Tutorials

How to equip the kitchen

Cooking is a matter of control making your tools do exactly what you want, and nowhere is control more important than in the use of particular knives for specific jobs. The kitchen knives must be sturdily made and the following are fundamental:

  • Bread Knife (with serrated edge)
  • Kitchen / Chef knife (usually 22 cm. long used to cut meat and vegetables)
  • Salami / Slice knife (usually 25 cm. long used to slice salami and cold cuts)
  • Utility knife ( usually 11 cm. long used to peel and cut vegetables)
  • Paring knife (usually 6 cm. long with a curved blade to peel/clean fruit and vegetables)
  • Roast slicing knife (usually 25 cm. long used to slice the roast But not just that)
  • Fork (very useful to manipulate the food)

To preserve and protect the knives we suggest using wooden blocks.

How to distinguish a quality knife

We are aware that it’s not a simple matter to valuate the quality of a knife, but some simple suggestions can make it easier:

  • Choose an Italian knife and be sure that the origin is printed on it.
  • Be sure that the “non rusting” description (inox – stainless steel – rostfrei) is printed on the blade.
  • Be suspicious of low cost knives which usually have an apparent but non substantial quality.
  • It’s definitely a guarantee of quality and origin to choose kitchen and professional knives with the logo “QM” – Maniago’s Quality”.

Knife usage and maintainance

WHAT KNIFE I USE?
Use each knife for its appropriate purpose.
 
HOW DO I WASH THEM?
The best way to preserve knives is to hand wash them. If you use the dish washer, take care to dry them after washing. Even if they are made of stainless steel, some washing powder components could combine with steel creating lettle rust spots. When you hand wash a knife, be careful always to pass the sponge on the non cutting side of the blade; the same when you dry it: pass the cloth on the reverse side of the cutting edge.
 
WHERE AND HOW DO I KEEP THEM?
Take care to put always the knives always in a secure place and away from the reach of children.
To preserve the sharpening, the blades should not hammer other metal parts.
For this reason Mercury S.n.c. can provide you the right WOODEN BLOCK, CASE, POCHETTE...
 
WHAT SHOULDN'T I DO?
Knives are potentially dangerous tools therefore they should be used carefully and with respect.
 
Some advise you should consider:
 

  • Never hold the knife by the blade
  • Always use well sharpened knives
  • Do not force a non cutting knife, you may injure yourself
  • Do not leave the knives in place from which they can easily fall down (as on the edge of the working desk)
  • If a knife falls on the floor, dont'try to prevent picking it up
  • Never use the knife as a chisel to fragment frozen food or similar
  • Never used the knife as a screwdriver or lever
  • Never leave the knives obscured among plates and cookware or in the sink in the foaming water because you could injure yourself
  • Always use the knives on wooden (or plastic) chopping boards; avoid using them on hard surfaces such as glass, ceramic, metal, marble...


DISCHARGE

When getting rid of obsolete knives please pay regard to the environment and follow the rubbish collecting instructions and rules of your country.