From Mom to At-Home Chef: Sharp Things in the Kitchen 101

This is a guest post.

Doug blogs at the Kitchen Professor and while his degree is honorary (bestowed upon him by his wife), he has enjoyed cooking his whole life, and especially likes the science of cooking. He is partial to cast iron, barbecuing, and loves adding the small, special touch to a recipe that takes it from just “okay” to “wow.”

When you hear the phrase “sharp things in the kitchen”, you may think about knives. I know that’s where my mind is drawn.

There are plenty of other sharp tools in the kitchen. Some of them are essential and they don’t have a substitute.

Safety note about sharp things…

If you have little ones around the house, then be sure to exercise great caution with any of the “sharp things” mentioned here in addition to knives. So keep them in a safe place, like a drawer or cabinet with a safety latch. You can get child safe latches or locks at any hardware, baby, or discount store.

Here are other safety notes about sharp things in the kitchen:

• Make sure that your knives are maintained well – This post is really about sharp things that are not knives but let’s take a moment to mention knives. They should be kept sharp since a sharp knife requires less force to cut. While it is counter intuitive, a sharp knife is safer for this very reason. Since you are applying less force, you are less likely to lose control of the blade.

Read more about knife sharpening and maintenance here. 

If you need a sharpener for the kitchen, then go with an electric sharpener model (here are some reviews) for fast, consistent results – like around 90 seconds per knife.
• Make sure you store your knives in a safe place – A magnetic strip on the wall is the most elegant solution and the easiest to keep clean. A knife block with slot is a good choice if you already have one, but I always feel like the slots can’t be very clean. Don’t keep them in a drawer since that can dull the blades and you might accidentally cut yourself.

• Use any and all guards or handles – Most of the time the manufacturer will include a guard if they know a tool or utensil is sharp. So don’t lose the guard for the pizza cutter or the mandolin.

• Don’t turn you back on the sharp things – It only takes a couple of seconds for a situation to change. If you turn you back even for a minute, you might find your daughter or son holding the very sharp peeler.

Alright, now that the safety disclaimer is out-of-the-way, let’s talk…

Peelers

Modern peelers are great when you compare them to the peelers of old. I remember the metal peeler that my grandmother used – metal handle with a dull peeling blade. It was a workout to use and a test of endurance!

Today you can get an ergonomically designed peeler that will make a pile of potatoes shiver in fear. I have two peelers and each has its purpose.

A Y-shaped peeler is a newer design and I prefer it for most peeling tasks. The more traditional harp-shaped peeler is the go-to for peeling potatoes. Of course, either one can be used for any peeling task in the case that the other one is in the dishwasher!

Options

Harp-shaped or Y-shaped. Go to your local kitchen supply or discount store and check out the selection. Hold all of them and see which handle feels best in your hands. I pick my knives the same way – the handle is critical and no one can tell you how a handle will feel in your hand.

 

Uses

• Peeling potatoes

• Peeling an apple, pear, or even a nectarine

• Shaving chocolate from a chocolate block

• Shaving or slicing cheese

Recipes

• Mashed Potatoes

• Zucchini Noodles

Shears

These are basically scissors for the kitchen. They are thick, heavy-duty, and can cut through poultry bone if needed.

Options

You can get 1 or 2 piece shears. Definitely go for the 2 piece option. Why? Because you can separate the shears for effectively cleaning after you cut up chicken. In fact, you can put them in the dishwasher to ensure they really get cleaned well.

Uses

• Cutting open bags

• Cutting a chicken into pieces

• Cutting fresh herbs as garnishment

• Cutting kitchen twine

• Trimming pie crusts

Recipes

• Spatchcocked Chicken

Mandolins

These aren’t the stringed instruments that you hear on bluegrass songs – these mandolins are versatile kitchen appliances that help you slice, julienne, and shred food. You can make short order of a massive pile of carrots, julienning them perfectly.

Options

There aren’t many different variations on the design. However, stay away from the very cheap slicers called “mandolins” as they usually are skimpy on the safety guard around the blade.

Safety guards are always a good thing, and a mandatory option for a mandolin. Basically, if you spend at least $25 then you are going to have a quality unit. And if you go up to the higher end, say over $100, you will find premium grade brands from France, like Bron and Mafter.

Uses

• Slicing

• Thin julienning

• Thick julienning

• Cutting waffle fries – Check out this video from Kraft on making Waffle Fries.

Recipes

• Zucchini Lasagna

• Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

• Crispy Apple Chips

Pizza Cutters

I love pizza. It is one of my most favorite things to eat. I believe this tool is self-explanatory – you cut pizza with it.

You can go for some of the more unique designs out there, but I prefer the traditional wheel-on-a-handle design. Here is the one that my wife gave me when I was in pizza making phase…I am still in that phase which is lasting years.

The blade is sharp on this model – very sharp. So, I normally put the pizza on my cutting board or back on its cardboard disc if it’s a frozen pizza. I want to protect the blade and whatever the pizza might be on should be durable enough for the pizza to be cut on without being damaged.

Options

• Traditional wheel-on-a-handle

Uses

• Cutting pizza

• Trimming homemade pasta

• Cutting fudge

• Cutting quesadillas

• Cutting pita bread

Recipes

• Cast Iron Pizza

• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge

Graters

I like the old reliable 4 sided box grater. It stands the test of time, it’s sturdy, and if you get a stainless-steel, it may outlast you.

There are rotary graters that you see most often at an Italian restaurant which are hand powered by a crank. I am not a fan. Rotary graters are tough to store and have several pieces.

Those extra pieces make the mechanism harder to clean.

The box grater will fit inside a bowl and that’s a nice feature since you will be applying downward pressure for you grating session.

At the bottom of the totem pole is the lowly flat grater. It stores well since it’s flat. But in contrast to the box grater, you don’t get the stability of putting the grater inside the bowl. Let’s just say I have seen someone flip a bowl of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese right over with a flat grater on top. (That someone was me!)

Options

• Box grater

• Rotary grater

• Flat grater

Uses

• Grating cheese

• Shredding lettuce

• Grating chocolate

• Slicing hard cheese

Recipes

• Hash Browns

• Sweet Potato Latkes

Conclusion

We looked at five non-cutlery utensils that are sharp. They are all indispensable in your kitchen and versatile in their own way.

Remember the following:

• Keep your knives sharp.

• Store your knives and sharp utensils in a safe place.

• Get a peeler that feels good in your hands, Y-shaped or Harp-shaped.

• Get two-piece kitchen shears for more thorough cleaning.

• Don’t get an ultra-cheap mandolin since they may lack sufficient safety guards. $25, or more, gets you to a better mandolin that has the features you need.

• A traditional pizza cutter is perfect for most people who don’t work in a pizza parlor.

• Get box grater since it is more sturdy and very durable.

 Thanks to Doug for this awesome post!