Upgrading Kitchen Knives
ByKristenmollica
You've outgrown the cheap set of knives you purchased when you first moved out. You seem to be cutting your fingers more than the veggies and your roommate has finally figured out that salad should not taste like iron, nor do you own red dressing. Whether you're turning into a culinary expert or you have unusual, secret hobbies with people named Jason and Freddy, it's always a great idea to invest in quality knives that will last a lifetime. Soon you'll be slicing and dicing like a pro.
Blade Material
A knife blade can be made out of five different materials, each offering many different pros and cons. But which material is the best? There is no "perfect" material but some are certainly better than others. Here are the best blades to choose from (in my expert finger-slicing opinion):
- High Carbon Steel
- This is the most durable and the sharpest. Little effort is needed when using high carbon steel. The only disadvantage is that it is not stain resistant and will discolor over time. Luckily, it is only cosmetic and will not affect the knife.
- High Carbon Stainless Steel - Most professional chefs use high carbon stainless steel. It is stain resistant, highly durable, and maintains a sharp edge. These are highly recommended for people wanting a serious upgrade. If I were to choose a "perfect" blade, this would be it.
- Ceramic - These blades are extremely hard and will last for months, sometimes even years with no maintenance. They will never leave a "steel" taste on food. However, they are very brittle and require diamond sharpening tools. You must always use a cutting board with these knives. They can cut right through your dinnerware.
Other Factors to Consider
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- Handles - When it comes to the type of handle, it all boils down to your personal preference and what you feel comfortable using. No material is really better than the other.
- Professionals usually choose composition or stainless steel handles because they are easier to maintain.
- Construction - Knives can be constructed in three ways: the best quality knives are either forged (in the fires of Mount Doom) or sintered. Do not choose blocked knives: this is a cheap way to make a poorly balanced knife.
- A good way to test a knife is to see if it balances in your hand.
- Knife balance is in the hand of the beholder. Grip the knife by the handle and notice if it feels weighted towards the front or the back. It should feel perfectly balanced in your hand.
- Also take into account the general weight of the knife. This is a matter of personal preference. Some feel a heavier knife cuts food faster because it falls with more force. While others feel a lighter knife allows you to move quickly, with more skill.
- A quality knife will also have a full tang.
- The tang is the piece of the metal that extends from the end of the blade into the handle.
- A full tang means that this piece of metal will extend through the entire handle of the knife. A half tang will only extend halfway into the handle.
- A full tang will add durability and strength, as well as improve the weight and balance of the knife.
- Style - There are two styles of knives, Eastern and Western . Unfortunately, I can't tell you that one style is higher quality than the other. Eastern knives have better cutting performance but require more maintenance. Western knives offer less performance but are easier to maintain.
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Brands - So what brands do professional chefs use and recommend? The absolute best brands are: You can expect to pay anywhere from $40-$100 for a single knife, but the quality is unbeatable. As long as you properly take care of these knives, they will last you a lifetime. |
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Maintaining Your Knives
Now that you've spent all that money on amazing knives, don't let them turn into rusty daggers. We don't want a repeat "red salad dressing incident" again, do we? Here are some basic tips to keep those blades of steel clean and sharp:
- Regardless of the blade or handle material, you should always wash the knives with mild soap and dry immediately after use.
- Knives with wooden handles should never be placed in the dishwasher or submerged in water for very long. Thoroughly dry the handle because the wood can swell.
- To be safe, I wouldn't place any of your kitchen knives in the dishwasher so it won't damage the handles.
- If you truly want to be meticulous about cleaning your knives, wipe each side of the blade with a soft, damp soapy cloth and then rinse the blade under running water.
- Now that your knife is clean, it's time to learn how to properly sharpen the dull blade. There are a few different methods depending on the tool you use, so look to the table below to see how to use each tool.
- If you own ceramic knives, you should either return them to the manufacturer to be sharpened or take them to a specialty knife shop. Luckily, you won't have to do this very often since these knives can stay sharp for years.
- You can purchase a ceramic knife sharpener to sharpen them yourself, but most recommend a professional to sharpen them. Also, your manufacturer might sharpen them free of charge!
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Knife Sharpening Stone - Should be used when your knives are very dull.
- Comes in three types: oil stones ,water stones , and diamond stones .
- Oil stones are the cheapest and have the slowest cutting rate. Water stones are a little more expensive and have a faster cutting rate. Diamond stones are the most expensive but will produce the best results.
- Before you use the stone, you'll want to place either a bit of sharpening oil or water on the knife, depending on your stone.
- Hold the knife at about a 20 degree angle. Then slide the blade up the stone using only a little bit of pressure. Do this a few times on each side of the blade.
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Knife Sharpener - Regular knife sharpeners now come in manual or electric . Neither is really better than the other but of course an electric will cost a bit more money and doesn't require much work.
- Depending on what brand, model, or type you get, each sharpener works a little bit differently so you'll have to consult the manual. However, all of them require a similar mechanism of holding the knife upright and drawing the knife back and forth.
- The major downside to using these devices is that you have to be careful not to scratch the blades or wear them down by accident.
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Sharpening Steel - A sharpening steel is a bit of a misnomer. Actually it's a big misnomer. These should not be used to sharpen knives. They are meant for honing knives.
- A sharpening steel will realign your knife's blade. The blade will eventually begin to curl after use, however, it can only be seen under a microscope. Just take my word for it!
- Just like with a stone, you want to hold the knife at a slight angle. Move the blade up the entire length of the rod, always away from you.
- As you slide the knife up, you will want the blade to move at an angle so the entire blade is honed.
- Ideally, you'll want to hone a knife before you use it.
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Best Individual Knives
If you're serious about upgrading your knives but are still reluctant to spend a lot of money, try buying high quality individual knives that you use the most. Most people use chef's knives and paring knives more frequently so consider getting one or two of each.
Best Knife Sets
Knife sets are a great way to save money since they give you all the essentials. However, expect to pay a few hundred dollars for top-of-the-line sets. The last two sets listed are in the $600 range. They are a great investment and definitely worth the money, but I would only recommend it for those who are very serious about cooking.
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