The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 63

thumb (with really-fine-grit stones, though say, 2,000 or above, you won’t feel it) It may take up to 30 or 40 strokes before a burr forms, and that is the indication that you should switch and start sharpening the other side Step 8: Start Sharpening the Second Side Turn the knife over so the edge is pointing toward you Place the heel of the blade near the base of the stone, again maintaining a 15- to 20-degree angle, then gently push the blade away from you while simultaneously dragging it across the stone toward the tip Step 9: Repeat Your stroke should end with the tip of the blade against the top edge of the stone, still maintaining a 15- to 20-degree angle Moisten your stone between strokes if it begins to dry out Repeat for as many strokes as it took you to form the burr on the first side Flip the knife back over and repeat steps 4 through 8, using fewer and fewer strokes per side, until you are down to one (The blade will not form a burr during this stage.) Step 10: Fix the Stone After repeated use, your stone will begin to develop grooves in it, which can lessen its sharpening power To fix it, use a low-grit stone fixer Place the fixer flat against the stone and push it back and forth to grind down the stone and create a new flat surface Step 11: Clean Up You should have a dedicated towel for this purpose, as the grit from the stone will never come out After thoroughly drying the stone (allow to dry on a rack for at least a day), store it wrapped in its towel Step 12: Hone and Test Your Blade After sharpening, hone your blade on a honing steel in order to get the edge in alignment, then test it for sharpness Some people recommend trying to slice a piece of paper in half by holding it up and cutting through it I find that even a relatively dull knife will pass that test but fail at other kitchen tasks The best test is to simply use the knife to prep a vegetable Do you notice any resistance, or does it fly through that onion? Can you slice a ripe tomato thin enough to read through it? Yes? Then you’re done! MY KNIFE KIT W ant to get a real idea of the essentials for good cooking? This is my knife kit, the tools I take with me whenever I venture out into a foreign kitchen These are the things I want to make sure I have on hand all the time  ... ripe tomato thin enough to read through it? Yes? Then you’re done! MY KNIFE KIT W ant to get a real idea of the essentials for good cooking? This is my knife kit, the tools I take with me whenever... I find that even a relatively dull knife will pass that test but fail at other kitchen tasks The best test is to simply use the knife to prep a vegetable Do you notice any resistance, or does it fly through that onion? Can you slice...towel for this purpose, as the grit from the stone will never come out After thoroughly drying the stone (allow to dry on a rack for at least a day), store it wrapped in its towel