Cooking For Engineers

[an anonymous reader]

Well, it seems you've got a couple Cutco sales people reading here.

You know, guys, I was thinking of making some rope and leather soup, garnished with penny bits - maybe I should buy some of these knives...

Seriously though - Cutco is more marketing than substance. I don't know a single serious cook (and I know many professional chefs) who use these things, and don't know any serious knife people who don't throw up a little when the subject comes up.

Don't drink the Kool Aid.

Shun and Global are great knives from Japan that keep a good edge and sharpen up well. Henkels and Wusthof are good, but expensive and heavy. Go into a professional kitchen and you'll see lots of Forschner and Victorinox knives - they're real workhorses.

In short - learn how to use a knive correctly (there are lots of online resources), learn how to sharpen it (again - online) or find a professional sharpener, and buy quality stuff.

KnifeForums.com has lots of information about knives and sharpening - kitchen knives included. EGullet is a fantastic cooking resource with lots of information on knives, keeping them sharp and how to use them for common tasks in the kitchen.

One addition to the knives mentioned would be an offset handle serrated knife - they're great for stuff like pineapple or tomatoes.

Have fun!

[an anonymous reader]

when it came time to get a "life time" knife, i did 6 mounths of readding and testing. i have had cutco knifes in the past and they are a ok starter set but way over priced for what you get. i went with a 8" chef full forged/no stain from Calphalon. this is a awsome knife that i will pass down to my son someday. it has a substantual feel and is very well balanced. they are pricy but well worth the cost. if you have kids make sure you keep them in a "knife safe" by lamsonsharp.
ths thing can take a finger or two off in a secound so be careful.

as for sharpinging.. i use a steel and have it sharpened by a pro every 6 mounths. do not skip this step if you want the knife to last. i would also recomend going to a good butcher and have him show you how to use a steel corectly! my parents owned a butcher shop whan i was a child and thats where i learned

[an anonymous reader]

Calphalon is anything but pricy. At $30-40 for a chef's knife they are VERY CHEAP. You do get what you pay for: soft german steel. I hope your son grows up to have better taste in knives. During "6 mounths of readding and testing" what made Calphalon stand out over the rest?

[an anonymous reader]

Just to relay some recommendations that some high profile chefs have put out there...

Anthony Bourdain, in Kitchen Confidential, swears by Global. From what I can tell from friends who have them, they're excellent. However, my problem is that the all-metal handle can become slippery and cause problems. Some people love their modern look. I hate it.

Bobby Flay, on his webpage, recommends either Kershaw or Viking. He uses the former, but says that their extreme ("scary") sharpness can be extremely dangerous for home cooks who have never, say read Pepin's Complete Techniques or the CIA's knife skills book.

Alton Brown recommends Kershaw, but his opinion can't really be trusted since he's paid to be their spokesman.

[an anonymous reader]

I realize that this comment comes a year late...but I'm not sure that the contributors to this post really have a clear picture of what quality knives are.
Cutco...?
Chicago Cutlery...?

For the home consumer there are three brands to know.
Global.
Wusthof.
Henckels.

Its really that simple.

I personnaly prefer the Global knives...light, winners of many a competition on "sharpness" and look so much cooler than the competition.
But not to cast the other two in a bad light. They're both brands with a strong history and who offer high level knives.

[Bud]

Had to chime in...first, I'm not a Cutco salesman and second, I've attended several high level cooking classes. I got a Cutco set as a wedding present in 1960 and it refuses to go away. I own a 1930's vintage Henckels 10" chef's from my father and own several Wusthof knives. I've seen no mention of F.Dick knives (I own 2) which are pro kitchen workhorses and hold an edge well. My favorite knife, however, is a Joyce Chan Japanese chef's knife which I use all the time. finally, no one mentioned that Henckel's International is NOT the same company, a former family member.

[an anonymous reader]

"For the home consumer there are three brands to know.
Global.
Wusthof.
Henckels."

Are you kidding me? First of all you forgot Shun in your list of decent, yet inferior knives. The VG10 Steel in the Shun and Global is superior to the German Wusthof & Henckles, but even still Shun and Global are at the bottom of the food chain as far as quality knives go. We can do better, I'll show you:

These are SOME of the brands that the Home Consumer should know:

Tojiro
Hattori
Nenox
Masamoto
Suisin
Dojo
Misono
Ryusen
Masahiro
Glestain
MAC
Hiromoto
Ittosai Kotetsu
Watanabe
Takeda
Carter

Where to research:
http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=Kitchen
http://216.91.137.210/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/cutlery/

(If you are wondering about Cutco, well it is a standing JOKE on these forums. Take a look)

Where to buy:
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/
http://www.korin.com/
http://www.epicureanedge.com/

http://watanabeblade.com/english/
http://shop.niimi.okayama.jp/kajiya/en/top_e.html

[an anonymous reader]

Any feedback or comments on the new Furi Rachel Ray knives. They look beautiful.The handle is the tang.Coppertail. Fairly expensive. What do you guys think?

[an anonymous reader]

"I see she has switched from using Global knives to the Furi knives a real step down even more than Racheal Ray's going from the Wusthof santuko to the Furi."

Take a look:
Knife Forums Thread

Seems like everyone thinks they are a joke. Especially if they are really a step down from Globals and Wusthofs which are still only mediocre knives.

One TV show that actually uses good knives is Iron Chef. The Nenox S series prominently show up there. Check em out:
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/NenoxS1.html

[an anonymous reader]

Anyone know anything about Benchmade's set of cutlery knifes (Prestigedges)? I carry one of their pocket knifes and consider it the best knife I have ever owned. The only question I have about them is the balance, how they feel in the hand. The blade steel is the same in my pocket knife so I have no question about it.

[an anonymous reader]

Regarding Benchmade kitchen knives, see this thread:
Benchmade Kitchen Knives

If you have any questions I would ask them there and people who know knives will be glad to help you research.

Quote from thread linked above:
"They are nice knives that are very expensive. They are visual art and carry the benchmade name which seems to fit their business goal. People who know nothing about kitchen knives can buy these and get a good using kitchen knife that has huge visual appeal with the benchmade name.

The same quality and performance can be found elsewhere cheaper."

[an anonymous reader]

I was a pro chef for years in Europe, and all I can say about knives, it a bit like fish n birds, some like the other some not.

I suggest that you go to decent knife store and test them out personally. As some one already said on here. Make sure you don't have sharp edges on the back (i.e. Global) that are uncomfortable on your palm and fingers.

Get a decent grip? Remember how those oils and fish moistures make things slippery. I like wooden handles just for this reason.

My personal favorites, I have tested quite a few over the years so these are the once I still use:

Victorinox - Built like an ol' 240 Volvo. Basic, good metal and sturdy. Yes it's the same company that makes the legendary Swiss Army knife. =)

Mac - My pick for situations that need sharpness, precision and agility. Pricey but worth every penny. Hand crafted parts, top notch finish. Just the best I ever handled this far.

Neither brand has style points worth a empty calm shell. Then again I am way to practical to think about that for my tools, for me it's the end result that counts. =)

[Guest]

I have been working in a professional kitchen for a number of years and recently (2-3years) I have learned that the Global knives are the absolute best. They have get the sharpest and are easy to maintain. The blade is thinner than typical German made knives, and the edge is a steeper angle making it much much shaper. also, the absolute best prices on the web (or anywhere) is www.knifemerchant.com. He has the best prices, and if you call him he will talk to you about exactly what you need. rock it out.

[jagstyle]

[Guest]

chinese cleavers are a lot better than french chef's knives. its thicker and has more cutting power. I can't cut through anything with a chef's knife. chinese cleaver always gets the job done.

also, the sharp corner of the chinese cleaver nearest to you is very useful and powerful. It can do things like splitting up a coconut. chinese cleave rulez