Kitchen knives
Discussion
I’m not a chef, but do enjoy cooking. Have never spent more than £15 on a knife. However, the few I have are battered & am going to get myself some new knives. I get by with a large & a small knife, so is it worth getting a set with 5 or 6 different ones & is it worth spending £250, instead of £50? Obviously sitting comfortably in the hand is key.
It's fun to have a full set of good knives, but you only really need a couple. A big chef's knife with a decent heel for chopping and carving, and a smaller one with a flexible blade for more delicate work.
Get bigger than you think you need. 4 inch paring knives aren't much use IMO. I have one but rarely use it.
Get bigger than you think you need. 4 inch paring knives aren't much use IMO. I have one but rarely use it.
If you aren't sure on the "fit" can you get to a pro cook shop, they've got them all over the country now, either than or John Lewis?
3 knives is enough, an 8.5" chefs knife, a smaller paring knife and a thow away victorinox tomato knife. A good flexible knife if you are into butchery or fish. A pastry knife doubles up for break and carving although a properly sharpened chefs knife will cut bread perfectly well.
As ever, you need something to maintain them as well. Pull sharpeners tend to remove a lot of material and if using oriental blades you need to make sure you use the right type of sharpener but thats a whole different topic.
3 knives is enough, an 8.5" chefs knife, a smaller paring knife and a thow away victorinox tomato knife. A good flexible knife if you are into butchery or fish. A pastry knife doubles up for break and carving although a properly sharpened chefs knife will cut bread perfectly well.
As ever, you need something to maintain them as well. Pull sharpeners tend to remove a lot of material and if using oriental blades you need to make sure you use the right type of sharpener but thats a whole different topic.
I bought this set about 6 months ago on Amazon as it was drastically reduced in price, I notice the set is about £90 now down from £120.
They are superb quality and remain scalpel sharp to this day.
This is the Amazon description
Damascus Kitchen Knife Set VG10 Steel 67 Layers Superior Damascus Steel Knives Blades from 10.00 cm to 20.00 cm Sharp Damascus Chef's Knife Japanese Style with Hammered Handles and Wood Block.
They are superb quality and remain scalpel sharp to this day.
This is the Amazon description
Damascus Kitchen Knife Set VG10 Steel 67 Layers Superior Damascus Steel Knives Blades from 10.00 cm to 20.00 cm Sharp Damascus Chef's Knife Japanese Style with Hammered Handles and Wood Block.
This time last year I bought a set of 2 Wusthofs, chefs knife & paring knife.
The Chefs knife gets used all the time, the paring knife rarely.
The one that also gets used is my old Anolon carving knife with the ‘scallops’ in the blade so things don’t stick to the blade so much. It’s not as sharp & needs sharpening far more often than the expensive ones but it’s really bloody useful!
The Chefs knife gets used all the time, the paring knife rarely.
The one that also gets used is my old Anolon carving knife with the ‘scallops’ in the blade so things don’t stick to the blade so much. It’s not as sharp & needs sharpening far more often than the expensive ones but it’s really bloody useful!
All I use these days are Victorinox. A Cooks Knife 6" blade which I use most of the time and one of their their tomato knives.
Bullet proof, chuck them though the dishwasher, use a pull though sharpener stuck to the fridge and IF you can break it its cheap to replace.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000IAZCJQ/r...
Bullet proof, chuck them though the dishwasher, use a pull though sharpener stuck to the fridge and IF you can break it its cheap to replace.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000IAZCJQ/r...
Edited by Cotty on Sunday 28th November 23:18
StreetDragster said:
I have a set of posh global knives. 5 or 6 of them.
All i use is the medium and large cutting knife, and the bread knife.
I would suggest just buying a trio of knives which suit your use/fit and not to get a set.
This would work for me too. I’ve got a set of 3 gobals, large chefs, small pairing and a bread knife, and they’ve done me well for the last decade. Probably wouldn’t bother with a special bread knife although the wife got a fiddle bow one recently that looks like it’d take a limb off.All i use is the medium and large cutting knife, and the bread knife.
I would suggest just buying a trio of knives which suit your use/fit and not to get a set.
I don’t like the special sharpeners, find I get better results with a whetstone, did practice a bit with a cheaper blade first.
Globals for me. I have 6, a tiny veg knife, larger veg knife, small chefs knife, large chefs knife which I use the most (of course), a carving knife and bread knife.
I've also the sharpening stone, but they stay sharp for ages. Worth getting a good knife block to put them in.
I also have a flexi filleting knife which I think is Sabatier.
I've also the sharpening stone, but they stay sharp for ages. Worth getting a good knife block to put them in.
I also have a flexi filleting knife which I think is Sabatier.
ambuletz said:
Get yourself one of these. can get it online, some stores/supermarkets have them too. See how you get on with your current knives.
Don't do this they're crap. They produce a chipped edge.OP buying an expensive knife is a waste of money. A cheap knife well, and frequently, sharpened is always better than an expensive knife that is never honed or honed using something like that above.
My asda special bought as a student is just as good as my sabatier and globals after sharpening... Just doesn't hold the edge as long.
Go to tk maxx, buy a sabatier or similar fir 20 quid and then get one of these...
https://www.hartsofstur.com/chefs-choice-1520-diam...
Sharpen every few uses... Don't cut yourself.
I use a £15 Procook knife for pretty much everything. Cheap as chips, plenty sharp and I don't cry too much when my missus throws it into the sink and buries it under stacks of pots and plates.
Had to turn down a very generous offer of a free set of Victorinox recently as they would be wrecked in no time.
Had to turn down a very generous offer of a free set of Victorinox recently as they would be wrecked in no time.
Cotty said:
All I use these days are Victorinox. A Cooks Knife 6" blade which I use most of the time and one of their their tomato knives.
Bullet proof, chuck them though the dishwasher, use a pull though sharpener stuck to the fridge and IF you can break it its cheap to replace.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000IAZCJQ/r...
This, I have a drawers full of quality knives.Bullet proof, chuck them though the dishwasher, use a pull though sharpener stuck to the fridge and IF you can break it its cheap to replace.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000IAZCJQ/r...
Edited by Cotty on Sunday 28th November 23:18
90% of the time I use a Victorinox Tomato knife.
Bacon Is Proof said:
I use a £15 Procook knife for pretty much everything. Cheap as chips, plenty sharp and I don't cry too much when my missus throws it into the sink and buries it under stacks of pots and plates.
Had to turn down a very generous offer of a free set of Victorinox recently as they would be wrecked in no time.
Was it because they had wooden handles? Otherwise I can't see how they could get wrecked.Had to turn down a very generous offer of a free set of Victorinox recently as they would be wrecked in no time.
Cotty said:
Was it because they had wooden handles? Otherwise I can't see how they could get wrecked.
Because my missus will throw them into the sink and pile heavy pans on top of them.Took her two days to put a nick in the edge of my current knife, taking out the point and scratching a nonstick pan in the process. Her lack of mechanical sympathy is one of her only faults so with a cheap knife in hand I will quietly continue.
Not that there is anything wrong with the Procook knife. I actually prefer the blade shape to that of my friend's expensive Victorinox and it's not like a more expensive knife will make your food taste better!
Some lovely knives available on here but do demand a little bit of care. https://cuttingedgeknives.co.uk/
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