I’ve had a number of questions from readers asking about what are the best kitchen knives to buy. What should they buy first? I would suggest a quality chef’s knife that stays sharp and feels right in your hand.
For that reason, I would suggest that you buy your Chef’s Knife in person from someone who knows their product as this is the most important knife to get right. You can then add to your collection buying the same brand as your Chef’s Knife and this can be done online where you can shop for the best price.
Don’t worry. By the end of this article, you’ll have a much better understanding of all the factors to consider so you can make a decision about the perfect knife for you. There’s no wrong answer – it’s a very personal choice.
Where to start?
Before you start looking for a knife, it can help to think about how you’ll use it. Look at the size of your hands. Do you have big, strong hands or more delicate? How do you hold a knife?
Then, think about what you tend to do most in the kitchen? If you’re looking to gradually add to your collection, it’s nice to know what kind of work you do the most so you can start there.
Lastly, ask yourself what type of handle you prefer, what shape feels most comfortable in your hands, and what weight you’ll need.
Quality versus price?
Remember that you’ll be using your knife every day in your kitchen.
Knives can be expensive, however, what sets great knives apart from the mediocre ones is that they will last more than 30 years and they’ll perform noticeably better every time you use them. A good knife will also be easier to maintain and will hold its edge over time.
Whenever you can, buy quality brands but, most importantly, go with what feels and works best for you … and, most importantly, have fun cooking!
What Types Of Knives Do You Need in your Kitchen?
Here’s a list of the most popular types of knives and the ones you are most likely to want in your kitchen.
Chef’s Knife
The Chef’s knife is arguably the most important and versatile knife in your kitchen. You’ll use it to slice and chop meat or vegetables. Look for something around 8 or 10 inches.
Paring Knife
Your 3 or 4 inch Paring Knife is great for peeling vegetables, and cutting smaller items. When peeling vegetables use your thumb to guide and pull the blade toward you.
Utility Knife
The 5 or 6 inch Utility Knife – is shorter and slimmer than the Chef’s knife, the utility knife is perfect for making quick work of small vegetables like carrots and peppers.
Kitchen Shears
Kitchen Shears are simply a must-have in my kitchen. They have so many uses such as parting chicken, trimming or cutting stems, cutting herbs, or those times when you just need a versatile pair of scissors for opening packages. Ideally, you’ll want a pair that can be easily washed, that come apart into two pieces and are easy to handle and grip.
Bread Knife
The serrated edge of the bread knife makes for perfect cuts in loaves without tearing the bread. Around about 10 inches is a great size.
Sharpening Steel
Keeping your blades sharp makes working easier and, believe it or not, a sharp blade is actually safer to use that a blunt edge. You can use less force and you will no longer struggle to make fine cuts.
It’s best to use the honing steel every 3-4 uses to smooth down micro tears in the blade and to make it cut quickly and smoothly. If you’ve never been shown the correct way to sharpen your knives, it’s easier than you think.
Optional Knives
Filleting Knife
This super-thin, narrow, flexible blade makes it easy to slip in between bones and joints in a way you just can’t do with a chef’s knife. Perfect for filleting fish.
Boning Knife
A 6 inch boning knife can be curved, flexible or semi stiff. It is the perfect knife to de-bone a whole chicken and meat.
The Six Best Chefs Knives
Below is an article from “Kitchen Knife Guru” on his six recommendations that cover some of the best chef knives around, each produced by a different world-class knife-maker.
This short list is designed not only to highlight quality chef knives, but to give you a sense of what’s out there (a lot!) and help you find the knife that’s right for you! Click here to find out more.
Do I Buy A Knife Set or Individual Knives?
I found a great article from “Best Reviews”on what are the five best kitchen knife sets to buy. They compare manufacture, performance , price and contents. There is also plenty of other great information about knives, cutting techniques and tips.
Click the button below to read the full article and you can decide which way is best for you! Click here to find out more.
The Best and Easiest Way To Sharpen Your Knives
Every chef knows the importance of sharpening a knife before using it. It’s something that is drilled into us from the beginning of our training. A sharp knife is easier to handle and actually reduces the chance of mishaps in the kitchen (like chopping off a finger).
Here, world famous chef, Gordon Ramsay, demonstrates how to properly sharpen a knife at home using this basic technique. I believe this is the easiest and best way to sharpen your knives – especially if you have weak wrists like me!
