What Makes a Good Kitchen Knife

Once you have decided that you want to invest in a new kitchen knife set, there are some important things that you should know. The first, is what makes a good kitchen knife. Here are the basics to get you up to speed.

A good kitchen knife set is:

• Made of stainless steel

High quality low-carbon stainless steel is the best option because it is resistant to rusting. This does not mean that it will not rust but it is less likely to. It also resists staining and pitting but it will need to be sharpened regularly.

• Has a full tang

A knife with a full tang has a blade that continues inside the handle and goes right to the end. The best kitchen knives have this and it gives the knife both strength and balance. The highest quality knives have a full tang and this is something that you should look for. You can also get a knife with a half tang and that means that the blade extends part of the way into the handle. This type of knife is not so expensive.

• Has a bolster

The bolster is the area between the blade and the handle. There is often a thicker piece of steel here and it will stop your hand from slipping forwards and onto the blade.

• Is evenly balanced

This means that the weight of the blade and the weight of the handle is the same. If you try to balance the knife across your finger at the bolster, a well-balanced knife will not tip in either direction and will stay level.

• Has an ergonomic handle

This is a handle that is contoured so that it is comfortable to use and will not put a strain on your hands when you are using it for a prolonged period of time.

• Has a non-slip handle

When you are working in the kitchen, it is common for your hands to be wet. A non-slip handle means that you can use a knife safely without your hands slipping off it.

• Is sharp out of the box

It is so frustrating when you have to sharpen a knife before you use it so look for some that are sharp when they are delivered to you.

• Stays sharp

For a knife that you use frequently, you can expect to have to sharpen it every few weeks but the longer they stay sharp the better.

• Can be put in the dishwasher

No kitchen knives will be completely safe in the dishwasher but if they are advertised as dishwasher safe, they stand a better chance of surviving!

The Essential Knives For Every Kitchen

All kitchen tasks require a different type of knife if it is going to be carried out efficiently and safely. However, there are so many different types of kitchen knives that it can be confusing when choosing some for yourself. How many knives do you actually need? Should you choose a six piece set or a 16 piece set?

To get you started, here is a list of the main five types of kitchen knife that you should own in your chef knife set as a bare minimum.

• The chef’s knife or cook’s knife

This is one of the larger knives in the kitchen and is typically between six and 12 inches long, although eight inches is probably the most popular length. It will have a broad blade that tapers to a point at the top of the knife. The tapered shape causes the knife to rock back and for as you are chopping and this makes the process a lot faster! We’ve all seen TV chef’s dice a carrot in seconds with this type of knife! The longer the knife, the quicker it is to slice. However, for cooks with small hands, a shorter version may be easier to control. These knives are not usually serrated and they can be made from forged or stamped stainless steel.

They can be used for almost every kitchen task. You can use them to cut foods like tofu and cheese, to chop firm vegetables like carrots, to dice soft foods like tomatoes and to slice steaks. No set of kitchen knives is complete without one of these!

• The utility knife

Many cooks consider this to be just a small version of the chef’s knife. These knives are typically between four and seven inches long. Some are straight edged but others are serrated. Their main use is for cutting meat or vegetables that are too small to be cut comfortably with a traditional chef’s knife.

You will come across some utility knives that have a scalloped edge. This offers greater flexibility when cutting. This type of edge is particularly useful for cutting hard and soft vegetables and for making meat sandwiches.

• The Santoku knife

As the name of this knife suggests, it is Japanese in origin and translates into “three virtues”. The three virtues are slicing, dicing, and mincing.

It is basically a short version of a chef’s knife but it has a flat blade and therefore doesn’t rock when it cuts. As a result, it is not a great choice for chopping herbs but is perfect for cutting thin slices of vegetables. Its small size makes it a great alternative for cooks who cannot handle the large size and heavy blade of a traditional chef’s knife. Santoku knives can have a hollow edge which is excellent for cutting through meat precisely and without tearing.

• The bread knife

Obviously, this knife is for bread but it is also for cakes and can even sometimes be used on poultry and seafood. You use them with a sawing motion so you don’t have to apply too much pressure and squash the loaf! They are usually between seven and 10 inches long with a narrow blade that is always serrated with big serrations.

• The paring knife

This is the knife that you reach for when you need to peel or cut smaller fruit and vegetables or to trim fat from meat. They are around three or four inches in length and have a very pointy tip.

Many paring knives have a spear point at the tip but some have a bird’s beak.

Additional Knives

Now that you know what the basic kitchen knives are, you may decide that you would like to add others to your collection. Here are some additional knives that a good knife set should include.

• The boning knife

This will mainly be used for working with meat – taking the flesh from the bone and filleting fish. However, it can also be used as a paring knife for peeling and trimming vegetables.

They are usually three to eight inches long and have blades of varying widths. The blades can also be  very stiff or very flexible.

• The fillet knife

This may look like a boning knife but it is thicker and is used to cut thin fish slices. However, in practice, the two are interchangeable in a domestic kitchen situation.

• Steak knives

Many kitchen knife sets come with six or eight steak knives. This is because your regular cutlery set

 is not often able to cope with a juicy steak. They are very useful for cutting meat but can also be used for salads.

Best Kitchen Knife Set FAQ:

Q: How often should I sharpen my kitchen knives?

A: For those using knives at home, it will be sufficient to sharpen them with around once a week or once every other week. However, eventually, this will stop working. At this stage, you will have to use a whetstone to grind a new edge onto the blade.

New knives should last for at least a year before you have to use a whetstone.

Q: How do I store my kitchen knife set?

A: Once you have purchased your gorgeous kitchen knife set, you have to find a way of storing them. It is important that the knives don’t get damaged and that they cannot damage you! Here are the main ways in which kitchen knife sets can be stored.

• Knife blocks: Many kitchen knife sets come with a knife block included. They can be made out of a range of materials including wood and glass and the knives are either slotted in the top or at an angle into the side. Inevitably, this will take up some of your counterspace and if you have a small kitchen, this could be an issue for you. The plus side is that they can look very attractive and everyone will see that you have a great new set of knives! Knife blocks make it very easy to grab a knife and use it which is a good thing if you are in a hurry but is not so great from a child safety point of view. Also, they are not easy to clean so sanitation could be an issue.
•  Magnetic wall strips: You attach these to your kitchen wall and because they are magnetic, your knives will stick to the strip. They don’t use up counterspace and it is very easy to grab a knife. Again, this can cause a problem with child safety. However, in terms of sanitation, they are very easy to clean.
• Drawers: The simplest storage is to pop the knives in a drawer. This frees up counterspace and kids cannot get at them, especially if you install child-proof locks on the drawers. On the downside, you have to go hunting for knives when you want one and you will need blade guards to cover sharp knives or they will cut you.

Q: Are knives dishwasher safe?

A: The very simple answer to this is no. Many manufacturers will claim that their knives are rust resistant but that is not the same thing as never rusting. Knives are made from stainless steel and whilst this material is very good at resisting rust, it will rust under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, the environment inside a dishwasher exactly matches those circumstances!

Dishwashers are very hostile environments for knives. The combination of hot water and powerful detergents inevitably causes damage. If you let the knife sit in a hot and moist dishwasher for any length of time after the cycle has finished, it is even more likely to rust. When you read knife set reviews you see this issue frequently discussed.

The only way to completely avoid rusting is to carefully hand wash the knife in hot water with a mild detergent. Then, immediately dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth before putting it away.

Our Top Pick

Our top pick of the best kitchen knife set has 15 pieces and comes in a hardwood knife block. You get a three inch paring knife, a five inch serrated utility knife, a seven inch Santoku knife with a hollow edge and many more. You even get a sharpening steel and kitchen shears.

Each knife is made from a single piece of fabricated high-quality stainless steel and has satin-finished blades that cut precisely. They have a full tang for excellent maneuverability. The triple-rivet handles are curved and have stainless steel endcaps. You can put these knives in the dishwasher.

Sources:

1. Take Good Care Of Your Kitchen Knives, And They Will Take Good Care Of You - TheWashingtonPost
2. Top 10 Knife Skills - HowStuffWorks