Choosing a good kitchen knife

Dear Jess, I am starting to choose healthier foods and because of this change, I am eating less prepared packaged foods and taking more time to prepare fresh foods. I think I need to invest in a good knife. Do you have tips or recommendations? Thanks, H.S.

Good for you for making such a big step in creating good health for yourself.  Summertime is a wonderful time of year as fresh, local, organic produce is so bountiful. And the one thing that adds to the joy of preparing such delicious produce is a professional, high-quality knife. No other utensil comes close to putting me in the mood for creating a tasty meal, or making me feel more like a professional chef than my favorite knife!

Let me give you a few tips in finding the “right” knife for you. I’ve talked to several people, including a few real experts on cutlery, and gotten their opinions and advice on how to select and care for fine kitchen knives.

The number one consideration when looking for a new kitchen knife is how the knife feels in your hand. The more comfortable and secure the grip, the less tired your hand will be, and the more enjoyment you’ll discover. Having a knife that fits your hand makes all the difference so try out several and see how they feel.

Beyond the knife’s feel, opinions about the most important qualities differed. Jeff, a representative of Excalibur Cutlery, felt that the manufacturer’s name and the quality of the steel are important considerations. To show me what he meant, Jeff described knives made by Shun, a Japanese company that is known for producing some of the highest quality knives (and the most expensive). Shun makes its blades with 3 layers of folded stainless cord steel, which results in a blade that is very hard, and that holds an edge for a long time.

On the other hand, Richard Botts, a trained chef and cook in an upscale restaurant in Seattle, insisted that the manufacturer and the quality of the steel aren’t nearly as important as they used to be. Although he agreed that the Shun knife is top of the line in quality, he’s found that there are other less expensive knives that work exceptionally well. According to Richard, you can find a good professional, restaurant knife like those sold by Nella Bros. for a lower price ($15 to $30).

German knives have historically been among the best. One interesting fun fact is that those leading German companies are all manufactured in Solingen, a city in Germany where Wusthof , Henckels and, of course, Solingen knives are all made. In fact, these companies are all within a few blocks of each other. As a result, Solingen is known as the “city of blades”.

I also asked my experts if they had to choose only one knife, what style would they choose. Jeff prefers the 7-inch Santoku design chef knife. This knife has “grantons”, hollow recesses near the edge that keep the knife from sticking to the food being sliced. The word santoku literally means “three good things”, which refers to the 3 things this knife is good at doing: slicing, chopping, and mincing. For that reason, Jeff feels that this knife has more all-round uses. Richard favors the 8 inch chef’s knife. Both agree that a second knife should be a high quality paring knife, used for paring fruits and vegetables, and other small jobs.

My personal favorite is an 8” chef’s knife by Wusthof . I also use a Wusthof 4 inch paring knife quite a bit. I prefer the style, balance and feel of the chef’s knife as opposed to the santoku blade. The Wusthof handle has  defined edges making it easier to hold. Plus these knives hold their edge very nicely. They have about a 20 degree blade (i.e., the smaller the angle, the sharper the blade) with three laminated layers of stainless steel that make them a bit stronger, helping them sustain their sharpness. And I just like its look better than other German brands.

Cost is, of course, an important consideration, and varies depending upon the name and quality of the knife, as well as where you purchase them.

Take some time and shop around for a knife that’s right for you.  I know that once you have one or two good quality, sharp knives your time in the kitchen will be easier and more effortless…and a whole lot more fun. If you’ve never had a good knife, you just don’t know what you’re missing.

Come back tomorrow…I will talk about proper care of kitchen cutlery…because now that you have a nice knife, it is important to take good care of it.

To your good health-
Jess