I’m looking for decent set of kitchen/cheffy type knives. Anyone here 'into' knives? Looking for recommendations/suggestions.
Talk to me about....kitchen knives.
- Thread starter Mottie
- Start date
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Do you have a budget in mind? Will you put them in the dishwasher? How will you sharpen them?
Is your preference for French Chef's style? Or Japanese?
Do you have big hands?
Probably you will end up using just your favourites, about three.
Such as filleting knife; utility/vegetable knife; medium chef's knife.
A larger set is a tempting wall ornament.
Is your preference for French Chef's style? Or Japanese?
Do you have big hands?
Probably you will end up using just your favourites, about three.
Such as filleting knife; utility/vegetable knife; medium chef's knife.
A larger set is a tempting wall ornament.
D
durhamplumber
My brother did lots of research and went for Sabatier....Top notch but then that was 30 years ago.They are the equivalent of a mechanics “snap-on” tools!
B
Bodd
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EddieM
Don't buy off eBay, it's a prime source of fake copies, I know. Got a chef's roll of 18 Global knives off there..... fake.
Pays yer money, takes yer choice, some very high end Japanese chef's knives are £200 plus (they're not dishwasher proof either)
Pays yer money, takes yer choice, some very high end Japanese chef's knives are £200 plus (they're not dishwasher proof either)
Sabatier is not a single firm. It was a family name, members of the family set up their own businesses and later sold out. Some are probably still made in France, others are made in other parts of the world. Quality and price vary.
D
durhamplumber
Oic.
And always use a chopping board. Cutting on a plate (like my missus sometimes does) knackers them....
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durhamplumber
Didn’t know that
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EddieM
Could try a ceramic knife, sharper than any steel, dishwasher proof, brittle as hell.
Ive a few of these,
I use this Santoku knife most days.
https://www.flintandflame.co.uk/product/ff-6-santoku-knife/
I got them from flint and flame at a show, for my wife, but they are so sharp, she is scared to use them.
Ive practiced with some cutting techniques, but to be honest never practiced enough to be fast.
Professional chefs knifes are great, but really proper technique is best to make them safe and quick to use.
Semi pro brands include:
Wustholf
Global
Zwilling / henckels
Japanese knifes
Kumo
seto
Google any of those will get you some decent starter sets from pro suppliers and avoid all the gimmicky stuff, thats all show.
You dont need a big set, 3 knives will cover 80-90% of day to day work.
I use this Santoku knife most days.
https://www.flintandflame.co.uk/product/ff-6-santoku-knife/
I got them from flint and flame at a show, for my wife, but they are so sharp, she is scared to use them.
Ive practiced with some cutting techniques, but to be honest never practiced enough to be fast.
Professional chefs knifes are great, but really proper technique is best to make them safe and quick to use.
Semi pro brands include:
Wustholf
Global
Zwilling / henckels
Japanese knifes
Kumo
seto
Google any of those will get you some decent starter sets from pro suppliers and avoid all the gimmicky stuff, thats all show.
You dont need a big set, 3 knives will cover 80-90% of day to day work.
To answer all the questions above. I have had a zwilling/Henkel set for about 10 years but I’ve not really looked after them. I knocked some lumps out of the big chefs knife hacking at a frozen joint of meat and I took the point off of the paring knife trying prize the head off my shower! I’ve also chucked them in the dishwasher frequently. I always cut things on a board though - either a wooden block or a set of plastic chopping boards as I ****ed up a worktop many years ago and I’ve not been forgiven yet. I’m going to look after the new set. As a few of you have said, you only end up using a few of them and in the set I have, I use the bread knife, the chefs knife, the sharpening steel and the shears. I did used to use the chefs knife until I ****ed it up on the frozen joint. I’m wondering whether to go for individual knives as in a set there'll probably be ones I’ll never use. I’d like a nice carving knife too - thanks for the link Notchy, the flint and flame boxed carving set look good. The wife is getting me them for Christmas. She said look around the £500 mark but can go to whatever if I see something I particularly like.
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I think you'd do best to buy new knives, of your favourite type, just of the ones you have knackered.
The ones you never use, no need to replace. If you think you're going to cut frozen meat again, maybe some kind of saw, though I don't do that.
As you're not going to treat them with much love, a variety of stainless steel, though it will not keep such a good edge as carbon steel, it withstands neglect better. A magnetic rack will prevent them bashing together in a drawer.
I have some in (edit I meant Martensitic, with manganese and Molybdenum) stainless (non magnetic) which is claimed to be a bit better than 18/8 or 18/10 as used for table cutlery. Sadly nobody's offered me a £500 gift.
I see you've gone for a French Chef's knife style, which is my own preference though Japanese styles are now fashionable, they cut and are held differently.
You could probably regrind some of your old knives, though I doubt it's worth the effort. I have a small grindstone and seldom use it.
I have a friend in the Ships Provisioning trade, they rent their knives and the company collects them every week and exchanges for re-ground knives. Apparently they only ever buy large knives; years of sharpening and grinding wear them away into medium, then small ones. The butchers use a sharpening steel multiple times a day. Frozen boneless they cut with a bandsaw.
The ones you never use, no need to replace. If you think you're going to cut frozen meat again, maybe some kind of saw, though I don't do that.
As you're not going to treat them with much love, a variety of stainless steel, though it will not keep such a good edge as carbon steel, it withstands neglect better. A magnetic rack will prevent them bashing together in a drawer.
I have some in (edit I meant Martensitic, with manganese and Molybdenum) stainless (non magnetic) which is claimed to be a bit better than 18/8 or 18/10 as used for table cutlery. Sadly nobody's offered me a £500 gift.
I see you've gone for a French Chef's knife style, which is my own preference though Japanese styles are now fashionable, they cut and are held differently.
You could probably regrind some of your old knives, though I doubt it's worth the effort. I have a small grindstone and seldom use it.
I have a friend in the Ships Provisioning trade, they rent their knives and the company collects them every week and exchanges for re-ground knives. Apparently they only ever buy large knives; years of sharpening and grinding wear them away into medium, then small ones. The butchers use a sharpening steel multiple times a day. Frozen boneless they cut with a bandsaw.
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No, I WILL look after these ones - I keep them in a knife block in the cupboard. Also, my preference is for a magnetic rack but the wife has put her size 4 right down against that - she has a fear of intruders breaking in and being able to quickly grab a sharp knife when I send her downstairs to deal with them!
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