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Great chefs often say that the key to good food is a good kitchen knife. While many people who have never cooked think that this is surely an exaggeration, the fact of the matter is that a good kitchen knife can make a huge difference to the range of foods you can eat and cook, and the quality with which you prepare all of them.
While other factors such as the quality of the ingredients are very important, you simply cannot get around the need for a good knife and you cannot ignore the things that mark out a good knife from a bad one. There are a huge range of manufacturers who will all make a great kitchen knife and they will use many different materials and designs. There is also a huge price range and it is not always the case that the more you spend on a knife, the better it will be or even the sharper it will be. There is also the fact you should take into consideration which is that some types of food use their own specific kind of kitchen knife and you may want to invest in some of these if you cook a lot of that particular food. One example which springs to mind is sushi. As well as the kitchen knife as well, there are a few accessories that you will probably need to make the absolutely best use of your new knife. The first is the chopping board. You have to have a good cutting board when using a sharp kitchen knife, otherwise you are going to do serious damage to your kitchen counters, or plates or whatever else happens to be under the food that you are cutting. Cutting boards generally come in wood or plastic. Many people prefer plastic cutting boards because they are easier to clean and do not absorb the flavour or colour of the foods you chop on them. This would make them a lot easier to clean if you plan on chopping a lot of garlic or beetroot for example. However, there are advantages to wooden cutting blocks also. First of all they are more natural and many people say they prefer the natural feel when the knife hits the wood, as opposed to the feeling of a knife hitting plastic. Then there is also the fact that wood usually has some natural antiseptic qualities. If you leave your cutting board unwashed after use, the germs will multiply on a plastic board but will actually decrease on a wooden board. There are some boards, such as cheese boards which are also traditionally made from ceramics. Knife sharpeners are also an important accessory when you are thinking about your kitchen knife. All knives need to be sharpened and if you are investing a lot of money in a good knife then you should also have a good sharpener to make the best use of it. A good kitchen knife can set you back anywhere from $20 to $200 dollars and are available in all good kitchen and household supply stores. |
Accessories 
