Best Chef's Knives

The chef’s knife is the most important kitchen tool. The kitchen knife is essential for any chef’s toolbox. It can be used for all tasks, including slicing, cutting, and joining meat. There are many options, including different types and thicknesses of steel, lengths, brands, and styles. Do you prefer a Japanese- or German-style knife Which is better: stainless steel or carbon steel? So on.

Let’s begin with the question about what material your knife should be made from. Some people will say carbon steel is the best for toughness and durability. This was true back in the 70s and 1980s when stainless steel was more common than it is today, Laurie Timpson, Savernake Knives knifemaker. It is not resistant to corrosion. Today, good stainless steel is highly desirable.”

Knife-making is a compromise between hardness and fragility. A banana won’t sharpen very well if you try to cut it because it is a soft material. Timpson says that glass can be sharpened, but it is very fragile.

He continues, “If you ask me what I should look for in knives, I would say that it is the hardness. This should be at least 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale.” But there is a big difference in the numbers. If a knifemaker claims their knives are between 55 and 58 Rockwell that would be like me telling a cop I drove somewhere between 10 to 80 miles per hour. This shows that they are not precise. 60 is the highest possible. It is possible to find Japanese knives for as low as 64. However, that would be absurd.

This brings us to the question: Why is everyone so obsessed about Japanese knives? It all started when Global appeared in the 1990s. The traditional Western knives were ugly and heavy. The Japanese introduced a new aesthetic. Timpson says that they were lighter and therefore easier to work with. It was a quantum leap for chefs. However, since then other manufacturers have caught up.

A decent knife for the kitchen can be divided into two types: Japanese or German (also known by Western-style brands like Wusthof or Henckels). Japanese knives have a straighter blade, and are made of harder (and therefore slightly less brittle) metal. German knives are more heavy, stronger and have a rounder blade. This review includes both styles.

Timpson says, “In the broadest sense, European chefs tend not to rock the knife, which is why knives have a pronounced curvature.” Timpson adds that Japanese chefs tends to slice more so their blades are straighter. It’s a completely different way of cooking and different methods.

What are the most important knives to have in your kitchen?

The eight-inch-long chef’s knife is the most important knife in your kitchen. If you want to expand your repertoire, you can use the three largest knives: the small, medium, and large. The smaller knife is for more difficult tasks such as peeling an apple, or any other task that requires you to hold in your hand. They are often called paring knives. The medium knife is the main knife you will use for most tasks. This is usually what people mean by chef’s knives. A standard chef’s knife measures approximately 28cm in length and has a curved edge. A larger knife can be a cleaver, a carving knife or a chef’s knife.

We tested the top kitchen knives

Over a three-week period, we tested both Western- and Japanese-style kitchen knife models in the PS30 to PS150 range. We used them for everyday tasks such as chopping vegetables, cutting cabbage and carving meat. Because it’s difficult to judge durability by only testing each knife for a short time, I also interviewed experts about the most reliable and durable brands.

Let’s be clear: There is no best chef’s knives. The best chef knife is the one that you use, but the best knife for all people is not possible to identify. It doesn’t matter if you are a home chef or professional chef. The best cutlery will depend on your personal preferences and needs. When I asked a few knife experts for their recommendations, they couldn’t recommend a knife to me. Mari Sugai, a New York City-based knife expert from Korin, said that what works for one person might not work for another. “You don’t have to follow the internet’s lead [Editor’s note: I gasped]–chances of finding something that works for you is high.

The best knife for you may not be the one that is best for your neighbor, brother, cousin or other family member. Think about what type of cook and chef you are before you go shopping. Jon Broida, Japanese Knife Imports L.A. said that the most important thing he could tell people was to think about how you cut. Think about whether you are an aggressive cook or a meticulous, careful chef who takes the time to pick the smallest thyme leaves from the smallest stalks. Even though the differences aren’t very significant, consider this: Do you value speed more than precision?

Consumer Reports’ Tests: The Best Chef’s Knives

Eight 8-inch chef’s knives were put through a series of difficult tasks in both the lab and at home. Here are the results of Henckels, Wusthof and other top brands.

Ask any chef what their one essential tool is and they will most likely answer: a sharp knife.

This holds true in my kitchen where I own almost every slicer, chopper and dicer that has been invented. But, regardless of whether I’m cooking for a large crowd or making a weeknight meal for my family, I always reach for an 8-inch chef’s knife and not a food processor or mandoline.

In Western kitchens, the chef’s knife is considered to be the foundation of cutlery. A good chef’s knife is worth its weight. It can do everything, from finely mincing parsley and deboning chickens. Branden Lewis, a chef and associate professor of culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., says that a chef’s knife can do 95 percent of the cutting in the kitchen.