How to Choose a Good Chef Knife
Cooks everywhere will tell you that they cannot perform at their best without their trusty chef's knives. These knives are used to chop up vegetables and other food items. At cooking school, students are told to purchase a high quality, professional set of knives before proceeding with classes. A good knife will give you a comfortable rocking motion when chopping. If you want to choose a good chef knife, you've got to look at the brand, the material it is made from, the weight and the grip of the handle, among other details. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a brand of chef knives that is well known in the cooking industry. A few brands that are popular include: Sabatier, MAC, Global, Misono and Kershaw.
-
2
Choose a chef's knife that has a wide enough blade to give you maximum leverage when chopping. A blade that is too thin in width will be difficult to rock back and forth.
-
-
3
Make sure that the knife is made from steel, not ceramic materials. Ceramic knives cannot be sharpened and don't give you the same razor sharp cut as a genuine steel knife. A steel knife may cost more, but will last longer.
-
4
Find out if the knife is forged, meaning handmade, or pressed and cut out of a mold. A hand-crafted (forged) knife is preferred by many chefs.
-
5
Choose a knife that has a bolster (bulge) between the knife blade and the handle to protect your hand from slipping when chopping up your food. It also gives you better balance when cutting.
-
6
Pick a chef's knife that isn't too heavy to handle. A weighty knife will slow down your prep time and can cause your hand and arm to start hurting over time.
-
7
Examine or get information about the handles of the knives that you are considering. Find a chef's knife that has a good, non-slip, ergonomic handle. If you cook a lot, you will find that your wrist goes through a lot of wear and tear when using these knives---invest in a good knife to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel symptoms.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Purchase a knife sharpener along with your new chef knife. You need to keep your knife sharp at all times or else it will become more difficult to cut food, your prep time will increase, and you will need to apply more pressure to finish your chopping job. A whetstone is a good sharpener for this type of knife. Keep your chef's knife in a knife holder when not in use.
