I was a TJ Max and bought a 8 inch chef knife and a 4 1/2 inch parring knife. Made by Calphalon. Forged with German steel in China. (I know but I want decent knives to learn, not the expensive ones) I am going to test them out soon. I am excited. Got them for about 1/4 of what Amazon sells them at.
Bought my first decent knives
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Very nice! I love a good sharp knife. You might also want to look at getting a sharpner for those knife. I have an expensive hand held one that I use every couple of uses. Just swipe a few times and your good to go.
Cool. I will buy one. I will order one from amazon that has high reviews. I like the fact that its a kitchen tool that must be maintained and used with great results. I am going to watch how to videos on how to chop and dice like a real chef (safety first)
Get yourself this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00200L90I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DD1MK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And watch enough youtube videos to learn how to use them. If you're going to have good knives, it's worth learning how to properly sharpen them.
(Practice on your old crappy knives BTW, as it does take some practice...)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00200L90I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DD1MK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And watch enough youtube videos to learn how to use them. If you're going to have good knives, it's worth learning how to properly sharpen them.
(Practice on your old crappy knives BTW, as it does take some practice...)
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Good kitchen knives are like carboys.... They multiply when you're not watching.
SmokeyMcBong
Well-Known Member
Careful with those calphalons. The two that I had both ended up with huge chips in them. They seemed more brittle then any of my other knives. That being said, I'm a chef so I likely punish my knives more than you. They did keep a very nice edge for me though. Good luck, enjoy the knives and tuck those fingers back!!!
I just use a steel on my fancy Victorinox knife. Went to cut onion last night and thought it went in kind of firm, so a few swipes on the steel and and it slipped right through.
Now I need to spend the $$ on a decent hollow ground blade. I have a smaller one, but it's too small for slicing potatoes and whatnot.
I think a nice, sharp knife makes the difference between hating cooking and enjoying it.
Now I need to spend the $$ on a decent hollow ground blade. I have a smaller one, but it's too small for slicing potatoes and whatnot.
I think a nice, sharp knife makes the difference between hating cooking and enjoying it.
boscobeans
Well-Known Member
This is a ceramic steel that I use. It is excellent for not only the occasional touch up that most steels do efficiently, but it can also put a good edge on a knife that needs it.
Great tool at a great price.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EG0646/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
bosco
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I will buy the Rachael ray diamond finger sharpener. Seems it will do the job.
I am thinking the DMT set of four stones... but the price is a killer. A chef had a set over 15 years and still working. Tough decisions.
I am thinking the DMT set of four stones... but the price is a killer. A chef had a set over 15 years and still working. Tough decisions.
A while ago I bought a Victorinox 8" chef's knife. I was blown away by how good it is for it's price. It's nice when you pick up a good knife you love and not just the crappy stuff. One of these days I'll get that $120 Messermeister knife I have been drooling over on amazon...One day...
My wife and I were blessed with a block full of good knives for our wedding. I sharpen them yearly with an electric sharpener, use the steel every time I use them.
Watching a few videos, I cannot cut as fast as a chef, but my prep time is 25% of what it used to be with crappy knives and not knowing how to use them.
I think an 8" chef's knife is the second most important cooking tool after a gas range.
Watching a few videos, I cannot cut as fast as a chef, but my prep time is 25% of what it used to be with crappy knives and not knowing how to use them.
I think an 8" chef's knife is the second most important cooking tool after a gas range.
estricklin
Well-Known Member
I use the DMT diamond whetstone on my Wusthofs, but there are many other good ones available. Yes, learning to use one will take some practice but don't be scared.
Keep in mind that a honer is NOT the same thing as a sharpener, but you really need both to maintain your knives. The honer should be used every single time you use the knife.
If you haven't already, (and I'm sure you have but will mention it anyway), take the time to learn proper knife skills. I worked for a top notch chef in high school and the BEST thing I learned from him was knife skills. How you grip the chef's knife will determine a lot of what you get out of it, and how safe it will be.
Keep in mind that a honer is NOT the same thing as a sharpener, but you really need both to maintain your knives. The honer should be used every single time you use the knife.
If you haven't already, (and I'm sure you have but will mention it anyway), take the time to learn proper knife skills. I worked for a top notch chef in high school and the BEST thing I learned from him was knife skills. How you grip the chef's knife will determine a lot of what you get out of it, and how safe it will be.
I've just started getting into cooking, starting mainly with the smoker but trying to learn more. As part of it, I wanted brutally-sharp knives. But I have no clue about knife skills.
Luckily, after mentioning that to my wife, she bought me a knife skills class at Sur la Table for Christmas that I'm attending next week... Time to learn how to keep my fingers!
Good luck and be careful!
I see some expensive knives in your future. Once you see the japanese steel on a Damascus-style blade, you must have. Literally will shave the hair off your arm while looking great doing it.
We actually have pretty decent knives, Wusthof Classic, as my wife is the cook in the house and has high standards... But there are a few specialty knives that I have my eye on (a good fillet knife is one), so I think you might be right
Never knew what i was missing until I asked for a decent knife for Christmas one year. After that, I REALLY enjoy cooking much more. Then we go to a friend's house and I am making soup and their knives are awful. I didn't even think about bringing my own, but the friend's wife is a pretty good cook and I assumed she had some fairly sharp knives. Nope. Other friends had gotten new knives a year or two before I was cooking over there, but they use glass cutting surfaces and have never sharpened their knives, so they were also pretty bad. It's SO hard to cut a tomato with a dull knife. Even slicing onions is a PITA!
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bajaedition
Well-Known Member
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I run Hienkle knifes, got them about 15 years ago.
Really nice set
I think that proper care is as good as a good set, cleaning them as soon as you are finished and putting them up helps a lot.
Really nice set
I think that proper care is as good as a good set, cleaning them as soon as you are finished and putting them up helps a lot.
FYI I had the knife skills class this evening... Was WELL worth it. I was doing a lot of things wrong...
I spent years of my life making furniture and found that a really high quality Japanese steel chisel will hold an edge 10 times longer than even a good quality (ie pricey) one from a woodworking store, let alone a Stanley. We got a standard set of henkels for our wedding. They seemed high quality, had good weight, held a nice edge, etc. Then I got a Global santoku for a present. Holy crap was I fooled by the henkels, this was the real deal! Then I got a Shun... Damascus patterned Japanese steel, sharp as f***! Now the henkels just hang from the mag block collecting dust. Actually I've found that all I need is a paring knife, a boning knife, and a santoku sized knife. I've never been a fan of chefs knives, too long for me. I will say that a good set of wet stones is as important as the knives. I also think that a steel can do more harm than good if you don't know how to use it. A lot of people think it sharpens a knife; it doesn't. A steel just straightens the burr that forms after use on a keen edge. There's no burr on a dull blade.
Oh. My. This is the most evil post. Now I sit here lusting after a santoku knife.
I recently bought one of these, and it's great so far. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D6DVTTE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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Holy cow, that's a good price.
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Congrats on getting some good knives. I hate to admit it but the Food network branded a set of knives that are actually great. Their steak knives aren't ones I care for, but their other knives are great. If kept sharp and away from people who want to cut open packages and such with them, they do a good job.
I got this book a couple of years ago and I cannot recommend it more:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061188484/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I got this book a couple of years ago and I cannot recommend it more:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061188484/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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Jacob_Marley
Well-Known Member
A long time ago I was a classically trained chef and had to buy about $2000 worth of knives ... I bought J.A. Henckles. It was a ridiculous amount of money for me to spend at the time in the late 1970's, but I had to have the kit. It was a requirement.
My favorites in terms of the knife style ... and the one's I'd buy if I could only buy three knives would be ...
First ... definitely an Offset Serrated Slicer. Preferably a 10" or at the minimum - 8". This is the most absurdly valuable knife in the kitchen.
Second, a 10" french knife.
Third, a 5" or 6" Boner. (ok, now, that's a knife ... a boning knife.)
My favorites in terms of the knife style ... and the one's I'd buy if I could only buy three knives would be ...
First ... definitely an Offset Serrated Slicer. Preferably a 10" or at the minimum - 8". This is the most absurdly valuable knife in the kitchen.
Second, a 10" french knife.
Third, a 5" or 6" Boner. (ok, now, that's a knife ... a boning knife.)
boscobeans
Well-Known Member
I go to the boning knife about 75% of the time. It's just my wife and I, now that there are no more kids in the house, and prepping for 2 can be done on a
6X8 cutting board. LOL
When I do buy meats, I get several cryopacks at a time, it's the boning knife and an ancient 12 in scimitar from my grandfather's butcher shop.
bosco
My mother-in-law gave me a boner for Christmas one year... And I still laugh every time I say that.
Jap chisels are for furniture making, they are good and sharpen well with water stones. They are quite delicate in the world of framing. Sorby blows them away as does any Amish made chisel.
If you want a real hard use working knife, then in most instances you will find that a decent carbon steel blade will work better than most stainless blades available. This is mostly due to the use of improper stainless alloys for blades, unfortunately. I prefer American made Old Hickory knives for slaughter and butcher work. They are strong, well made and seeing as some of mine are antiques, long lived.
I use oil stones for knives, water stones for chisels. The sharpening techniques are vastly different as are the applications.
If you want a real hard use working knife, then in most instances you will find that a decent carbon steel blade will work better than most stainless blades available. This is mostly due to the use of improper stainless alloys for blades, unfortunately. I prefer American made Old Hickory knives for slaughter and butcher work. They are strong, well made and seeing as some of mine are antiques, long lived.
I use oil stones for knives, water stones for chisels. The sharpening techniques are vastly different as are the applications.
Various Henckels. A Mercer vegetable cleaver. An $8 meat cleaver from World Market. A set of Cuisinart ceramic knives.
The Henckles have done well for several years. We use the serrated one for bread.
The Mercer is nice! Sharp. Light. Makes quick work of produce. I hadn't considered a cleaver for that until I saw it.
The World Market cleaver is an ax with a knife edge. If I ever had to fight off a rabid horror movie monster with a kitchen knife, I'd choose that one. It cleaves everything. Abuse is just another way to use it.
The Cuisinarts were a gift. They're plenty sharp, but they feel delicate. We store them in their protective sleeves.
The Henckles have done well for several years. We use the serrated one for bread.
The Mercer is nice! Sharp. Light. Makes quick work of produce. I hadn't considered a cleaver for that until I saw it.
The World Market cleaver is an ax with a knife edge. If I ever had to fight off a rabid horror movie monster with a kitchen knife, I'd choose that one. It cleaves everything. Abuse is just another way to use it.
The Cuisinarts were a gift. They're plenty sharp, but they feel delicate. We store them in their protective sleeves.
paperairplane
Well-Known Member
Find a local maker... guy here makes carbon knives from old saw mill blades. Finish is decent but heat treat is dead on. Good carbon knives > stainless.
I'm happy with my Cutco knives. They're the best kitchen knives I've ever owned. A bit expensive but guaranteed forever.
Disclosure...I work for Cutco.
Disclosure...I work for Cutco.
Get one of these:
Work Sharp knife Sharpener.
Work Sharp knife Sharpener.
boscobeans
Well-Known Member
I sold Cutco back in 1969. It helped put me through college..
Great knives. I still remember some of the sales pitch. Good ole Mary (the generic name we used).
bosco
My Mother had a set when I was a kid but I didn't realize what they were until I went to work for the company.
FWIW, after we lost our Wusthof Classic utility knife, we ended up buying a Cutco 4.5" (IIRC) utility knife from my wife's cousin. It's one of the non-serrated variety (and yes, I know Cutco claims they're not "serrated", but I don't buy it).
I sharpen my own knives w/ 1000 & 6000 grit whetstone to the point that they all easily pass the "draw through a sheet of paper w/o tearing it" test.
The other Wusthof knives hold their edges very well with only minimal swipes on a honing steel before each use. The Cutco knife doesn't hold its edge nearly as well, and in order to maintain sharpness I'd likely have to sharpen it twice as often as the Wusthof. (As it stands, I just try to keep it decent with the steel and it just takes a little extra work each time I sharpen the rest of the knives.)
I'm not saying the Cutco knife is bad, but it's just not in the same league as the Wusthof, and pretty much the same price.
As an aside, the funniest thing was when my wife's cousin did the "cut through the leather belt" demonstration and my knife went through even easier than the brand-new demonstration knife he was using
What did you think of the class. Thinking of getting it footer the SWMBO and myself. I have decent skills thanks to past work, but could always improve.
cluckk
Well-Known Member
Years ago I got my wife a nice set of knives. She tortures them in a way that should be illegal. While I resharpen and hone her knives every few months, I got tired of not having a sharp knife when I cook. I bought myself a few inexpensive Old Hickory carbon steel knives (I really prefer carbon steel). I hung them on a magnetic strip in the garage and set one rule for my wife: "Never, ever touch my knives." I keep them razor sharp and always have a good knife available. Of course she violated the rule one time and thought she'd wash it and hang it back up before I found out. I discovered my favorite knife was covered in rust
It was a beginner course... Not that I'm complaining, as that was perfect for me. It was 2 hours, they went over how to hold a chef's knife, how to hold your fingers out of the path of the blade, and went through basic techniques for how to dice various vegetables. About 20 minutes was spent talking about what various knives are used for and how to care for them.
If you already have a strong foundation and know that your foundation is doing things properly, it might not be worth it. But if a refresher on the basics sounds good, it should deliver on that.
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