The best cutting boards use end-grain for this exact reason. It’s not just a decorative thing. The direction of the wood grain directly determines how quickly the board will dull your knife. Wood is made of two main parts: A hard fiber, and a soft filler in between each fiber. The hard fiber is what dulls your knife when you cut.
Imagine cutting on a tightly packed bundle of really tiny straws. If you cut across the bundle, your knife will be cutting into each straw, dulling in the process. But if you cut on the end of the bundle, the knife blade will slide between the straws instead of cutting them.
The straws will last longer when you’re cutting on the end (because you’re not cutting them) and your blade will last longer (because it isn’t cutting the straws). And an end grain cutting board is essentially cutting on the end of the straw bundle.
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
What about using the bread knife for meat?
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
“Produce” is presumably fruit and vegetables, although that’s a pretty broad category to lump together given that so many vegetables behave differently. Consider a tomato versus lettuce or a yam, for instance.
Scott_of_the_Arctic@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
American for fruit and veg.
jagged_circle@feddit.nl 4 weeks ago
Digamos verduras en la mejora de América
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Thanks!
Please_Do_Not@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
I don’t see this suggesting a bread knife for meat, but a dull serrated blade beats a worn plain edge for any purpose. And produce is anything grown like fruit and veg.
moody@lemmings.world 4 weeks ago
It’s got produce, bread, and meat highlighted for the bread knife.
The only thing I’ve ever used a bread knife for is bread.
Please_Do_Not@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Ah I didn’t see that little spiral graph. I agree with you for anyone who keeps their knives sharp. But if you’re trying to cut thin slices off a roast and have to choose between a bread knife and a dull chef’s knife, I’d likely go for the bread knife. That said, I don’t know they intended it that way, and it totally could have just been an error.
Successful_Try543@feddit.org 4 weeks ago
I guess a bread knife works pretty well for slicing roast, i.e. the dish, not raw meat.
OrganicMustard@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I never understood why people use serrated knives for bread, it gets crumbs everywhere. I use a sharp chef knife instead and it’s much cleaner. I use it for 95% of stuff, there’s no much need for any other.
NielsBohron@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
If you’re cutting soft soft bread, then a plain blade is fine, but if it’s a crusty bread like a sourdough, the serrated blade is much better at cutting the crust without crushing the soft interior (IME, not a chef)
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 weeks ago
That’s one way to say you never had anything besides soft buns and bread.
Once you get full grain or (as someone mentioned) a bread with a hard crust, you will wish for a serrated knive.
OrganicMustard@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I’m European. I don’t eat soft bread. I think none of you have a sharp knife.
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
That killer knife blade sliding haphasardly over a shining crust in the morning I guess 😁
InquisitiveApathy@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
moody@lemmings.world 4 weeks ago
The bread knife has markers in the produce, bread, and meat sections