Knives and Knife Skills
Looking for new knives? There are a ton of choices. A friend was asking me what to get. I have every one of these brands in my drawers, having used them over my career with food.
Here are the types of knives on the market, classified by their style and where they are made and used.
- The old-style European knives, Henckel, Wustof, Messermeister, All Clad, and Forschner, are heavy-set, classically designed, and seldom chip. They last a long time. But their softer, thicker edge requires constant sharpening to stay sharp. They are meant to cut bones, meat, and heavier items. I tend to think of these as trophy collections for people who want to show off large groups of knives on their counters and don't use the knives much. Forschner was always my choice for affordability and staying sharp when I worked in a hotel kitchen.
- The Japanese knives are thinner and designed for thin-slicing fruits, veggies, and fish. They are super sharp and stay sharp because they are made from harder steel than the Euro varieties. However, they are easily chipped, bent, and can develop rust spots. They are expensive if you buy major brands like Global, Shun, Mac, Miyabi, and Damascus steel. I love these, and chefs love these. One santoku knife is probably all you will ever need if you want a good sharp knife and can be careful with it so as not to chip it. Even if you chip it, which I have done, it always works. Hint: buy the Mac on eBay!
- There are cheaper brands that make porcelain blades, colored blades, stainless straight, and serrated knives. They stay sharp, are inexpensive, and are practical for everyday use. Most of these are Chinese imports, but some are American. They make the best choice for people on a budget who want to get the job done. Find them on Amazon, discount stores, and grocery stores. I call them obscure brands, or they can be economic ones like Mercer or Cuisinart.
What about the shape or type of knife?
These three are the "work horses" and all you will ever need in most home kitchens:
- A paring knife is excellent for peeling and cutting small items. You don't need anything expensive.
- A chef's knife or santoku knife is perfect for slicing and chopping. This is the one I would spend money on if it is in the budget.
- A slicer knife is excellent for cutting cakes, bread, and carved meat. It can be straight, have notches to avoid creating a vacuum or be serrated. I seldom use it, and if so, primarily for bread. I might pick one of the following two over this one.
I usually own a serrated utility knife for cutting things I don't want to subject my French knife or Santoku knife to tackling. Boxes, chocolate, partially frozen items, bread, and bunches of leeks are a few uses for serrated blades. They are so handy because it takes years to wear their teeth off, and they always stay sharp.Of course, if you like to fillet fish or cut meat, a boning knife is handy. It can stand in as a slicer for turkey and roasts for the holidays, too.
How to acquire knife skills
The Chef's Knife (also called French Knife) or Santoku knife can be held against your hand, with fingers curled under, so that your hand guides the blade and keeps it from cutting you, all the while rendering very thin slices cut at top speed. This is far easier said than done.In my early days, I had 20 pounds of zucchini assigned me for chopping. The chef taught me to cut the bottom off so they would sit flat on the board. Then I was able to slice them without them rolling. That is how I learned to use the knife. Practice makes patience, and if you are nervous, you can use a glove that prevents cuts.A good rule of thumb is to never put anything in front of a knife that you don't want to cut!
