Ceramic Knives

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smoke king

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Does anyone use a ceramic knife? I just happened upon them in a catalog and wondered how they compared in terms of sharpness, durability etc.

Now I can see how this could become a heated debate :LOL:, so let me say up front that there are no right/wrong answers-I'm just soliciting the opinions of the smartest people I know!!
 
I heard and read a great deal about how sharp they are and how long the edge lasts so I bought one - a Kyocera 6" chef's knife.

I used it perhaps a couple of dozen times on vegetables and boneless meats. I was not at all happy with it and put it away. It would not cut into a tomato. My Henckels Pro S knives were sharper.

I may have just gotten a dud but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
Yep-Kyocera was the brand I read about. They made a lot of claims, but I thought I'd check with folks with some "real world" experience. Thanks Andy!
 
I heard and read a great deal about how sharp they are and how long the edge lasts so I bought one - a Kyocera 6" chef's knife.

I used it perhaps a couple of dozen times on vegetables and boneless meats. I was not at all happy with it and put it away. It would not cut into a tomato. My Henckels Pro S knives were sharper.

I may have just gotten a dud but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I agree. They hold an edge well but aren't necessarily all that sharp to start with, at least compared to what I'm used to calling sharp.
 
Ceramics cannot be made very sharp even though many users think they are. The hard edges are very brittle and they would chip rapidly. They "can" be sharpened at home, but far less than 1% of us have the equipment to do so and the effort involved is hardly worth it. Beyond that, they are sharp enough for most kitchens, last a long time because of the hardness, and offers of free factory sharpening and other such guarantees and marketing efforts sell some knives. Other good qualities include being stainless and that they are somewhat dishwasher safe.

You'll never find one in my kitchen because the steel in my knives can be made much more sharp, I can bring back an edge any time I want in seconds, I don't have to worry much about them breaking if I drop them, and it's fun to baby them.

There is an excellent compromise distributed by a Swiss company, Kuhn Rikon. They are Chinese made and have a teflon-like nonstick coating which comes in nine different colors. Being a breast cancer survivor, my wife prefers pink. :) I don't know from which stainless steel the blades are made, but I put a 15 degree per side edge on it and it holds up quite well, at least for my wife's uses. So far they only sell a 3 3/4" paring knife but I think larger knives will soon be available because they really work. They only cost ten bucks and can be found at places like ebay, Amazon, Cutlery and More, and other Internet sources. I've even seen them at the Sur La Table checkout counter.

Buzz
 
Ceramic knives aren't all that sharp but there are some positive side to using one. Since they are not metal, they don't discolor foods or change the taste. For example I can cut an avocado and it won't change to the dark black color. Same with an apple and some other fruits. Bad part is that they shatter. You can just cut with the knife. Twist it a little while cutting or try to like pry the core of an fruit an you have a great change or breaking or chipping it.
 
Apples and avocados do not get brown because of the interaction with the metal. They change color because of the interaction with the air.
 
Really? I was always thinking it was from the metal. Or is it from certain types or metals. Say a stainless steel knife compared to a carbon steel one. I've tried cutting an avocado with either knife... ceramic and metal and then wrapping it with plastic wrap. The one cut with ceramic stayed fresh longer. The other one just starts getting black/brownish spots way faster than the other one. It's like one day compared to a couple days.
 
I have three Kyocera ceramic knives and mine are very sharp and have kept their edge well.

I like them very much. I use them just as often as my chefs knives.

You need to be very careful with them, though, as they chip and break with rough treatment.
 
Tachi and Kyocera ceramic knives

Ceramic knives are not intended to replace your steel knives. They are great for slicing fruits & veg. I've used Kyocera and Tachi both, they are both good knives. Tachi is around half the price of Kyocera and seem to last longer. If you want to try one the Tachi will save you some money.
 
I would say that they are too new, steel knifes have been around for awhile let the cermaic mature for awhile.
 
Ceramic Knives are excellent for slicing and cutting through boneless meat, vegetables and fruits. They don't rust, they are chemically inert to both acids and alkalis, and they can retain a cutting edge up to ten times longer than forged metal knives.
 
I have a couple of ceramics. I like them but I'm not sure they were worth the expense.
 
yes they hold an edge longer but don't they chip? and they can't be sharpened?
 
yes they hold an edge longer but don't they chip? and they can't be sharpened?


They hold an edge much longer than steel knives because the ceramic is so much harder than steel. that is also the reason they can chip if misused.

They can be sharpened but have to be sent back to the manufacturer. Kyocera, a major manufacturer of ceramic knives, charges $10. to sharpen.
 
My kitchen consists of all manner of knives. Ceramics in various forms, Henckel Twin Cuisines, MACs, a couple Wusthof's, a full set of Shuns I got for Christmas last year, Kasumi Titaniums, etc.

I don't know where you guys harping on ceramics got your knives from, but it obviously wasn't the same place I got mine. My ceramics are, hands down, the sharpest and most precise knives I own. My Damascus ceramics are my go-to knives for everything that doesn't have some form of bone in it, and I've never had a breakage problem...and I'm not exactly gentle with them.

My Kasumi's would probably come in 2nd (the blue titanium line), followed by my Shuns.
 
I have a couple of Kyocera ceramic knives. I use them, but I wouldn't buy them again. They're just not worth the money.
 
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