 |
 |
 |
|---|
Sponsored Links
With the short blade and sharp point, a paring knife works best for simple jobs around the kitchen that is simply not possible with a much larger knife. These knives usually come with small two to four inch blade with a plastic or wood handles. The tip can either be curvy or straight with a sharp point at the end. Pairing knives are great for hand held work such as shaping mushroom, carving fruits, removal of stems from fruits and vegetables, garnishing tasks and a dozen other tasks that would not be possible with a bigger knife. It can slice, peel, carve, and chop easily.
Generally paring knives are available in four different styles and each of these designs are specifically catered to be used in different conditions.
The Spear Point
This type of paring knife is the most versatile of all. It can be used to perform any kind of paring work such as peeling and slicing vegetables and fruits. This is the generic form of paring knife which is ideal if you don’t have a special need such as crafting or shaping vegetables or fruits as table decorations for a dinner party.
Bird’s Beak Shape
The bird’s beak shaped paring knife is perfect to cut and peel round fruits such as oranges or tomatoes. It can be maneuvered easily around and possess the right angle to remove the skin easily from round objects.
Flat Paring Knife
The flat paring knife would be ideal to slice and chop items such as onion, garlic, ginger and other small items in the kitchen. It is also referred to as the sheep’s foot paring knife.
Serrated Edge
The serrated edge paring knife is ideal for slicing larger fruits and vegetables. This type of paring knife has a serrated edge that won’t dull out as fast as the other types of paring knives.
How do You Choose the Best Blades?
Here are some tips.
Tip#1: Forged Vs Stamping
A forged blade is often much higher in quality and required the tedious task of heating and then beating the blade into the desired shape using a mold and a hammer. Because of its labor intensive process, it is much more expensive than stamping blade.
Tip#2: Blade Flexibility
The blades are flexible and you would want to go along with the more flexible version instead of the stiffer ones. The more flexible it is, the easier it would be though maneuver the knife.
Tip#3: Sharpness
Test the sharpness of the knife before you purchase. Nothing can be frustrated than a dull paring knife. The sharpness of the knife would ensure a clean, smooth cut.
Tip#4: Handles
Check to see that the handle is durable and comfortable. It should fit into the palm of your hand so you can grip it easily.