Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Showing 1 of 45 conversations about:
KnockOnDood
3
Dec 6, 2017
bookmark_border
What should I look for when choosing a good quality knife at a budget? Are there any brands that I should be looking for/ avoiding?
Dec 6, 2017
drakeonyou
198
Dec 6, 2017
bookmark_border
KnockOnDoodI would personally avoid full tang knives for my all rounder ( I personally use a Santoku 'cause I love chopping veggies). You won't get to use the heel of the knife with a full tang.
Also make sure that the knife is balanced and feels good in your hand so that you work with the knife instead of against it.
I'm no expert but this works for me.
Dec 6, 2017
jkiemele
222
Dec 6, 2017
bookmark_border
KnockOnDoodFind knives that feel good in your hands, well balanced with weight that works for you. Cooks Illustrated like Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro chef and paring knives, for what that's worth. Those two knives will do the most for you. I've had the opportunity to use a friend's Misen chef knife and liked it. It seemed good for the price. https://www.misen.co/pages/collection
Dec 6, 2017
TheJackal3245
24
Dec 6, 2017
bookmark_border
KnockOnDoodThe three main factors in your decision other than price will be how it feels in your hand, the shape of the blade, and the material it's made of.
Go to a kitchen store where you can actually handle a bunch of knives, and offer to help at friends' houses to try their knives. Get a feel for what you want out of your main kitchen knife. Research the different shapes of blades, namely German, French, and Japanese, and the difference in using each type (rocking cuts with German knives, flat pushes or pulls with Japanese knives, etc.). When trying different knives, think about how you are comfortable cutting and work on your techniques.
Don't be afraid of larger knives in the 8-10in range for your main knife, and make sure you have a cutting board that is at least 1-2in longer than your knife on either side when laid at a diagonal in the middle of your board. Your knife and board are a system. For what it's worth, and without going into the ins and outs of material interaction with the knife edge and food and the retention of bacteria, a wooden cutting board is best.
When deciding on blade material, you have a couple of choices, including stainless, layered, and carbon steel. Stainless generally takes the most abuse, but I personally wanted a high carbon steel knife as my main workhorse because of the edge retention and ease of maintaining a razor edge, as well as the patina. Go for a full tang if possible. It adds to the balance and durability. I think what drakeonyou is referring to is the bolster. A bolster can feel very nice in the hand and balance the blade, but limits sharpening to the rear end of the blade. You'll figure out if you want one just by handling blades, and I personally mind them less on German style blades where you have a rocking motion to make a complete cut. Handle type is another consideration. Jkiemele's suggestion of the Victorinox is a good way to go if you are good with a hard wearing plastic. It grips well.
I personally went on eBay and found exactly what I was looking for (a high carbon steel French style 10in chef's knife with a relatively straight wooden handle and no bolster) for about $15. It may not look the prettiest to those who want everything stainless steel and spotless at that, but it's a 55 year old knife someone's grandmother owned, and I find using it to be an absolute pleasure.
Good luck!
Dec 6, 2017
djfluffkins
157
Dec 6, 2017
bookmark_border
TheJackal3245Gonna echo the comments about Victorinox. A chefs knife that's longer (the 8-10 in range TheJackal3245 recommended is good).
Everyone's pretty on point with the qualities of a knife, but beggars can't be choosers is pretty true when it comes to knives. If you need a workhorse and you want to power through prep or a service, you need to have everything balanced well to reduce unnecessary strain on your hands and arms. Most people won't wear down the sharpness in a blade in one night, but if you're powering through a lot of ingredients that are hard, you'll want something that's better at maintaining an edge.
Start simple with something you can grow into and then get more specialized.
Dec 6, 2017
RogierFvV
43
Dec 8, 2017
bookmark_border
KnockOnDoodSome good budget knives I use with regularity are a Kuma 8" chef's knife for $30 on amazon, a Cozilife ($30) and an Imarku ($40) all three are excellent choices in the "budget" category.
Dec 8, 2017
harrisonh
51
Jan 23, 2018
bookmark_border
KnockOnDoodThe victorinox is NOT a bad knife, but the ATK review was complete and utter lies.
A wusthof pro is cheaper and better. A dexter icut pro, dexter sanisafe, a mercer millennia or genssis, a Messermeister park plaza, are also far superior but about the same price point.
Jan 23, 2018
View Full Discussion
Related Posts
Trending Posts in More Community Picks