Scissors For Home & Kitchen
Scissors are an important accessory for home & kitchen. They are extremely useful and beneficial to have around, and make your life so much easier!
Curved Scissors Vs Straight Scissors
You might have seen, as you have hunted around in various department stores and sites, that kitchen shears blades come in two basic shapes -- straight and curved. I would like to quickly point out the difference between these two types of kitchen scissors so that you can be sure that you buy the right type for your needs. Put simply, curved blades are used for cutting poultry (and sometimes other types of beef ), whereas straight blades are more multipurpose. Even though it is simpler to cut poultry with curved blades, you can cut off poultry and other varieties of meat with straight blades. On the flip side, cutting vegetables and herbs can be very hard with curved blades. Therefore, if you're planning to utilize your scissors for anything aside from cutting meat, I highly suggest buying a pair with quite straight blades.
Sharp Edges
It should go without saying that you wish to end up a set of kitchen scissors with really sharp edges. Equally important, you need to find yourself a pair whose edges will be easy to sharpen once they begin to grow dull. Let's be fair, you're likely to be trying to cut through some very hard foods and will probably find yourself holding these scissors at awkward angles at times. You need to be able to be in complete control of what these scissors do and where they are going. Dull edges could be good on children's safety scissors, however kids work with building paper and you're attempting to work with various veggies, fruits, and cuts of meat. The better your scissors are, the safer you may ultimately be (assuming that you use them responsibly).
Naturally, your first step will be selecting a set that accompanies a sharp edge. The sharper the advantage is if you purchase the scissors the easier it'll be to keep it sharp, because it has been shaped to some fantastic angle. If you are purchasing in a shop, you can easily just pick them up and have a look (be careful not to cut yourself on them as you are checking). If you are purchasing online, however, you will most likely need to do a bit of research. Try reading reviews such as the ones on this site, and customer opinions.
Generally speaking, those with micro serrations (tiny, barely visible teeth) on their blades are sharper than those with straight edges. This sort of blade also remains sharp for longer. That being said, when it is time to sharpen you might have to pay a visit to a specialist to have the serrations sharpened into the blade.
How To Sharpen Scissors
Now that you have selected a sharp pair of scissors, you will want to keep them sharp, right? Your ability to keep your blades sharp effortlessly will depend upon two major factors -- the metal they have been constructed out of and how their blades have been designed.
The best steel for sharpening would be high-carbon steel. It is regarded as the best among many chefs because not only is it easy to sharpen but it also stays sharp longer compared to other alternatives like stainless steel. But, high-carbon steel is known to rust. Many businesses have been making a high-carbon stainless steel hybrid which mixes the best and worst of both worlds -- it remains sharp longer than stainless steel but not as long as high-carbon steel; it does not rust as easily as high carbon steel but is much more sensitive to water than regular stainless steel.
The means by which the blades are designed will also impact how easy they are to sharpen. Blades that come apart are usually the simplest to sharpen, but these do have their own risks and worries as you will see later on in this report. An alternative for simple sharpening is that a specially-shaped blade. Rather than the sharp area of the blade running from the tip up to the screw, some scissors are equipped with blades that prevent being sharp about an inch below the screw and that have been shaped so the sharp area of the blade protrudes, which makes it simpler to sharpen without hindrance from surrounding components.
Non-Slip Handles
If you are looking to purchase a set of kitchen scissors that there are a few things you may want to think about when it comes to handles. To start, you will want handles with some type of non invasive coating or built-in traction system. In most cases, you'll discover yourself working with slippery foods and wet hands. To save time, you are going to want to work with your scissors without having to be worried about drying and washing your hands on a constant basis to avoid losing control and possibly hurting yourself.
Non-slip handles will allow you to do precisely that. Rubbery silicone handles are an illustration of handles made from and/or covered with a non-toxic substance. You can also buy scissors with plastic and metal grips that have been textured for additional grip, though these may slide much easier than those made using non-toxic substances. Another choice is plastic or metal handles with additional silicone grips. These grips are often created in the shape of ridges or lumps which are glued to grips throughout the production procedure. My only trouble with this type of handle is the added silicone may come off during use and could possibly fall into your meals.
Overall, in the event that you often find yourself working with wet or slippery hands, I suggest purchasing scissors with silicone coated grips. If you may discover fully-coated silicone handles with built-in feel, you are even further ahead of the match. But should you not plan to utilize your scissors with glossy palms, none of that can be of concern to you. Feel free to snap a pair with metal or plastic handles.
Easy To Clean
Some kitchen scissors are designed to come apart for easy cleaning and easy sharpening. Whether or not you choose pull-apart handles and blades will depend on what's important to you in terms of control, convenience, and security. Such scissors are often designed so that you handle is connected to the contrary blade, such as most scissors and scissors. Unlike other kinds of scissors and scissors, this kind doesn't contain a tensioning screw. On the contrary, it includes a locking mechanism whereby a knob built into one manage slides into a notch in the contrary manage, holding the scissors together much like a lock-adjust wrench.
This is very helpful in regards to both sharpening and cleaning. Unlike other sorts of scissors, you are able to sharpen 1 blade at one time, right up to the point where the handles meet, without worrying about another blade interfering with your job. Fewer crevices mean you will have the ability to have every piece of bacteria and water cleaned from those scissors. Health issues and rust issues will be a matter of the past.
Why are not all scissors assembled this way and why do some people today choose the type with a screw in the centre? The twist in the centre serves two major purposes -- it retains the blades together and sometimes allows you to adjust the tension between the blades. First of all, this manner of fastening blades is considerably safer than the sliding lock mechanism discussed above. When utilizing quality scissors constructed in this manner you will not have to worry that transferring them in odd ways may discharge the blades from each other.
Second, by tightening or loosening the screw it is possible to adjust the tension and distance between the blades based on the type of food where you are working. By way of instance, I enjoy looser blades when functioning together with thick cuts of beef and tighter blades when finely chopping herbs and other garnishes. But, I don't advise using exceptionally loose blades when cutting on anything, as it may get stuck and jam the blades.
All The Extras
It is becoming quite difficult to locate a basic pair of kitchen scissors. These days, most kitchen scissors include some conglomeration of extra features. Some include a pop-top jar opener built in between the handles or added at the end of a deal. Some feature a can opener. Nut crackers are becoming a normal part of kitchen scissors, as they are rather easy to build into the form of the grips. As for me, I prefer to use the nutcracker to assist open twist-off bottle caps -- its size and little teeth operate perfectly to grip the bottle cap.
Another interesting feature is that the bone notch. In fact, many people have no clue what this feature is when they see it. A bone is a small notch at the top portion of a single blade. You will observe that, on certain scissors, one blade runs the entire length from tip to fulcrum (the area where blades and handles intersect), however the other blade ceases before the fulcrum and a small notch was carved out of the steel in that area. This topnotch was made so you could easily place a small bone or stem against it and then use it to hold the stem or bone nevertheless as you slit together with the other blade.
What About Us Lefties?
If you're left-handed or know someone who is left-handed you are probably all too knowledgeable about the struggle left-handed individuals often face when looking for a pair of scissors. Regrettably, the same is often true for kitchen scissors. It should be reassuring to know that many companies have come out with kitchen scissors designed especially for left-handed men and women. Many other companies have created scissors which can operate perfectly well in hand.
If you're left-handed or anticipate having help in the kitchen by a left-handed individual, you might choose to pay careful attention to the kitchen scissors you are buying. If you are ever unsure and have trouble finding information about whether a particular group is lefty-friendly, consider contacting the manufacturer to learn more.
Pulling It All Together
We hope that this guide has helped you not just learn more about kitchen scissors, but also start some sort of a list of those attributes you want your scissors to maintain. Utilize this new knowledge as you move forward in your hunt for your next pair of kitchen scissors.