How to Purchase Kitchen Knives

No tool is as important in preparing food as a good, sharp knife. It's easy to choose a good one, and while the best knives are expensive, good ones are still affordable.

Things You'll Need

• Serrated knives
• Paring knives
• Commercial knife sharpeners
• Kitchen utility knives
• Chef's knives

Instructions

1. Assess how much you cook. You'll need a few decent knives even if you cook infrequently. If you cook a lot or plan to, it might be worthwhile to invest in fine cutlery.

2. Visit a kitchen store or an online retailer and look through the selections.

3. Look for a chef's, or French, knife. This is the standard workhorse knife of Western kitchens. It's a wide knife that tapers to a fine tip and can be used for cutting, chopping and slicing.

4. Select a chef's knife with an 8- to 10-inch blade. Long knives are actually easier to use than smaller ones because there's more blade to do the work.

5. Look for a chef's knife with a stainless-steel blade. The entire blade should be sharp and should continue for the entire length of the handle.

6. Select a thinner, 6-inch utility knife and a 3- or 4-inch paring knife. Almost all kitchen tasks can be accomplished with these basic knives.

7. Augment your basic set with a serrated knife for cutting breads and fruit and a honing steel to keep your knives sharp.

8. Expect to pay $20 for the least-expensive knife of serviceable quality. Such knives often have plastic handles and are made from stamped steel.

9. Plan to pay from $50 to $100 per knife for the finest kitchen cutlery. These knives have molded or riveted handles and are made from forged steel. They will cut well and last a lifetime with proper care.

Tips & Warnings

• Sharpness matters more than cost. Sharp knives are safer and easier to use than dull ones (you'll need to use more force with a dull knife, and you might apply that force to yourself if you slip). Even good knives will need to be sharpened from time to time.

• Avoid serrated knives that are said to never need sharpening. They're not technically sharp. They work by sawing through food instead of cutting cleanly and will make a mess of many ingredients.

• Chinese cleavers are becoming more popular in Western kitchens as a substitute for the chef's knife. These are wide, thin-bladed knives meant for delicate chopping and slicing of vegetables, herbs and soft meat. They are not heavy meat cleavers.

• Always be very careful when using or cleaning sharp knives.

• Beware of gimmicks. Except for better materials, knife technology hasn't changed in hundreds of years.