Again last night I was reminded just how terrible the kitchen knives I own are. Slicing up a bit of pork shouldn’t be that hard, but every time I have to do it the knives I’m using make it feel like a massive chore.
So can anyone out there recommend some knives? (For the kitchen obviously!)
I don’t mind spending money on a set that will “do the job” and last, but I don’t think I can take much more of the ones I currently have!
Picked up a load of Sabatier kitchen knives in a ‘canquaillerie’ stall in a market in France a few years ago for a fraction of what you’d pay in Ireland. They take a beautiful edge and feel great in the hand.
Whatever you need for the kitchen, get it from the source, never from places like DUNNES, Arnotts, etc. This guys will make you happy: http://www.sweeneyorourke.com I recommend you to pay them a visit in person.
I have a few from Kitchen Devils and Richardson. My advice would be to get a decent 6/8″ cooks knife, a bread knife and a paring knife for veg, rather than a block. Keep them out of the dishwasher, and avoid the temptation to sharpen them too much.
And stay away from anything with a celebrity chef’s name on them!
TK Maxx have good knives from time to time.
Global santuko knife. Really versatile, all-purpose general kitchen knife. You’ll do well to find anything better.
You’ll get a very good knife for e20 to e25, I’d also recommend staying away from the really scary sharp Japanese knives unless you’re very, very competent with a blade. They leave no room for error or slips.
So you want really sharp knives, eh?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ceramic-Knives-Cutlery-Kitchen-Home/b?ie=UTF8&node=10707991
Ceramic Knives – strongest you can get and low maintenance. That obviously depends on how much you want to spend, but definitely check them out.
INCREDIBLY strong/sharp and long-lasting.
The one and only WUSTHOFF IKON CLASSIC
As any french person, I just a simple Opinel (not the stainless version). Keep it sharp from time to time. The rule is about how to use it and care for it. Never ever use it to cut meat in your plate, that will make the blade blunt. Only use your good knives on surfaces that are soft (cutting boards, fingers, ex-lovers). And store it where the blade can’t be damaged
Michele,
The global blades recommended above are excellent.
If you prefer a more traditional kictchen knife anything made by wusthof or Zwilling Henckels will last a lifetime.
Get a decent edge grinder (I have an electric one) and a steel. The edge grinder will regrind the edge when it blunts. The steel is just used to realign an already sharp blade and won’t sharpen a blunt edge which is why you need the grinder.
Final tip, never put your knives in the dishwasher. It destroys the edge and they will need to be reground.
It sounds like you need a knife sharpener.. 😉
Last comment is on the money. The problem isn’t the knives, it’s the sharpening. I have everything from expensive knives to dirt cheap and the only difference between any of them, which is unrelated to price, is the ability to take an edge.
You don’t see commercial kitchens using expensive branded knives. They use plastic handled ones which get lobbed in the dishwasher and sharpened every day.
The best knife I currently have cost pennies in the catering section of Musgraves and is a plastic handled Kitchen Devil. Takes an incredibly good edge with a few swipes.
So save your money on knives and spend it on this brilliant Spyderco sharpener I blogged about 4 years ago: http://bit.ly/1Yrhm
Still use it every day and I can cut sub-millimeter thick tomato slices with a non-serrated blade.
Yeah, I’ve just got some cheap knives too, from a local discount place. I sharpen them every now and then and/or as required with a sharpener with a protective handle – couple of quid from same discount store. After a sharpening, they’re incredibly so. They’ll cut through any kind of flesh (fruit, veg, meat, fingers) with little to no noticeable resistance, so you need to be *very* careful with them when chopping stuff.
One more comment, a razor sharp knife is a hundred times safer than a blunt one.
Oh.. Another recommendation: Use wooden chopping boards, not the glass ones that seem to have become de riguer.
Totally agree. Glass ones are lethal. I think people use em for “hygiene” reasons but they blunt the knives and everything slips as you try to cut it. Wood or plastic FTW.
What’s wrong with the glass ones? I currently use plastic ones … but am curious
Try dicing a carrot on glass and watch your fingertips fall to the floor 🙂
Glass is too hard. It blunts the edge over time. Wood is much more yielding.
Ouch! I just had breakfast! 🙂
Joe – I can’t see me using glass anytime soon anyway, as I’m likely to drop them and either break them or hurt my feet
Michele
I wouldn’t use plastic. Every time you chop you’ll get small, tiny bits of plastic in your food. Given that the chemicals in plastics can be carcinogenic, I’d not be keen on a steady diet of it..
I’d recommend Global knives.
They’re Japanese – which means that they are thinner. I like the feel of them in the hand. Gives a little more control. But if you prefer meatier knives, go with something else.
Other important elements to consider are sharpening and chopping boards. It’s pointless having a good knife if you don’t maintain it. And chopping boards will blunt a knife at different rates.
Best is a sharpening stone – but a little more hassle. Wood chopping boards best.
Kieren
I survived through my college years with a small basic, plastic handled, ‘Kitchen Devil’ knife. Up until a few years I still had it. Like Conor above I think it was the best little knife I ever had
Sabatier.
You won’t go wrong.
Sabatier has no meaning in the knife world. It is not a trademark or a brand.
Sabatier = Knife and indicates no particular level of quality.
Joe
I think they might disagree: http://www.sabatier.com/
🙂
Regards
Michele
I don’t think they would. Sabatier is *not* a trademark and cannot be trademarked because it fell into common usage many years ago. I see no TM anywhere on the site.
A quick trademark search reveals *many* sabatier knife manufacturers each with a denoting prefix to allow the filing of a unqiue trademark.
The fact that there are over twenty such sabatier trademarks should indicate the worthlessness of the marque. I’m sure several of them make excellent knives but as a I said “sabatier” as a recommendation is meaningless.
Joe is right. Sabatier on a knife is like cheddar cheese, so generic as to become meaningless.
I now understand the depths of my wrongness.
Sorry.
Anolon has proven to be a good brand for me.
I don’t think Anolon has any other meaning, but could I just mention in passing that the concept of a knife world is a little worrying.
If you really want a great carving knife that will last a lifetime and is truely unique try this.
http://joedrumgoole.com/blog/2006/06/27/my-new-carving-set/
Handmade in west cork.
A bit late to this article, but if you’re still reading comments for it then I recommend going to you local butcher. There’s a good chance they will be using Victorinox. They are fantastic knives, reasonably priced and they last for years. Some butchers sell them directly to customers.
Keep them sharpened with a steel and don’t put them in the dishwasher – hand wash only. I have my first Victorinox which I bought 10 years ago and I still keep a great edge on it. A trip to the local butcher now and again for a professional sharpen on their oil stone doesn’t do any harm either!
Here are my two favourites
Butcher’s knife:
http://www.allianceonline.co.uk/chefs-knives/victorinox-knives/victorinox-fibrox-handle-butchers-steak-knife-lvbk0020.html
Slicing/carving knife:
http://www.allianceonline.co.uk/chefs-knives/victorinox-knives/victorinox-fibrox-handle-serrated-slicing-knife-with-rounded-tip-lvks0025.html
cheers,
Mike