Knives

Best Kitchen Knives

Recently I was asked for some advice about kitchen knives for my niece who is creating a wedding registry. This is a question that is asked often so it warrants addressing. Knives are an essential tool and often one of the first issues an aspiring cook needs to address.

Knives run the gamut from cheap to very expensive. So where should someone starting out begin?

I will talk about types of knives first and then about quality. Finally, I will talk about sharpening. Opinions are fairly diverse on what the secondary knife would be. The primary knife is, without a doubt, the chef’s knife. Chef’s knives vary in length from approximately 7 inches to 12, or even 14 inches, with the most common size settling in around 8 inches. The chef’s knife is the workhorse of the kitchen and can be used for most any cutting task so this is where I would start.

A paring knife would be my second choice if I were limited to two. Small or delicate knife tasks are accomplished more easily with a paring knife such as slicing a apple or peeling an orange. Paring knives usually range from 3 to 4 inches. 3.5 inches is probably most common. I have 3 and they are all that length. They get used so often, special attention is needed to keep them sharp.

A utility knife would be the third choice. Fitting nicely between the heft and length of a chef’s knife but longer and thicker than a pairing knife, I reach for my utility knife often. Length here is usually somewhere around 5 or 6 inches. My preference is 6 inches.

Bringing up fourth place would be a serrated slicing knife. Although these are difficult to sharpen, they excel at slicing bread and they can be pressed into service to slice anything large like a roast or turkey. Non-serrated slicing knives are often sold with sets and while they work well for meats, they do not slice bread easily. The serrations are used to saw through bread without smashing it as knives without them are prone to do. As I mentioned, they are difficult to sharpen, however, they do last quite some time before dulling and good ones are available without breaking the bank.

A boning knife is a useful edition to a cook’s arsenal but it depends how much work you intend to do with meat. The slim design works well for its intended task but you can get by with a pairing or utility knife. If you find yourself doing these tasks frequently, they are worth the investment; however, they do not work very well for other applications.

There are, of course, many other knives in many configurations on the market. Japanese hybrids, Chinese cleavers, butcher style sabers etc. A lot of what makes a knife effective is what feels good in your hand. I am not intending to malign other styles not specifically mentioned. This is just a simple guide to provide a reliable starting point; in fact, most culinary programs start with a similar list of basic knifes. German knives tend to have a sturdy spine and are the most prevalent. Japanese knives are slim and agile. Chinese “chef’s knives” look like cleavers but are thinner and not meant for bones. Actual cleavers are heavy and great for butchering work but are too heavy for comfortable extended use unless you are actually butchering larger portions of meat.

The quality of knives also presents a wide range. I prefer quality non-serrated knives that can be re-sharpened. There are brands that have micro-serrations that are touted to stay sharp, however, they do eventually get dull, they are impossible to sharpen. These knives are too light and cheap to make cutting tasks easy.

I will preface this next part by revealing that I have no affiliations with any company in any way. No one is sending me knives to review and I certainly get no compensation or free merchandise.

While quality knives seem expensive, think about how often you use them to cook at home. We eat roughly 3 meals a day and even if you eat out often, you will likely use them frequently. My first knife was a Wusthof 8 inch chef’s knife which I still own after almost 30 years. When I purchased it for $69.00, the older gentleman behind me in line at the store said “for that price the food better cook itself”. Knives have increased in price over the years and may still seem expensive but when you look at how much service they will provide, the investment is worthwhile. Consider how much one pays for a pair of shoes and how long they last.

Knife sets are sold in a variety of sizes and can be a great way to get a deal that is often less expensive than purchasing them separately. My advice would be to stick to quality over quantity. You will do better in the long run to buy a few, or even one quality knife than get a bunch of cheap knives. Some starter sets are small, perhaps a chef’s knife and pairing knife packaged as a starter set. One or two good knives is more advantageous in the long run than a set that is of dubious quality.

Wusthof and Henckels are two brands that have been around for decades which attests to their quality. Beware, however, because these brands make some cheaper lines to compete with the inexpensive market. Some of their better lines include Classic and Grand Prix for Wusthof and Professional S and 4 star for Henckels. They do carry other lines as well. There are other brands that carry good quality knives in a similar range such as Global, Sabatier, Mercer and Misen. A good place to start looking for good utilitarian knives is a chef’s outlet or restaurant supply store. Such stores cater to the culinary industry but have good quality, albeit, not fancy knives which are built to last. These knives may not be fancy, but may be a good place to start on your knife journey.

I need to put in my plug for carbon steel knives. Prior to the prevalence of stainless steel, knives were made out of carbon steel. The steel used in the construction of had a high carbon content, hence the name. Carbon steel knives have a lot of great qualities, but also a couple of cautions. These knives tarnish over time to a dull grey patina. This does not mean that they are unclean or rusty, but they do not remain shiny. Carbon steel knives are easy to sharpen and hold and edge well making them easy to maintain from a sharpness perspective. To make stainless steel, chrome is added which also tends to make the steel harder. While this may mean they hold and edge for longer, they can be more difficult to sharpen. Over the years many improvements have been made in steel alloys and there are many great stainless knives. Carbon steel knives fell out of favor for a long time and have made a bit of a niche comeback. There are a few knifemakers who still sell them, but they are a bit more difficult to find new. The used market has seen the price of these knives rise in recent years and good used carbon steel knives can get expensive compared to their new stainless counterparts. Sabatier made these knives for many years although several different manufacturers made knives under that name. I like the Sabatier 4 star elephant brand, but there are other good versions and other good manufacturers. Sabatier still sells carbon steel knives, attesting to their renewed popularity. Carbon steel knives can rust if left wet or moist. All knives should be hand washed and never go in the dishwasher, but this is especially true for carbon steel knives. These should be dried and put away immediately. Knives should never be left in the sink as this is a good way for someone unaware or distracted to get cut badly.

Sharpening and Honing

Keeping a knife sharp is important and dull knives are difficult and troublesome. You have probably tried to struggle in kitchen with dull knives at one time or another and it is simply a pain. Dull knives lead to forcing the knife to do its work and actually lead to more cuts than a sharp knife does. You should, of course, be careful with any knife and a sharp one will indeed cut you badly if you are not paying attention as I have several scars to prove.

Many knife sets come with a steel. These are sometimes incorrectly referred to as sharpening steels. Actually, these should be called a honing steel. The steel does not sharpen. Sharpening entails the removal of material along the cutting edge to make the knife sharp. Honing, on the other hand refers to “resetting” the edge. As a knife is used the cutting edge misshapens through use. The malformation of the edge is not easily seen because most of the damage is microscopic. Running a knife along a steel refreshes the edge back to sharpness. Every time a knife is used, honing the edge with a steel will keep it sharp, extending the period between sharpenings. I hone my knives prior to using them every time. I actually sharpen them about every 8 months to a year.

The subject of sharpening knives could absorb an entire blog or perhaps many. There are many ways to undertake this task and I will talk about a few.

Handy knife sharpeners are easy to use but are limited. It is difficult to achieve the level of sharpness your knife should have when new.

Electric knife sharpeners are also handy and range in price. Some of them are very effective, but beware, it is easy to remove a lot of material when sharpening shortening the life of a knife dramatically. I worked in a commercial bakery where the electric sharpeners were over used and before long, the knives got thinner and thinner until they had to be replaced. Knives are thicker at the spine tapering down toward the cutting edge. As too much material is removed, the edge moves up the thicker part of the blade and eventually becomes impossible to sharpen and deprives the blade of the ability to hold an edge.

Sharpening stones have been around for ages. Originally actually made of stones, they range from course to fine. Like sanding a piece of wood, one starts with coarse grit which removes more material and roughs-in the shape and works toward finer and finer grits which remove less material but make the edge finer and sharper. The finer grits are basically polishing the edge. Sharpening stones are quite effective, but require some practice. My advice is to look up some tutorials and start with a cheaper knife until you gain some skill. There is no sense in potentially damaging an expensive knife while you are learning.

Professional knife sharpeners, or sharpening services are also available. These are services that specialize specifically in sharpening knives. Many restaurants rely on these services and because they are very skilled, this is a great way to have super sharp knives. This does come with a cost and since I do not use them, unfortunately, I do not know how much. Honing your knives before each use will still prolong the time between sharpening regardless of the method.