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DEL.ICIO.USWhat do you look for in a kitchen knife?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A reader recently wrote in requesting advice for choosing a replacement when her favorite knife bit the dust. Ironically, mixed in with a slew of holiday books was a book, “Knives Cooks Love” entirely about that subject. It is amazing, and a little weird, how you can find a cookbook on just about any topic these days.
There is no doubt about it, a cook wouldn’t be able to do much without a good knife. In fact, a couple of high quality knives are essential pieces of kitchen equipment. I have to say, I received a few Henckel knives as wedding presents and they have lasted over 15 years. It was interesting to think about what I would buy now, since I haven’t had to think about that in a long time, and probably won’t have to for a lot longer, since a good knife really is an investment.
Like much cooking equipment, a knife is a personal thing. It has to feel right in your hand, which means, shopping around a little for the right size and shape. After reading about options for the best blade, I realized I would recommend one made of high carbon stainless steel, which is both stain resistant (unlike carbon steel) and maintains a sharp edge, the key to safety.
Are you attached to your knife? Is a good knife worth the investment for you?
To find out more about knives, check out the following websites: Choosing a cooking knife
Good Housekeeping’s Best Kitchen Knife Guide
Comments
By FCM
December 8, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
The steel that goes to the blade goes all the way through the handle. At least 3 rivets, preferably German made knife. I need one chef, one boning, and one serrated and I am set. I have more than all those…2 or 3 blocks of knives to be sure.
By Har
December 9, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
I love my Ginsu knives!
By LK
December 9, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
My favorite knife is an 8” Wusthof chef’s knfe. This is definitely my go to knife. I am partial to Wusthof - I like the heft and feel - although I also have Henckel’s knives. A couple of years ago my husband got me a Santoku that I was a little skeptical about - but it’s a very nice knife and even better than my chef’s knife for some things. I would recommend a full tang on any knife. Good ones will last a lifetime so quality pays off. The ones I consider required are the chef’s, a paring knife, bread knife and a good flexible boning knife. A serrated utility knife is a nice addition to the set and comes in handy for lots of things - ripe tomatoes come to mind immediately.
By GEORGIA97
December 9, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
Very simple answer: J.A. Henckels
By mica
December 9, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this
First let me say I’m not picky about my knifes. In fact, I tend to mostly use a simple steak knife for everything so needless to say, I know nothing about knifes. Recently a young man that goes to school with my daughter called and asked if he could come and show us the knifes he was selling while trying to earn $$ for college. I figured sure, I’ll help the kid out and buy a set from him guessing I’d have about to spend $100 on a fairly decent set. After the one our presentation which was very impressive I must say, he got to the price list. $3,500 for a set of Cutco knives, you have to be kidding me!!! I finally searched the catalog long enough and found one knife for $96 bucks. I just don’t get how anyone other than a chef could spend that kinda dough on knives.
By Lisa
December 9, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
GLOBAL knives are the best - Nothing like Japanese steele. And Anthony Bourdain recommends them.
By TinaTech
December 9, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
A little known knife company in Dover, Ohio is call Warther Knives. They create high quality carbon steel knives with a lovely swirl pattern ground onto the blade. They sharpen all their knives by hand and are a mutli-generational business. The best part is they will sharpen your knives for free no matter how long you own them. I was just up there and they showed me a set that someone had owned for fifty years and had sent in for sharpening. This set looked almost brand new! If you want to look them up they are at www.warthers.com
By clyde
December 9, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
I’ve had a set of Chicago Cutlery® knives for many years that do me just fine.Two french knives, a boning knife,A fillet knife,Two butcher knives,two paring knives and a skinning knife.I also have a diamond stone to keep the edges sharp.Each knife is used for a specific task and are hand washed under hot water.The double set of knives are of different sizes so it’s easy to choose just the right knife for the job.
By DYJ
December 9, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this
The best Chef’s knife I own was bought at IKEA for less than $5.
By bizezgrrrl
December 9, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this
My “go to” knife is my beloved Wusthof 6.5” oriental chef’s knife I bought after using a friend’s about 12 years ago. It’s fast, precise and just feels great in my hand. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a small wobble in the handle, so after the holidays I plan to send it in for a free repair or replacement. (I’ve called customer service and verified it’s completely covered under warranty.)
I also have a great henkels set I received as a wedding gift almost 15 years ago. They’re great, but I don’t use half of them. If I had to do it all again, I’d say this is all I’d bother getting - high quality with lifetime warrenty:
By CarolinaGirl
December 9, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this
I adore my Globals! Thanks to them I don’t mind cutting onions anymore. If I’m going to be prepping food in anyone else’s kitchen, I take them with me.
By Joel
December 9, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
Our favorite kitchen knife is a 7” Santoku made by Kitchenaid. It is stainless steel and holds an edge well. It also feels great in the hand due to a durable silicone handle. It is available for around $15 on Ebay. It’s a great value!
By Britt
December 9, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
I am rather partial to my 6” chef’s knife from Shun. Folded Japanese steel. It holds an edge very well and is simply the sharpest knife I have ever used. A close second would have to be a Kyocera ceramic blade (Good for veggies.)
By tjw
December 9, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this
Kitchen knives, definitely worth spending the extra money on. I brought a good Henckels set for MY wedding present, even on sale it was a 250$ set, but I’ve never regretted it. So, Henckels: Worth every penny.
I’d imagine that a good Japanese set would be comparable, they do know thier steel.
Cutco: I’ve seen the demo, I couldn’t stomache the price tag. They may be great knives, but so are my Henckels
My expected price: I’d think 2-4 hundred for the set, depending on whats included. Mine had a 9” and 7” chef’s knife, a boning knife, a paring knife, a serrated knife, a bread knife, scissors, and a sharpening rod. All the blades see fairly regular use.
By JRG1705
December 9, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
AT LEAST 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO I FOUND A SABATIER CHEF KNIFE AT MARSHALL’S ON ROSWELL ROAD FOR $10.00. THAT WAS THE BEST INVESTMENT I MADE. I TAKE CARE OF IT. I DON’T LET IT SOAK IN THE SINK. I WASH IT AND DRY IT IMMEDIATELY AND IT WILL PROBABLY OUT LIVE ME!!!
By kam
December 9, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this
my calphalon santoku. like it better than my henckels chef’s knife. it’s amazing. i love it. incredible what good equipment does for your attitude when you have to hit that kitchen. makes the work go much quicker and makes it more enjoyable.
By gun smoker
December 9, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
I’ve used cheap knives. Now I have a set from “The Pampered Chef.” They aren’t the kind of $500 knives that a professional chef would use, but they’re obviously and measurably better than the cheapies that you might buy at Publix or Kroger or Wal-Mart or Kmart. Good knives are safer to use because the grip is secure and fits your hand well, and also because the sharp edge cuts without you having to push with effort.
By drsk002
December 9, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this
Hatori Hansu steel. There’s nothing like it.
By Renee
December 9, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
My Victorinox knives are perfection :)
By Christy
December 9, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Warther Knives are the best! I’ve had mine for 22 years and they still look brand new. You can’t beat these knives.
By DebF
December 9, 2008 7:28 PM | Link to this
I had a nice set of Gerber knives that I used for about 20 years. I don’t think they make anything but hunting knives now. I forwarded them on to my sister-in-law and she is loving them still.
Last year my brother recommended Wusthof Trident - and I love them! They are lightweight, small and slice through everything. I mainly use my Santoku, chef’s knife, small paring knife and slicer.
By The72John
December 9, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this
It’s “Hatori Hanso”, not “Hansu”…and it’s a MOVIE..and a SWORD.
My best knife remains my Henckles Santoku knife, but I also use the 10” chefs knife, the boning knife and the paring knife on a regular basis. The cleaver gets used when needed.
Professional-grade kitchen knives will last a lifetime…regular use of sharpening steel to keep the blade kitchen-ready plus the occasional (as in every few years) trip to the sharpener to reapply an edge will keep these knives going and going and going…
Knives of lesser quality, particularly those with serrated edges and low-quality steel, will give out long before good knives will.
An investment in a Wusthof or Henckles knife is exactly that - an investment. I expect to be using the same knives twenty years from now that I use today. That makes the difference in price between them and a (laugh) Pampered Chef knife, negligable.
By wemo
December 9, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
I received two Chicago Cutlery knives 25 years ago as wedding gifts. They fit my hands and are easy to sharpen. I use the paring knife at every meal. After 23 years, that knife broke. I found a guarantee on the website, called the number and answered a couple of questions and was told my new knife would be send to me immediately by Federal Express. What a deal!
By TinTech
December 9, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this
Christy! It’s nice to see another Warther knife fan. We just invested in our first set but we’ve envied a friends set for years!
By Old Pro
December 9, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this
Look for Henkles or Wusthof Made in Germany with SOLINGEN STEEL.This is the best steel in the World for making Knifes. Get them with the Rivets in the handle.
By Sean
December 9, 2008 10:01 PM | Link to this
I love my Global knives. I started with a 8” chef’s knife on the recomendation of a friend in cooking school as to what his ‘dream’ knife would be and have since added a few to my collection. I bought my dad a 3 piece set for father’s day and he can’t stop raving about them. In my opinion, some of the best knives available and without the wood or plastic handles nothing to deteriorate or carry bacteria.
By lisa
December 10, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
@ Mico: My Dad gave us some Cutco knives for our anniversary one year - they COST $3,500 DOLLARS! omg! They are great knives, but I had NO IDEA!
That is funny, because I really wanted some Wustofs (sp)
By promark420
December 10, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
I’ve had a set of Shun Classic knives (8” chef’s, 4” paring, 9” bread, 6” utility, honing steel, open stock 6” santoku) for almost 3 years, and I can’t emphasize how much I like these. They are my favorite part of my kitchen, and I figure they should work for me if home boy Alton Brown endorses them.
I’ve heard good things about Global, but I just like the light weight and understated ergonomic feel of Shuns a little better.
I send them in once a year for free sharpening, and they’ll send me a new knife if it can’t be sharpened. Pretty cool, huh? I use a Henckels 8” chef’s knife while those are away. It’s a good knife, but I mostly use it for heavy-duty applications like skinning a pineapple or squash.
I don’t use a steel to hone (NOT sharpen!) my knives between sharpenings. I’m pretty bad at getting and keeping the correct angle of approach for knives, so instead I use an old belt as a strop. It’s rather fool-proof, and it impresses (or is it frightens?) friends when you pull out a knife and give it the ‘ole barber shop razor treatment.
In my opinion, the things to look for in a knife: grade of steel, sharpness, weight balance, comfort, and overall construction (i.e. full tang). You’ll have to try one out before you buy. I recommend Cook’s Warehouse since I think they put less pressure on browsers.
By lisa
December 10, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
@ Mica…I am sorry, I called you Mico. I think it was because I was shocked that those knives cost $3,500!
By ATLFoodie
December 10, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
I think that the Japanese knives cannot be beat. I have 2 sets of Global and a few miscellanous Shun knives. They stay sharp for eons and are comfortable to use. The only kitchen thing I’d trade my knives for is a Viking range, but then again, who wouldn’t.