Let's talk about ceramicMar 02 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Kitchen
The Bottom Line If you want a set of really good knives, Henckel's or Trident will serve *very* well. But if you're looking for the one PERFECT knife, think ceramic.
Ever tried a ceramic knife? (Heck... have you ever heard of one?) If not, read on. Over time, even the hardest steel blade will "roll," meaning that it will curl over to one side (or both). Ceramic won't. It can't. It may dull over the years, but not nearly as fast as even the best steel blades. Unlike steel, ceramic is totally inert and non-reactive. Therefore it is *impossible* to stain it due to the food acids which discolor steel products. Likewise, they can't rust, and won't turn your fruits and vegetables brown. The surface of a ceramic blade is so non-stick that cleanup is easier than other knives. Most foods will simply wipe off. Just use a little hot, soapy water, and you're done. Since ceramic is much lighter than steel, the knives are easier to use, and are better balanced than most steel knives. Why? How? Okay... time to get a bit geeky: These knives are made of a ceramic called zirconium oxide (also called zirconia). This material is nearly as hard as diamond*, wear resistant, and chemically inert. [*=For the technically minded, zirconium oxide has a hardness of 8.2 mohs (vs. steel at 5-6 mohs and diamond at 10 mohs).] Ceramic knives are produced by a Japanese company called Kyocera. They come in three varieties: 1) Plastic handle -- the stick-straight handle will probably be a bit uncomfortable for most users. 2) Ergonomic Plastic handle -- Curved, for a better grip. 3) Ming Tsai signature series -- named for the TV chef, the Ming Tsai series has an ergonomic wood handle. ALL THREE TYPES HAVE THE EXACT SAME BLADES. They get successively more expensive (and start out pretty costly), so don't think that the higher end has a better blade. It's just a better handle. Important, but not critically so. As an alternate to the Kyocera lines, consider the Boker line of ceramic knives. The blades are still made by Kyocera, but the ergonomic plastic handles are much better than those offered by Kyocera. Better still, they tend to cost a lot less. (Why? Probably something to do with import fees, but that's just a guess.) Still expensive, but no longer astronomically so.  |
| Read all comments (3)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
