How to Shop for a Chef's Knife

Compare before you buy.

For chopping, dicing and slicing, a chef’s knife is indispensable. Gourmet cooks claim it is the knife to choose if you can only have one knife in your kitchen. However, with many manufacturers offering chef’s knives, all promising to out-perform the rest, a few general guidelines will help you get the best knife for your money.

Instructions

1. Shop in person. While you can order a chef’s knife from a catalog or online, your hand is uniquely your own and the comfort factor when holding the knife is important. In gourmet kitchen supply stores and some department stores, you can usually test the knife before making a purchase.

2. Bring a small flexible, silicone mat, rolled up in your purse, to place on a counter top when trying the knife. Hold the knife by the handle, allowing the deepest part of the blade to touch the mat. You should be able to rock the knife back and forth, in a dicing motion, without your hand making contact with the counter top.

3. Rotate your wrist up and down while holding the knife in the cutting position. Your hand should move with ease, your fingers fitting nicely around the handle’s surface. Study the handle at this time; square, abrupt edges will create fatigue when cutting. Rounded, tapering edges, with the grip situated close to the bolster, will reduce hand fatigue.

4. Judge the weight of each chef’s knife and consider what is comfortable for you. A heavy knife feels sturdy in your hand but may create chopping fatigue if you chop for long periods. On the other hand, a knife that is very light may not assist in dicing foods, since a smooth rocking motion increases with some weight.

5. Read the care instructions that come with the knife. Eventually all knives need sharpening but knives with “permanent” edges hold their sharpness longer due to the high quality carbon in the blade.

6. Compare price as a final step. Some chef’s knives, especially professional Asian models, are quite expensive. However, professional American chefs consider other knives superior in performance and quality. The bottom line is to look for quality first and then to buy the best knife you can within your budget.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a sharpening steel handy in your kitchen for a few quick swipes before you begin dicing.

• Even if your chef's knife claims to be dishwasher safe, wash and dry it by hand as soon as you're done using it. Dishwasher detergent may pit even the strongest carbon steel.