How to Keep Your Knife Sharp

Keeping your kitchen knives sharp is just as important as your regular sharpening regimen. Normal use can cause your knife blades to dull over time, but there are certain things that you can do as well as avoid doing in order to keep their edges sharp for longer and avoid taking your favourite blades to the smiths ever so frequently.

One of the best ways to make sure that your kitchen knives stay sharp and reliable is by selecting quality knives in the first place. When shopping for kitchen knives, buy from shops that you know can be trusted. You'll know this by simply looking at the available selection and the brands that the company offers. You know you're in good hands when you see brand names like Wusthof, Mac, Global, Chef's Choice, Furi, and de Buyer, among others. Choose a company that offers full product warranties and an easy returns and refunds policy, along with an ordering and delivery system that can be relied upon.

Using the right cutting board is also important to keep the blade's sharpness. A wooden cutting board is the best choice as it is soft enough not to damage the cutting edge of knives. Wooden boards with the end grain facing up, like a butcher's block are the best choice for a board, but you may also use plastic cutting boards if wood is not available. Avoid using glass and marble cutting boards as well as cutting directly on ceramic surfaces such as ceramic plates, as these may be too hard for the knives and cause premature chipping and dulling of the blades.

Another thing to remember when trying to maintain knives' sharpness is proper and regular cleaning. Avoid using the dishwasher and store your knives in proper knife blocks or knife holders instead of leaving them in a drawer, where they can get dull by banging around with other silverware.

Guidelines for Choosing a Champagne Glass

Bubbles are very important to the quality, flavour, and aroma of champagne, which is why it is meant to be served in such a way that the bubbles are retained as the drink is being poured and even as you sip through your glass. There are many different types of champagne glasses, of which are three commonly used types: the coupe, which is a short-stemmed saucer-shaped glass; the flute, which is a long-stemmed thin cone-shaped glass and a wide mouth, and commonly seen in homes, the long stem, tall, thin, egg-shaped glass, that looks like an egg with the top cut off.

Champagne flutes are typically made out of glass or crystal. Other styles have engraved details on the bowl, while others use coloured glass, although it is still advisable to use clear, colourless crystals, especially when you are particular about the quality of the drink in your hand.

When choosing champagne flutes and glasses, consider the size of the bowl as well as the height of the stem so the champagne can have plenty of room to swirl around and so that your hands won't tire holding a shorter-stemmed glass. The mouth of the flute must be no wider than 3 inches in diameter (ideally 2.5 inches) so as to keep in as much bubbles.

Find champagne glasses that are made out of light and thin glass—not only are they lighter in weight, they are also less expensive than thicker and heavier glasses. Also, pick out champagne glasses from well known brand collections to ensure quality. Good online retailers offer great deals on champagne glass sets to help you save a good portion of your budget. Choose champagne glass sets if you intend to have company frequently or start your own personal collection, but always keep quality and budget in mind.