Chefs Knives

[jpc]

I forgot one thing. Never buy a knife you haven't held in your hand. Everyone's hands are different and different knives have different weights and shapes. By the way, most quality knives have a lifetime guarantee.

IMO, this is the most important thing-- feel. I happen to like my Henkels Four Star chef's knife, and I've been using the same knife for the past 15 years. It feels natural for me. My GF doesn't like it, and prefers a different knife. I can use hers if I need to, but it feels less natural for me and slows me down.

Oh, and one other thing-- keep it sharp. The steel that comes with knife sets is mostly useless (and not used to sharpen), and a lot of the so-called "professionals" are less than great at sharpening. I've taken some cooking classes, and the chefs have experienced this-- so-called "pros" who would leave hollows in the blade, sharpen at the wrong angle, even de-temper the metal. Find someone that knows what they are doing to protect your investment.

As far as home sharpeners, one of the chefs recommended the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers sharpener (says he hasn't used a professional in five years). Another recommended using good old oil stones. In either case, most say to stay away from electrical-powered sharpeners, since they can chew off quite a bit of metal... you might get a good edge, but the knife won't last as long.

 

[Nova5]

most of my food prep knives are Victorinox Forschner. Very nice. I like the synthetic handle they have. hold an edge well. I haven't had to sharpen my 10" chefs knife in the 2 years I've owned it and it gets used regularly. cuts incredibly well. U do use bamboo or a white plastic board to cut on to protect the edge. the clear plastic is actually harder on blades.

for sharpening get a real stone and learn how to sharpen them yourself.a GOOD stone isn't expensive either.

10" Chef Knife
12" Bread Knife
4" Paring Knife
7" Flexible Deboning Knife.

All Victorinox. All I need as well. There is no need for 8 different knives.

Chef Knife is a good slicer/chopper knife. Lets you cut roasts and such into smaller parts. You can slice up veggies just as easy. the arched blade also lets you "rock" to mince things. I tried a Henkles mincer deal dual curved blades attached to a handle and a bamboo dish.. and can do just as well with the knife.
Pairing Knife is a great one for small things or veggies if you've already contaminated your chefs knife and don't have time to wash it.
the flexible deboning knife is good to run along bone edges and such and actually bends with the bone structure to get you more meat. they are also not as tall as a chefs knife so they turn and follow a arch easier inside a roast/
Bread Knife... if you can't figure this out, put the knives away and get out of the kitchen. I like mine serrated.


Consider 2 Chefs Knives.
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_fibrox.htm

 

[rjwhite41]

IMO, this is the most important thing-- feel. I happen to like my Henkels Four Star chef's knife, and I've been using the same knife for the past 15 years. It feels natural for me. My GF doesn't like it, and prefers a different knife. I can use hers if I need to, but it feels less natural for me and slows me down.

Oh, and one other thing-- keep it sharp. The steel that comes with knife sets is mostly useless (and not used to sharpen), and a lot of the so-called "professionals" are less than great at sharpening. I've taken some cooking classes, and the chefs have experienced this-- so-called "pros" who would leave hollows in the blade, sharpen at the wrong angle, even de-temper the metal. Find someone that knows what they are doing to protect your investment.

As far as home sharpeners, one of the chefs recommended the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers sharpener (says he hasn't used a professional in five years). Another recommended using good old oil stones. In either case, most say to stay away from electrical-powered sharpeners, since they can chew off quite a bit of metal... you might get a good edge, but the knife won't last as long.

The steel that comes with the knife should not be junk. Some are better than others. It should be used prior to use every time. It hones or sets the edge. Wet stones will sharpen or create the edge and they are extremely easy to use. If you do not regularly use a steel then you will need to have your knives sharpened more regularly. Do not buy the electric knife sharpeners they are junk. I have not had any problems using professionals. Again, some are better than others.

 

[Fusorfodder]

I LOVE the Forschner Fibrox knives. They're rather affordable and the sharpness is amazing. They are sharper than the Wusthof that my mom uses, and have held there edges exceedingly well. The only drawback they have is that they are exceedingly light. If you prefer the feel of a heavier blade then these might not do it for you. However, aside from that these are a steal. I doubt if i would spend more on a supposedly higher end knife. I don't see how they could get much sharper, and the price would jump astronomically. Check them out!

 

[northernlad]

For value, you can't beat Victorinox (they are Forschner but have dropped that name)
Globals are dreamy, I have 2.
I work at a Restaurant Supply store and we sell a brand called Mundial. They are made in Brazil and the company used to make one of Henckels lines for years. They are the same knife for half the price. Do not buy a set of Henckels that costs less than $300.
Most "sharpeners" are really only good at maintaining an edge and some are better than others.
Globall sells a ceramic wheel sharener called a Minosharp. It is designed for Globals and their specific angle of sharpening, but they work for any knife. With this sharpeener I have been abe to maintain a tomato sharp edge on my Globals as well as the 5 Mundials I have.

Make sure you put the knife in you hand. As awesome as Globals are they are not for everyone.
Never cut on a hard surface, never put a knife in the dishwasher, always store the blade protected.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

Well I ended up getting the Wusthof Classic Ikon. Since this is technically an Xmas gift from my wife whatever I got had to be wrapped and under the tree on Xmas morning -her only rule-so that ruled out the Mac Pro as it had to be ordered online. I went to Williams Sonoma as they had the Ikon on sale with the sharpener and held both it and the Global. I liked the heft of the Wusthof and thought it felt better in my hand than the Global.

 

[northernlad]

Globals are a bit of a shock. When people ask about them in the store I have a little schpiel that starts with a typical French chef knife of good weight. I put it in their hand and let them feel it, then I swap it out for a Global and without fail everyone says "Wow".

 

[RogerMcAllen]

most of my food prep knives are Victorinox Forschner. Very nice. I like the synthetic handle they have. hold an edge well. I haven't had to sharpen my 10" chefs knife in the 2 years I've owned it and it gets used regularly. cuts incredibly well. U do use bamboo or a white plastic board to cut on to protect the edge. the clear plastic is actually harder on blades.

for sharpening get a real stone and learn how to sharpen them yourself.a GOOD stone isn't expensive either.

10" Chef Knife
12" Bread Knife
4" Paring Knife
7" Flexible Deboning Knife.

All Victorinox. All I need as well. There is no need for 8 different knives.

Chef Knife is a good slicer/chopper knife. Lets you cut roasts and such into smaller parts. You can slice up veggies just as easy. the arched blade also lets you "rock" to mince things. I tried a Henkles mincer deal dual curved blades attached to a handle and a bamboo dish.. and can do just as well with the knife.
Pairing Knife is a great one for small things or veggies if you've already contaminated your chefs knife and don't have time to wash it.
the flexible deboning knife is good to run along bone edges and such and actually bends with the bone structure to get you more meat. they are also not as tall as a chefs knife so they turn and follow a arch easier inside a roast/
Bread Knife... if you can't figure this out, put the knives away and get out of the kitchen. I like mine serrated.


Consider 2 Chefs Knives.
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_fibrox.htm

I love these knives and the handles. They always top America's Test Kitchen's list of affordable knives.

 

[nutty_gnome]

While I understand the argument that you don't need more than 3 or 4 of the basic knives, I find that having an asian/chinese meat cleaver in the house makes short work of several thinkgs that I 'could' be done with the chefs or bread knives... but shouldn't. Also holding a meat cleaver while your wife looks on from a safe distance make me feel more manly than viagra. If you don't have a chinese cleaver, pick one up and see.

 

[rjwhite41]

While I understand the argument that you don't need more than 3 or 4 of the basic knives, I find that having an asian/chinese meat cleaver in the house makes short work of several thinkgs that I 'could' be done with the chefs or bread knives... but shouldn't. Also holding a meat cleaver while your wife looks on from a safe distance make me feel more manly than viagra. If you don't have a chinese cleaver, pick one up and see.

A chinese "cleaver" is actually just a chinese cooks knife. They are not designed to cut through bone. A meat cleaver, which is heavier and thicker, is for that.

 

[nutty_gnome]

Thats interesting. I wield something that looks a lot like the picture below, but much, much cheaper. Chops like a chainsaw!


I wonder when an asian cleaver 'becomes' a cleaver... is it the edge grind or the length to width ratio of the blade.... a google image result for asian cleaver returns a wide variety of blade shapes. Anyway, I like mine and recommend it for heavy duty cutting.

 

[ExHempKnight]

Another +1 for the Victorinox knives with the Fibrox handles. I bought them after several month's research, and have been supremely happy with them. I've since owned my set for about a year, and the 10" chef sees a ton of use. It's still scary sharp.

 

[Homercidal]

Wife got me a Swiss Knife (Victorinox??). It's pretty sharp and cuts like a dream. I was nto really familiar with any good knives, I just told her that I'd like something better than what we had, which was not bad, but not great either.

I've already given instructions to the family on how NOT to use it. I doubt any of them will bother trying to use it now. It must suck to not be able to cut on a hard surface or put in the dishwasher!!

Now I need to find a good steel to have on hand.

 

[rjwhite41]

It's the width and grind of the blade that makes it a meat cleaver. Asian cooks knives are frequently sold in the U.S. as cleavers. That knife in the picture sure looks like a meat cleaver to me though.

 

[dataz722]

Wife got me a Swiss Knife (Victorinox??). It's pretty sharp and cuts like a dream. I was nto really familiar with any good knives, I just told her that I'd like something better than what we had, which was not bad, but not great either.

I've already given instructions to the family on how NOT to use it. I doubt any of them will bother trying to use it now. It must suck to not be able to cut on a hard surface or put in the dishwasher!!

Now I need to find a good steel to have on hand.

They make some damn good knives for the price, they always get great reviews from cooks illustrated. While I love my Shuns I will probably be buying a couple Victorinoxs in the near future.

 

[Edcculus]

Thats interesting. I wield something that looks a lot like the picture below, but much, much cheaper. Chops like a chainsaw!


I wonder when an asian cleaver 'becomes' a cleaver... is it the edge grind or the length to width ratio of the blade.... a google image result for asian cleaver returns a wide variety of blade shapes. Anyway, I like mine and recommend it for heavy duty cutting.

There are a few Japanese knife styles that look similar to that, but not so unweildy. They are typically vegetable knives. They are usually sharp and light and let you process a lot of vegetables very quickly.

I'm guessing you have a Nikiri

 

[JonK331]

I like a forged knife as opposed to stamped. Wusthoffs are forged, victorinox are stamped. Stamped knives are okay but require more sharpening, if you are willing to sharpen often they are fine. Stamped knives hold and edge longer and require honing rather than sharpening. If you hone your forged knife every time you use it and have it professionally sharpened every one to two years (depending on how much you use it) it will last a lifetime. A stamped knife will only last a few years. If I were to have only one knife in my kitchen, it would be a 9" or 10" French chef knife. I have had a 9" Wusthoff Classic for years and absolutely love it.

 

[the_bird]

I like a forged knife as opposed to stamped. Wusthoffs are forged, victorinox are stamped. Stamped knives are okay but require more sharpening, if you are willing to sharpen often they are fine. Stamped knives hold and edge longer and require honing rather than sharpening. If you hone your forged knife every time you use it and have it professionally sharpened every one to two years (depending on how much you use it) it will last a lifetime. A stamped knife will only last a few years. If I were to have only one knife in my kitchen, it would be a 9" or 10" French chef knife. I have had a 9" Wusthoff Classic for years and absolutely love it.

Read Chad Ward's book - there's a lot of that stuff about "forged versus stamped" that's just not true, or at the very least incomplete. Highly recommend that book

 

[Homercidal]

I like a forged knife as opposed to stamped. Wusthoffs are forged, victorinox are stamped. Stamped knives are okay but require more sharpening, if you are willing to sharpen often they are fine. Stamped knives hold and edge longer and require honing rather than sharpening. If you hone your forged knife every time you use it and have it professionally sharpened every one to two years (depending on how much you use it) it will last a lifetime. A stamped knife will only last a few years. If I were to have only one knife in my kitchen, it would be a 9" or 10" French chef knife. I have had a 9" Wusthoff Classic for years and absolutely love it.

How is it possible that you can't simply put the edge back on a stamped knife? My gut feeling is that a lot of people who use cheaper stamped knives simply don't know how to keep an edge on it. If it gets bad enough you can always have a professional, with the right equipment, put the angle on it and prep it for the final edge...

 

[the_bird]

Again, Chad's book. Almost positive that the Global knives so many people adore are stamped. The makeup of the steel is going to have more of an effect on the knife's performance characteristics than anything else.