What is the best cutting knives out there?

Question

I really need a good knife. Thanks for your suggestions!

Answer 1

Henckels is rated #1 all over

Expensive

Answer 2

I can't really recomend a brand but you want ones made of surgical stainless Steel.

Answer 3

Look at Wusthof and Henkles (they may be one in the same these days)  They are widely recognized as the premier knife of the cold steel variety.

Answer 4

My mom gave me her cutting knives when I moved out on my own and they are from Chicago Cutlery. She said she got them right after I was born because she was staying home and cooking more. I'm 22 and the knives work GREAT!

Answer 5

There are several great brands out there- good quality. What brand a chef uses within that range of good quality knives, is subject to personal preference. While one professional chef will prefer Henckel, someone else will prefer Victorinox, or Global, or Wusthof or others out there. The knife has to suit YOU, not 100 other people. If you're looking for good knives though, you need to know a few things when you're shopping.

!) A good knife will have good balance - perch it on your finger on the handle just behind the bolster. You want a knife that is fairly balanced between the blade and the handle.

2) The preferred angle on the bevelled edge of the blade is somewhere less than 40% - The smaller the angle, the sharper the knife will be. but you will have to use the steel on it more frequently.

3) Material - Most cheaper knives are made of stainless steel. These don't stay sharp long and it is hard to grind a hard edge because plain stainless steel is quite soft. Carbon steel you can grind to a sharper edge, but it oxidizes (the blade will look dull but it won't affect performance, however acid in foods will corrode the cutting edge, making it dull and hard to sharpen. So...that brings us to high carbon steel. Which is the preferred metal. (You can tell the difference between a stainless steel blade and a high carbon stainless steel blade by holding a magnet to them. Plain stainless steel is not magnetic) There are also ceramic knives out there- they are light weight but are easily breakable and require special sharpening equipment-though sharpening is not required often as they keep their edge well.

4) Forged vs stamped. Stamped blades are cut from sheets of metal. Some people do believe forged is better but the way stamped blades are made nowadays the two are very comparable in hardness.

5) Weight of the knife: everyone is different as to what feels right in their hand. One chef I work with is small and her hands are small and she prefers a really lightweight knife. You have to try a few out in your hand and see what feels right.

Go to a knife store that sells a range of knives. Don't buy from a knife salesman who is only promoting his or her wares. You are shopping around, you need an objective salesperson to help you get what you want. If you take care of your knives you will have them for a lifetime!

There is a decent range of types of knives depending on the needs of the cook. If you're starting out finding knives for yourself, stay away from sets. A good knife collection will quite likely consist of a mixture of different brands. For starters all you need is a good chef's knife, for most jobs, you don't want anything shorter than 8 inches really or it's not as effective for most of your jobs. A good paring knife is also an essential. For basic kitchen functions at home this is all you really need. Once you start getting into boning chickens and filleting salmon etc then you start increasing your collection.

Good luck!

Answer 6

A four pronged hydrodynamic Ziegfeld 4000. They're the bestest.

Answer 7

its called GLOBAL...

Answer 8

Get the GINSU knives.  Not only a great product...but great commercials, too!

Answer 9

warther knives out of dover ohio are excellent but a little on the expensive side.family business for maybe 100 years. i am pretty sure they are handmade.

Answer 10

I agree with Lola.

Global all the way.  They take a little getting used to, but you'll never want to use another brand again.

I've used everything from Henkel to Wustoff to F. d**k and everything inbetween.

Short of going into specialized custom knives, Global is it.

Answer 11

I agree with Lola Baez!

Answer 12

my mom uses kitchen Aid. It cuts so smoothly and very fine. i uce all of then th bread knife, chiken knife. salad knife the butcher knife, the small one. they even has diffrent colors. my mom got hers from home goods. im 13 so i cook a lot. he he:) U SHOLD REALLY USE KITCHEN AID!!!

Answer 13

You can't go wrong with German made cutlery.  Target has some very excellent and reasonably priced German (Henckel) knife sets.

http://www.target.com/gp/search/602-4993...

Answer 14

I used to use Cutco and Henckels, but I'm now hooked on Shun. . .I really think they're the best.

Answer 15

cutco knives are really worthy. i dont sell them or anything, i just really like them. theyll last forever! their scissors can cut through a penny!

Answer 16

Excuse me once again!

Is there a verb to subject agreement problem here?

What is the best cutting knife out there?

Or...

Which are the best cutting knives out there?

I rest my case!

Answer 17

You want something that is a carbon/stainless combination. Carbon for strength and durability and stainless to avoid pitting and rusting.

If you want to make an investment try Wusof or Henkels. If you decide on Wustof or Henkels buy from a reputable establishment, and check to see that they were made in Germany.

As far as what types to get I recommend a santoku,  a parer and maybe a chefs knife to start. Also consider a pair of kitchen shears, they come in handy for me all the time. If you buy shears get the type that come apart, this way you can get them really clean.