
Kyocera Cuts Above the Grade:
The
Ceramic Edge
If
Diamonds are Forever, These Knives are Close Cousins
by
Alain Gayot
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The
Kyocera Sashimi Knife |
Years
ago, high-tech ceramics were hailed as a replacement for
steel and other alloys, from car engines to watches. One of the newest ceramic applications today is ceramic cutlery, and
Kyocera—a leader in premier advanced ceramics—offers
a sashimi knife that sushi chefs won't be able to live
without. The lightweight, 8.25" single-edge knife is
made of highly advanced ceramic (zirconium oxide) that
is close to diamonds in hardness and fifty percent harder
than steel. It will never rust and keeps its cutting edge
ten times longer than regular steel blade knives.
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Ming
Tsai and the KC-80-WH Santoku Chef's Knife
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The
product received high marks from chef Ming Tsai, who uses
the full line of Kyocera products on his cooking shows and
at his restaurant, Blue
Ginger. He says, "The
beauty of this knife is only surpassed by its unparalleled
performance. And considering it will stay sharper than any
other sashimi knife out there proves that beauty may be
more than just skin deep."
The
handcrafted knives go through a laborious creation process
that includes being vacuum-sealed for 24 hours at 20,000
tons of pressure, diamond-belt grinding and precision polishing.
As a result, they last years without sharpening
and when they do require a tune-up, Kyocera offers complimentary
re-sharpening services, with a nominal fee for shipping and
handling.
In
addition to knives, Kyocera offers an array of other kitchenware
items. We like the vegetable peelers. Again, the handle
is extra lightweight and they will lose neither their good
looks nor "cutting edge" due to rust.
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Double-edged Slicer Mandoline
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There
are other benefits to using ceramic besides their razor sharp blades: their lighter weight makes the tool
an extension of your own hand, and ceramic blades don't
transfer metal ions to food. The only drawbacks are that they
cannot be used in certain cutting tasks where flexibility
is required—such as deboning a chicken or carving squash—and that they might break under some extreme circumstances.
But then again, beauty always has a price.
Call 800-537-0294 or visit www.KyoceraAdvancedCeramics.com
to find a local retailer in your area.
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(Updated:
06/25/09 KR)
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