Food Processing - Food Handling

“What makes the Executive Chef Series stand apart from other fine cutlery is the superior balance, weight and long lasting edge,” say Paul Hellman designer and co-founder of Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery, who modeled the knives according to what more than 100 executive chefs said they looked for in a quality knife. He discovered the common answers to be heft, balance, a sharp heel, a wide, stain resistant blade, easy sharpening while having excellent edge retention, styling, durability and comfortable handles.

Gunter Wilhelm knives feature a “triple full tang” design, meaning that the one piece construction extends not only to the center of the knife, but also on each side of the knife, giving it additional weight and balance – making the cutting process much easier. The knives ergonomic belly in the handle gives users an open fisted comfortable grip, which reduces fatigue during long hours of cutting. Additionally, the knives feature a fully sharp heel which gives higher productivity unlike most other forged knives. Heft makes the weight of the knife do most of the work instead of the wrist.

For the serious cook this overall balance reduces fatigue during meal preparation while also increasing safety. Chef David Burke of the famed David Burke and Donnatella Restaurant in New York City agrees. “Great cutlery lets gravity do the work,” says Burke, who like Chef Brooke Vosika of the Four Seasons Hotel, believes the secret of great cutlery is a complex fusion of heft, balance, grip and surgical precision.

The Executive Chef Series from Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery is designed in the US, forged in Germany, and final grinding, polishing and assembly is done in Asia. The knives feature perfect balance, weight, comfort, 440 High carbon steel from Solingen, Germany, and a hand-forged, full tang design. As part of the factory process, the steel is ice hardened to a Rockwell of 58, a standard measure of steel’s hardness. The handles feature pakkawood inserts which are not natural wood. Pakkawood is a mixture of plastic and wood, which doesn’t discolor, fade or crack as wood often does. The Executive Chef Series sells for $395 at www.gunterwilhelm.com , and is available exclusively in New York at Bowery Kitchen Supplies in the Chelsea Marketplace. The Series includes a:
· 10-inch chef knife
· Meat clever
· 8-inch chef knife
· Asian clever
· 8-inch bread knife
· 8-inch carving knife
· Meat fork
· Sharpening steel
· Paring knife
· Utility knife
· 6-piece steak knife
· large wooden block

About Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery
Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery offers a full line of high-end, professional grade kitchen cutlery, superior in quality and craftsmanship to other German brands, at affordable prices. All Gunter Wilhelm knives carry a lifetime warranty, so that generations later, the knives can be exchanged if necessary. Additionally, the company offers other high-end kitchen-related products such as earth-friendly bamboo cutting boards, cookware and kitchen accessories. Gunter Wilhelm products can be purchased at www.gunterwilhelm.com, their catalog or at select trade, food, and wine shows throughout the United States.