Serrated knives are invaluable kitchen tools. Whether they are large bread knives or individual steak knives, a knife with a serrated edge can make prepping, cooking and eating food a lot easier. As with any knife, it is important to know properly cut with a serrated knife in order to use it safely and effectively. Here are some tips for using a serrated knife.
Instructions
1. Hold the knife properly. Your hand placement on the handle of the serrated should be down low towards the place on the knife where the blade is fitted into the handle. Holding the knife near the handle's base like this will give you more control over the knife and help to ensure accurate cutting.
2. Grip the knife firmly. It is important to be in complete control of the and that all of your fingers are out of the way of the blade. Grip the serrated knife firmly with your fingers around the handle. Some people find it easier to have their thumb on top of the handle when cutting with a serrated knife, while others prefer their thumb to be tucked under the handle with their other fingers. Find the grip that is most comfortable for you.
3. Push the knife down and away. One of the most common mistakes made when using a serrated knife is to use it in a "sawing" motion and just run the serrated blade back and forth until it saws through whatever it is cutting. This will work eventually, but it can leave your food a mess and cause you to do a lot more work than you have to. Instead of sawing with your serrated knife, hold it at an angle to the cutting board with the tip down. Push the blade down and away from you in one continuous motion as you slice through the food. This will allow you to cut cleanly through your food and will use your arm's natural strength to propel the blade more easily.
4. Use it on the proper foods. Some foods simply should not be cut with a serrated blade, and using a serrated knife to cut them will take a lot more time and energy than necessary. Avoid cutting raw fish with a large serrated knife as the serrated edge will shred the flaky fish and could leave dangerous bone shards in the meat. Some cuts of poultry and red meat can be cut more easily when raw with a flat blade than a serrated blade as well. Use a serrated knife to cut vegetables with skins like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Serrated knives are also good for cutting bread and for chopping fresh herbs.
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