What are ceramic knives made of? Ceramic knife - is it worth buying? What does a ceramic knife look like?
The search for ways to create better cutlery used in the process of preparing and consuming food has been going on for many centuries and will continue in the future. At the dawn of humanity, as cutting tool sharpened stones and shells were used. Later copper-bronze knives appeared, then iron ones. Iron knives are quite reliable, but have significant drawbacks, one of which is their instability to corrosion.
This problem was practically solved with the advent of of stainless steel, but stainless steel also has its drawbacks: it is quite soft, and knives made from it do not hold an edge well. Therefore, the search for a more perfect knife did not end there, and ceramic knives appeared. Ceramics has proven to be the most promising material for the production of non-metallic knives. Experiments on making ceramic knives began in the 80s of the 20th century in Japan.
Japanese ceramic knives have become the pinnacle of knife art, which was achieved thanks to the skillful combination of centuries-old traditions and application latest technologies one of the most highly developed countries in the world.
Buying ceramic knives is now very easy - they are cheap and sold everywhere. But just recently, buying a ceramic knife was a serious blow to the wallet.
In 1985, the Japanese company Kyocera began producing knives made of zirconium dioxide ceramics. Zirconium dioxide has a high hardness, which is measured using the Mohs hardness scale for materials. Thus, the hardness of zirconium dioxide on the Mohs scale is about 8.5 units, while the hardness of steel on this scale is 5.5 - 6 units, corundum - 9 units, diamond - 10 units. Thus, the material from which ceramic knives are made is close to diamond in hardness. Zirconium ceramics is used not only for the production of knives, but also in jewelry, in the aviation industry and mechanical engineering, and in dentistry. The wear resistance of zirconium dioxide is more than 80 times greater than that of steel: high-quality ceramic knives made from it can last a very long time while remaining sharp.
The process of making ceramic knives is complex and lengthy. To obtain a ceramic blade, zirconium dioxide powder is first pressed under a pressure of 300 tons per square centimeter, then subjected to heat treatment at temperatures of 1600-2000 degrees Celsius in special furnaces for a long time (from two to six days). In this case, sintering of zirconium dioxide crystals occurs and the process is underway forming blanks. Moreover, the longer the product is kept in the oven, the stronger it becomes. Then the ceramic plates (future blades) are sharpened.
Depending on the characteristics of the technological process, black or white ceramics are obtained. Black ceramics is obtained by adding a special black dye and keeping the pieces in ovens for a longer time, as a result of which they become stronger. Therefore, knives made of black ceramics are more wear-resistant, but they are also more expensive than knives made of white ceramics. The quality of ceramic knives differs greatly from each other, since it entirely depends on the technological equipment of the manufacturer and on his compliance with the technological process.
Ceramic knives are popular among both professionals and culinary enthusiasts. Truly Japanese ceramic knives have a one-sided sharpening, which is due to the traditions of the samurai heritage and the influence of Japanese national cuisine. For export, the Japanese, as a rule, produce knives with the double-sided sharpening familiar to Europeans. Among the most famous brands are knives from Hatamoto, Kasumi, Samura, Kyocera, Shinoda, Bergner, and Swiss Home.
What are the advantages of ceramic knives over conventional knives made of steel?
The first advantage is the sharpness of the knife and the ability to maintain an edge. long time: they are sharpened once every one and a half to two years, and with intensive but careful use of the knife, such a knife can maintain its sharpness for up to three years.
The second advantage is the chemical neutrality of ceramic knives, which is reflected in their inability to retain odor. A ceramic knife does not affect the taste and quality of the prepared food, since it is made of an extremely dense, low-porosity material. It is enough to rinse it with hot or cold water after meat, and you can already cut fruit with it. Ceramic knives do not leave an unpleasant aftertaste, as they do not enter into chemical reactions with products.
The third advantage of ceramic knives is their low weight, which makes them easy to use. With a ceramic knife you can cut for a long time and quickly without feeling tired.
The fourth advantage of ceramic knives is their absolute resistance to corrosion. Ceramic knives have no metal components, so they are not subject to rust, do not change color, do not become stained, and are not afraid of hot water and aggressive detergents.
The fifth advantage is their resistance to scratches on the blade. Thanks to its exceptional hardness, a ceramic blade is almost impossible to scratch, which means it will last a long time and retain its attractive appearance.
The sixth advantage of a ceramic knife is that the ceramic surface is smoother than steel. This ensures an easier cut.
TO negative qualities ceramic knives should be attributed to their relative fragility: as a result of strong bending, the blade can be broken. A steel knife is much stronger in bending, since the metal has greater viscosity. When cutting meat with bones and other very hard foods, the cutting edge of a ceramic knife may become chipped. Before you buy a ceramic knife, decide how you will store it. Many manufacturers offer special stands in which the knives do not touch each other.
Another, conditionally negative, property of a ceramic knife can be considered its lack of versatility, characteristic of metal knives. Ceramic knives are very convenient in the kitchen, but are completely unsuitable for use as a tourist knife, or a knife “for all occasions.”
Let us dwell on the features of using ceramic knives.
So, these knives are ideal for cutting soft, juicy foods: fruits, tomatoes, meat. Hard foods (for example, pumpkin, watermelon, zucchini) should be cut with care, using sliding movements. It is not recommended to cut frozen foods with ceramic knives due to the danger of breaking the blade. When cutting with a ceramic knife, use cutting board made of plastic or wood, you should work above the table, since if the knife falls and hits hard surface (tiles) the ceramic knife may burst. You should also not use such a knife for chopping. Ceramic knives can be washed hot water no worries, but it is not recommended to wash them in dishwasher, since the knife may hit the cutting edge against metal surfaces. These knives must be stored carefully, separately from other utensils. Perfect option- use of special stands with “noodles” - these can be bought in our store.
In conclusion, it should be said that sometimes it is advisable to buy a set of ceramic knives: this will allow you to cook more efficiently and quickly. It is important that a set consisting of several knives will cost you less than purchasing each knife separately. The standard set includes knives with blades of various sizes and shapes. The choice is yours!
Instructions
Ceramic knife blades are made from zirconium powder, which is pressed, fired in special ovens and turned into a high-strength ceramic material. The knives turn out to be very sharp, their strength depends on how long they were fired in the oven - if you keep them for less than a day, they turn out to be fragile, which is how Chinese fakes differ. Therefore, it is important to know how to choose the right knives, given the fact that real durable ceramic knives have a high cost.
It is very difficult to distinguish a fake from a real knife only by the blade: they look the same, they need to be checked for strength, which is often impossible when purchasing. But you can detect a fake in another way: in cheap knives, the blade is attached to the handle with ordinary superglue, which after a while stops working, causing the blade to pop out. Carefully consider the mounting method: if the blade is well welded to the handle, most likely it itself is also made according to the right technology. Don't be fooled by the "Made in China" labels: real knives are also made in China.
Evaluate the price of the product: good ceramic knives cannot be cheap. A set of knives from famous companies Frank Moller, Kelli, Bergner costs about 3-4 thousand rubles. Do not buy sets whose price is less than a thousand rubles. There are knives with black ones that cost significantly more. This is not only a matter of design, such blades are considered professional, they are sharper and more durable, but they also have a corresponding price. They are bought mainly for restaurants. This doesn't mean white knives aren't good enough - they're great for the conditions.
Pay attention to the handle of the knife. As a rule, they are made of plastic, but there are also wooden models. Plastic is easy to clean, but looks cheaper, although the quality is not inferior to wood. Wooden handles are less durable, the wood can crack, and bacteria can grow in it. But in general, this is a matter of taste and compliance with the interior of the kitchen.
Choose the size and shape of the knife according to your needs. Some products are intended for fruits and vegetables, others for bread, and others for meat. Remember that ceramic knives should not be used to cut hard foods such as bones, nor should they be used to open jars.
Last but not least, pay attention to the design of the knives. There are many options, blades can have different shades, the handles are different various forms and flowers. Often the set includes special vegetable cutters or pizza knives, but such sets are more expensive.
Hi all! I have in Lately A certain mania has formed - when I come to visit, I pay attention to what kind of knives the owners use. So, I noticed a trend that people are increasingly buying ceramic knives. You've probably seen such knives with a white or black blade in the store, or maybe you use one like this.
I wondered why people buy them? After all, if we discard all marketing slogans, they have only shortcomings. Therefore, I decided to conduct, let’s say, a little research on the topic: “Does it make sense to buy a ceramic knife?” Why did I go shopping, hold knives from different brands in my hands, look at the geometry, and I even managed to sharpen such a blade. True, it was already old, but that didn’t stop it from being ceramic.
But, let's take it in order. First, let's define what kind of animal this is.
What is a "ceramic knife"?
In a nutshell, this knife is really made of ceramics, but in order not to repeat myself, I will give an excerpt from Wikipedia
The raw material for the production of ceramic knives is the mineral zircon, from which zirconium dioxide is produced. The powder is pressed into molds, after which the workpiece is fired at a temperature of 1500C for a long time (at least 2 days). The blades of ceramic knives can be white or black. A special dye is added to knives with a black blade and they are baked for a longer time, which is why they are more wear-resistant and expensive.
Just like that, they poured the powder into the mold and under the press. The handle was stuck on and sold. Now it’s clear, friends, what kind of product is this?
But still, because people use it, it means it has advantages. Let's look at them a little, and at the same time consider the disadvantages.
Advantages
While looking at ceramic knives in the store, I also read the instructions for them. Let's follow these instructions. Here it is, by the way (sorry for the photo quality). So, the advantages...
Hygienic- a rather dubious advantage; in my opinion, any knife will be hygienic if it is washed and wiped dry on time. The only thing, to be fair, is that folding knives can be considered not entirely hygienic (dirt gets stuck in the gaps), but again you just need to periodically disassemble and wipe the folding knives. And besides, we don’t seem to use folding knives in the kitchen.
Chemically neutral- there’s no arguing that they are truly neutral, but this is true when it comes to highly acidic foods (lemons, limes, etc.) and a carbon steel knife.
Reference. Without going into the metallurgical jungle, a carbon steel knife is a knife whose blade is made of steel containing less than 13% chromium. It is the presence of at least 13% chromium in steel that allows it to be stainless.
Do you have a carbon knife in your kitchen? Oh, I doubt it, why do you need a knife in the kitchen, which needs to be washed and wiped dry after each (!) use, otherwise it will rust? Well, perhaps this is some rare copy left over from my grandfather. And so, stainless steel knives are used almost everywhere in kitchens. And stainless steel is no less neutral than ceramics.
By the way, I saw an experiment somewhere on the Internet: they cut an apple with a stainless steel knife and a ceramic one. So, an apple cut with a ceramic knife darkened fifteen minutes later. This is just for information.
Does not leave any foreign odors on the product- well, this is absolutely... Friends, you don’t need to cut apples with the same knife you just used to cut up the herring, then there won’t be any foreign odors.
Although this may mean that the smell of iron remains on the products, but this again comes from the use of carbon knives. Yes, indeed, there is a certain aftertaste from such knives, but this aftertaste is absolutely absent when using stainless steel knives.
Not subject to corrosion and rust- you can’t argue with that, they really aren’t susceptible. There is nothing in ceramic knives to rust, but let's be fair - what should you do with a stainless steel knife for it to start rusting?
So, it’s no less dubious a virtue than all of the above, but we haven’t finished with the virtues yet... Let’s continue.
Do not magnetize and do not accumulate electric charges - cool dignity... We're talking about kitchen knife, which is used to cut onions and sausage, and not to change plugs on wires. Or do you polish your knives on a wool hat?
Lightweight and easy to use- Are steel knives difficult? A person must have academic degree to be able to cut bread? Some kind of nonsense, not dignity... Like the last of them.
Retains color and pleasant appearance- this is just from the area of “sucked out of thin air”. I don’t even see the point in commenting.
Acute- yes, there is nothing to say here. Indeed, ceramic knives are very sharp when new, but after long-term use... But I will talk about this in the disadvantages
Let's look at the disadvantages, the advantages seem to be over.
Flaws
There are few disadvantages to a ceramic knife, but they are so huge that I don’t understand why people buy them. So
Fragility- this is ceramics, moreover, it is also pressed and thermally very highly processed, which, in my opinion, leads to the occurrence of internal stresses. After all, even an ordinary ceramic plate falling on the floor may not break, while a ceramic knife will surely break.
Storage in specially designated areas- this, in principle, also applies to steel knives, but for them it is not as critical as for ceramic ones. Try throwing a ceramic knife into a drawer with forks and spoons. I think after a while I will have to throw this knife away.
Price- the price tag for ceramic knives varies from 200 rubles and more. It all depends on the length of the knife. Although in the same price category you can buy a good steel knife that can be dropped and can be easily sharpened.
Difficulty sharpening- It is possible to sharpen a ceramic knife, but it is problematic. Yes, they have appeared now special machines for sharpening ceramic knives, but what if you don’t have such a machine and the knife has become dull?
Sharpening a ceramic knife
As part of this research, I borrowed a ceramic knife from my sister, not new, quite hackneyed and just so dull.
Arriving home, I began to carefully examine the knife. What I saw...
Firstly, the geometry of the blade is quite inconvenient - the spine is thick, the slopes start from the second third of the blade and the knife itself is somehow too light. Although lightness is rather subjective, I’m just not used to such knives. It was not convenient for me to cut bread with such a knife, and my wife was not delighted.
Secondly, the tip is well chipped, as if they tried to tighten the screws with a knife.
Thirdly, I looked at the cutting edge, wondering why he was so stupid... Dear Mom! How can this be - there are gouges along the entire (!) length of the cutting edge.
I ran my fingernail along the cutting edge (friends, if you don’t understand some knife terms, please read here) and I had the impression that I was not running along the edge of a knife, but along the edge of some kind of saw...
I can only explain this wear and tear by one reason: ceramics are very hard material and therefore the edge simply cannot curl up, like on a steel knife, and so it crumbles. But such gaps...
I think we should try to sharpen this blade, it’s interesting. There are rumors that ceramic knives don't sharpen, so I'll check...
In general, you can sharpen a ceramic knife, but you will need diamond stones and a lot of patience.
conclusions
So, does it make sense to buy a ceramic knife? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. In my opinion, a fan of good steel knives, ceramic knives have no advantages other than sharpness. But all my knives are sharp and for me this is not an advantage.
By the way, I asked my sister why she uses a ceramic knife. Do you know what the answer was? It's spicy! That is, sharpness is the main advantage, but again, in my opinion, this only means (I don’t want to offend anyone, friends, but the fact remains) that people cannot or do not know how to properly sharpen simple steel knives and nothing more.
Here, everyone chooses friends for themselves. Let me give you another example. I recently watched the program “Culinary Duel” (I have a sin, I like to cook sometimes), you know, where a professional chef and some famous amateur compete. So, I noticed that professionals use only expensive steel knives, while amateurs use ceramic ones. Although maybe it was just a marketing ploy...
With all the shortcomings of a ceramic knife, I found him good use- there will be such a knife a great gift for a housewarming party! It’s been tested, I’ve already given away a dozen ceramic knives and everyone I gave it to was invariably satisfied...
With this I say goodbye and remember: The knife must be sharp! Good luck to all!
Have you already bought yourself this fashionable useful thing? I bought it.
Ceramic knives were invented in Japan 20 years ago, but they entered the world market only 15 years later, and appeared in our country quite recently.
Snow-white and blue-black, unusually light and elegant, housewives like them in appearance, but they raise a lot of questions, the main one of which: “What miracle material is the knife blade made of?”
Naturally, you should not compare it with ceramics for vases, toilets and bathroom tiles. They are united only by a similar manufacturing process - baking in an oven.
The raw material for the blades is zirconium powder, which melts at a very high temperature (about +1600º C) and turns into the ultra-strong material zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). According to the Mohs mineralogical scale of hardness of materials, the hardness of diamond is 10 units, corundum is 9 units, and zirconium dioxide is 8.0-8.6 units. This modern high-tech material is already used in dentistry, jewelry production (a diamond substitute familiar to girls is cubic zirconia), in aircraft and mechanical engineering, etc. The term “ceramic” itself, in its origin, refers more to the technology of production of products from zirconium dioxide - i.e. to the knife making procedure itself - firing or sintering.
These knives are typically produced by dry pressing zirconia crystals and then firing them. A blade is made from the resulting material, sharpening the edges grinding disc With diamond coating. Zirconium dioxide ceramics are different unique ability improve your mechanical strength under the influence of loads.
However, even sharp ceramic helpers are not always perfectly durable. For example, in China, similar specimens are made using accelerated technology: they spend less time in the oven, so they turn out to be more fragile than their counterparts from the country rising sun. The color of light-colored knives from the Middle Kingdom is also different: if the Japanese have it snow-white, then the Chinese have it grayish-yellowish, which indicates a lower quality of the raw material.
Ceramic knives come in white and black. The color of the devices depends not only on the presence of the dye, but also on the features of the production technology. Dark knives spend more time in the oven, so their hardness and wear resistance are higher than light ones.
In order for a ceramic knife to last a long time in the kitchen, you must adhere to the following rules:
1. Do not use a ceramic knife to cut hard foods (such as bones).
2. For slicing, you must use a wooden plastic or silicone cutting board, but in no case metal, glass or ceramics.
3. Cutting must be done with even and smooth movements.
4. The greens are not chopped, but cut.
5. You cannot scrape with a ceramic knife; the blade may be damaged.
6. Do not hit with a knife; the blade may break off the handle.
7. Don't wash your knife detergents and in the dishwasher.
8. The knife is stored separately from all other cutlery, since when it comes into contact with metal, the blade may begin to crumble.
9. Ceramics likes stability room temperature, when it changes abruptly, cracks appear.
10. Handle the knife carefully, do not drop it on the floor.
Rubberized plastic, wood or silicone are used to make handles. Any of the materials has good performance, preventing the tool from slipping even when working with wet or oily hands. High-quality ceramic knives are distinguished by a special way of attaching the handle to the blade; they are securely welded to it, so they are practically monolithic. The ergonomic curve of the handle fits perfectly in the hand, providing a pleasant and comfortable work with this tool.
For convenient and reliable storage, knives are equipped with special protective covers that protect the cutting edge from damage. For a set of ceramic knives, the kit includes a special stand in which each knife occupies a specific place.
Advantages and disadvantages
Based on numerous reviews from users of ceramic knives, it is difficult to draw a clear conclusion about their quality characteristics. Some express enthusiastic opinions and talk about the excellent cutting properties of the products. Users whose experience was negative and their knife quickly became unusable have an absolutely opposite opinion.
