Knife Sharpening 101
Best Practices for Sharpening Commercial Knives
Every cook, professional or otherwise, knows how important it is to keep knives sharp. It has a huge impact on the quality of food preparation, and not having sharp knives can mean a drop in productivity. On top of that, if you have food that has been prepared with dull knives, you could end up with food that doesn't cook to its optimized level. Therefore, having knives that are blunt or just not quite sharp enough can make a real difference in the finished product.
There are several considerations involved when thinking about sharpening your knives and making sure they are fit for the job. One of the very first involves knowing whether your knives are sharp enough. There are ways to make sure you can tell, and they can give instant results.
How to Tell if Your Knife Is Sharp Enough for the Job
There are several ways to ensure your knife is sharp, but one of the quickest involves using paper. Paper should be easy to cut if the knife is sharp.
Take a piece of paper (it is perfectly fine to use a piece of standard printer paper for the job here) and hold it up. Hold the sheet at one end and, using the knife, cut from the top edge of the paper down to the bottom, cutting downwards . If it doesn’t cut cleanly and easily, it is not sharp enough.
This paper option is a quick and simple way to know whether your knife is good enough to stand the pressures of a commercial kitchen.
Using a Knife Sharpening Steel
Obviously, in a commercial kitchen, you are not really going to get the best kind of results by carrying pieces of paper around with you all day. You need to ensure your knives stay sharp as long as possible by making sure that you have something to sharpen them on a regular basis. A professional and efficient option involves using specific tools to get your knife to a acceptable level of sharpness.
A knife sharpening steel is very easy to find, and comes with most basic knife sets, including sets intended for use in a domestic kitchen. It isn’t the most effective way to keep your knives sharp enough for a commercial kitchen, but it is a great place to start.
Using one of these steels is quite easy. It will provide some benefits, so it is worth learning to use them effectively.
To use a steel:
● Ensure that the steel is placed firmly on the counter. This is vitally important for safety reasons. Take the heel of the blade and place it against the steel and make sure that the blade itself is pointing slightly upwards. It is usually a good idea to have the blade at about a 15-degree angle away from the steel itself.
● Keeping the pressure reasonably light, you should be able to pull the blade up and down against the steel, maintaining a sweeping motion.
● At all times while sharpening with steel, keep the middle of the blade in contact with the steel.
● Then, pass the top of the blade against the base of the steel. Again, it is important that you do not apply too much pressure.
Using a Manual or Electric Sharpener
This is ideal when you have a dull knife that you simply cannot use. They are a fixture in many modern commercial kitchens and do a much more effective job than a simple steel will.
An electric sharpener is perhaps the easiest way to quickly sharpen a knife. They are simple to use and shouldn’t take too much time to get to the results you want.
Here, the abrasives (that do the work of sharpening the blade) are motorized. All electric sharpeners are pretty much the same in how they work and involve placing the blade inside the slots. You then simply pull the blade towards you, again without applying too much pressure. Electric sharpeners don’t need much pressure applied so when using one keep it as gentle as possible.
One great aspect of an electric knife sharpener is that commercial versions often have heavy duty settings for heavier, dull blades. You should find that it is quite easy to care for your knives with these machines.
Like most commercial machines, these sharpeners can have a hefty price tag. This is an investment, and there is a reason why many commercial kitchens use them. They fit into their costs, and they help reduce waste and prevent any deterioration in cooking quality.
A manual knife sharpener obviously requires more physical effort. Yet it still provides good results. Here, the abrasive elements are either on wheels that are not motorized, or you will find yourself pulling the knife blade through a special chamber.
This has great benefits as a knife-sharpening tool, because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to store, thanks to its small size.
The Whetstone Method
This is the real, true professional method for sharpening knives. Most commercial kitchens, if they have a member of staff who can use one, will find a whetstone and have that as their main sharpener. They do take some practice and the very best users are highly skilled. Because they are relatively inexpensive, so obtaining one isn't too much of an issue. Whetstones are very powerful and effective at sharpening knives. Your biggest concern is making sure that you learn how to use one effectively.
It is important to remember that whetstones are very effective because of their similarity to the process used at the factory. Factories that manufacture knives use whetstones or a variant of them to prepare knives for sale. This shows how effective commercial whetstones are in the kitchen.
Sometimes whetstones need to be soaked before use. The instructions that come with the unit should make this clear, so check them carefully. Usually it just means putting them in water for up to ten minutes.
There are many ways to prepare an actual whetstone for use. Some experts suggest marking out a grid on the stone and then using another whetstone to sand away the grid. This should show you if there are any imperfections, allowing you to find a smooth surface so that you can sharpen better.
Low grit whetstones and high grit whetstones are generally the two varieties sold. If you have a dull knife, using a low grit whetstone will probably be the best option, because they are coarser and can deal with the hard work of sharpening a dull blade. A high grit stone is best for honing knives that are already sharp.
How to Use a Whetstone
Place the blade on the whetstone at a 15-degree angle with the blade facing away from you.
Taking the heel of the blade as the starting point, push it away from you across the whetstone. When you pull the blade back towards you, relax so there is no pressure applied. After a few minutes, work towards the tip of the blade.
Once you have done this, repeat on the other side. This should, with a low grit whetstone, provide you with a sharpened blade. If you have a blade that is sharpened, you can then proceed to use a high grit whetstone to create a honed blade.
Some General Sharpening Tips
All the above methods should help you get the most out of your knives. However, while you are sharpening, it is important to remember some sharpening tips that will help to keep you safe.
Always place a stone or device on a steady surface, such as a strong worktop. This is vital for stability. Also, make sure you are about a foot away from the tool itself. This way there is less risk of a blade slipping and catching you.
Nearly everyone who attempts to sharpen a knife for the first time makes the mistake of moving too quickly. When using a tool, and this is especially true with a whetstone, it is important that your movements against the abrasive surface are slow and thorough. Going too quickly can lead to accidents as well as poor-quality outcomes.
Finally, it is always worthwhile to use safety gloves. Wearing gloves keeps a team member safe and is the most important part of the whole process.
Sharpening a knife for a commercial environment is the best way to ensure you reduce waste and save time. It also ensures that you don't end up with food that has not been cooked to its best. Take the time to understand what you need to do, and you will see that good sharpening tools can pay off hugely over time.
About Cook’s Direct
Cook’s provides a full range of commercial kitchen solutions to correctional facilities, institutions and other large foodservice operations across North America. The company was founded in 1997 and is known for its innovative products, strong customer service and overall knowledge of institutional kitchen operations.