bobzilla said:Wife has Cutco from many moons ago. We've added to it as time allows. Whats nice is when something gets dull, we drop it off at the store and get it back in a week. WE;ve had a couple replaced for free.
Cutco isn't a terrible product, just a scummy business practice.
My parents still have some Cutco knives that are going on 15 years old. Good product but same can't be said for business( and I worked for them for a time).
Victorinox paring knife and Ikea sheepsfoot blade kitchen knife are my two goto's. Cut everything from cheese to ring bologna to roast pork.
If you are struggling with slicing tomatoes and similar things, you are probably dulling your edge on meats, opening packages, etc. I recommend 2 do-it-all kitchen knives, a 6 or 8 inch chef's knife and a vegetable knife that you ONLY use on vegetables.
Mercer makes a good one that holds an edge very well, especially if you maintain the edge. For that I use a 2-step Chef's Choice compact:
Keep it in the kitchen drawer and keep your edges sharp. I also have an electric Chef's Choice 3-stage sharpener that I use for when edges need sharpened, not just maintained. I have tried stones and while they ultimately are the best, they take a steady hand and skill and I have neither.
In reply to stroker :
Good kitchen knives need good maintenance. As many have said. My best knife is one I bought in a Kroger on travel. I just find it hase a good balance in my hand. I sharpen it regularly and use the steel just before a lot of tomato or other interesting cuts. So brand matters as in durability and steel quality if chopping. But maintaining the knife removes the pain of cutting your meals.
Second part of the cutting process is your board. I have found the use of wood boards to make a big difference. The knife seems to be happier over a longer period. Plus food seems to have more friction on a wood board and not having to use more muscle strength to keep things aligned gives more confidence and so you don't over stress the knife and feel out of control which translates into thinking the knife is dull.
Anyhow, my deep thoughts from my cooking experience.
Many good suggestions here, I also recommend that you go and put your hands on some knives. To me handle design makes a huge difference. I really like Japanese blades, but western handles, so it makes it a bit more difficult to find ones that I really enjoy. I live in a big city, so have a few specialty knife stores I can go to, so for me buying a knife is like test driving a car, I need to put my hand on it.
100% agree with that. Sometimes you pick one up and it's "ooooo, yes, this is just right".
I've been using a henckel chef's knife of some sort for a few years now (long enough that the label on the blade has worn off) and I love it. It only sees vegetables so it holds an edge for a really long time. The squarish handle profile works pretty well with wet hands. They have a line with rounded handles that's a bit scary when I have any kind of liquid on my hands.
I'm really really liking the 10.5" Apogee chef knife I picked up this summer. My first "good" knife since I worked in kitchens.
Moderately priced at just under $200, holds an edge very well, but most importantly it fits my paws and I can use it for hours if I have to.
A good sharpener AND steel make a world of difference even for crap knives though. I don't/won't use my Lansky kit on kitchen knives. I have used those ceramic V blocks and they work ok, but I wouldn't put a good knife through one personally. I finally wound up with a Work sharp electric sharpener system, and it's amazing. 10 minutes, every knife in the kitchen is sharp again, even the serrated ones.
Big stones are fine at work when you're killing time between orders and prep, but it's too much hassle for me to bother with at home.
I like the stone work, it's a pleasure to bring a tool to its best. Definitely not the quick and easy option but I'm not getting paid for my time so I might as well get some pleasure out of it :)
My kids got me this knife for Christmas last year. I do a lot of the cooking in the house and it's so nice to work with I actually look forward to cutting and chopping now
I picked up one of those cheap Ikea sharpners and I'm amazed at how much of difference it makes. It take a hammer of a knife to something that'll slice a ripe tomato perfectly thin.
bobzilla said:Wife has Cutco from many moons ago. We've added to it as time allows. Whats nice is when something gets dull, we drop it off at the store and get it back in a week. WE;ve had a couple replaced for free.
Same here. My wife just sent back 6. They replaced 4 and sharpened the other two for free......for life.
preach said:I have a set of henkels that I travel with in a leather case. Prevents me from going insane with the flimsy imitation ginsu crap the hotel suites are stocked with.
At home I have a set of shuns:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000Y7KFY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They are beautiful:
I have a variety of knives, some which are marked "do not use" for the wife and others which are general use. But one little standout in that collection is a Shun which my wife received at some event she was managing. Its just a really nice knife. My sister was visiting and pulled that one from the stack and couldnt stop talking about it for the rest of the week. I ended up sending her one as a gift. I have other knives which are as good but there is a really nice feel to the Shun.
I went looking for some steak knives that would cut instead of saw through meat and came across a set of Shuns on a crazy closeout price. I like them :)
EastCoastMojo (Forum Supporter) said:I love my Henckel chef knife, but I regularly put a fresh edge on before use anyway. My favorite sharpener is the Istor:
I second this. I also recently was given a completed set of Missen and they are a good knife. They also have a lifetime sharpening deal. Send the knife back in its original box and they will sharpen it and send it back. All you pay is shipping. I have not used this service as I sharpen my own stuff. I found that both Henckle and Missen hold an edge very well. I do run them over a home every time I use them to straighten the edge. This helps to hold the edge for longer.
Wife has a set of Shun and a set of Global knives. She ends up grabbing the Globals on a day-to-day basis
Zombie resurrection?
Anyway. My missus (as awesome as she is) is..... less than careful about some stuff. Knives are one of those things. I would often find my nice ebony handled knives sitting in a sink full of mucky water or in the dishwasher or too close to a burner on high.
I switched to the good ol' Wustoff Pro molded handle chefs knives from the local restaurant supply. Pretty much indestructible handles, feel good and I get them sharpened professionally regularly by the dude who comes around to sharpen the upholstery crew's shears. I touch them up with a steel when they need it. Good and reasonably priced!
I've always had Sabatier knives with good luck. My son has a set of Henckels, I wouldn't have the patience to go through his sharpening routine.
I use a Spiderco Sharper, more idiot resistant to just a flat stone for those of us that have no clue. It can also do scissors, fish hooks, all kinds of stuff.
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