Knife Blocks..where do you put them?
zoey75
14 years ago
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zoey75
14 years agoteacats
14 years agoHere's my kitchen prep area (two knife blocks, white cutting board and various oils, etc.) -- since this photo was taken -- the ceiling in the kitchen was scraped free of popcorn -- and the potrack has not been replaced .....
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Where do you put them all????
Comments (19)dog and kids trampoline? Jess, how nice that your dog uses the trampoline. My old house had a lot 135X65 with about a third covered with the house, driveway, sidewalks and garage. My back yard was completly covered with roses. A 20X30 greenhouse was built over three rose beds and a pond. I grew 550 roses in the ground, a few more in pots on the driveway. Rhonda says it all with deciding what you must have for grass. I did have a small lawn in front and on the parkway. This took me all of 20 minutes to cut. It took longer to get the mower out than it did to cut it. I added roses every year although, towards the end, I had to be very selective due to space limitations. Because of my growing zone, I could plant on 18 inch centers. By mid summer the roses were intergrown but the overall effect was stunning. Each spring I ordered 10 more roses than I had room for. Some years winter kill or poor performance made room for the excess, other years I had to make room for the excess and for any I picked up in my travels. I seldom returned from a vacation with out a slew of cuttings or half a dozen potted roses I'd picked up along the way. So you see, rosepep, you don't need a massive garden and lots of space. You just need determination and a shoehorn. I must admit though, in your zone, 18 inch centers would be hard to do. Planting in pots limits root size, resulting in smaller bushes so that's one way to do it. That would make it easier getting rid of plants you don't want or moving them around to get a different look....See MoreWhat do you call this type knife and suggestions
Comments (41)Johnliu, that was a great write-up, very educational. Count me as someone OCD about my knives. I also want to emphasize that one's "taste" in knives is very individual. So, for me, regarding ceramic knives - I know they are really sharp, and maintain their sharpness much longer than steel knives, and are easier to care for (as long as you don't drop them). Having said that, I cannot stand the hard sound they make when chopping - that sound and how they feel as they strike the cutting board gives me the shivers. Obviously, this is a very personal thing! One more thing that John briefly mentioned that I want to expand on a bit is the type of cutting board. If you care about your knives, or care about the investment of $$ you've made in your knives, you should not use a plastic cutting board. They will dull your knives in just a few uses. You should use wood cutting boards. No one knows where the idea came from that plastic boards are safer - researchers at the University of Wisconsin have studied this perception that plastic cutting boards are better, and were unable to ascertain why people think this. Their findings were that wooden boards are safer. "The [University of Wisconsin] researchers purposely contaminated wood and plastic boards with bacteria and then tried to recover those bacteria alive from the boards. They also tested boards made from seven different species of trees and four types if plastic. They incubated contaminated boards overnight at refrigerator and room temperatures and at high and typical humidity levels. They tested several bacteria, Q Salmonella, Listeria and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Q known to produce food poisoning. The results consistently favored the wooden boards, often by a large margin over plastic boards. The scientists found that three minutes after contaminating a board that 99.9 percent of the bacteria on wooden boards had died, while none of the bacteria died on plastic. Bacterial numbers actually increased on plastic cutting boards held overnight at room temperature, but the scientists could not recover any bacteria from wooden boards treated the same way. A major question is why wood is so inhospitable to bacteria. The researchers have tried unsuccessfully to recover the compound in wood that inhibits bacteria, and is continuing the research."...See Morewhat do you hate most about your utility knife?
Comments (25)Mine's an old grey Stanley, must have had it 30 yearsa and it's still going strong. Most of the paint is worn off and the die cast aluminum is polished at the points where it has been gripped the most. Best $2 tool I ever bought. I like its simplicity and ergonomics. It seems to fit perfectly in my hand. It has no frills or anything to break or wear out. No rubber, no retracting device, no plastic to break, just an honest hard working tool that gives me most everything I need in a universal hand cutting tool. If I wouldn't give up any of the above, it may be nice to be able to get to another blade without having a screw driver. On the other hand if it would compromise durability or add an area of potential failure, I would keep it as it is. In too many areas I see continual improvements lead to early failure. If it ain't broke, fix it until it is. That's not just a saying!...See MoreWhat kind of Garden Knife do you have?
Comments (3)Hi everyone. Carol – Over the years the implements I use for cutting, dividing, trimming and cleaning bromeliads have evolved to the stage where they could almost be termed a “Bromeliad Tool Kit”. This kit consists of many things from various types of small paint brushes for cleaning awkward areas down in the leaf axils, to heavy duty loppers for dividing some of the large Ae. blanchetianas and other large bromeliads in the garden that are very savage and “bite”. Heavy Duty Long Handled Loppers To accurately answer your question, “What kind of Garden Knife do you have?” I don’t just have a single knife. As you’ve found out by now, each plant can be different and subsequently I’ve found it’s best to have a variety of different cutting tools to best approach the various jobs; some are specific tools designed for every day roles while other have been modified and improvised to meet a particular need. As I said above, with the larger garden plants my weapon of choice is a pair of long handled, heavy duty "loppers" which keep my skin away from the vicious teeth of these large plants. With the other plants that are growing in pots, the tools vary, depending on the size and type of plant. Starting from the lower end of the scale, I have a couple of modified “steak knives” which I find very useful. These were once bought on a “whim” but weren’t very good for cutting steak as the serrated edge was so coarse it virtually ripped the steak apart more like a saw than a knife, so two of them found a new home on my potting bench. I used one of these (as is) to cut/saw through some of the smaller plants that a knife just won’t cut. The other I have removed all the serrations with a grinder and made a very strong sharp knife which is also very useful. The good point about both of these tools is that they have a thin pointed blade and are both very good for getting into awkward areas. The next group of cutting tools I have are two pair of secateurs in the form of by-pass pruners and Florist Snips with the addition of a couple of pairs of normal scissors for neatly trimming dead or damaged leaves. By-pass pruners Florist Snips The next implement I have is an old re-cycled medium sized kitchen clever which I find excellent for hacking through tightly matted root balls on plants that are long overdue for re-potting, this quickly lets me break into the root ball and be able to trim away any dead or dying roots not easily accessible. Finally, for the tough areas for which the previous tools are not suitable, I use a hard tooth “Jab Saw”. This has a strong, thin, 12cm. blade with hardened saw teeth which are designed to cut on the backward as well as the forward stroke. I find this one of the handiest of all the tools in my collection as the thin sharp pointed blade allows it to access the most awkward of places. These can be bought at most garden tool suppliers with a good quality one costing less than $20. There are cheaper ones, however the blades aren’t as strong and the teeth aren’t hardened and it’s the old rule of “you get what you pay for” Jab Saw Obviously a saw doesn’t leave a nice clean cut and I always finish off with a final trim using suitable sharp secateurs which leave a nice clean cut which I then dust with “Flowers of Sulphur”. This helps to protect against rot which can be caused by the entry of specific fungus spores. I hope this is of some help to you Carol. All the best, Nev....See More
Sueb20
14 years agocupofkindness
14 years ago
IdaClaire
14 years agodilly_dally
14 years agopatty_cakes
14 years ago
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
14 years agodilly_dally
14 years agoYeah the thrift stores are loaded with knife blocks. I wonder what, if anything people can repurpose them for except as a doorstop?
Here is a way cool idea I just found doing a search for knife blocks. A knife holder that is a container filled with skewers. They hold any size knives. The designer one is $125 with plastic skewers and the BB&B one is only $300 with bamboo skewers. You could probably make a custom size and style one with bamboo skewers from the dollar store.
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http://foodyi.com/2008/05/05/my-new-toy/
Here is a link that might be useful: Skewer Block
dilly_dally
14 years agohomebodymom
14 years ago
justgotabme
14 years ago
Oakley
14 years ago
sheesh
14 years ago
graywings123
14 years agomustangs81
14 years agoboysrus2
14 years agoI also gave up my knife block for a knife drawer insert that I bought at revashelf.com. They have a couple of sizes and mine is maple.
leahcate
14 years agookhouse
14 years agozoey75
14 years agonatal
14 years agoI don't want to open a drawer every time I reach for a knife. My block sits at the L junction of the prep peninsula and counter. It's easy enough to clean periodically. Same as those wooden spoons that sit in a crock next to the stove. It's all about convenience for me.
cat_mom
14 years agopps7
14 years ago
lazy_gardens
14 years agoeastcoastmom
14 years agovampiressrn
14 years agosusie1010
14 years agoThis is a bamboo expandable knife organizer from organize.com. It expands from @ 13" to 18" and holds a variety of knives.
I don't want knives on my counter and I worry about the "stuff" at the bottom of the knife block.
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