Foodie Obsessed

The Essentials: The Chef’s Knife

by Tracey Thompson on January 11th, 2008

 I don’t think that there is one TV Chef that we don’t see use a Chef’s Knife.  There is one simple reason…it works the best and is the most versatile.

I have a knife block sitting on my kitchen counter and the rest of the knives have been more than neglected.  I may have used the fillet knife once when my brother-in-law went deep sea fishing and brought home some fish to throw down on our grill.  The chef’s knife is vital for your kitchen and a good one makes all the difference.  Fortunately, finding a great Chef’s knife is not difficult.  They can be pricey, but just remember that when it comes to knives, you get what you pay for and this is an investment.  With proper care, you should never have to purchase another.

A Chef’s Knife can slice, dice, chop, mince and even cut-up and bone various proteins.  You want the blade to be from 8-10″ long and is 1.5″ deep at the widest point.  This is measured from the tip to the handle.  Some novices are intimidated by such a long blade.  Don’t be.  This will end up becoming your go-to knife and the longer the blade the more it can do for you.  You want the edge to have a nice curve where the blade meets the board.  This makes chopping smooth and effortless.

Knives are made out of a variety of materials, such as various steels and ceramic.  If you speak with a professional they will tell you that their choice is the high-carbon stainless steel.  They are stain-resistant, easy to sharpen, will hold an edge for a good time.  As far as the handle, I think that it comes down to a personal preference.  You can choose between wood, stainless steel and composition.  Most people prefer the feel of wood, but you will have  a little maintenance.  I prefer composition because stainless steel can get slippery when you are working with wet food.

When purchasing a knife ask to hold the knife.  Balance is a subject often discussed in purchasing knives, such as if it is blade or handle heavy.  Ultimately, it has to feel good in your hand and this will come down to a personal preference.

Knives are made in three different ways:  stamped/blocked, sintered or forged.  From The Knife Outlets Knife Buying Guide:

Basically, there are 3 ways to make a kitchen knife. You can block it, forge it or sinter it. Well you could grind or file one to shape from a steel blank but knives aren’t made that way commercially.

Blocked knives are cut from a sheet or roll of steel of constant thickness something like cutting cookies from a dough. The blades are then ground and edged and handles are attached to the tangs. Some blocked knives have a full or partial tang with riveted scales and some have a handle epoxied to a stick tang. These knives never have bolsters. They are light, inexpensive and usually poorly balanced. Examples of these knives in the Knife Outlet product assorment would be the Forschner.

Forged knives are made by heating a steel blank very hot and pounding it into shape with a drop forge machine. The purpose is usually to provide for that thick bolster. It wouldn’t be practical or economical to grind the knife from a steel blank thick enough to produce a bolster. Forged knives, then, are made from a single piece of steel in this fashion. An example of forged knives would be the Wusthof Classic series.

Sintered knives are made by fusing together the blade and tang or, sometimes, the blade, bolster and tang to make up a complete knife from the various parts. This is done as an economy measure in some cases since it is less expensive than forging. In other cases it allows for construction that would be impossible without it. An example of sintered knives would be the Global G and GS series. They are sintered from a flat steel blade and a tubular steel handle. It would be impossible to block knives like this and forging would produce a heavy solid handle.

According to Patty Gardiner of Food Service.com veteran chefs prefer forged knives.

Knives can be purchases all over the web from Cooking.com, Amazon and even the Food Network.  My suggestion is that this an investment and unless you have experience with a certain knife shop for it in person.  You want to go to a retail store where there will be a knowledgeable person helping you and where you can actually take hold of a few knives to see what you prefer.  Places like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel or department stores like Macy’s would be great places to start.

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