vatel

First of all let's settle with the kitchen furniture and it's proper layout — with the kitchen interior


I am going to let the cat out of the bag now (however, probably someone already has a vague idea). The feeling of tiredness after preparation of a dinner party for, let's say, 10 persons is 70% cased by nonoptimal kitchen interior.

How do we usually get away with the kitchen interior?


Just so, we group the furniture around pre-installed kitchen stove and the sink.

And what do we get?


That's right, lots of absolutely unpractical movements and motions over the kitchen. An then, finally we find ourselves utterly exhausted, sitting on the kitchen stool, thinking about our damned varix and trying to recall the name of the anti-edema cream seen in the latest TV trailer.

How to avoid this kitchen tiredness? We will find out next time


]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 3. Cutting-boards Essentials https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/chopping-boards https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/chopping-boards Kitchen Design Vatel

Continuing with the cutting and chopping subject we pass to cutting (or chopping) boards


Chopping board – very important component of your kitchen arsenal and you must thoughtfully approach to its choice.
There is a huge choice of chopping boards presented on market. The main basic distinction, complicating a choice, the material of which the boards are made of. Each version has advantages and shortcomings.
So, the first rule, common for all versions:

You should have several chopping boards


Necessarily separate for crude meat and separate for a crude fish. By the way, according to sanitary-and-epidemiologic rules, you should also have a separate chopping board for poultry. As a preventive measure for infections. Further, separate board for cutting vegetables which will go then to thermal processing. A separate board for the vegetables going to salad and greens.
In conclusion, I recommend very much, a separate small chopping board for garlic. Why: the working surface of a board in due course inevitably becomes impregnated with smells from the undressed products. Probably, it will not be good if, say, a slice of cheese would suddenly get a smell of prorancid garlic. And this can be even worse.
Hence — another advice:
After cutting meat or a fish, even in spite of the fact that there is nothing more to be cut on these boards — do not be too lazy, scald the boards with abrupt boiled water and carefully wash out with a sponge with soap
Salmonellosis — extremely unpleasant thing. I recommend doing this periodically also with other boards — besides disinfection to delete smells.
Remark: not applicable to boards of glass. Those will burst!

About the sizes and the form


Here you will need to find a compromise between the area of your table, the size of your kitchen knifes and presence of a place in your kitchen for warehousing.
Advice: it is better to store the chopping boards not inside the closed boxes, but opened, ideal – hanging on a suspension bracket. This way helps to avoid decay and promotes aeration of extraneous smells.
The biggest size should have the chopping boards for vegetables. I shall explain: cutting of vegetables usually demands most a hard work with knife and, on the other hand, the greatest quality of work. Hence, it is necessary to create the most comfortable conditions for yourself. A large chopping board in this case is vital. It is good, if the width of this board is at least equal to the length of the knife’s blade, and better if the board is slightly wider than the blade, to not hold down your movements at chopping. Also it is desirable for the chopping board to be thicker, so that your hands do not touch the table — this hinders strongly.
As a variant it is possible to get a board on a support (like those on two supports from below), this type is especially convenient if you prefer cutting technique and use a Japanese type of knife.
Advice: before beginning of the work it is recommended to spread a napkin under the chopping board. In this case the board will not skip on the table, and less noise.

Now about material chopping boards are usually made of


The first type (and the most widespread on domestic kitchens — wooden chopping boards. Obvious advantages — wood does not blunt knives, knocks less, and as a whole is more comfortable — wood is rather soft material that improves interaction of such board with knife. Personally I prefer wooden chopping boards. Lacks: in due course the working surface wears out and dent is formed. Also, wood actively absorbs liquids and smells.

There is only one way: chopping boards should be updated periodically


Second type — plastic chopping boards. Basically, pluses are similar to the wooden boards, but in general plastic boards are worse. Knocks more loudly, blunts the knife more actively. The same lacks, plus the look of the worked board is more slovenly. In addition — plastic crumb in your food.
Third type, recently become fashionable — glass. Generally, I see only one positive side — obviously hygienic boards. Neither smells, nor crumb. Serves eternally. But those will cripple knifes and mentality :).

If you cannot stand gnash of metal over glass, do not buy glass chopping boards


That is all about the chopping boards. I shall not mention the boards for work with dough as I assume, that your table has a wooden table-top.

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 a) Your Cooking Place https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_1 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen_workspace/design_project_1 Kitchen Design Vatel Now, let's split the dish preparation sequence into components.
Fortunately, we wouldn't get many.
Everyone, even a beginner cook knows, that those would be: ingredients washing/peeling (vegetables, meat, poultry, fish), cutting, thermal treatment and serving.
Based on this one should arrange their kitchen as a cooking place.
There are many companies offering custom-built kitchens. All you need is to make a choice among the materials and provide your composition of the pieces of furniture.
In fact, the kitchen furniture material — is a matter of personal taste (and purse, of cause :-) ). Nevertheless, natrual wood is always preferable in comparison with the plastic and wood chipboard.
Remember: kitchen atmosphere — is an agressive environment because of high humidity and air temperature, there is also water not only as liquid or gas, but also as ice. Consider also all sorts of agressive acid leakages (for example, dropped bottle with 70% vinegar) and you will get everything that is needed to spoil your wood chipboard. It's a matter of time.
Note: do not use softwood for kitchen furniture — it gums. Only deciduous wood, ideally — oak, beech, ash-tree. Noble wood casts noble aura, which is of no small account for a place where one sped a significant part of the life, after all

there's something more about kitchen than just cooking and eating


Indeed, in our kitchen we receive our best folks, we can stay far past midnight debating on the sense of life.

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 About the author https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/about_author_1 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/about_author_1 Kitchen Design

Vatel


Kitchen and cooking expertise at present — 27 years.
The first dinner for the family prepared while on 6th year of high school. With true — no one was injured ;-).
An experience upto the Chef and restaurant manager.
Modest, prefers to be called just — Vatel ;-).
The picture shows one famous actor in the role of author :).
The motto is: maximum simplicity, less unnecessary luxuries.

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Choosing Kitchen Knives https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set Kitchen Design Vatel

From all the great diversity of kitchen knives, the amateur cook will really need 4—5 types only


Note: this article is not intended to be a comprehensive peer review of the kitchen tools. Our goal is to bring you brief, but extremely practical advices. All of these have been gone through personal experience and abundantly shed (literally) with own blood.

So, we begin with an overview of knives, which play an auxiliary role in cooking



First, you need a knife for peeling vegetables (carrots). Here you might be helped by a well-known vegetable knife for economical peeling.
There are two options:
longitudinal peeling knife and transverse peeling knife

Which of them to use is a purely personal preference. For more advanced cook I would recommend also peeling knife. Peeling knife conveniently peels citruses, removes core from fruit. It is also used for vegetables and fruit figured cutting. This knife requires some skills, as careless treatment flays the skin from your fingers even better than from a lemon.
Next auxiliary knife, the so-called slicer. Slicer has a long narrow blade, and designed to cut the finest slices of the product before serving. For example, smoked salmon. All you have certainly had to deal with the problem. You want to slice and serve fish beautifully and whetting the appetite, but what you produce... well, well, not exactly the way you intended. Slicer-knife will help you resolve this problem. As slicer, by the way, you can use the knife for fillets. It is used for cutting fillets from, for example, large fish (like salmon). Or conversely, by slicer you can slice fish. So, by this slicer-knife we can, as we say in Russia, “kill (or cut ;-)) both hares”.
If it is not suitable for you to use the same knife for raw and prepared products, then get both slicer and fillet knives. It is worth to have a knife for cutting frozen food. No matter what, pork or cubes of frozen spinach. The knife is similar to slicer, has a long narrow blade, but the saw-type cutting edge.
Tip: do not try to cut frozen food with conventional kitchen knife. Don’t do this. There is a risk to lose you knife-comrade forever. High-quality knives made of solid steel grades are very sensitive to this kind of trial. Doesn't that sound ironically?
It would not hurt to have also the cleaver-knife for meat and poultry. Finally, kitchen shears. Very useful thing, both for dressing turkey and rapid opening of a package of frozen peas.
All of the knives are represented in the photographs (see references below).

Next time we will talk about the leader of kitchen knives, namely large universal Cooking chef-knife


]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Classic European Chef's Knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife/classic-european-chef https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife/classic-european-chef Kitchen Design Vatel Read more about this knife in the parent chapter ]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Cleaver-knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/cleaver_knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/cleaver_knife Kitchen Design Vatel

Used for:

  • Meat and poultry dressing

Read more about this knife in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Grill pan https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots/grill-pan https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots/grill-pan Kitchen Design Vatel
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Japanese Chef's Knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife/japanese-chefs https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife/japanese-chefs Kitchen Design Vatel Read more about these knives in the parent chapter ]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Kitchen shears https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/kitchen_scissors https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/kitchen_scissors Kitchen Design Vatel Read more in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Large Chef's Knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/large-chef-knife Kitchen Design Vatel

Now, let's talk about the King of the kitchen tools — Universal Large Chef's Knife (also known as French Knife)


(that's it, with all uppercases)

For a skilled cook the Chef's knife is not just a matter of steel thing for cutting food. The knife is the Friend and Assistant, is a pride and envy of other lovers of creativity in the kitchen.
In skilled and gentle hands of a true cooking-lover (in the sense of loving the kitchen stuff) this knife can do everything: skin a cucumber or chop it by straw, with a hair thickness (if you respect the concepts of the Korean salads).
The Chef's knives differ by the blade shapes. There are basic types: European and Asian (does not necessarily mean the country of manufacture). Among the Asian knives, we know most Japanese Chef's Knife brand.
European knife is also well known. It has a wedge-shaped blade, wide near the handle and evenly narrowing to the tip. The balance point is closer to the handle, according to Europe cutting technique: sliding movement with the knife's tip permanently pinned to the cutting board. Incidentally, in the therapeutic Chinese cuisine this cutting technique is the only acceptable because it would preserve the natural energy of the product.
Japanese chef's knife (again, as a type, but not necessarily as "Made in Japan") has equally wide blade, breaking into a sharp tip with a steep bend from the blunt side to the cutting edge. This one is optimal for the lovers of chopping-cutting technique (for example, used for vegetables) – the balance point of the Japanese knife is shifted closer to the tip, which reduces the load when chopping. The Japanese successfully produce and use both types of the knife — European and Japanese.

After all, cutting technique is a matter of personal preference for each cook


Often, the "Japanese" knives have peculiar hollows, or even through holes along the tip. This scheme prevents adhesion of the food slices to the knife's blade while cutting. It is, in fact, useful for cutting raw potatoes.

How to choose the Chef's Knife?


Guided (as we settled before) by purely utilitarian approach, the main criteria for us will be comfort and quality.
We wrathfully sweep aside iron-type products with dangled wooden handles that are sold in all kind of markets or shops like "Everything for garden and cottage" ;-).
You'd better go to the store, which specializes in cooking supplies in a price category that you are comfortable with. Take the candidate knife that took your fancy and examine it carefully. Turn the handle to your face, cutting edge up, and keep on the eye-level. If along the tip you see a solid mat lane without any glow, this means that this is good quality blade without distortion and chipping.

Try as the knife rests in your palm


It is important to match the length of the knife’s handle and the size of your own palms, otherwise the knife will be simply uncomfortable. Please pay attention to the handle. If the handle is covered with plastic or other material, make sure that there are no the slightest gaps between the surface and the steel. The reason is simple – the slits will be quickly filled with mud, and you will never be able to completely remove it. Personally, I prefer the whole knife, where the handle is not covered at all. As a surgical instrument. No dirt.

Note the thickness of the unused (not sharpened, top) edge of the knife


Its thickness should not be too large, otherwise it would be embarrassing to work. The thinner the better.
The type of the steel (steel firm, "Damascus", etc.) and the method of manufacture (forged, cast), in principal, matters only for cook-professionals. For all that, the load of a professional cook and amateur cook somewhat different, and therefore the quality of tool for the "pro" must be much higher.
Our demands in an amateur league is not that high. The manufacturers worth attention are: Japan, Germany, Spain. Many might call me a heretic, but for the amateur kitchen, I would have recommended also England brands.
That's all about the knives. The following essay will tell about the rest of the kitchen equipment, such as:

pots, pans, sieves and other funny kitchen cookware


]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Longitudinal peeling knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/vegetable_slicer https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/vegetable_slicer Kitchen Design Vatel Read more about this knife in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Peeling knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/fruit_knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/fruit_knife Kitchen Design Vatel

Used for:

  • Peeling citruses
  • Vegetables / fruit figure cutting
  • Fruit core removal

Read more about this knife in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Steamer https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots/steamer-pot https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/pans-pots/steamer-pot Kitchen Design Vatel
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Transverse peeling knife https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/vegetable_slicer_1 https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/cookware/knife_set/vegetable_slicer_1 Kitchen Design Vatel Read more about this knife in the parent chapter.
Categories: kitchen knives
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Vegetable slicer https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils/vegetable-slicer https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils/vegetable-slicer Kitchen Design Vatel see parent chapter
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300 Сolander https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils/colander https://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/articles/cookery/kitchen-utensils/colander Kitchen Design Vatel see parent chapter
]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0300