There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
hope that helps!
Brands, look for something in the $30-60 range, that's a good sweetspot above the junk, Victorinox, the lower end Henckels or Wüsthof I think are in there on sale, and I think Messermeister has a chef's knife near that price point. These are all German style blades, so they'll be a bit more forgiving than Japanese style, which is generally harder steels and thinner profiles. Once you've used a mid tier knife like these, you should be better prepared to figure out what you like and don't like on your next one.
For cutting boards, general rule of thumb: Hard Maple End Grain > Other Hardwood End Grain > Hardwood Edge Grain > Polypropylene (Plastic) > Bamboo > Stone/Glass/Metal/anything else with a high hardness Stick to Plastic or higher on the list, but don't use a serrated blade on plastics, it'll chew up the board.
Your first three knives it is often said should be 1) chef 2) paring and 3 ) bread knife. Check through those articles and see what knife fits your butget
1. Having a good chef's knife is going to be your best friend in the beginning and going bigger is usually better in the chef's knife world. Don't start by looking for a great set unless you're ready to drop a lot. If I only had 100$ to spend on knives, I'd rather get one good chef's knife than a big set of 8 with a block. There's almost nothing you can't do with it that a more specialized knife could, it's not everything and there are circumstances were a more specialized option is better, but honestly, getting a solid Global chef's knife will be awesome for most (or shun, miyabi). I also find America's Test Kitchen to be far superior of a rating company than Wirecutter, I love their reviews for a lot of stuff but ATK is really good for kitchen stuff. They really highly recommend the Victorinox 30-50$, it's a solid workhorse and I'd trust my life with it.
2. Cutting boards, agree with the conventional wisdom of not metal, marble, stone or glass. Cutting boards should be something your knife can cut through, otherwise there's too much damage they can do to your knife. The plastic ones are usually pretty solid to work with and wood (like Boos) are great but do require diligent maintenance to use.
3. Sharpening, you should get a steel hone (for an intro I don't think ceramic or diamond are necessary or preferred). Hones don't sharpen but they do keep your blade aligned so cutting is easier. When it comes to sharpening, I'd recommend getting an actual stone and working from there. That being said, if you're getting in the lower end of the price range, throwing it away and buying a new one really isn't out of the question. One of the chefs I work with just has a ton of $10 paring knives and just tosses them when they're dull. He uses them like workhorses. If that's your game, it's perfectly fine.
DEFINITELY get a honing steel with your knives. Use Gordon Ramsey's tutorial on YouTube to learn to use it and when (all the time).
First, look at the knives we have culinary students use. We have those for a reason because they are sturdy, represent good value at their respected price point.
If you're an amateur you should be using GERMAN STEEL. Every culinary student is using german steel for a reason. Because it is forgiving and you will learn knife cutting and sharpening technique and discipline, do it for a reasonable cost and it won't break
You'll see student knife kits are always Mercer, Wusthof, Henckels (with TWO men, not one man), Messermeister, Dick, or Dexter.
As far as styles, Chefs knife or santoku first. Second Paring, Third Utility and a serated Bread knife.
Wood boards ARE better for home, but poly boards with NOT rubber or silicone are perfectly fine and what professionals use every day> Plastic boards can be refinished but just donate it to goodwill and buy a new one if you're not near a refinisher. Wood workers don't want to do it because it would gum up their belts.