Preparing for Carnival Concessions Season

Posted on 05,16 by Hayden

Ferris WheelWith summer just around the corner, carnival season is soon to be upon us. While this traditionally busy season is usually a delight for concessions operators, the rush of business can quickly turn into a hectic nightmare if you are not ready. Preparing for the summer months is absolutely necessary to ensure that your concessions operation runs smoothly, but if addressed in small, manageable chunks, keeping your stand or trailer up to snuff can become a normal, routine task. Here are a few things to keep in mind while during your spring cleaning.

  • Check your equipment: Check the condition of your crucial concession equipment (fryers, grills, popcorn machines, and so on) regularly. If any of your equipment is starting to show signs of wear or age, make plans to upgrade or repair before anything breaks or malfunctions. Don’t wait until there is a problem to start fixing it; having a machine break in the middle of a busy day can be devastating to your short-term business.
  • Establish a cleaning routine: Despite typically being outdoors, cleanliness is just as important in concession stands as it is in full-scale restaurants. Make sure that everything is cleaned regularly by developing a schedule and following it closely. Not everything will need to be cleaned with the same frequency, so take some time to determine how often each part of your trailer will need attention and break your schedule down into groups of tasks to help simplify your daily cleaning.
  • Stay Stocked: Keeping track of your stock is crucial during busy concessions seasons. If you have sold to carnivals or state fairs before, use your numbers from the previous season to estimate how much stock to keep on hand. Many concessions food ingredients are shelf-stable, and can be stocked relatively far in advance. If your concession stand sells products with fresh ingredients that can’t be stocked ahead of time, there are still plenty of disposables, flavor mixes, and paper goods to keep on hand. Make sure that you have plenty of cups, plates, flavoring concentrates, condiment packets, and other necessary items before heading in for the season.
  • Market carefully: Before setting up shop, make sure that every product you offer is poised to bring in a profit. Consider your demographic carefully, and attune your menu to minimize potential waste. Variety is great, but any items that don’t sell detract from your overall sales. Specializing in one or two items can sometimes be the best way to bring in profits during competitive busy seasons, rather than offering the widest variety of complex or unique items.
  • Stay seasonal: Keep the weather in mind when choosing which items to sell from your stand. Carnival attendees will almost certainly come looking for a cold, refreshing snack or drink during the warmer summer months, so be sure to have something available to help keep them hydrated. Outfitting your truck or stand with a drink fountain, frozen beverage dispenser, ice cream cooler, or snow cone machine is a great way to help your customers beat the heat.

Running a concession stand is a busy but profitable business, especially during the busy summer season when carnivals, state fairs, and other outdoor events become more frequent. While the demanding pace of concession operations may be intimidating to those unfamiliar with the business, a bit of careful planning, organization, and predictive sales planning can go a long way toward staying ahead of your costs. Keep the above tips in mind to help ensure that your concession stand, truck, or trailer brings in continual profits all summer long.

Posted in Concession Supplies, Guides | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Calculating Food Cost

Posted on 05,10 by Hayden

A pile of coins.Managing food cost is the most critical aspect of owning a restaurant. Most restaurants bring in most (if not all) of their profit through food revenue, making the balance between ingredient purchasing and menu pricing an obviously important part of running one’s business. Among the numbers of restaurants that close their doors every year, almost all of them have been due to poor food cost management.
 
Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the fact that calculating your food cost is a long and time consuming part of managing your budget. But with a careful and organized approach, keeping your food costs in check is a readily achievable goal. While balancing your overall budget will be a complicated and intensive portion of your restaurant duties, calculating the food cost of each of the items on your menu can be broken down into several relatively simple steps.
 
First, take stock of each of the ingredients that you will need for the items on your menu. The easiest way to do this is to review your menu item by item and make thorough, quantifiably portioned lists of required ingredients for each item. Be specific: if a sandwich requires two slices of tomato, list “two slices of tomato” in the ingredients, rather than just “tomato.” While tight portion control may seem “stingy” to some, ensuring that your ingredients are being used at the expected rate is key to staying on budget. Being vague about portions or quantities in your cost estimations is one of the fastest ways to waste food and lose money.
 
Starting with your first item, break down the cost of each ingredient per order of the item based on the bulk cost of the ingredient. For example, if a recipe requires 2 oz. of cheese from a 5 lb. block that costs $20.00, the cost per item of the cheese is approximately $0.50. Do this for each of the ingredients in the item and add up the result. This is the total ingredient cost required to make the item.
 
Once you have this value, divide it by the menu price for your food cost value. For example, a cheeseburger plate that requires $3.50 worth of ingredients and sells for $9.99 will have a food cost of approximately 0.35, or 35%, meaning that 35 cents of every dollar made off of the item has already been spent paying for the ingredients. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when pricing menu items is to try to keep the food cost at around 30% by charging about three times as much as you spent on ingredients. If a salad requires $2.50 worth of ingredients, the menu price should likely be somewhere around $7.50.
 
However, this is not set in stone. Each restaurant is different, and your prices will need to be chosen on a case by case basis. Each menu item should be priced to make money, but there is a fine line between pricing for profit and just plain over-pricing. Plan your menu carefully so that each item can be priced to bring in money without seeming unreasonable to the customer.
 
Once you have calculated the food cost for each item on your menu, you can then work backwards to determine how much of each ingredient you need to order to fulfill the estimated demand for a given period. This is where tightly managing your food cost is particularly important. Profit margins in restaurants are often slim, especially when a menu item uses a variety of unique ingredients, and over-ordering on one or more ingredients can lead to significant loses if the excess ends up in the garbage. Estimate your upcoming business carefully when ordering ingredients to avoid wasting money on unused food.

Posted in Guides | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wine Pairing Made Easy

Posted on 05,09 by Hayden

We’ve discussed wine pairing in previous posts, but sometimes a more handy, visual guide can be very useful when making those quick dinner decisions. Here is a comprehensive chart of wine pairing advice, courtesy of winefolly.com:

Wine Pairing ChartGood luck with your upcoming pairing adventures, and don’t forget to stock up on plenty of wine glasses for your next occasion!

Posted in Guides, Infographics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Scotsman Ice Machines for Coke Freestyle Fountains

Posted on 05,02 by Hayden

 

Coke Freestyle Plus Scotsman Ice

The relatively new Coca-Cola Freestyle soft drink dispenser has become a popular new way to add choice and variety to the beverage selection at many fast food and fast casual dining establishments. Since it’s introduction in 2009, the Freestyle machine has since been adopted by an assortment of popular franchise restaurants, and the unprecedented variety of different flavor combinations offered by the machine has proven to be a hit among customers nationwide.

However, the unique shape of Coke’s Freestyle machines have caused some uncertainty within the foodservice industry about which ice machines to buy to match the sleek, narrow design of the dispenser. Not all ice machines will fit just right on the top of the Freestyle machine’s cabinet, and it is not uncommon that existing ice machines may require some “rigging” when being reused after upgrading to a Freestyle dispenser.

Luckily, Scotsman Ice Systems offers an ice machine that does fit Coca-Cola’s popular new machine. The Prodigy C0722 ice cuber fits easily on top of the Freestyle dispenser, and is capable of producing up to 790 lbs. of ice per 24 hours—plenty of ice to supply a day’s worth of beverages. The C0722 is available in either small (half) cube or medium (full) cube models and features a self-contained, air-cooled condenser for easy installation almost anywhere in your establishment.

With the Prodigy C0722 ice cuber, upgrading to Freestyle dispensers becomes a worry-free task. With just the right fit for the Freestyle cabinet, an ice output worthy of the busiest fast casual restaurants, and the cutting edge feature set of the Prodigy series, the C0722 is the perfect choice when outfitting your new state-of-the-art dispenser. Bring the refreshing variety of a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine to your beverage station today and make installation a snap with the Scotsman Prodigy C0722 ice machine.

Posted in Restaurant Equipment | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Choosing a Stock Pot

Posted on 04,26 by Hayden

Various Stock PotsA good stock pot is an important part of any well-equipped kitchen. Although commonplace in the commercial kitchen, stock pots are not something for which most home chefs are likely to find themselves shopping on a regular basis. Picking out the right stock pot for your needs can be a bit tricky, but a bit of knowledge will go a long way in narrowing down your choices. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for your next stock pot:

  • Size: Size is the first thing to consider when picking out your stock pot. This will likely be the primary determining factor while you shop, so it is usually helpful to decide early in the selection process what size you will need. Residential stock pots come in a variety of sizes that generally range from 6 to 20 quarts. Stock pots larger than 20 quarts are typically only used in commercial applications. A standard, 6 qt. stock pot (included in most basic cookware sets) is typically large enough to prepare most soups, stews, and sauces, but seafood boils and other recipes with large, chunky ingredients will likely require more space to avoid boiling over. If you frequently entertain or cook large batches of soup or stew to freeze for later, a larger stock pot (around 12 quarts) may be a good investment. Obviously, the larger a pot is, the heavier and more unwieldy it will be, especially when it is full of hot liquid. Pots larger than 12 quarts can be cumbersome and will take up a lot of space, making them ideal only for those who regularly cook for large groups.
  • Shape: In addition to size, shape is also an important factor to keep in mind. Conventionally, stock pots are tall and narrow, although some soup stock pots may be short and wide to allow for easier stirring. Tall pots with narrow bases allow for more consistent heating than wide pots, as the majority of the heat from the burner is “caught” by the base and transferred up into the walls of the pot. Wide pots that are significantly larger than the burner’s effective area will heat less consistently, as the heat from the burner must “waste time” creeping across the bottom of the pot before it can heat the sides. This can cause temperature gradients in your food, which can ultimately lead to inconsistent cooking. While wider, shallower pots can be easier to use in certain situations (i.e. stirring, serving, pouring, etc.) and are great for cooking smaller amounts of soup that don’t rise far up the walls of the pot, the smaller surface area of more narrow pots is ideal for larger recipes that need to be held at a constant temperature for extended periods of time.
  • Materials: Just as with all cookware, materials are very important when choosing a stock pot. Most stock pots are made of either stainless steel, heavy-duty aluminum, or composites, although there are some pots available with non-stick or enamel coatings. While a non-stick coating may be useful for some specific applications, it is generally not a necessary feature, as most recipes prepared in your stock pot will be liquid-based and will not be at a significant risk of sticking to the cooking surface. Aluminum pots will heat more quickly and consistently than their stainless steel counterparts, but they generally require more care than steel pots, as they tend to be more susceptible to corrosion from acidic ingredients and will require more meticulous cleaning.
  • Composites: Many cookware manufacturers now offer stock pots that feature embedded cores or base inserts.  This composite design combines the best features of multiple materials by surrounding a thermally conductive core of aluminum or copper with an exterior of stainless steel cladding. These cores allow the pot to heat much more consistently than a standard all-steel pot without sacrificing the corrosion resistance and easy to clean nature of stainless steel. Generally, composite pots are available in one of two forms: all-clad or base insert. Pots with only a base insert contain a composite core only in the base of the pan, while all-clad pots feature a full core that runs all the way up the sides of the pot. All-clad pots will naturally be more expensive, but they will ultimately heat more evenly than their base-only counterparts.
  • Construction: Build quality is another important consideration when selecting your stock pot. The first thing to look for in a quality pot is a thick, heavy base. A heavy base will transfer heat at a more gradual rate, helping to prevent your ingredients from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Handles are another very important element; a stock pot that you can’t pick up is ultimately not very useful. Look for stock pots with wide handles that are attached securely with rivets or heavy, industrial screws. The handles should also protrude far enough to allow plenty of room for both your hands with potholders. More often than not, your stock pot handles will be warm to the touch, and trying to transport a heavy pot of hot soup with your bare hands is a quick and easy way to either burn yourself or—sometimes worse—spill the soup that you have spent the past several hours preparing.

As a final note in your stock pot selection process, be sure to invest in pots with solid, well-fitting lids. Flat, glass lids are generally preferrable, as they allow you to monitor your food without “peeking.” Flat lids are typically preferrable to domed lids, as they more easily allow you to partially cover the pot for recipes that require slower evaporation. Remember that lids can be purchased separately from your pots, if needed, so if you have found just the right set of pots that come with less than stellar lids, there is always still hope in the cookware aftermarket. Just be sure to bring your pot with you when you go shopping to ensure that the new lids fit properly.

Posted in Guides, Residential Kitchen, Restaurant Equipment, Smallwares | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Earth Day 2013

Posted on 04,18 by Hayden

RecycleEarth Day 2013 is fast approaching. This coming Monday, April 22nd, volunteer groups and organizations around the world will come together to help do their part in keeping our environment clean and spreading the word about environmental awareness. But you don’t have to be a charity organization to take part in the day’s observances. There are plenty of ways for restaurants and other small businesses to get involved in reducing their carbon footprint. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Install Energy-Efficient Equipment: Although it won’t be realistic for any restaurants to completely overhaul their kitchen by the start of next week, working energy-efficient equipment into your budgeting for future purchases is a great way to reduce your establishment’s energy consumption. As equipment grows old, consider upgrading to ENERGY STAR approved models. A kitchen outfitted with ENERGY STAR approved equipment will save money and energy, and will catch the attention of environmentally conscious customers.
  • Establish a Recycling Routine: Waste is inevitable in any restaurant, but finding ways to minimize that waste is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. Establish a plan for recycling in your restaurant, and look for ways to reuse or even donate unused food and disposables before tossing them in the trash. Consult our previous post on waste reduction for more tips on how to increase your recycling efficiency.
  • Buy Local: Purchasing food from local suppliers is another way to keep your menu environmentally friendly. Shipping food in from remote locations requires more fuel and packaging, and produces more overall emissions than getting food from local sources. Locally grown food is also fresher by nature, and purchasing from nearby farmers and food suppliers ultimately helps to stimulate the local economy. Not all regions will feature a local agriculture varied enough to fully provide for the needs of every kind of menu, but most areas will house enough local producers to at least cut down on a portion of your outsourced food supply.
  • Sponsor a Local “Act of Green”: Organizing and/or sponsoring a local tree planting, trash clean up, or other “green event” is a great way to take part in Earth Day without having to make significant changes to your overall business model. Establishing a “sponsorship schedule” of different environmentally-centered events throughout the year will help keep awareness up year round.
  • Make a Donation: If your restaurant or business is strapped for time this year and won’t have a chance to organize an event any time soon, you can always make a donation to an environmental organization. Support is always needed, and making a tax-deductible donation to the Earth Day Network (or other organization of your choice) is a helpful method of showing your dedication to the planet on Earth Day.
These are just a few suggestions for ways in which your company can participate during this year’s Earth Day. For more ideas about how to help reduce your waste and emissions or how to help promote the ongoing effort to reduce our impact on the environment, visit the Earth Day Network at www.earthday.org to discover new ways to support green business practices all year long.
Posted in Events & Adventures, Green Products | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Knife Guide: Filet & Boning Knives

Posted on 04,12 by Hayden

Boning and fillet knives with cut of fishMost chefs who cook a lot of meat (especially fish) will likely already be familiar with fillet and boning knives, but those who do not spend their days carefully preparing fine cuts of meat may not have much exposure to this type of blade. These smaller kitchen knives are used to debone and break down fish, poultry, and other cuts of meat, and they feature a variety of distinctive qualities that make them perfect for the job. Although boning and filet knives are often used interchangeably, there are some important differences between the two.

As mentioned, boning and fillet knives are ideal for use when working with meats (and certain types of vegetables) that call for precise, careful cuts during preparation. Most commonly, boning/fillet knives are used when cleaning and preparing fish, as they are well equipped for working around and removing small, soft fish bones. The blades of boning and fillet knives are made significantly thinner than most other kitchen knives to allow the blade to flex. This flexibility allows the blade to bend slightly and “conform” to the surface of what you are cutting, making fillet knives ideal for removing the skin from flat cuts of meat.

Typically, fillet knives are always designed to be flexible. While some boning knives are flexible, they are not all necessarily designed to be so. Non-flexible boning knives are well-equipped for cutting tougher meats like pork or beef, as the thin but sturdy blade allows for higher precision cuts than a standard chef’s knife. The flexible blades of fillet knives—while perfect for soft meats like fish and chicken—offer less strength and overall stability when cutting tougher meats, and they can quickly go dull if used in more “heavy-duty” applications. While boning knives can usually be used in the place of a fillet knife, it is not always the case that the opposite is true: a thin fillet knife that is used too frequently on tough or difficult cuts of meat may be in danger of warping over time.

Most boning knives feature straight blades with pointed tips that facilitate the precise removal of bones and other unwanted portions of meat, especially in deep cuts and crevices. Common fillet knives also feature a similarly long, straight shape, although some fillet knives curve upward toward the end of the blade to improve their capability for removing skin from fish in a single pass cut. These curved blades are generally reserved for use with flat cuts of fish, as the curved tip—while ideal for making long, steady cuts—inhibits the overall maneuverability and practicality of the knife in other situations.

Much like any other knife, the overall quality of your blade will be determined by the same three factors governing chef’s knives: forged vs. stamped, full tang vs. partial tang, and material. Like chef’s knives, boning and fillet knives are available with either forged or stamped blades, as well as full tang or partial tang handles. Forged, full tang knives are generally recommended when purchasing a reliable chef’s knife, but the distinctions are not quite as critical when shopping for your next fillet knife as they are when choosing an all-purpose kitchen knife. Because boning and fillet knives are used for precision cuts and careful deboning, they are generally not subjected to the same levels of stress as other types of kitchen knives, and therefore do not necessarily need to be quite as robust as the rest of your cutlery. Many professional chefs and fishmongers use stamped blade, partial tang fillet knives without issue.

Material, however, is still just as important as ever. High-carbon steel is generally the preferred material for the thin blades of boning and fillet knives. As discussed in our previous knife guide posts, stainless steel is very easy to clean, but it does not hold an edge as long as carbon steel. This is an especially problematic trade-off with fillet knives, as the thin blades already tend to lose their edge faster than larger, thicker knives. Although they require more care to prevent rust and corrosion, high-carbon steel blades will maintain their edge significantly longer than stainless steel. High-carbon steel is also easier to sharpen than stainless steel, making the inevitable trips back to the sharpening stone a less time-consuming task.

Most chefs (both amateur and professional) will probably want to keep at least one boning knife and one fillet knife in their cutlery collection. Some prefer to invest in a single, multi-purpose filet/boning knife, but having a thin, flexible fillet knife and a solid, maneuverable boning knife on hand should keep you well equipped to clean and prepare any kind of meat or fish.

Posted in Guides, Residential Kitchen, Restaurant Equipment, Smallwares | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer Spotlight: R&V Works

Posted on 04,02 by Hayden

R&V Works LogoSpring is officially here, and with warmer weather just around the corner, now is the traditional time for outdoor cooking enthusiasts to start getting ready for grilling season. Grilling is a long appreciated summertime activity, but why not add something new to your outdoor cooking routine? Bring a bit of variety to your outdoor meals and social gatherings with an R&V Works outdoor fryer.

For 14 years, R&V Works has been designing high quality, easy to use outdoor cooking equipment with a Southern flair. The R&V Works Cajun Fryer has become one of the most popular outdoor fryers on the market today thanks to its simple, efficient design and reliable build quality. The Cajun Fryer makes it easier than ever to cook perfectly fried foods for your outdoor occasions. The efficient design keeps cooking temperatures constant for consistent and even cooking, while the innovative angled burner flue helps direct food particles to the cold zone at the bottom of the fryer, significantly extending the lifespan of your oil and ensuring that your food always comes out tasting fresh and crispy. The R&V Works Cajun Fryer is the perfect way to add delicious fried foods to your barbecue menu without the messy hassle of frying indoors.

Although best known for their outdoor fryers, R&V Works also offers a full suite of other outdoor cooking equipment. Their full line of broilers, smokers, and grills is sure to offer everything that you will need to complete your outdoor cooking ensemble and impress your friends at your next big cookout. Get ready to enjoy the warmer weather with a set of R&V Works Cajun cooking equipment this summer.

Posted in Residential Kitchen | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Knife Guide: Paring Knives

Posted on 03,28 by Hayden

Paring Knife with CarrotsAlong with the chef’s knife, paring knives are one of the most commonly used pieces of cutlery in most home and professional kitchens. Although small, the paring knife is one of the most versatile food preparation tools in the chef’s arsenal, allowing one to chop, peel, slice, and carve foods with higher degrees of accuracy than larger knives. As such, paring knives are most commonly used for tasks that require careful detail, such as removing seeds from peppers, de-veining shrimp, cutting garnishes, and more. The smaller size of a paring knife allows it to be more carefully manipulated to achieve precise or intricate cuts that would normally be difficult with a larger blade.

Paring knives tend to be one of the smaller features of your cutlery drawer, with blades typically ranging from 2-1/2 inches to 4 inches long. Most pairing knives are designed with a straight blade that gradually curves up to a point, although some feature a downward-curving “birdbeak” or “Tourné” design intended to make peeling easier. Unlike chef’s knives, the blades of paring knives are usually not much wider than the handle. This lowers overall chopping power and hand clearance, but increases control and allows the knife to be held in a variety of different positions for various kinds of cuts. Paring knives are like chef’s knives, however, in that many of the same considerations go into their production.

As with chef’s knives, the forged vs. stamped distinction is important when picking out a paring knife. Although paring knives are smaller, and will most likely not be used for heavy or difficult chopping, forged knives will still be much stronger and longer lasting than stamped knives for the same reasons detailed in our chef’s knife post. Don’t let the small size fool you: your paring knives will see a lot of frequent use in your kitchen, and investing in a set of durable, forged paring knives will almost certainly be well worth the money if you cook often.

Materials are also a primary concern when selecting your paring knife. Although paring knives are used somewhat differently, they are essentially just scaled down versions of the chef’s knife, and are available in many of the same materials. As with other types of knives, carbon steel sacrifices chemical resilience for improved hardness and edge-keeping capabilities, while stainless steel is more resistant to staining and corrosion but will require more frequent sharpening. Because paring knives are most often used in relatively low-impact applications, they generally will not be at risk of losing their edge quite as quickly as other more heavily-used blades. With this in mind, the easy-to-clean nature of stainless steel—although it may need to be sharpened slightly more often—will probably offer the most value and benefit to the average user. If, on the other hand, your pairing knives see a lot of action in your kitchen and you don’t mind spending a bit of extra time keeping your blades clean and dry, the edge-holding properties of carbon steel may make it the most reliable choice.

Again, as with chef’s knives, the full tang vs. partial tang discussion is also relevant to paring knives. Like their larger counterparts, paring knives are available with both full tang (blade material extends all the way through the bottom of the handle) and partial tang (blade material extends only partially into the handle) blades. The same points can be made about each as were made with chef’s knives: full-tang knives tend to be stronger and longer lasting, while partial tang knives are almost always less expensive. Full-tang knives are generally more balanced, as well, providing easier maneuverability and increased physical feedback when making those precision cuts. If you are willing to make a larger investment in a durable knife that will last for years with proper care, full-tang is the obvious choice. However, if you typically only use your paring knife for light peeling and slicing work and are hoping to stay within a tighter budget, partial tang knives should do the job just fine.

Because so much attention is usually poured into finding just the right chef’s knife for your cooking style, paring knives are sometimes taken for granted as the “lesser” part of one’s cutlery set. But most people will likely find themselves using their paring knives a lot more often than expected to slice, peel, chop, score, and mince a wide variety of different ingredients. The small size may seem limiting on the surface, but a well-made, dependable paring knife is a critical part of any chef’s tool set.

Posted in Bar Supplies, Residential Kitchen, Restaurant Equipment, Smallwares | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Knife Guide: Chef’s Knives

Posted on 03,21 by Hayden

Chef's Knife Chopping OnionsAny professional or home chef can attest to the importance of a sturdy, dependable chef’s knife. Also known as a French knife or a cook’s knife, the chef’s knife is one of the most common cutting tools used in food preparation, particularly in Western kitchens. A good chef’s knife can be used to cut meat, slice vegetables, and chop herbs, among a variety of other uses. But with this versatility comes the inevitable confusion of choosing which knife to buy when shopping through all of the options and variations that the industry has to offer, especially if this is your first big knife investment. But don’t let that scare you away to a land of low-quality “budget” knives. Arming yourself with a bit of knowledge about exactly what a chef’s knife is and how it is used is a quick and easy way to narrow the search.

Although the chef’s knife was originally designed to disjoint and separate large cuts of meat (specifically beef), the modern chef’s knife is intended to be useful for a wide variety of kitchen tasks. The long, gently curved blade gives the chef’s knife a sort of “generic” versatility that allows it to be at least reasonably effective, if not very effective, in most situations. While it may not be quite as well equipped to chop hard foods like a cleaver or offer the precise maneuverability of a pairing knife, the chef’s knife is still typically the go-to tool for all-purpose chopping power in the kitchen. Most standard chef’s knives measure in at about eight inches long, and are usually about 1.5 inches wide at their widest point, offsetting the handle from the knife’s edge for extra leverage and grip. The shape of the chef’s knife allows for it to be used to chop, slice, mince, and even crush ingredients with little need for the user to change his or her grip.

Although chef’s knives are designed to be easy to use and widely applicable, there is still a good bit to know when purchasing a new knife. There are a lot of knives to choose from out there, and the browsing through all of the different options can often be overwhelming, especially if you are not familiar with some of the terms. Here are a few important things to take into consideration when looking for a quality chef’s knife:

Forged vs. Stamped:

One of the main differences to keep in mind when shopping for a chef’s knife is whether the blade has been forged or stamped. Forged blades are created through a long, multi-step process in which the metal is heated to high temperature and then beaten (usually via manual labor) to form the shape of the blade. Once the metal has cooled, the blade is then ground and sharpened. Stamped blades, on the other hand, are cut (by stamping) from a sheet of steel. The stamped blades are then heat treated for added strength before they are ground and sharpened.

The primary difference between stamped and forged blades is that forged blades will typically tend to be stronger. The impacts from the hammer during the forging process create localized compressive forces around each impact site. As the metal is hammered, the internal grain (the “shape” of the material’s molecular structure) of the metal is deformed to follow the general shape of the blade, giving the knife a consistent, continuous grain pattern throughout the metal that is less likely to crack, fracture, or buckle under stress. This results in a blade with higher and more resilient strength characteristics than their stamped counterparts. However, this increased durability does come at a cost—literally. Because forged blades take much longer to make and require constant, skilled physical labor, they tend to be significantly more expensive than stamped blades. Because stamped blades can be mass produced, they are typically more affordable for the average budget. Professional chefs and active home culinarians, however, will likely find the additional strength and increased edge-holding capabilities of a forged blade to be well worth the extra investment.

Material:

Chef’s knives are typically made of steel. While other materials like ceramics are sometimes used, the majority of chef’s knives will be comprised of carbon steel, stainless steel, or laminated steel:

  • Carbon Steel: Carbon steel blades are made of iron that has been alloyed with a high amount of carbon. The high carbon content creates a strong blade that is easy to sharpen and will hold an edge for longer periods of time than a stainless steel blade. The increased sharpness of carbon steel blades makes them a popular choice among professional chefs, but the high carbon content makes the metal is more vulnerable to rust, stains, oxidation, and corrosion than stainless steel alloys, making carbon steel knives a more maintenance-intensive investment.
  • Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is the most common material used in most kitchen tools, especially for commercial applications. Although they are harder to sharpen and will typically need to be sharpened more frequently, the alloying materials in stainless steel produce a blade that is highly resistant to rust, stains, and corrosion. Stainless steel blades will require less overall maintenance, making them ideal for everyday use.
  • Laminated Steel: A laminated knife is essentially a blade made of a layered composite of both materials. A soft, resilient steel is typically used to form the backing and exterior of the blade to resist wear, while the edge is formed of a harder, more brittle steel to maintain its sharpness.

Full Tang vs. Partial Tang:

One last thing to consider when shopping for your knife is the tang, or the portion of the blade that extends down into the handle. A full tang knife features a tang that extends through the full grip of the handle. Typically, the tang of a full tang knife actually comprises the “backbone” of the handle, with pieces of wood, plastic, or composite affixed to either side of the tang to complete the grip. A partial tang knife, on the other hand, features a shorter tang that does not extend the full length of the handle. The handles of partial tang knives are manufactured separately, and are fitted around the tang of the blade and held in place with adhesives, epoxies, bolts, or screws.

Because full tang knives are effectively made of one continuous piece of metal, they are almost universally stronger than partial tang knives. The additional metal in the handle also helps to balance the weight of the knife making them easier to control, overall. Full tang chef’s knives are also much better suited to applications that require forceful or heavy use, as there is no junction between the blade and the handle to break or loosen as the knife absorbs forces. However, because full tang knives are longer-lasting than partial tang knives, they are usually more expensive. Although they are not as strong, partial tang knives may be a more cost effective solution for heavy duty or corrosive applications (like butcher shops and fish markets) that call for more frequent knife replacement.

Posted in Guides, Residential Kitchen, Restaurant Equipment, Smallwares | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment