Glossary - Chef's Choice by EdgeCraft

Glossary

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A trademark used with Chef’sChoice® cutlery, signifying that it stays sharp up to 10 times longer than most other American or European cutlery because of the toughness and resiliency of the steel from which the knives are made (the cutlery contains up to ten times the molybdenum and twice the carbon than other stainless steel cutlery and stays sharper up to ten times longer!).

The typical angle of each bevel that forms the edge of conventional Asian style, many European and other 15° edge knives.

The typical degree angle of each bevel that forms the edge of a traditional American/European style knife.

A registered trademark used for select Chef’sChoice® sharpeners that are designed to sharpen both 15 and 20 degree knives by applying either a 15 or 20 degree edge.

The sharpening disks found in many Chef’sChoice® sharpeners that are coated with 100% diamond abrasives. Diamonds are the most versatile and efficient abrasives. They are also the hardest known material and will therefore abrade any other materials. Because of their extreme hardness, diamonds sharpen more quickly without overheating or damaging the blade edge.

A

A trademark used for Chef’sChoice® sharpeners that are designed to sharpen both a 15° and 20° knife edge in one multiple stage sharpening system.

A knife edge that has two or more bevels on each side of the edge, shaped to the microscopic appearance of an arch. This type of arch-edge is typical of edges created by Chef’sChoice® multi-stage sharpeners. An arch-shaped edge is much stronger, and longer-lasting than conventional or hollow ground edges.

A lighter, thinner (double or single faceted) knife with the cutting edge typically angled at 15° on each side of the blade, for a total angle of 30°. Single-sided Asian style knives typically have the edge bevel on only one side of the blade with a total edge angle of 15°.

B

Found in original models of Chef’sChoice® professional electric knife sharpeners such as the Model 110 and Model 310. These magnetic guides position the knife at a predetermined sharpening angle while controlling the amount of sharpening pressure of the knife’s edge against the diamond abrasives.

The rough and bent extension of the knife edge that occurs during the sharpening process. A burr forms on the tip of the edge where the planes of the bevels intersect. The presence of a burr along the knife edge during the Chef’sChoice® sharpening process indicates it is time to move on to the next sharpening stage.

C

A knife blade that has been ground to create a characteristic concave, beveled cutting edge. This can yield a sharp but weaker edge that folds over and gets dull quickly, requiring more frequent sharpening.

A sharpening technique found in several Chef’sChoice® sharpener models in which two 100% diamond abrasive disks sharpen simultaneously “into” and “out of” the knife edge during the sharpening process. This creates a highly effective, extremely sharp, burr-free edge with microscopic “teeth” along the cutting edge. These tiny teeth provide the “bite” in the edge and work to engage and stabilize the food for effortless cutting.

D

Japanese style kitchen knives that are thicker, heavier, and have more durable edges designed for harder use.

To overheat a knife edge during sharpening, which can cause the steel edge to become softer and more prone to chipping, folding over on itself and eventually breaking off.

Refers to the two distinct bevels forming the edge on each side of the knife, when sharpened on a Chef’sChoice® two-stage sharpener. This edge is also known as a double beveled, arch-shaped edge.

E

The trademark applied to a feature of the Chef’sChoice® Model 120 electric knife sharpener. The advantage of EdgeSelect® is that the user can customize the edge to give optimal performance depending on the type of material being cut. An edge can be precisely sharpened to effortlessly cut a wide variety of different foods.

For instance, when cutting fibrous foods like pumpkin, squash or fibrous meats, the user may choose to sharpen the knife in Stage 1, followed by Stage 3 (only two of the three sharpening stages) so the edge has more ‘bite’ and can slice cleanly through tough fibers. Or, the user may sharpen the knife in all three stages, stropping the edge to an ultra-fine straight edge finish in Stage 3, so it glides through more tender foods. This is especially useful for delicate tasks such as filleting fish or slicing smoked salmon or prosciutto ham where presentation is highly important.

Built-in, elastomeric guide springs that are positioned over each sharpening stage to provide a spring action that holds the face of the knife securely against the precision angle guide planes in the right and left slot of each stage. These flexible guides adapt to blade thickness and eliminate all guesswork to creating a superior and uniform edge. They are found in newer models of Chef’sChoice® sharpeners.

Thicker knife edges typically sharpened with sturdy 20 degree facets on each side of the knife (which is a 40 degree total angle).

F

Lower cost knife guide system used in some manual sharpeners. These guides are used as an effective alternative to the rotating guides used in many Chef’sChoice® manual sharpeners.

The upper plate of select Chef’sChoice® waffle makers that is part of a unique suspension system that allows the lid to raise evenly during the baking cycle. This ensures a uniform thickness of the waffle as it bakes and rises.

G

The arch-shaped edge, with precise, multiple bevels on both sides of the edge provides more metal to support the sharp cutting edge of a knife. Chef’sChoice® two and three-stage sharpeners create this kind of edge, which is much stronger and lasts longer than traditional “v” shaped or hollow ground edges.

Traditional “V” Edge

Arch-shaped Edge

H

Honing is an abrasive process that works to produce a precise and uniform surface on a knife edge by using a very fine abrasive material.

The family of Chef’sChoice® knife sharpeners that combine electric and manual sharpening stages.

I

A feature on most Chef’sChoice® waffle makers that allows the baking plates to recover the set baking temperature so quickly, the user can bake batches of waffles with no interruption.

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M

The magnetic surface of the Chef’sChoice® Diamond File that holds the chosen abrasive pad in place and ensures a flat filing/sharpening surface.

A sharpener having successive sharpening stages (precisely set at sequentially larger angles) to form an arch-shaped edge that is stronger and more durable than conventional V-shaped or hollow ground edges.

N

Knives that have serrated edges, like a saw blade. A common misconception is that these knives, as their name implies, never need to be sharpened. A serrated knife does get dull because the teeth become bent and misaligned.

A commercial-use product that meets the National Sanitation Foundation’s standards for consumer safety through rigorous testing. Chef’sChoice® Commercial sharpener Model 2100, 2100 15° Module, 2100 20° Module, Model 2000, 2000 Module, Model 125 and Model 325 are NSF certified.

O

The diamond abrasives on the Model 110, Model 310 and other Chef’sChoice® knife sharpeners that move with a unique, orbital motion, honing the knife edge to extreme sharpness.

P

Chef’sChoice® patented system of cooling the motor of electric food slicers so that they can be used continuously—unlike other brands of slicers that operate for only a few minutes and then need to be shut-off to cool.

Refers to the sharpening guides in Chef’sChoice® knife sharpeners that are preset for accurate and uniform control of sharpening angles. Precision guides are important for predictable and foolproof sharpening and also minimize metal removal during re-sharpening.

Refers to the Chef’sChoice® Model 130; a knife sharpening system that sharpens, strops and steels all kinds of knives on one unit.

Q

A feature of some Chef’sChoice® waffle makers using highly advanced electronic circuitry and four heating elements that allow user to select the ideal flavor, texture and color of each waffle.

A feature of the Chef’sChoice® Model 850Chef’sChoice® Professional Belgian WafflePro® Model 850SE waffle maker the provides twice the heating elements of conventional waffle makers and a separate Texture Control button. Users simply press the button to choose either fast bake for crisper waffles with a soft, oven fresh moist interior or deep bake for a more uniform texture. Users can also adjust the baking time to the nearest second.

R

The blade hardness of Chef’sChoice® Trizor® cutlery. Higher, and therefore, harder than other leading brands, whose knives’ hardness measure around 55, it is one of the keys to Chef’sChoice cutlery’s sharper edges and superior edge retention. Trizor® knives stay sharper up to 10 times longer than other U.S. or German cutlery.

Knife sharpening guides in the shape of a roller found on many Chef’sChoice® manual sharpeners. These roller guides turn as the knife is being pulled back and forth, confirming that the blade is properly positioned and the correct angle maintained.

S

A general-purpose kitchen knife style originating in Japan. Its blade is typically between five and eight inches long, and has a flat edge profile and a sheepsfoot blade that curves in an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. The top of the Santoku’s handle is in line with the top of the blade. The word refers to the three cutting tasks the knife performs well; slicing, dicing and mincing.

A knife with notched, saw-like teeth on the edge.

Refers to the Chef’sChoice® Model 688 Cordless Electric Kettle, which heats water directly to the desired temperature with an accuracy of 1°C and maintains that temperature until ready to pour.

The finishing or last step in sharpening a knife and uses an ultrafine abrasive. The stropping stage can be used by itself to maintain the knife edge in between regular sharpenings. With Chef’sChoice® sharpeners, the stropping stage is also used to sharpen serrated knives. The term stropping comes from the traditional barber strop, which was a leather belt impregnated with very fine abrasives, used to keep barbers’ straight razors sharp.

T

A unique feature found in most Chef’sChoice® waffle makers that allows you to bake waffles to the color and texture of your choice. With a simple flip of a switch, choose either a fast bake for crispier waffles with a soft, oven fresh interior or a slow bake for a crunchy, more uniform texture.

Refers to the three separate bevels (set at different angles) on both sides of a knife edge, when sharpened on a Chef’sChoice® 3-Stage Sharpener. This edge is also known as a triple beveled arch-shaped edge.

The ultra-sharp, strong and durable edge that is formed on a knife when sharpened on a Chef’sChoice® 3-Stage knife sharpener.

The proprietary steel alloy used to make Chef’sChoice® cutlery. Trizor steel knives stay sharp up to 10 times longer than other cutlery.

A feature on several Chef’sChoice® Electric Food Slicers that offers a 30 degree incline slicing option (usually found in costly commercial slicers) for a wide variety of foods including meat, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and breads—such that the sliced food falls, unassisted, into a serving tray.

U

V

A knife edge that has been ground to create a characteristic flat, beveled cutting edge. This yields a weaker edge that folds over on itself and requires frequent maintenance and re-sharpening.

Refers to a feature of the Chef’sChoice® Gourmet Egg Cooker that allows the user to cook up to seven eggs to different degrees of doneness in the same batch.

A feature of several Chef’sChoice® Electric Food Slicers that allows the user to operate the slicer in an upright or tilted position, providing a true gravity feed (3 degree incline) option. This dual-mode option makes the electric food slicer a workhorse, giving the user expanded slicing capabilities. True gravity feed enhances the slicing of fruits, vegetables, bread and other foods that can self-feed during slicing, and the slices fall unassisted into a serving tray.

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