Decent sharp chopping knife recommendations!
Discussion
Never had any really good knives but I am finding the need for one now, especially when trying to cut up a butternut squash in particular! Just want something that can get through it quite easily without too much hassle. I realise knives can cost £hundreds, ideally don't want something to break the bank, but don't want to spend £15 if it isn't going to do the job.
Any recommendations much appreciated!
Any recommendations much appreciated!
I'd recommend ProCook, great value and sharp knives. Same price direct from them or on Amazon, everything seems to have been half price for some time.
I've got a one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01L1VE5S4?th=... which may or may not be more than you want to spend. It's a brilliant knife, great edge on it, I wanted something that I could chop more easily with, as I use a Wheelchair and do chopping with a board on my lap, it's not as easy to get over it as well being set down and closer to the board.
Quite like Santokus for general chopping etc, it's a Japanese general purpose knife for dicing, slicing and mincing, but these have a western style handle and a scalloped blade.
Maybe look at the X30 range first, the 7" Santoku is only £15. If you do get a ProCook, check their website as they have a free knife when you spend so much offer on.
I've got a one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01L1VE5S4?th=... which may or may not be more than you want to spend. It's a brilliant knife, great edge on it, I wanted something that I could chop more easily with, as I use a Wheelchair and do chopping with a board on my lap, it's not as easy to get over it as well being set down and closer to the board.
Quite like Santokus for general chopping etc, it's a Japanese general purpose knife for dicing, slicing and mincing, but these have a western style handle and a scalloped blade.
Maybe look at the X30 range first, the 7" Santoku is only £15. If you do get a ProCook, check their website as they have a free knife when you spend so much offer on.
Edited by mizx on Thursday 27th July 22:08
anonymous said:
[redacted]
My go-to knives for value for money.
I'd suggest getting the 20cm chefs, pastry knife and a couple of parers as a good all rounder set.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000IAZC4Q/ref=mp...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000IAZCAK/ref=mp...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001DFRW5W/ref=mp...
I've hand a 20cm Victorinox Fibrox for a good 10 years. They're about £20 odd. 15° blade. Sharpens and holds it's edge beautifully. As it's relatively cheap you don't mind hacking the odd bone with it too. I would say it's the best knife to start with.
The others I have (8" chefs, filleting, paring & bread) are all MAC pro. Expensive, but sharper and more comfortable than any other knife brand I've used. They can hold an edge for weeks if required too. You don't see them very often, but I did a class at Raymond Blancs Le Manoir, and was pleased to see every chef in there used them.
Don't forget a decent sharpener too, not one of those rough arse drag through roller stones. They're often not suited to the 15° blades anyway. Get a half decent ceramic honing rod and use if frequently. They're not particularly expensive.
If you're feeling adventurous, master a whetstone (much easier with a blade guide). I splashed out on a Wicked Edge sharpening system a few years ago. Stupid price, but anyone can easily exceed the factory edges in a couple of minutes with them.
As a side note, I find Globals very uncomfortable & slippery.
The others I have (8" chefs, filleting, paring & bread) are all MAC pro. Expensive, but sharper and more comfortable than any other knife brand I've used. They can hold an edge for weeks if required too. You don't see them very often, but I did a class at Raymond Blancs Le Manoir, and was pleased to see every chef in there used them.
Don't forget a decent sharpener too, not one of those rough arse drag through roller stones. They're often not suited to the 15° blades anyway. Get a half decent ceramic honing rod and use if frequently. They're not particularly expensive.
If you're feeling adventurous, master a whetstone (much easier with a blade guide). I splashed out on a Wicked Edge sharpening system a few years ago. Stupid price, but anyone can easily exceed the factory edges in a couple of minutes with them.
As a side note, I find Globals very uncomfortable & slippery.
The Mrs got me a Wusthof Classic for my last birthday and it is the absolute dogs danglies.
It isn't as sharp as a Japanese blade (something to do with the angle they sharpen them to at the factory - they do make Japanese style ones as well), but more than sharp enough for normal usage (read f
king lethal, it's left me with a scar from drying it without paying attention). It does hold a great edge for a long time though and is a lovely thing to use. I personally much prefer the weight and look of it to the Globals.
I can get our other knives as sharp as the Wusthof, but they go blunt so much quicker and don't have anywhere near the weight.
It isn't as sharp as a Japanese blade (something to do with the angle they sharpen them to at the factory - they do make Japanese style ones as well), but more than sharp enough for normal usage (read f
king lethal, it's left me with a scar from drying it without paying attention). It does hold a great edge for a long time though and is a lovely thing to use. I personally much prefer the weight and look of it to the Globals.I can get our other knives as sharp as the Wusthof, but they go blunt so much quicker and don't have anywhere near the weight.
Thanks very much for the recommendations folks! Going to sift through them and make a purchase today. Amazon prime have a deal on this which I may go for...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELITE-INFINITY-Comfort-P...
£120 RRP but currently at £50 on Prime!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELITE-INFINITY-Comfort-P...
£120 RRP but currently at £50 on Prime!
I've got a fairly full set of knives, most of which are the cheaper Sabatier. The knife I grab for virtually anything is a £15 Procook Santoku. Going on for five years old, easy to keep sharp, and very easy to handle safely for eg butternut squash. Unlike the large chef's knives.
You really don't need to spend a fortune to get a decent knife, provided you're keen to/capable of looking after a knife properly.
I bought a cleaver (about 7" blade) from a kitchen shop almost a decade ago. It's been dropped, it gets chucked in the dishwasher, and I generally don't tend to treat it like a surgical tool. However, it gets regularly sharpened (with an electric sharpener - no fancy stones here), and to this day it will glide through a ripe tomato like a hot knife through butter.
There are probably more ergonomic knives (it gets a bit annoying after 10+min), but I'd concur with the guy above when saying that spending more doesn't necessarily get you past this problem.
ETA - I pair this with a smaller (4" blade) ceramic knife, which is the sharpest thing I've ever used. Again, I don't think that cost much more than £15.
I bought a cleaver (about 7" blade) from a kitchen shop almost a decade ago. It's been dropped, it gets chucked in the dishwasher, and I generally don't tend to treat it like a surgical tool. However, it gets regularly sharpened (with an electric sharpener - no fancy stones here), and to this day it will glide through a ripe tomato like a hot knife through butter.
There are probably more ergonomic knives (it gets a bit annoying after 10+min), but I'd concur with the guy above when saying that spending more doesn't necessarily get you past this problem.
ETA - I pair this with a smaller (4" blade) ceramic knife, which is the sharpest thing I've ever used. Again, I don't think that cost much more than £15.
Edited by C70R on Friday 28th July 11:08
E65Ross said:
Thanks very much for the recommendations folks! Going to sift through them and make a purchase today. Amazon prime have a deal on this which I may go for...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELITE-INFINITY-Comfort-P...
£120 RRP but currently at £50 on Prime!
Don't believe the RRP, it was a fiver cheaper for last 12 months.https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELITE-INFINITY-Comfort-P...
£120 RRP but currently at £50 on Prime!
https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/ZELITE-INFINITY-Com...
I've got some Globals but also default to Taylors that I picked up in Makro about 17 years ago.
You think you can handle it, but slowly you will slip and without warning you will end up here https://japanesechefsknife.com
Buying stuff like this, whilst muttering '$265 is a bargain I tell you.......'
Buying stuff like this, whilst muttering '$265 is a bargain I tell you.......'
mizx said:
I'd recommend ProCook, great value and sharp knives. Same price direct from them or on Amazon, everything seems to have been half price for some time.
I've got a one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01L1VE5S4?th=... which may or may not be more than you want to spend. It's a brilliant knife, great edge on it, I wanted something that I could chop more easily with, as I use a Wheelchair and do chopping with a board on my lap, it's not as easy to get over it as well being set down and closer to the board.
Quite like Santokus for general chopping etc, it's a Japanese general purpose knife for dicing, slicing and mincing, but these have a western style handle and a scalloped blade.
Maybe look at the X30 range first, the 7" Santoku is only £15. If you do get a ProCook, check their website as they have a free knife when you spend so much offer on.
I've just ordered this set....I've got a one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01L1VE5S4?th=... which may or may not be more than you want to spend. It's a brilliant knife, great edge on it, I wanted something that I could chop more easily with, as I use a Wheelchair and do chopping with a board on my lap, it's not as easy to get over it as well being set down and closer to the board.
Quite like Santokus for general chopping etc, it's a Japanese general purpose knife for dicing, slicing and mincing, but these have a western style handle and a scalloped blade.
Maybe look at the X30 range first, the 7" Santoku is only £15. If you do get a ProCook, check their website as they have a free knife when you spend so much offer on.
Edited by mizx on Thursday 27th July 22:08
https://www.procook.co.uk/product/procook-professi...
the X50 set seem a bit better than the X30, whilst not being too crazy expensive. £140 for a decent set of knives sounds good to me. Hopefully they'll do the trick!
Many thanks chaps.
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