Knives – Cutting Something is Almost as Fun as Shooting Something!

             

When it comes to kitchen knives, knowing your cutting technique and how you want to work is paramount. You have to match your cutting technique and most common tasks to the type of knife that is best for you. There isn't a “right” or “wrong” answer, just what works best for you.

This article will help you understand the different types of knives and how to pick out the ones right for you.

The most important knife in the drawer is the “Chef’s Knife.” This is a very versatile knife, covering duties from general chopping and cutting to slicing and trimming. If you only can afford one knife, it should be a Chef’s Knife.

The Chef’s Knife is defined more by what it can’t do rather than what it can do. The Chef’s Knife is not good at slicing bread or trimming small fruit / vegetables. It pretty much rocks at everything else.

There are two basic types of Chef’s knives; the Traditional Chef’s Knife and the Santuko. The Santuko appears as this:

               

The Santuko is nearly flat on the cutting edge, and frequently has detents (hollow spaces) along the cutting edge. A common misconception is that the hollow detents help keep slices of starchy foods like potatoes and apples from sticking to the blade – this is not the case. The hollow detentes help keep slices of meat a straight line, or even thickness. Potatoes and apples will stick to the blade like any other knife.

The Santuko knife is more appropriate for chefs who use a “back & forth” cutting technique rather than a rocking technique. Neither technique is better than the other, it’s just a matter of what you’re more comfortable with (and less likely to cut your fingers off).

The Standard Chef’s Knife is more curved and doesn't have the hollow detentes. A popular brand of a Standard Chef’s knife is the Victorinox Chef’s knife, as appears below: 

This knife is more curved than the Santuko knife, and is more suited to chefs that use a rocking motion to chop items rather than a back-and-forth motion. Again, neither is better than the other, just a matter of how the chef likes to work.

One of the main differences between the two knives is how they are constructed, and as a result how they are sharpened and maintained.

The Wusthof knife is a forged high-carbon stainless steel blade, which is very hard. The edge is a very narrow angle, sharpened at a 14” (or 14 degree) angle on each side. This means that you have to use a special sharpener to condition the blade, such as the sharpener appearing below:

The advantage of the Wusthof is that it can be sharpened to a razor-edge, and is very durable, cutting soft and hard items with ease.  The disadvantage is that it is hard to sharpen, and if it gets very dull, it requires a professional to re-sharpen it.

The Wusthof paring knife is essentially the same as the Chef’s knife, only smaller.  It comprises the same metallurgy and sharpening angle as the Chef’s knife and the same sharpening angle, but is designed to cut small vegetables and fruits.

 The Victorinox is a softer steel blade, which is easier to sharpen, at a 23 degree angle.  This is a standard knife-sharpening angle, and several affordable knife sharpeners are available.

The Victorinox Chef’s knife and related paring knife are much cheaper than the Wusthof, although they are made of cold-rolled steel which is less dense and therefore less able to be sharpened as much as the Wusthof knives.  The Victorinox knives can be sharpened quickly, but the edges don’t last as long as the Wusthof knives.

The Wusthof knives typically cost about $100 or more per knife, while the Victorinox knives cost about $25 per knife. 

As an aside, Gordon Ramsey exclusively uses Wusthof knives.

Chicago Cutlery

           Chicago Cutlery is below Wusthof and Victorinox in terms of quality, but is still pretty good.              They are made of cold-rolled soft steel, and are easy to sharpen, but the sharp edge doesn't

           last long. They, like the Victorinox knives, are sharpened at a 23-degree angle.

           They are typically inexpensive, less than $20 per knife.

Electric Knives

           

            NO.   NO.

Serrated Knives

             
Use for bread slicing only. Don’t get an expensive one, you won’t use it enough to warrant getting an expensive one. Don’t re-sharpen, just buy a new one when it gets dull – don’t spend more than $10 on it.

Fillet Knives

            A decent fillet knife is nice if you cook a lot of fish. They are typically long ( > 12”) and very 

            flexible. However, like serrated knives, you won’t use them enough to warrant an expensive

            purchase – look for one that is less than $20. Just get a new one when it gets dull.

Take away – Wusthof is the best brand, but expensive and hard to maintain, Victorinox is good but the edge doesn't last long, Chicago Cutlery is cheap but only adequate.  For the money, I would choose a Wusthof Santuko and a Wusthof Paring knife if you’re a semi-serious chef or chef-wannabe.