German, American, Japanese knives brand are the most popular ones. Then, Why Japanese kitchen knife? What happens when you work with a knife which doesn’t satisfy your needs? You’ll curse it! Have you ever heard of someone cursing a Japanese knife? Certainly NOT. So you need to special care what you care most. That is why Essential tools for Japanese kitchen knife is very important.
The Japanese have a tradition of making top-quality blades for over centuries. They have been Making Blades with such endeavor with their own perfection and continuing this tradition ever since. These Japanese Kitchen Knife blades are made of harder steel than that of German blades.
Harder blades remain consistently sharper than softer steel blades. Moreover, they are thinner than that of the German’s. In short, the most important trio that the Japanese maintain in their knives is – thickness, hardness, and sharpness.
There are many reasons why someone cares about or would want a top-quality blade for their kitchen. Surely, A consistently sharp blade will give you confidence even when you need to make one of the most complicated dishes.
In fact, A proper knife is a big factor behind any great chef. In that case, you don’t want your knife to get dull, damaged or nicked up when cutting something or when stored in an idle or ‘on the go’ state of it. Even if it gets damaged or dull, you will surely want back of its sharp edge by the sharpening process. Equally, you will always protect your prized blade from becoming rusty. Therefore, you will need some tools or kits to stay out of these issues. Generally, there are 5 essential tools/kits for your Japanese kitchen knife.
What are the 5 essential tools/kits for Japanese Kitchen Knife?
Comparison Chart
Boelley Bamboo Cutting Board set of 4 with 6 Utensils and 1 canvas bag Wood cutting boards with Juice Groove -handles -serving Tray kitchen Chopping Board for butcher block Cheese -Vegetables
Skyway Goods Knife Sharpening Stone, 2 Side Sharpening Whetstone 1000/6000, Best Wet Stone Sharpening Kit for Sharping Knives, Knife Sharpener Stone with Non Slip Bamboo Base & Angle Guide
JOINDO Heavy Duty Waxed Canvas Knife Bag, Professional Chef Knife Roll Bags with 6 Slots, Knives Pouch
Cutting Boards
A cutting board is a tool on what you can cut the vegetables and meat in your kitchen by a Japanese Kitchen Knife. You can’t just start cutting the cooking stuff on wherever you want. Doing so, your cooking stuff may get contaminated or may not be hygienic. Moreover, not using a cutting board can be catastrophic for your knives too.
A well-sharpened edge of a knife is a symbol of cleaner cuts and to go with it is much safer. whereas, a dull knife needs much more force which can be injurious. A good cutting board can be favorable to get hygienic food and to retain the continuous sharpness of the knife. That’s why before buying a cutting board people care to know which cutting board is the best.
Notably, we can find 4 types of available cutting boards each formed by distinguishable materials.
- Wood
- Plastic
- Bamboo
- Glass
First of all, a wooden cutting board is long lasting and shows gentleness on knives. Thus, the sharpness of the edge of knives remains for a long time.wooden boards cannot be long-lasting if soaked in water.
Moreover, you must not put them in a dishwasher. Nowadays many restaurants are replacing the wooden boards with plastic boards for sanitation and hygiene reasons. You can wash plastic boards in water or put them in a dishwasher. Plastic boards can also be friendly to the edge of the knives. Cleanness and maintenance are the big pros of the plastic boards.
At the present time, a new material like bamboo is used for making cutting boards. Though it is durable it is not that gentle enough on knives edges as woods or other plastic materials. Last, glass is also used as a cutting board material. But remember for kitchen purpose it’s not safe at all. It can be slippery and hardness of it can damage the edge of knives.
All things considered, you can find out plastic boards as the best one. Must be remembered, cutting boards must not be slippery in times of using.
Knife sharpeners
Two-sided different grit stone is a combination whetstone.On one side you can you can sharpen your knives and on the other side, you can hone your Japanese kitchen knife. You can find considerable combination whetstones. Like, #300 – #1000, #1000 – #6000 grit stone and so on. You have to choose on basis of your needs.
Suppose, you need a whetstone for sharpening and honing then you should select a stone for the best of these purposes. You can choose a stone containing #300 – #1000 grit or something else as per your need. Remember to lubricate the stone before use. It works best when wet down for both lubrication and cleaning. Besides, you don’t want to spend too much on stones. Therefore, A combination whetstone simply saves from your additional spent on two different stones. It’s like,“To kill two birds with one stone.”
An electric knife sharpener is a device with which you can sharpen and hone your knives in an easier action of sharpening. Mostly, you can find 2 stage sharpener device, coarse and fine, while there are 3 or more stage sharpeners are available that are the best models.
Basically, three or four stage sharpening machine helps to sharpen a very dull knife more quickly. Generally, in 3 stage sharpener, stage 1 is for a very dull knife, stage 2 is for preparing the knife for polishing and stage 3 is for polishing and honing. Electric knife sharpeners have the speed because of the automation process. It takes just 1-2 minutes for the sharpening process. Like, if you want a touch up before cutting an onion or tomato it can take less then 30 seconds.
Knife Blocks
Knives on which you have spent hundreds of dollars and is a professional tool of yours must be stored safely. Therefore, A knife block is a common kitchen tool where Japanese Kitchen Knife is stored in. It has slots designed to hold knives. It maintains the safety of your knives.
Knife blocks are made of different materials such as- wood, steel or other materials. Most knife blocks are made of wood. Wood, walnut wood, bamboo, beechwood are the materials are used in different wooden blocks. Wooden blocks are used mostly. It absorbs excess water from the knives surface and helps to protect from being rusty.Whereas, Steel blocks can’t absorb excess water which can result in a rusty state of a blade. But, in the matter of cleaning, it is tough to clean the inside of wooden blocks unlike doing that for the steel knife blocks.
There is another material used in making knife blocks which are called hard acrylic.
This type of block is less durable than wooden or steel knife blocks. For
that reason, you may have to replace the knife block frequently. Thus, you should use wooden or steel knife blocks. You can store your knives into the blocks either vertically or horizontally. The preference is horizontal. Because during swiping out the knife may damage the tip of the knife in the vertical blocks. Besides, safety and ambiance, knife blocks can be a charm in your kitchen’s overall ambiance. Especially, it is a tool which can make sure that your children stay away from the knives.
Knife Pouch
A professional chef always carries his knives in a knife-friendly way with a knife pouch.It’s an essential tool in where you put your knives safe and helps you to carry your knives comfortably and easily. A knife pouch helps to keep your knives to be secure which is essential to kitchen safety and the longevity of your blades. By covering the knives when not in use, you can reduce the damages to your knives and unwanted cuts or injuries. Hence, you can use a knife roll or a knife case. Both of these types are constructed from the materials like canvas, nylon, leather, polyester, polypropylene.
A quality knife roll offers space for up to 8-10 knives. Zipper and shoulder strap can be included. Altogether, a knife roll is a classy and secure way to travel with your knives. Compare to knife roll, a knife case has just one difference. That is the capacity. A knife case has more capacity than that of knife roll. Just choose it acknowledging the options like material, size, build quality, price etc.
Tsubaki oil
The camellia oil is called Tsubaki oil. The Japanese swordsmen have used it for their valuable blades for centuries. Though Japanese men and women commonly use it for the moisturization of their skin, it is also used to moisturize carbon steels. It is extracted from the camellia plant. Camelia is grown in many places in Japan but Nagasaki is popular for this oil.
Your Japanese Kitchen Knife has an incredible sharpness and quality. Then, you have to acknowledge that your knives need significant care to be beautiful and rust-free consistently. Camellia or Tsubaki oil on carbon steel is a traditional method to maintain your knives longevity. As a non-toxic element, it is safe to use on the kitchen knives and is totally food-safe. Before using this oil, please clean the surface of the blade. Then, add few drops of oil on both sides of the blade and clean it with a dry and clean cloth. Clean the blade with clean cold water and wipe it with a clean and dry cloth before using the blade for kitchen work. Ensure that all traces of oil are removed before using the knife. This ideal for kitchen knives when not in use. If you want to keep your knife shining, bright and sharp, then you have to clean it, dry it and oil it immediately after use.
