Ceramic knife/knives

[Joshatdot]

What do you think of them?

 

[Andy M.]

I had always heard how great ceramics were. So I did some reading and ended up buying a Kyocera chef's knife. I don't recall the names now but I chose the more expensive of the two grades (black blade).

I was supposed to be amazed at how sharp it was and how long it held its edge.

I wasn't.

I used it on a variety of meats and vegetables for about a month. My Henckels were sharper. When I had trouble slicing a tomato, I packed it away and forgot about it.

 

[jennyema]

I love mine. I have 2 Kyocera santuko knives, a paring knife and a peeler

Plus I just got a pink Kyocera santuko for Xmas.

Mine have all been super sharp out if the box.

The bad things are that they are fragile and need special treatment. Also you need to send them to Kyocera for sharpening. My older ones need it now.

 

[Hoot]

Several years ago I bought a ceramic cutter for my cigars. I was not impressed.
I will stick to my carbon steel and /or stainless knives. Just my opinion, mind you.

 

[Robo410]

prefer a good steel knife every time!

 

[retiredguy]

Ceramic knives are a gimmick, good steel you can sharpen and will last you a lifetime.

 

[jennyema]

I have plenty of very nice steel knives but I also really like my ceramic knives and use both regularly.

They are far from a "gimmick"

They do have clear limitations, though.

 

[justplainbill]

prefer a good steel knife every time!

Ditto here.

 

[Rocklobster]

Never tried one. Are there any benefits or advantages?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Never tried one. Are there any benefits or advantages?

They stick less to food; they are corrosion proof; they are harder than metal knives and so stay sharp longer; they won't add metalic flavor to food; they don't react with foods such as lettuce and accelerate the browning of the food.

Disadvantages: Can't sharpen at home when they do get dull; more brittle than are metal knives (But they are stronger than many people think); not as sharp as some of my steel knives, but sharp enough for most slicing jobs.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Rocklobster]

They stick less to food; they are corrosion proof; they are harder than metal knives and so stay sharp longer; they won't add metalic flavor to food; they don't react with foods such as lettuce and accelerate the browning of the food.


Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Hmmm. Thanks GW. I've never had those issues much. But, I will keep my eyes out for one, just out of curiosity.

 

[GB]

I have never tried them either Rocklobster, but the benefits are supposed to be that they can be very very sharp and will stay sharper a lot longer than your typical kitchen knife.

The downsides are that they are fragile and can shatter if misused or dropped. They also can not easily be sharpened at home. They need to be sent out to be sharpened.

From what I have read from the knife experts here at DC, some Japanese steel can actually be made sharper than ceramic if you know what you are doing. My favorite J knife I was able to get so sharp that I could not imagine ever needing it any sharper. I do not have to worry as much if I drop it on a hard surface or hit bone.

 

[jennyema]

They stick less to food; they are corrosion proof; they are harder than metal knives and so stay sharp longer; they won't add metalic flavor to food; they don't react with foods such as lettuce and accelerate the browning of the food.

Disadvantages: Can't sharpen at home when they do get dull; more brittle than are metal knives (But they are stronger than many people think); not as sharp as some of my steel knives, but sharp enough for most slicing jobs.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Exactly. And they are a lot lighter, obviously. Though that's not an issue for me.

I just used my Xmas ceramic knife last night and it's razor sharp!!

 

[Rob Babcock]

Ceramic knives aren't my cup of tea. OOTB most of them aren't real sharp. Now I know what many of you are thinking...hey, Rob- I have one and it was super sharp, the sharpest I've ever seen, smart guy! Be that as it may, it ain't the sharpest I've ever seen! Tool steel, carbon steel and the best stainless steel knives will get much sharper than the ceramics you buy.

Ceramics are also relatively fragile. Some people have had good luck but it's a crap shoot. Ceramic is extremely strong but not very ductile (meaning malleable). It won't roll or bend to speak of- when subjected to enough shock or force it will simply snap. I've seen tips break off and ceramics snap clean in two.

You also won't have much luck sharpening them yourself. It can be done if you have the right equipment, but ceramic isn't all that far from diamond in hardness; Diamond is a 10 on the Mohs scale while the hardest ceramics are actually between 8 and 9. That means most of the things that can sharpen steel will hardly scratch ceramic. However, just as the Grand Canyon was worn by running water, the knife won't stay sharp forever. Constant use and impact with the cutting board will dull it over time. Especially glass cutting boards (glass can be nearly as hard as ceramic).

 

[Caslon]

Whoever said that you have to store them carefully of they can get chipped makes sense. I suppose a butcher block would be ok. It's just that you have to "special treat them" that has kept me from buying them.

 

[Joshatdot]

Thanks all for your responses .. I never heard of them before, and I saw this commercial for one, and thought to ask you DC peeps about them

 

[spork]

Not that they would, but it would be in Kyocera's interest to make less than great ceramic knives that easily dull, so that customers would have to loyally and repeatedly return them for sharpening... for a fee, perhaps?

I've yet to own, or even try one, but I'm certain I someday will.

 

[jennyema]

Not that they would, but it would be in Kyocera's interest to make less than great ceramic knives that easily dull, so that customers would have to loyally and repeatedly return them for sharpening... for a fee, perhaps?

I've yet to own, or even try one, but I'm certain I someday will.

I don't think so, since no one would buy them in the first place. Their main selling point is sharpness.

They charge $10 to sharpen 2 knives.

 

[Skittle68]

I used my mom's ($20) yoshi ceramic knife, and was so impressed by the ease with which it sliced through veggies that I went out and bought one. My bf used it to cut up a chicken (with bones, which you are not supposed to do) and promptly broke off the tip. A few months later, I was going to be cutting up a bunch of lettuce for a nacho bar, and borrowed my mom's knife, since I happened to be at her house. I used it on a few other things since I happened to have it (the bf was under strict orders to keep his hands off it though ), and it was very noticeably less sharp. I wouldn't buy one again for this reason. If I cut up lettuce all the time I would consider it, but I don't. I would rather have a decent steel knife, and a good sharpener any day. (The restaurant I work at, however, should invest in one of them...)

 

[Lorrae]

I recently took a class on Essential Knife Skills, and learned a lot regarding knives. We went over different kinds of knives - from forged to stamped, and even ceramic knives.

Goodweed of the North was right on regarding her advantages and disadvantages for ceramic knives! They are very durable and stay sharp for a very long time. Unfortunately, they are not sharpenable, and will most definitely break if they are dropped or even placed harshly onto a hard countertop.

I think I'd definitely stick to the steel in most cases!

Also, I found the ceramic knives SO sharp that they were actually difficult to use. If you are used to a steel knife, definitely stick with it! The safest knife you can have is one you are comfortable using.

Hope that this helps in answering some of your knife questions! I'm currently writing a Essential Knife Skills series for my blog, so all of this information is right at the top of my head lol!