If you can cook, you know how vital your crockery is to you.
You want to know all the benefits and minute details about how to take care of them, including your kitchen knives.
Today, we will look into ceramic knife care and discuss why it is essential.
Do You Need Thin Slices? Ceramic Knife Is the Answer!
The best ceramic knife slides through fruit or vegetables smoothly, without any effort.
Since these knives are very lightweight, they do not exert any pressure on the substance that you are slicing or chopping through, which leaves the substance in its original form without reshaping it.
For example, the thin ceramic blade cuts through the slippery tomato skin with almost no resistance and without smashing the tomato. How amazing is that?
Imagine cutting onions without crying.
The ceramic knife obviously cannot prevent the tears, but you shed lesser tears while using a ceramic knife.
What Is a Ceramic Knife?
The ceramic knife has zirconium dioxide, also known as zirconia.
The powdered form of zirconia undergoes dry-pressing and solid-state sintering to form ceramic blades.
If we evaluate it on Mohs scale of mineral hardness, zirconia has a score of 8.5 when compared to steel with a score of 4.5.
Comparing these with normal steel knives, the ceramic knife has a harder and sharper edge.
It would be best if you remembered that ceramic knife care is essential because even though they are harder and less tough, they are more brittle.
Due to its property of being brittle, it may break if dropped harshly or even on a rough surface, so you need to handle it with care.
The best part is that these knives do not corrode; these do not rust and do not de-sharpen when compared to a standard steel knife.
These properties ensure no harm is done to the substance on which the knife is used.
A ceramic knife will retain its shape and size longer than an ordinary steel knife, which increases its durability.
They have a non-magnetic property, so you do not have to worry about it conducting electricity.
Zirconia’s inherited properties make the knife hard to re-sharpen, and you will need specialized sharpening services when the sharpening is needed.
Where Are They Used?
You can use ceramic knives for a special purpose only. We cannot use them for chopping all sorts of materials.
These knives are suitable for cutting boneless meat, fruits, vegetables, bread, and softer things since the sharp edges slice through the material without any extra pressure.
That said, you should not use them for cutting bones, frozen items, or any hard materials since the blade may chip or even break.
You should only use ceramic knives for slicing.
Why Use Them?
When we compare these knives to ordinary steel kitchen knives, ceramic knives are used less often.
However, that should not demean their importance.
Since less pressure is applied as we cut, less damage is done to the skin of the fruits.
Less pressure prolongs the appearance, and the fruits do not lose color as quickly.
That means, the lifespan and the present-ability increase, especially for fruits like bananas and apples.
Ceramic neither corrodes nor degrades, too.
Hence, you can use it for any acid or citrus-based fruits.
You can also use this knife for removing the fat from meat. and will not leave out any minute details.
Ceramic Knife Care: The Do’s and Don’ts
It is essential to take care of your ceramic knives, and here are a few bits of advice we have for you to ensure your knives stay everlasting and unharmed.
Do’s
1. Keep Them Away From the Dishwasher
Despite being claimed the knives are dishwasher friendly, you should avoid putting them inside the appliance.
As everything in the dishwasher gets a bump, between the changing pressures, there is a high chance of the knife colliding with some other crockery.
Also, due to the brittle nature, the knife might get damaged.
2. Use a Diamond Sharpener
To sharpen such a strong material, you need something even stronger.
Even though it is hard to sharpen ceramic knives, diamonds are your way to go!
3. Consider Its Specific Function
While using the knife in the kitchen, make sure to use it for appropriate materials only: everything soft and nothing hard or edgy.
You should also try and avoid any spins and drastic flexing.
There are high chances of motion hurting and damaging the blade.
4. Clean and Store It Properly
It’s essential to keep your knife clean, and again, wash it with your hand.
Also, be cautious and wear gloves, as the sharp blades might hurt your fingers.
When storing it, you should cover it in a plastic bag.
If that is not available, you could use a knife block or knife sheath.
Don’ts
1. Drop It
To start, do not drop your ceramic knives.
They might not be feather-like sensitive, but you need to handle them with care.
They can easily break if you ever drop them.
2. Use It as an Alternative to a Chef Knife
Keep in mind that a ceramic knife is not the alternative to a chef’s knife.
So, you cannot cut everything and anything with it.
Not to mention, do not use ceramic knives for anything other than food!
Trying to open plastic packs or to ply cans might damage the blade.
3. Put It Near Flames and Use Glass and Marble Boards
To retain sharpness, use soft chopping boards featuring bamboo or silicon material.
Ceramic conducts heat, so make sure you do not take the knife near a flame.
4. Utilize It for Scraping and Crushing
Do not use these knives to crush garlic cloves or spices by its side as the blade may break.
Also, by no means should you scrap the chopped or sliced food using the edge of your knife.
Conclusion
As we see above, handling ceramic knives is a bit tackier than ordinary blades.
There are both negative and positive aspects attached to using these knives.
We recommended that you get the maintenance done professionally.
You may need access to electric ceramic grinders, which must be diamond-based, to sharpen it at home, and we all know it, these grinders are not very pocket-friendly.
This was just our personal point of view that may vary from user to user.
There are different types of ceramic knives available, and you should check these out and choose yours accordingly.
Despite all the care needed, ceramic knives are yet one of the essentials that we think every kitchen should have.
