Need a channel knife

[DemeraraDrinker]

I want one that will last, preferably all metal. The Rosle ones look nice.

What do you think?

OK, I just saw this one...

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KG055BU-L...7430101&sr=1-15

I am partial to Kitchenaid utensils, and this knife it 90 degrees opposed to the handle. This looks like it could be a good thing. It seems like it could work more like a peeler where you pull it with your hand while pushing on the fruit with your thumb.

Edited April 24, 2007 by DemeraraDrinker (log)

[eje]

Don't like the Oxo Good Grips ones. Hollow handle needs to be taken apart every time they are washed and not very good at making zests. Also, because of the design, they only work for right handed people.

Recently got a Zyliss one that works quite well. Blade parallel to the handle, so will work for any handed folks. Pulls a deep zest with little effort.

Zyliss Zester

If you're really serious, go to a knife shop that specializes in supplying knives to professional cooks. Look for the tools that are sold for serious garnish work. Fruit carving and the like.

edit - Ooops! Wrong Swiss kitchen tool manufacturer. I recently got a Kuhn Rikon peeler not zester. The zester was a Zyliss.

Edited April 24, 2007 by eje (log)

[jmfangio]

This may not be quite what you're looking for, but I'm quite fond of my Messermeister serrated peeler. It doesn't make the prettiest zest strips, but cleanly removes the peel without any pith.

Also, if there are any Thai markets in your area, you can look there for an assortment of fruit carving tools. The Kom Kom Miracle Knife looks interesting.

[slkinsey]

DemeraraDrinker: why do you want to cut narrow strips of peel, such that you would need a channel knife? I've frankly never found a channel knife or peeler that does as good a job as using a nice sharp paring knife and tripping the pith off the backside. I'd only use a channel knife to make a horse's neck garnish.

[DemeraraDrinker]

DemeraraDrinker: why do you want to cut narrow strips of peel, such that you would need a channel knife?  I've frankly never found a channel knife or peeler that does as good a job as using a nice sharp paring knife and tripping the pith off the backside.  I'd only use a channel knife to make a horse's neck garnish.

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I want it to do twists, sometimes long twists for Vesper Cocktails. If I slip with a pairing knife, I need another lemon (or a bandaid).

[thirtyoneknots]

I use a vegetable peeler instead of a paring knife when I have one handy; it only takes the peel and doesn't expose the flesh of the fruit, making it easy to juice once you've made all your twists. As far as the twists themselves, I definitely prefer the broad, flat type, which is easier to do and yields superior results than the long thin spiral which, while attractive, adds little to the flavor of the drink.

-Andy

[slkinsey]

DemeraraDrinker: why do you want to cut narrow strips of peel, such that you would need a channel knife?  I've frankly never found a channel knife or peeler that does as good a job as using a nice sharp paring knife and tripping the pith off the backside.  I'd only use a channel knife to make a horse's neck garnish.

I want it to do twists, sometimes long twists for Vesper Cocktails. If I slip with a pairing knife, I need another lemon (or a bandaid).

If you have a sharp knife and fresh lemons, it's a cinch. Just saying.

[eje]

I use a vegetable peeler instead of a paring knife when I have one handy; it only takes the peel and doesn't expose the flesh of the fruit, making it easy to juice once you've made all your twists. As far as the twists themselves, I definitely prefer the broad, flat type, which is easier to do and yields superior results than the long thin spiral which, while attractive, adds little to the flavor of the drink.

-Andy

←

If you're going to do long twists, the only way to do them is to cut them right over the drink, just before it is served. If you do that, and cut a whole horizontal circumference of your lemon, you'll get a lot of citrus scent in your drink. Otherwise, you're right, they are mostly decorative.

It's nice to do be able to do the DeGroff style "spiral mof" twists, as well. I think those are particularly snazzy hanging on the side of a glass. Here's one of my tries at that: Bentley

Of course, Mr. DeGroff sometimes garnishes his cocktails, like the Big Spender, with both a spiral mof twist for decoration and a flamed wide twist for flavor (and pyrotechnics.)

[Alchemist]

The Wustoff (SP) is by far the best I have ever used. I like the one that the channel is in line with the handle, not at 90 degrees. If you make your pigtail twists right over your cocktail you leave an oily rainbow, like a puddle in a rednecks driveway. Yum!

[David Santucci]

I am fond of the design that cuts at 90 degrees to the handle. As eje and Alchemist suggested, cut the twist right over the drink--and watch the oils fly. In my hands this is absolutely the best way to get the flavor of the zest into a drink. Dropping the resulting twist in is basically just for visual effect. And, personally, I think the long thin twists look a bit prettier than the wide ones. The only downside is that channel knives tend to be bit aggressive (i.e., they cut deep), so they don't work well with thin-skinned citrus. I keep thick-skinned lemons around for cutting twists and thin-skinned ones for juice.

[eje]

Geeky technique question...

I was recently watching a "Thirsty Traveler" episode where he visited Plymouth, England and the BlackFriar's distillery.

At the end of the episode he visited a bar where an English bartender, (sorry, missed the name,) made him a Martini. The bartender in question sprayed the lemon twist in the chilled glass before adding the cocktail. Saying something like, it helped preserve the pristine beauty of the clear gin.

I guess I can see the point.

Though, I have to admit I've always enjoyed seeing the rainbow of little droplets on top of the cocktail.

I also remember an event where Dale DeGroff was bartending and he flamed the twist into the cocktail glasses before adding the cocktail. At the time, I assumed it was just done in this way to streamline the process of getting lots of drinks out at once.

What's the consensus on when to apply the citrus twist to a drink?

[Alchemist]

On top so you can smell it. With out question.

Toby

[jmfangio]

What's the consensus on when to apply the citrus twist to a drink?

←

I'm all for twisting onto the drink - watching that little cascade of droplets is one of the joys of the process. The only exception that I follow is for the Flame of Love Martini.

Before filling the glass, the bartender lights a wooden match a few inches above it, and pinches thick strips of orange peel into the flame, oily skin side toward the flame. The oils ignite and flare up over the glass. A few more strips are pinched and their oil ignited over the glass. It's like buttering a cake pan before adding batter. Then the drink is poured in, and one last strip of orange peel is flamed over the glass the same way. In a literal flash, the spray of orange oil falls over the martini, giving that first sip a pronounced citrus zing.

Edited January 31, 2008 by jmfangio (log)

[Troy Sidle]

I've never used the Wustof, and since they make fantastic knives, I can only assume they make a great channel knife.

However, I suggest the Rosle. I held out on buying one because of the cost, but after being thoroughly disappointed with every other channel knife I've used I think it's worth it. It cuts a beautiful strip, doesn't bend after continued use, and has a lifetime guarantee. I love mine.

Last night, I used it to garnish both a Martini and a Martinez. It was easy to cut the twists almost a foot long before coiling them up and floating them in the drinks.

Edited February 3, 2008 by Troy Sidle (log)

[JAZ]

I'll second the recommendation for the Rosle. It's great.