"A cutting tool or cutter is typically a hardened metal tool that is used to cut, shape, and remove material from a workpiece by means of machining tools as well as abrasive tools by way of shear deformation."
These include knives, shears, mandolins, and food processors. They are used to cut and chop different types of food.
Types of Cutting and Chopping Tools: This topic covers the different types of cutting and chopping tools such as chef's knives, paring knives, cleavers, mezzaluna, and more.
Parts of a Cutting and Chopping Tool: Understanding the parts of a cutting and chopping tool helps users comprehend how to use the tool better.
Blade Materials: Blade materials refer to the various metals and alloys used to make knives, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, high carbon stainless steel, ceramic, and more. Knowledge of the different blade materials helps users make better choices when purchasing their cutting and chopping tools.
Blade Grinds: Blade grinds are the different blade shapes that affect its function and cutting ability. Topics under this include flat grinds, hollow grinds, sabre grind, and more.
Blade Edges: Blade edges refer to the sharpened side of the knife. Users must learn how to identify them, especially when sharpening or honing their tools.
Sharpening and Maintenance: Knowing essential sharpening and maintenance techniques helps prolong the life of cutting tools and ensures they stay sharp.
Grip and Pressure Techniques: A proper grip and pressure technique help increase precision, reduce the risk of accidents, and make cutting and chopping tasks easier.
Proper Cutting Technique and Safety Considerations: Proper cutting and chopping techniques and safety guidelines must be followed while handling cutting and chopping tools to prevent accidents.
Cutting Surfaces: Cuttings surfaces refer to the types of surfaces where users do their cutting or chopping. Topics under this include wood, plastic, bamboo, and other materials.
Specialized Cutting and Chopping Tools: Some cutting and chopping tools are made specifically for certain tasks. This topic covers specialized tools such as mandolins, vegetable peelers, choppers, and more.
Cutting Board Choice: Choosing the right cutting board based on the type of food being chopped and tool used is critical.
Food Preparation Techniques: Certain preparation techniques such as deboning, filleting, mincing, and carving require different cutting and chopping tools and methods.
Knife Sets: Understanding what a knife set typically includes and what it is used for can help buyers make the right purchase decision.
Brands and Manufacturers: Users must learn about the different brands and manufacturers of cutting and chopping tools to ensure they buy high-quality products that meet their needs.
Chef's knife: A large, multi-purpose kitchen knife used for chopping, slicing, and dicing.
Paring knife: A small knife with a short blade used for peeling and trimming.
Bread knife: A serrated knife used for slicing bread.
Cleaver: A heavy knife used for cutting through bones and tough meat.
Santoku knife: A Japanese-style knife that is similar to a chef's knife but has a thinner, lighter blade.
Utility knife: A medium-sized knife with a straight edge used for many kitchen tasks, including slicing and chopping.
Kitchen shears: A pair of scissors used for cutting herbs, opening packaging, and trimming chicken.
Mandoline: A tool used for slicing vegetables thinly and uniformly.
Meat grinder: A device used for grinding meat and vegetables.
Chopper: An appliance used for quickly chopping vegetables, nuts, and other foods.
Food processor: An electric appliance used for chopping, grinding, and pureeing food.
Garlic press: A tool used for crushing garlic.
Grater: A tool used for grating cheese, vegetables, and other foods.
Zester: A tool used for removing the zest from citrus fruits.
Vegetable peeler: A tool used for peeling the skin off of vegetables and fruits.
Cheese slicer: A tool used for slicing hard cheeses.
Pizza cutter: A tool used for cutting pizza into slices.
Apple corer: A tool used for removing the core from apples.
Melon baller: A tool used for creating small, spherical pieces of fruit.
Herb stripper: A tool used for removing leaves from herb stems.
"The majority of these tools are designed exclusively for metals."
"These cutting tools are held stationary by what is known as a tool post, which is what manipulates the tools to cut the material into the desired shape."
"Milling and drilling tools are often multipoint tools."
"All drill bits have two cutting edges."
"They cut by horizontal shear deformation in which the workpiece is brought into the tool as it's rotating."
"The tool path is determined by the axis of the table that is holding the workpiece in place."
"Grinding stones are tools that contain several different cutting edges."
"No, unlike metallic cutting tools, these grinding stones never go dull."
"Cutting tool materials must be harder than the material which is to be cut."
"In order to have a long working life, all of the above must be optimized, plus the speeds and feeds at which the tool is run."
"The clearance angles are designed so that the cutting edge can contact the workpiece without the rest of the tool dragging on the workpiece surface."
"The angle of the cutting face is also important."
"The flute width, number of flutes or teeth, and margin size."
"The formation of cutting edges of metallic cutting tools are achieved by the use of grinding wheels and other hard abrasives."
"There are several different types of grinding stone wheels that are used to grind several different types of metals."
"In contrast to the grinding stone, if the hardness of the metal exceeds that of the stone, the metal will cut the stone."
"Each grain of abrasive functions as a microscopic single-point cutting edge (although of high negative rake angle), and shears a tiny chip."
"A typical cutting tool performs three tasks: cutting, shaping, and material removal."
"The tool must be able to withstand the heat and force generated in the metal-cutting process."