Cutting-Edge Ceramics

By Lisa McLaughlin

Ceramics have long been used to serve meals on. Now they're being used to prepare the food as well. Knives, vegetable peelers and mandolines with ceramic blades are becoming the new must-haves in the trendy kitchen. The ghostly white blades are made by Kyocera of Japan and Boker of Germany with zirconium oxide, which is second in hardness only to diamond. They stay sharp 10 times as long as steel and don't react with food or affect its smell or taste. They are also lightweight, making repetitive chopping less of a strain. The hardness of the blades makes them less flexible, however, and they should not be used for cutting that requires maneuverability, such as carving. And there's not yet a reliable method for home sharpening, so you might have to return the knife to the manufacturer when the edge finally dulls.