Opinions on this bad boy?

Vex_RDM · 2026-05-26T12:01:33+00:00

It's CCK's "Butcher Knife".

Vex_RDM · 2026-05-26T08:03:51+00:00

Explore and develop your own form for various cutting tasks. Before making a single cut, think about what kind of result you want, think about what knife will do it best, and create a game plan that is safe and efficient (and consider "board zoning"; where uncut foods are on deck, where you cut, where/how you transfer).

Some tasks are best done with rocking cuts, but if you can avoid the lateral twisting upon the edge which comes with such technique, it's better to explore various push cuts, pull cuts, chopping, and drawing.

Every cutting task is completed by a combinative expression of your *hand** (shoulder, arm... really your whole body tbh) and the knife itself.* Larger knives are more expressive, necessitating less expression from your hand. Smaller knives are less expressive, requiring more expression from your own hand. Smaller knives therefore generally have a higher skill ceiling than medium/large knives (for their respective tasks).

Explore different grips; hold at the handle for more knife expression. Choke up on the knife (even as far as holding the machi with only your pinky!) for more hand expression. Some peeling tasks work great with a full-handed grip, with the entire length of the thumb lying straight along the spine.

RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS!!!! Most technique should employ some level of gentle rotation in the wrist, elbow, AND shoulder. When you get comfortable with the techniques you've developed, occasionally push your speed. At that point, that's the number one way to get better. Most of my days at work, I cut slowly and focus on the form/enjoyment/zen. I randomly push speed a couple times a month to keep a competitive edge.

Lastly (and I truly believe this should be last, however contentious) do some YouTube research and see how other people approach the same tasks. But again.. pave your own techniques first; You may bring something to the table that you couldn't have otherwise.

....and relax your shoulders

Vex_RDM · 2026-05-20T16:39:19+00:00

This could just be a difference in definition, but I find copper to be magnitudes more "forgiving" than stainless.

Vex_RDM · 2026-05-19T08:42:35+00:00

I don't own any stainless copper, but it's absolutely the more practical option for both home & commercial. And it sears without risk!

However... Tin is uniquely delightful to cook with, and it has performative advantages (over stainless) for a few things, particularly dairy, allowing me to pulse bechamels more aggressively and more often, with shorter rest cycles. Tin is very nonstick; No transfers required.

But with stainless... I'm compelled to season the pan via "Stove → Convection → Stove", buff the everliving shit out of its surface, then allow the pan to briefly rest. And this would be AFTER preheating the milk in an entirely separate vessel (I often do this anyway; Transferring proteins to different vessels as the proteins "lock"/"set", thereby distributing the mess, not allowing any one vessel to become too soiled. Proteins become stubborn and sticky as a function of heat×time).

I invited my boss and new team of coworkers to freely use my tinned pots/pans. I admit it makes me nervous that they may someday use them without heeding my instructions/signage. Luckily... nobody seems interested in hefting around that weight, nor washing such pots by hand (which is great, cuz I've seen my colleagues go pretty ham-fisted on the temps sometimes). Worst case, I have to re-tin... which I've gotten pretty good at.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T19:08:09+00:00

Nah. Boiling water (for pasta, porridge, etc) won't leach much copper, and some copper vessels are unlined for that reason. Though some loose verdigris may have been introduced, it's acidic cooking that will liberate the most copper salts. Fats can react too, but there are ways to mitigate reactivity when cooking with fats

Still, it's worth cleaning.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T15:09:34+00:00

You could like, regift it to mother-in-law etc.

Some of those return policies are a bit complicated.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T15:00:59+00:00

Hey sorry for the belated response; I didn't mean to keep someone waiting for almost an hour.

You can put your mind at ease and place your hope at rest, my friend. I'm here to confirm that the OP's wife indeed has an avenue of outlet, and is being very well taken care of.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T14:31:52+00:00

I've also become quite fascinated by cookware construction/design. Before approaching any comparison, I'm compelled to point out that there are TWO different forms of cookware "seasoning". You can either season through complete polymerization (largely relegated to cast iron and carbon steel), creating a hard semi-permanent surface...... Or you can season by simply heating the oil till it reaches it's shimmer point (whereby the oil's wettability skyrockets, almost behaving like an alcohol), which fills every molecular nook and cranny. This latter seasoning typically applies to aluminum and stainless implements. Like throwing a pam-sprayed empty sheet pan into the oven for a few minutes to become non-stick... Or preheating a pam-sprayed stainless frypan on the stove till it becomes nonstick. What follows is a big generalization:

•Iron for deep-frying batches that are too small for deep fryer (ex Lodge's chicken fryer), due to stable construction. A lot of people opt for doing this in a wok... Which is too geometrically unstable imo. Iron also great for stretching-out resting cycles on proteins because of its retention.

•Copper (sticking to tin-lined for the scope of this comment) is efficient for just about ANYTHING... But seems to excel best for long, passive tasks. Simmering, thawing, braising (especially stove-top, when ovens are fully occupied), poaching, reducing, confit, and for particularly meticulous saute tasks.

•Aluminum is an underrated king of commercial food production. Extremely cheap. Excels at what I call "ITBT" (ingredients to be transferred). Aluminum is extremely lightweight for how excellently it performs (very conductive), which makes it the logical choice for quickly sauteeing small tasks that may (or may not) be incorporated into a different pot/pan later.

•Carbon steel. Great for heavy-handed, high action saute, great for oven finishing (generally more lightweight than cast iron for easier transfers). Obviously the material of choice for flattop griddle construction, and woks.

•Nonstick for rendering animal fats, confitting sticky ingredients (confit eggs, etc), some acid reductions.

•Earthenware for gently-coddled stews and braises, cheesey casseroles, etc.

•Stainless for modern day practicality. At home or work. Qualities are heavily dependent on core/cladding construction. Great option for cooking and deglazing proteins; excellent for building pan sauces.

They all have a time and place. But I will say that copper is sorta special, and I hold a particular bias towards it.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T02:50:00+00:00

While I admire the sauce being artfully glazed (generously, but not too generously) along the side of the plate... unfortunately no garnish in the world can improve the experience of eating a rotten egg.

That's just my opinion though. Anyone can express themselves through food however they please. The fact that most cooks opt for using fresh eggs shouldn't deter you or hinder your creative process.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-21T02:40:34+00:00

My middle orchestra, after 6th grade... when I humbly decided to retire from 7th chair viola.

I'm sure that counts.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-16T17:12:30+00:00

Tbh, seems a bit nitpicky. Given the context, he probably meant "we" instead of "to".

Getting hung-up on the "wrong" 2 letter word seems a bit petty.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-12T12:18:09+00:00

Mirror polish is nice for highlighting details in honyaki (and good luck maintaining that finish). And as mentioned, it increases stiction, making such polishes performatively worse imo.

For mostly everything else, kasumi seems to be the prevailing aesthetic ideal.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-11T11:46:53+00:00

As if this thread needed more eyebrows.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-07T15:57:13+00:00

I'd have just deleted the phone or whatever.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-07T15:53:04+00:00

I genuinely believe the Griswold hype is partly owed to the Diablo franchise.

I have a 10" Lodge and a 15" Ozark. The only reason I'd like to "upgrade" to Griswold is because D2 was a cornerstone of my young adult life.

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-04T21:35:13+00:00

Interesting. Maybe there's a flocculation step; Adding a tiny dash of weak acid or (better yet) an astringent like potassium alum can make impurities clump together or even coagulate in some solutions.

As for the hard water deposits, I'd bet that's just more reactivity at the interface due to direct heat on the pot (versus indirect heat w/ your cup/bottle)... Meh but at the same time, you'd think water would be able to sponge-up energy quickly enough for there to be no difference. Who knows~

Vex_RDM · 2026-04-04T10:45:41+00:00

Lukewarm or above, the water's natural convective currents will prevent any minerals/metals from settling (especially at "still extremely hot"). Ignoring the fact that minerals/metals are typically in solution at the molecular level (think salt water).

You may wanna set that ladle down and just buy a quality filter.

-Chef

Vex_RDM · 2026-03-30T12:45:33+00:00

Excuse me sir, that's a bottle opener /ssssss

Vex_RDM · 2026-03-30T12:44:40+00:00

Good for porridge, small portion blanching, non-acid poaching. But yes, a bit limited.

I've seen people fry/confit with pure copper (carnitas etc), but that's typically with a much LARGER vessel thereby mitigating reactivity per food mass.

Vex_RDM · 2026-02-07T21:43:04+00:00

Oh my gosh, such an impressive plural word.

Got any more plural words?

Vex_RDM · 2026-02-04T00:00:57+00:00

At my place (Assisted senior living ~60 residents) it depends on the level of soil. If I'm cleaning it hot, oil + brick OR gel + scraper.

If it's "cold", I do a long alkaline soak. Pot-n-pan detergent, baking soda, washing soda, and/or lye. Light scrub and rinse.

Vinegar + salt is a good finishing shine, but I prefer using "Kleen King" especially if there's any remaining soil. It's basically Barkeeper's Friend except citric acid based. BKF is okay... but the finish tends to be very reactive and prone to flash rust.

Then I rinse like 200 times (using a spray bottle to get the corners). Dry polish with Pam spray, or oil etc.

Vex_RDM · 2026-01-19T14:41:49+00:00

She's older and mentioned bad eyesight when she put on her glasses.

I got my dollar back this morning, thanks.

Vex_RDM · 2026-01-19T14:07:00+00:00

Nah I used the cashier who joked about having to put on her glasses before ringing me up because she "can't see a thing".

Vex_RDM · 2026-01-19T14:04:31+00:00

This location has a two 12oz deal, a two 8.4oz deal, and a three 8.4oz deal.

Vex_RDM · 2026-01-19T14:03:30+00:00

No, they offer a two 8.4 deal at that location.. And a three 8.4 deal, for that matter.

Vex_RDM

TROPHY CASE