About that food prep ...

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Abyss_Fish
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Re: About that food prep ...

#21

Post by Abyss_Fish »

Whenever I mention pocket knives I use at work (kitchen) I'm always surprised by how many folks here ask how it works for food prep. It honestly hadn't ever crossed my mind until I started being more active on forums like this.

I'm all about having a knife for every occasion, and pocket knives are nowhere near cleanly or slicey enough for food prep. For reference, my main driver kitchen knife I use at work is about half as thick as thick behind the edge as my watu and a quarter as thick as most of my other pocket knives. Even knives like the Spydiechef (which I've used multiple times as a kitchen prep knife for fun) that are "kitchen themed" are not even vaguely well equipped enough to do any decent food prep. The spydiechef specifically needs to be about half an inch longer and about a quarter as thick to be reasonable, I don't even own any pairing knives that short...

If you're happy with your pocket knife for food prep, I STRONGLY recommend trying even a mid-low end actual kitchen knife. Buy a Wustoff, their 6 inch chef's knife is 120 bucks, will do every home cooking task you could possibly want it to do, and will last forever. And if you use your pocket knife for food prep without washing it with soap and water first, ew...

tl:dr, OP is essentially on point.
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Re: About that food prep ...

#22

Post by TomAiello »

archangel wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:17 am
Food manipulation with a folder, only on the road. At home, in the kitchen, only fixed blades. Dedicated kitchen knives, or to test any new Spydie. That's my philosophy.
Exactly.
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Re: About that food prep ...

#23

Post by vivi »

As a culinary professional I have plenty of nice kitchen knives. But I don't spend life at my house :)

I even keep a chef knife and zcut in my car at all times, but I don't take them with me when I'm hiking, so my pocket knife will cut up the apple when its time for a break.

Folders come in handy for food prep on the go. Knives the size I like to carry give me enough clearance I avoid getting the pivot messy.

I also keep my right hand clean and dry as best I can and only handle the food with my left hand. That way the only thing I have to do is clean, sanitize and dry the blade.

Sometimes I use them at home, which is admittedly silly. I only do that when I'm getting a feel for a new knife and I'm trying to use it a bunch, or I'm trying to let a natural patina develop on a carbon blade.

Otherwise its much more efficient using the right type of knife.

Like abyss_fish, I would never use my pocket knife on the job.

At the end of the day I'm not sure why anyone would care if other people slice apples and sausages at camp sites with a pocket knife.
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metaphoricalsimile
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Re: About that food prep ...

#24

Post by metaphoricalsimile »

I like picnics and don't want to carry a full size kitchen knife around, so I'll use something with a stainless steel and washers.
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PeaceInOurTime
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Re: About that food prep ...

#25

Post by PeaceInOurTime »

I use my folding and fixed edc knives to cut food whenever I wish. I do use kitchen knives, but often times, I just enjoy using my pocket knives. This topic seems to come up every so often and I still don't understand how using a pocket knife to cut food is controversial. Pretty sure it's been one of the "intended uses" since their invention.

And as several have already mentioned, no one is promoting the idea of using your personal pocket knife in a professional culinary environment.

Maybe this forum needs an "EDC and Food" thread as exposure therapy to normalize it. :D
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Ankerson
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Re: About that food prep ...

#26

Post by Ankerson »

James Y wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:02 am
I typically do not use folding knives to cut food, and almost never in the kitchen.

However, in the past, I have used the large blade (around 2.5”) of a standard-sized SAK Spartan to cut up countless fruits when out and about. It was the only knife I carried for 12 years from the mid-1980s until the late 1990s. I never had problems cutting what I needed to, even very large apples. I simply rotated the apple as I cut it; it didn’t need to push straight through in a straight line. I also pinched the ricasso while cutting produce with it to lessen or prevent juice from getting into the pivot area.

Nowadays, I rarely use my Spydies to cut food. Occasionally I’ve used my FFG E4, FFG D4, Military, P4 LWT, and PM2 over the years, just to see how they cut certain foods (fruits and certain vegetables). But at home, that is a very small percentage of the time. The vast majority of my food cutting at home is with my Victorinox kitchen knives.

Jim

Jim,

Same here, I have those things called kitchen knives that I use in the kitchen. :)

I have drawers full of flatware, kitchen knives and other assorted tools.


Jim
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Re: About that food prep ...

#27

Post by aicolainen »

I never do food prep with my EDC folder. I just cut too much nasty materials to be comfortable with that.
And most times there isn't a need either, but I keep an Opinel in my drawer at work, just for the odd chance I need to cut a baguette or something for lunch.

Travelling, backpacking, hiking or any other activity where I plan to eat on the go or outside, is a bit different though.
If I expect to just use the knife for food prep and whatever else I didn't plan for, I will bring a folder large enough to cut the food I plan to eat.

If I have more complex requirements, I usually bring a combination of folder and fixed blade, where at least one of them should be suitable to cut the food I plan to eat.
And often times when I plan to use the fixed blade for food, because it has the longest blade, I end up using my folder anyways, because I've used the fixed blade for a lot of dirty work and the folder is cleaner and more appealing to use.

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Cambertree
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Re: About that food prep ...

#28

Post by Cambertree »

Good question Matus.

I have enough excellent quality Japanese knives that I don’t really need or look at other kitchen knives any more.

I often use folders in the kitchen, not because I have to, but because it gives me a better understanding of how a knife handles, how a particular steel fares in thinly ground edges, and how the design suits me.

I agree that most factory edge grinds on folders make poor kitchen tools in comparison to a good chef knife. However I thin out my edges a fair bit, and find this works well for food prep as well as work and general use.

Using a folder for basic food slicing, as well as making julienne/matchsticks, brunoise/fine dice, thinly shaved garnishes, peeling and paring fruit and veg, etc., all offer different holds and techniques and ultimately offer a better understanding of a folding knife to me.

In the end I enjoy both cooking and different kinds of knives and I just like doing it.

I also often use whatever folder is in my pocket when helping with food prep at friends’ houses in preference to whatever usually dull kitchen knives they have.

Of course I use my Japanese kitchen knives for ‘serious’ cooking. ;) :)
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Tgmr05
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Re: About that food prep ...

#29

Post by Tgmr05 »

In the garage today found a box with some older pocketknives, my grandparents used these. Remember slicing apples or fruit with the left one, and mostly cleaning fish with the other. Mostly when at the lake or outdoors grilling/picnic. Was fascinated by how close in length to the Native Chief these two were.


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Snacktime
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Re: About that food prep ...

#30

Post by Snacktime »

Working from home kind of has me using my pocket knives in the kitchen. I really like to use new pocket knifes for meat prep as it really let's me know how they perform. If it comes in the mail, usually dinner is my first chance that blade has to do some work. I also like to put new fixed blades to work in the kitchen for the same reason.

Otherwise I do enjoy my Shuns, as I cook 3 meals a day. Really nothing beats a good chef knife in the kitchen.
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Re: About that food prep ...

#31

Post by bearfacedkiller »

^
user name checks out. ;)
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote: Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
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Re: About that food prep ...

#32

Post by JRinFL »

Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
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Re: About that food prep ...

#33

Post by TkoK83Spy »

JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
I'm with you! That makes 2 of us. I usually have one on my way home from work while driving.
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Re: About that food prep ...

#34

Post by JRinFL »

TkoK83Spy wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:55 am
JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
I'm with you! That makes 2 of us. I usually have one on my way home from work while driving.
The Coalition of the Willing! Haha
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Re: About that food prep ...

#35

Post by aicolainen »

JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
You are not :)
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Re: About that food prep ...

#36

Post by bearfacedkiller »

JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
How do you scoop peanut butter with a whole apple? ;)

I LOVE Granny Smiths apples and peanut butter. Sometimes I even sprinkle a little salt on it. :)
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote: Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
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Matus
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Re: About that food prep ...

#37

Post by Matus »

JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
Most certainly not, but sometimes you may want to slice it for kids ;)
... I like weird :bug-red :bug-white-red :bug-white ...
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Re: About that food prep ...

#38

Post by Cambertree »

TkoK83Spy wrote: I'm with you! That makes 2 of us. I usually have one on my way home from work while driving.
JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...
Barbarians! :D
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Re: About that food prep ...

#39

Post by RustyIron »

JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...

Yeah, you're a weirdo, all right. But only mid-level. If you want to kick out your weirdness to the next level, don't eat your apple in the traditional orientation. Start eating at the BOTTOM of the apple. Eat it from the bottom, and there will be no core to throw away. More apple, less trash. The chickens won't be happy, but they have short memories and will get over it. No need to thank me.

🍎
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Re: About that food prep ...

#40

Post by JRinFL »

RustyIron wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am
JRinFL wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:49 am
Am I the only adult left in the world who just eats an apple whole, without cutting it up first? I feel so alone...

Yeah, you're a weirdo, all right. But only mid-level. If you want to kick out your weirdness to the next level, don't eat your apple in the traditional orientation. Start eating at the BOTTOM of the apple. Eat it from the bottom, and there will be no core to throw away. More apple, less trash. The chickens won't be happy, but they have short memories and will get over it. No need to thank me.

🍎
I was always told to not eat the seeds as they contain arsenic. I have no idea if they really are a risk, but sometimes we just go with what we were told many decades ago. :o
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
Friends call me Jim. As do my foes.
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