Chef's Knives

[guitarchitect7]

I dont know how many hits I will get with this, but I thought I would ask.

Any recommendations for Chef's Knives. I really like the Global G-2, and have eyed down the Henckle's(?) for sometime, but the best review is a user review. So any thoughts?

 

[bpmdu]

If you're right handed, Shin makes a couple really nice chef's knives. The Ken Onion Santoku blade is a really nice knife. I use the Henckels' Professional S line. So far have a 7" chef's knife, a santoku, and a couple paring knives. Real good knives, I'd recommend them. However, if I wasn't left handed I would've definitely gone with a Shin.
If you have to have one knife I would recommend a santoku over a chef's knife.. both are pretty versatile but the santoku more so. It has a thinner slightly harder blade.

 

[CHim]

I was gonna talk about the new knives I got for Christmas but you guys are way out of my league.

 

[cj0227]

I am not really up on my knives, but a quick google on Shin and knives gives me a sword company Dah Shin. Is this the company? Any helpful links in Shin knives? I have also been looking recently.

I did see a lot of references to Shun though. Is that it?

 

[DaddyMac]

I have the Henkels Pro S and love 'em. Just got a Wusthof classic Santuko knife and it's great as well. Both are solid and sturdy. I hated the Chicago Cutlery ones I first got, too flimsy.

8" Chef, 6" Santuko, 4" parer and I use the heck our of our 5" utility knife.

My rec would be to get a simple set with an oversided block, if that's what you want to do. Then just figure out what best suits you.

 

[redrocker]

Yeah, but will it cut through a pop can, and then cut through a tomato?

 

[Ames]

The Ken Onion knife for sure.

 

[dmclone]

My wife has about 10 of those Wusthof knives and they seem to be top quality.

 

[erikbj]

My wife has about 10 of those Wusthof knives and they seem to be top quality.

I agree, I have 8 or 9 Wustof's and they are great

 

[Jerry1982]

Well, I'm no expert, but did give a Henckels "four star II" Santou and chef knife as a gift this last week. Then i got to use them while we prepared Christmas dinner. No question, best kitchen knives I've ever used. Great balance, great comfort in the handle, and a wonderfully sharp edge. I'm gonna get one for myself now.:yes:

 

[CloneBack]

Only because they are on sale.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B0009OD1B2/?tag=dealhack08-20]Amazon.com: Victorinox 88891 8 piece Knife Block set: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]

 

[dmclone]

My wife also took a Wustof knife class last year which shows you the correct way to use them.

 

[CyJ]

I have about a dozen of the Wustof's and I really like them. The henkels are nice too.

 

[guitarchitect7]

Cool, I got a better response than I hoped.

I have seen those Wustof's around, so I might have to start looking into those. As far as a set, I alreayd have a cheap set of Faberware with replacement knives using Mircale Blade that I got for Christmas once. Those are great steak knives that aren't expensive. I was specifically looking for a Chef' knife for now and then going from there.

I have seen good things about the Global series too. Any thoughts on those? I have to say that the Henckles didn't seem to match up that well to the Global or Wustofs.

Thanks for the feed back everyone! Now I need to learn how to properly use that sharpening stick to keep them sharp if and when I get one.

 

[CycloneGizzard]

It all really depends on how much you want to spend. I have the Wustof Grand Prix II. I've had them for a while now and absolutely love them. They are a bit on the expensive side though. If you want a pretty good chef's knife that is incredibly reasonable, go with this one:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/R-Forschner-8-inch-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1198852103&sr=1-1]Amazon.com: R H Forschner 8-inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle: Home & Garden[/ame]


A little while ago, Cook's Illustrated did a test/review on inexpensive chef's knives and the Fibrox one won hands down.

 

[guitarchitect7]

That magainze/website is awesome for lots of stuff. I found out the Pizza cutter I've owned was a favorite. At least I did something right.

I might have to check out the knife, thanks.!

 

[zach]

I bought Henckels for my wife a few years back and they hold an edge just fine. Whatever you buy, save a few bucks to also buy a knife block for storage and safety and always wash by hand, they'll last longer!

Z

 

[jbell71464]

I cooked professionally for about 10 years and have done quite a bit of research as well as practical testing. Here are some key points to consider:
1: Even if you dont cook a whole lot, get some good knives, they are safer, easier to maintain and will last a lifetime.
2. Even in the top names (Wustof, Henkels, etc) go for a forged knife rather than a stamped knife. The way to tell is the back of the blade by the handle (called the tang) is thicker. These knives are much more sturdy and durable.
3. DONT BUY GADGET KNIVES. A good simple set is an 8-10in chefs knife, a paring knife, a boning knife and a santuku. A serrated knife is also a must, but I usually buy inexpensive from the restaurant supply store as they tend to wear out.
4. Find someone to sharpen your knives. Stay away from any knife that "Never needs Sharpening" that means it was never sharp.
5. Always, Always, Always hand was your good knives. The dishwasher is death to good blades.

As for the best brands, I think Wustof and Henkels. I have had Wustofs for over 15 years and wouldn't trade them for anything. Really it is just a matter of what knife feels good to you.

Hope that helps

 

[CyTom]

I bought a set of Global knives for my wife for Christmas. It came down to these and Shun, but you need to go with what feels good in your hand. (Hopefully they'll feel good in the wife's hand as well!) The globals are very lightweight and extremely sharp...I bought a ceramic hone to keep them that way. Most every brand mentioned here is going to be sharp, but the Japanese knives are sharpened to a point. Some other brands to consider are Sabatier and Messermeister. I didn't purchase the G-2 Chef's knife, but opted for the G-48 Santoku and the G-5 Vegetable knife to use instead. If you do decide to get Global, try and find a Bed Bath & Beyond 20% coupon. You can take it into the store to customer service and they will honor the coupon, order them over their online site, and have them shipped to your house. Saved me about $100 on the set.

 

[CyTom]

One thing I forgot...if you get Shun knives, I believe you can mail them in for life to their facility (I believe in Oregon) and they will sharpen them and send back. Probably not worth the shipping to do this for 1 knife but if you end up with a set, might be an added benefit to do every couple years.