Noobie chef lost in a sea of choices... please help!

[FryBoy]

Quick is good -- but not in all things, as I'm sure you'll learn soon enough.

I think you made excellent choices. Be careful!

BTW, you're next purchase should be a good sharpening system. Check the Spyderco Model 204 ($43 at www.bestknives.com, or check amazon). The Spyderco was top-rated in an L.A. Times test several months ago -- it will maintain a fine edge on your knives. Avoid electric sharpeners or those cheap gadgets you find in the supermarkets.

You also need a steel, which isn't for sharpening per se -- the fine edge of a blade will bend with use (almost microscopic), making the knife seem dull; a few swipes with the steel straightens the edge and thus restores the knife's cutting ability.

But using the steel is not the same as sharpening, which requires the actual removal of metal to create a new edge. Even with frequent use, you shouldn't need to sharpen your knives more than once every few months -- like when of have trouble slicing a tomato.

 

[GB]

Congrats on your purchase. It sounds like you made some very smart choices for yourself. You are going to get a lot of enjoyment out of your new blades I am sure.

FryBoy is absolutely right about getting yourself a steel. You should use your steel before every single time you use your knife. That is good knife maintenance and will keep you blades in good working order.

 

[Chef Mike]

Hey guys. Im 16 years old and ive been exploring cooking for about a year now. I love it and its one of my favorite hobbies. IVe been using a knife that my mom got at the store a while ago. I know the difference between knives and that the three essentials are the Chef's, Paring, and Serrated knife. The problem, however, is that i dont know which ones to buy! There seems to be infinate choices and im completely lost. Could someone please help?? For instance, should i get a Chef's or Santoku knife? What length chef's knife should i get? Should i get an offset or normal serrated knife? Are there any specific brands that are good? (ive heard that Shun and Wusthof were good). Please respond by replying on the forums or sending me an instant message on my AIM accnt (Slowpenguin20). Thank you!!

Hey Drummer,
When I started my first class in culinary arts school three years ago, I had to purchase a knife set through the school.
The set is great, it has what you need and the knifes are top quality and are made (I believe) in Germany.
I highly recommend this knife set for it's quality.
I have seen many chefs that use this brand of knife and will most likely continue to use them well into the future.
The knifes are many buy ( Chef Cutlery ) and come in a nice carrying case, I forget how much I paid, however I recall the price was reasonable, very reasonable.
See if you can find Chef Cutlery on line.
Hope this helps
Mike

 

[LDH]

I realize this thread is slightly old, but simply as a follow-up & my ex-wife & I had a set of high end Henckel's & while she loved them I never really felt comfortable wielding them especially the chef's knives. They are big & bulky & with my relatively small hands (for a guy) they were effective, bit still clumsy for lack of a better word. After my divorce a couple years ago I went out in search of a new set of knives to replace the ones she had taken & ended up with the Calphalon Katana series. Granted it is totally subjective to the user, but these fit me like a glove. They have smaller handles, but still plenty of clearance to keep from banging my knuckles on the board & I find myself using the Santoku's over the Chef's knives almost religiously so much in fact that I have recently been buying up some extra's (when I find a good deal) to have in more than one location in the kitchen.

Oh & I also use the magnetic strips instead of the knife block for storage. I attach them to my bakers rack or the end of a commercial style metal rack

 

[Crestman]

I suggest you go to a GOOD kitchen store, Williams Sonoma or something of that level, and ask if they will let you experiment, chopping onions and parsley, for example. See which you like best (don't listen the the sales person too much) -- then order it on line to save $$$.

Can I just suggest this? If you are going to go to a store and have someone take the time to demo different knives for you. It’s my opinion that you could reward them by purchasing the product at that store. Now, I'm all in favor of saving some cash, especially when the price difference is huge, however, the store/person that has allowed the demo of the products is probably saving you more money than anywhere else by allowing you to purchase the correct product the first time, no? I certainly am not trying to hack on you FryBoy and trust you will continue to offer cost saving suggestions to all, I just want people to realize that there are other "cost" savings that aren't always apparent right away, ya know? And, so's ya's knows, I do not work at, own, nor am in any relation to anyone that does own a store. Just passing on my own opinion.

BTW, now that It’s been a month, how are the knives working for you Drummercook?

Keith

 

[skilletlicker]

Can I just suggest this? If you are going to go to a store and have someone take the time to demo different knives for you. It’s my opinion that you could reward them by purchasing the product at that store. Now, I'm all in favor of saving some cash, especially when the price difference is huge, however, the store/person that has allowed the demo of the products is probably saving you more money than anywhere else by allowing you to purchase the correct product the first time, no? I certainly am not trying to hack on you FryBoy and trust you will continue to offer cost saving suggestions to all, I just want people to realize that there are other "cost" savings that aren't always apparent right away, ya know? And, so's ya's knows, I do not work at, own, nor am in any relation to anyone that does own a store. Just passing on my own opinion.
...
Keith

Keith, Very well put and I couldn't agree more!

 

[college_cook]

This seems like an appropriate place to share this teeny bit of information I have. I went knife shopping about 2 weeks ago, and tried lots of different knives, when I came to a retailer that carried Wusthof brand. I like the feel of the 8" Chef's Grand Prix edition, and found out that these knives were being sold at a discount of over %50 off! The retailer explained to me that Wusthof has updated the Grand Prix line, and many retailers are rushing to make room for the new Grand Prix sets. You may want to have a look at the Wusthof Grand Prix series if you would like a cheap and excellent knife!