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Chef Knives - What to Look for When Buying
Still the best all around knife: the chef's knife is a must have! Chef
knives, also referred to as French knives and cooks knives, provide
the versatility that most other kitchen knives, besides the santoku, do
not. If you take cooking as seriously as you do eating, take your time
in finding a chef's knife that feels so comfortable in your hand it will
soon have your name on it.
Here are several quality chef knife choices grouped according to price
range. FYI - I love the my Wusthof Chef's knife!! We hope you find this list helpful:
Affordable Henckels Chef knives
Under $50
Good Quality Chef knives Under
$60
Premium Quality Chef knives from $85 to
$200
Chef Knife Basics
If you're unsure what size chef kitchen knife to buy, go with an 8."
Not only is this the most popular size cooks knife sold, generally the
most comfortable size for average home cook. The longer bladed ones: leave
those to the worlds' finest chefs, those with great big hands or special
techniques. With smaller hands, and your average Joe or Joanne: stick
with the 8" knife size.
Buying: What to Look For?
- Curved blade - A chef cutting knife is designed for chopping food
on a cutting board. With a curved blade you will be able to rock the
knife from tip to heel for efficient cutting. A straight blade doesn't
rock. Believe me - the rocking motion will save you from fatigue.
- Balance - look for a knife that has the weight equally balanced between
the handle and blade.
- Grip - This is important for safety. If you're working with greasy
meat or chicken, your hand can slip off the handle if the material is
slick like pure stainless steel handles. Look for grips that have texture
such as the dots on Global knife handles. Also, the handle should feel
comfortable in your hand.
- Strength - If you go to cut the pumpkin and the knife feels flimsy
watch out. Look for a cook's knife that is strong and up to various
cutting tasks.
Some suggestions:
Three under $60 that were
recommended after a 2005 test trial, published in Cook's Country, sister
magazine to Cook's Illustrated:
- Forschner Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife
- Wusthof Gourmet series
- MacChef series
$85 to $200 look at brands: Wusthof
le cordon bleu, grand prix II, culinary or classic; Kershaw Shun; Global;
Sabatier province and more.
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