Can anyone recommend a good Chef Knife that isn't terribly expensive?

[Linda0818]

I haven't had a good chef knife in many years and pretty much cut everything (meats, vegetables, fruit, etc) with a standard steak knife and generally use a cleaver to chop fresh garlic and herbs. While they do the job just fine (mostly because it's all I have and I'm used to using them) I'd really love a good chef knife that doesn't break the bank.

Would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[giggler]

Actually just saw a knife test on a rerun of America Test Kitchen.

The winner was Victronox , spelling might be different, same company makes Swiss army knife.

8 in, chef knife, plastic handle, 18 bux!

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Badjak]

Yep Victorinox is pretty good.
You'll get loads of opinions.
Choose a knife that you like and fits your hand properly.
More important: how are you going to keep it sharp?
Even the most expensive knife is useless if it is dull!

You can get by for a while with a steel. (Or ceramic for the harder blades)

Can you sharpen your own knives?

 

[Aunt Bea]

Dexter Russell is the brand of
Inexpensive knives that I see most
often in local supermarkets and delis.

Dexter-Russell – Dexter-Russell, Inc. 44 River Street Southbridge, MA 01550

dexter1818.com

IMO the ability to keep a knife sharp is more important than the brand.

 

[taxlady]

Yep Victorinox is pretty good.
You'll get loads of opinions.
Choose a knife that you like and fits your hand properly.
More important: how are you going to keep it sharp?
Even the most expensive knife is useless if it is dull!

You can get by for a while with a steel. (Or ceramic for the harder blades)

Can you sharpen your own knives?

Good points, good question.

If you don't want to sharpen your own knife, then I recommend a ceramic knife. They are cheap and very sharp and don't need sharpening. In fact, I don't think there is a reasonable way to sharpen them.

I bought a set of four different sizes of ceramic knives last February and I'm pleased with them. However, they are brittle. I dropped one on the floor and the whole blade broke off. My go to, daily chef's knife is the 8" ceramic knife from that set. However, I have recently noticed three very tiny nicks in the blade. They are small enough that you have to look at the blade in the right light and at the right angle to even see them. But, I see this as a warning that this knife won't be so good for much longer. I don't know if I will get another one when it becomes unpleasant to use. I do have some good knives and know how to sharpen them, but I'm a bit lazy. Also, I don't need to use the steel on the ceramic. (Talk about being lazy)

Apparently, most people find that a ceramic knife lasts about two years, if you don't break it. You have to be careful not to twist it while you are cutting. They are no good for prying of any kind.

 

[Linda0818]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

As for sharpening a knife, does running them through the back of an electric can opener count?

[I'm sure I just made several of you cringe]

So no, I don't sharpen my own knives. Perhaps I should take taxy's suggestion of the ceramic knives and look into those because I would definitely need low maintenance.

 

[pictonguy]

Another vote for Victorinox, they're inexpensive and they hold an edge better than most and if used with a honing steel regularly it can work pretty well for quite a while before it needs sharpening. I use these in the restaurant kitchen as spares for anyone that either doesn't use a knife enough, like my dishwasher that also does some prep work or the occasional person that need to do some knife work and doesn't have a decent knife.

I've been gifted a few ceramic knives over the years being a chef and while they are pretty sharp and impressive they worked out totally unusable in a professional kitchen setting and mostly because of what you can't do with them and they really didn't stay sharp much longer and the need to have them professionally sharpened just rendered them useless, they needed to be sent away because I could never find a place close enough that sharpened ceramic. And once a ceramic doesn't cut the probability it sits in a drawer forever is a given.

If your ready to spend a little more then MAC and global aren't bad and I've used them in the past. All my knives are Japanese except one Henkel that's I've had for 40 years. My go to knives are kikuichi for the most part.

 

[Andy M.]

Actually just saw a knife test on a rerun of America Test Kitchen.

The winner was Victronox , spelling might be different, same company makes Swiss army knife.

8 in, chef knife, plastic handle, 18 bux!

Eric, Austin Tx.

I agree.

 

[Andy M.]

I bought a ceramic knife (Kyocera) some years ago and was not at all happy with it. It wasn't particularly sharp. I gave it away.

 

[pepperhead212]

+3 (or am I up to 4?) for Victorinox. I got a chef's knife for Mom (plus a couple smaller ones), just so there would be some useable knives there, if I had to do anything there! The only knives she had were so bad that it would have been hard to cut yourself on them, if you tried! They got them as a wedding gift, so well before I was born, and Dad ground away the edges on the wheel grinder in the garage (same as that old can opener thing, but ten times worse!).

That's funny that pictonguy mentioned a 40 year old Henckel's - my #1 chef's knife is a 10" Henckel's I got in '79, that is great to this day, and in '95 I actually got Mom an 8" Henckel's, given my experience with it. I ended up returning it, as it simply DID NOT HOLD AN EDGE! I called up a number, and actually talked to a person, back then (image that!), and asked what had changed to cause this? She explained that they MAY HAVE changed the metal the knives were made of, but it shouldn't have had this kind of result. Long story short, I don't ever recommended Henckel's after this experience.

If you have things like that now, whatever you get, you will have to get used to having those much sharper edges!

 

[dragnlaw]

Go to any store that sells some kitchen supplies and make sure you get to hold the knife and rock it around a wood board some. Even Walmart - where-ever!

I'm another who does not like nor recommend ceramic knives. For all the above reasons. Honestly just not find them very sharp.

and yes, I too have a sharpener on the back of my can-opener. It's Avocado Green, very popular back in the 60's as a Wedding Present... which is exactly what it was.
and yes, I too use it - but I do have a stone and a steel, neither of which I can work very well and often resort back to the can-opener.

 

[taxlady]

There are also places that will professionally sharpen your knives. I sharpen our Henckels, but we also get them professionally sharpened sometimes. It's not expensive for one knife, but when there are several knives being sharpened at once, you start to notice the cost.

 

[Linda0818]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips and advice. I think I'll check into the Victorinox knives and see what I can find.

 

[Linda0818]

There are also places that will professionally sharpen your knives. I sharpen our Henckels, but we also get them professionally sharpened sometimes. It's not expensive for one knife, but when there are several knives being sharpened at once, you start to notice the cost.

Henckels is one I'm actually looking at right now. Ran across them when I was looking for Victorinox. I'm finding Henckels is a little less expensive. Been reading reviews and watching videos and it seems to be a pretty strong choice that people enjoy using.

 

[dragnlaw]

I have a Zwilling - J. A. Henkel's - and have loved it for more than 25 years. If I remember correctly cost about $150. Cdn.

Funny story - (sort'a). Went to a kitchen supply to look at le Creuset or enameled cast iron. Didn't like the price of the piece I was looking at, think it was $125. Cdn. Went over to the knives and purchased the above.
Owner looked at me and said - "You don't want to pay for a pot at $125. as too expensive... but you're buying a knife for $150."
He just shook his head - but, of course, still rang it up!

 

[Linda0818]

I have a Zwilling - J. A. Henkel's - and have loved it for more than 25 years. If I remember correctly cost about $150. Cdn.

Funny story - (sort'a). Went to a kitchen supply to look at le Creuset or enameled cast iron. Didn't like the price of the piece I was looking at, think it was $125. Cdn. Went over to the knives and purchased the above.
Owner looked at me and said - "You don't want to pay for a pot at $125. as too expensive... but you're buying a knife for $150."
He just shook his head - but, of course, still rang it up!

Well that was kind of rude of the owner, LOL

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, but didn't bother me - not into shame buying! LOL, some just need to make sales. I just laughed but honestly - I think he was really puzzled. Maybe pots and pans were more important than knives to him.

 

[Linda0818]

Yeah, but didn't bother me - not into shame buying! LOL, some just need to make sales. I just laughed but honestly - I think he was really puzzled. Maybe pots and pans were more important than knives to him.

That's possible. But to some people, the knife is the most important tool in the kitchen.

Next to your own hands.

Speaking of knives, I bought one! I decided on the Henckels 8" Chef Knife. I'm really looking forward to using a proper knife for cutting meats and vegetables. I'm excited

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL - be careful!

and congrats of course!

no dishwasher...
NO point down in the dish drain utensil holder!
Point up and just tell people that's how you do it and beware!
or dry right away - or lay flat on a tea towel til you can get to it.

Gramma has spoken... got poked? too bad, so sad... you were warned.

 

[Linda0818]

LOL - be careful!

and congrats of course!

no dishwasher...
NO point down in the dish drain utensil holder!
Point up and just tell people that's how you do it and beware!
or dry right away - or lay flat on a tea towel til you can get to it.

Gramma has spoken... got poked? too bad, so sad... you were warned.

LOL, love it. And thanks for the tips!

I don't have a dishwasher, so it's all good.

Why no point down in the utensil holder? Does it dull the tip?