A kitchen without a knife is like a bird without its wings. It will not be easy for you to cut, slice, peel, chop or mince your ingredients without this essential utensil. From meat to vegetables, all foods can be cut with ease. Of course, the size and shape of the knife determines the role of a good kitchen knife. How to find the best one? Here is the guide!
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Our selection
"This kitchen knife is exceptionally sharp. It has a forged blade with 67 layers of high carbon AUS-10 stainless steel."
"Cook like a chef and buy smart with this 9-piece set that includes a stained rubberwood storage block and 8 corrosion-resistant stainless steel kitchen knives."
"Ultra complete, the 16-piece Vestaware comes with, in addition to the kitchen knives, a knife sharpener, a pair of kitchen scissors and a wooden storage…"
"This 16-piece Homever set is an excellent surprise. Entirely made of stainless steel, from the blade to the handle, each piece of this set offers…"
This kitchen knife is exceptionally sharp. It has a forged blade with 67 layers of high carbon AUS-10 stainless steel.
103 £ on AmazonThe Zelite Infinity 48-GO3U-XJ0J kitchen knife is particularly sharp and has a rounded handle for easy grip and handling. Its efficiency translates into the minimum effort you will have to make to slice, mince or chop your food. The blade is made of Japanese AUS-10 steel forged from 67 layers of chrome, molybdenum, vanadium and carbon.
If you tilt the Zelite Infinity 48-GO3U-XJ0J kitchen knife to a 12° angle, it will glide easily through meats and vegetables like butter. The ergonomic handle is made exclusively of military-grade G-10 full silk. To prove its quality, the brand offers a lifetime warranty, a guarantee of the durability of the chef's knife.
Cook like a chef and buy smart with this 9-piece set that includes a stained rubberwood storage block and 8 corrosion-resistant stainless steel kitchen knives.
31,99 £ on AmazonYou'd be wrong to think that it's impossible to buy a complete set of kitchen knives for less than 45 €. The Amazon Basics HL-005987 is proof of that. The 8 stainless steel knives come with a rubberwood storage block. In the set are a chef's knife, a santoku knife, a slicing knife, a bread knife, a utility knife, a boning knife, a paring knife and a sharpening gun.
Each blade has been perfectly sharpened so that you can enjoy a durable and precise cut. The one-piece, 3-rivet handle design provides excellent balance. This allows for better control and handling of your knife. If you want to increase its longevity, hand washing is highly recommended.
Ultra complete, the 16-piece Vestaware comes with, in addition to the kitchen knives, a knife sharpener, a pair of kitchen scissors and a wooden storage block.
152 £ on AmazonThe Vestaware kitchen knife set consists of 16 pieces. It will satisfy all your needs, providing a wide choice of models. These include a storage block, a knife sharpener, 6 steak knives, a bread knife, a chef's knife, a Santoku knife, a slicing knife and a professional knife. The blades are made of high carbon stainless steel, which gives them a great capacity to resist rust.
The ergonomic wooden handles of Vestaware knives only accentuate the comfort of use that you will feel when handling it. This means you can make clean, precise cuts effortlessly. Each triple-riveted knife is easy to handle. In short, quality, efficiency and performance are the key words.
This 16-piece Homever set is an excellent surprise. Entirely made of stainless steel, from the blade to the handle, each piece of this set offers an exceptional sharpness. Beware of children!
40,79 £ on AmazonThis set of Homever kitchen knives is for those who want to buy smart. For about 65 euros, you can afford 16 pieces of exceptional quality, not to be outdone by the Emojoy sets seen above. The blades are made of 420 stainless steel with a high carbon content and are stronger and sharper than the ceramic knives.
Each handle and blade is made from a single piece, which prevents bacteria from getting into the cracks. As a result, the strength is increased. As with all kitchen knife sets, this set is not dishwasher safe, which could damage your appliance. And be careful with the sharpener, its handle is quite fragile.
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| TOP OF THE TOP | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Zelite Infinity 48-GO3U-XJ0J
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Amazon Basics HL-005987
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Vestaware 16 pieces with wooden handle
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Homever 16 pieces with stainless steel handle
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This kitchen knife is exceptionally sharp. It has a forged blade with 67 layers of high carbon AUS-10 stainless steel.
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Cook like a chef and buy smart with this 9-piece set that includes a stained rubberwood storage block and 8 corrosion-resistant stainless steel kitchen knives.
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Ultra complete, the 16-piece Vestaware comes with, in addition to the kitchen knives, a knife sharpener, a pair of kitchen scissors and a wooden storage block.
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This 16-piece Homever set is an excellent surprise. Entirely made of stainless steel, from the blade to the handle, each piece of this set offers an exceptional sharpness. Beware of children!
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Materials of construction
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67-layer high-carbon AUS-10 stainless steel blade, handle: G-10
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Stainless steel blade, riveted PU handle
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Stainless steel
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All stainless steel 420
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Number of parts
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1
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9
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16
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16
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Dimensions
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32.9 x 2.4 x 4.5 cm
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22,86 x 12,7 x 35,56 cm
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15.24 x 29.21 x 36.07 cm
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37.2 x 20.2 x 19.5 cm
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Parts included
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20 cm chef's knife
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1 20 cm chef's knife, 1 18 cm Santoku knife, 1 20 cm slicing knife, 1 20 cm bread knife, 1 15 cm boning knife, 1 13 cm utility knife, 1 9 cm paring knife, 1 20 cm sharpening gun, a stained rubberwood storage block
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1 professional knife, 1 bread knife, 1 slicing knife, 1 Santoku knife, 1 6-inch chef's knife, 1 utility knife, 1 paring knife, 1 knife sharpener, 1 pair of kitchen shears, 1 wooden knife block, 6 steak knives
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1 chef's knife, 1 carving knife, 1 sharpener, 1 pair of scissors, 1 bread knife, 1 santoku knife, 1 utility knife, 1 steak knife, 7 paring knives
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Weight
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280 g
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3,12 kg
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4.54 kg
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3.5 kg
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This is the first criterion to consider. For this, you will need to try several knives to find your ideal knife weight. A heavy kitchen knife cuts food more easily because it "falls" with more force. On the other hand, a lighter kitchen knife cuts more freely and allows you to maneuver the knife skillfully. When purchasing, choose the style that works for you.
Balance is also a factor to consider. The perfect balance is that you manage to hold it in the palm of your hand. Judge the balance of the knife by gripping it by its handle. If it leans uncomfortably toward the back of the handle or toward the blade, it's probably not for you. An unbalanced knife will make you work harder.Lateral balance is also important. When you come down on the blade, the knife should not be unstable, as if it wants to tip to one side or the other. It's always best to do this test before you buy.
Size is the third thing to check if you're considering a kitchen knife. The 8-inch knife proves to be the most popular because of its versatility. A longer 10-inch blade can cut more volume, but looks intimidating. A 6-inch knife will offer better agility, like that of a paring knife, but it falls short when working with volume or when cutting something large, like a watermelon. So always choose the simplest and most practical knife.
When choosing, pay attention to the amount of steel in the knife as well as its location. Look for any signs of joining or welding, especially in the knife's handle. This represents a weak point for the knife and should be avoided, as it will be susceptible to bending or breaking easily at this junction. The best knives are made froma single piece of steel and hand forged, although they are rare and often expensive. Cheap knives, on the other hand, tend to be thin with handles covered with a thick layer of plastic.
The kitchen knife handle is also very important. It should be sturdy, easy to clean and well joined. For most knives, it is considered a conduit where the pressure on the handle travels into the blade. If it is thin, covered with plastic, or if there is any evidence of welding or seams, then it is not a good sign. If you can see a gap, not only will it increase the weakness of the knife, but it can also trap tiny portions of food and breed bacteria.
When using a kitchen knife, it is important to adopt some good gestures to avoid any possible dangers. First of all, when you cut with a kitchen knife, you have to go back and forth horizontally, like when you use a saw. You have to move it forward and then backward because the food will be sliced by the friction of the blade.
If you press downwards without going back and forth horizontally, it will not work at all, the knife could slip and you could hurt your fingers. Then, a part of the blade always stays in contact with the board. It is generally towards the point to make a continuous movement and to go faster.
Finally, we should cut with the part closest to the heel because it is easier and it also allows us to better guide the blade. Moreover, we will be able to better control our force at this level especially when we cut a food with which we will need to exert the most force.
It is also essential to know how to hold a kitchen knife correctly. The fingers should be wrapped around the handle on the side. Please note that the fingers should not wrap around the handle from below, as when holding a hammer, for example.
Instead, the fingers should be positioned close to the blade. This allows optimal control of the knife for successful cutting. On the other hand, you can of course place the index finger on top of the blade. This allows to control the gesture even more.
A ceramic kitchen knife is pure and contains no metal ions. Perfect for cutting vegetables and fruits, without changing their taste, it is sharper and will remain so for a long time without needing to be sharpened. We like the ceramic knife for its lightness. Thus, it not only helps to chop food quickly, but at the same time, the wrist and shoulder do not get tired.
Moreover, the ceramic kitchen knife is less porous than the steel kitchen knife. Therefore, it does not retain any residue of sliced food. Moreover, it is easy and quick to clean. However, this type of kitchen knife does have its drawbacks. Indeed, it cannot cut bones or frozen products, because its blade is fragile. Moreover, it does not replace metal kitchen knives, but complements them.
It is an indestructible knife, even when used to cut or chop food on metal or natural stone surfaces. When sharpened, it cuts easily through meats, fruits and vegetables and retains its sharpness well. It even has an extra hardness if its carbon content is higher. On the other hand, a steel kitchen knife can be hardened by different processes (using sharpening stones, manual sharpeners and electric sharpeners).
However, the steel kitchen knife can lose its sharpness over time by coming into contact with acidic foods such as lemons, tomatoes or citrus fruits. In addition, a high carbon steel kitchen knife is susceptible to rust. It also requires regular scrubbing with stainless steel pads to keep it clean and shiny.
It is better to choose a stainless steel kitchen knife with which you are sure to be able to cut fruits, vegetables and meat without any problem. However, you should choose a ceramic kitchen knife if you want to preserve the taste of your food and if you don't cut hard food.
Quality material
Normally, kitchen knives have been designed with at least distinctive patterns of stripes and marbling, which captivate by their exceptional appearance. Forge welding of several layers of different steels is the method that creates the watery effect.
Comfortable and practical design
A good quality kitchen knife is a real hand-forged kitchen tool, has a blade that passes directly through the handle of the knife, which makes the use very safe and comfortable at the same time. With kitchen knives, it is easier to control the movement of the blade through the food, thanks to their sharpness. Also, their sharp nature makes them much more predictable, reducing the risk of hurting yourself. A good kitchen knife is also easy to sharpen, simple and quick to sharpen.
Long lasting
Knives made from a strong and durable metal such as, for example, steel knives can be sharpened over and over again without any problems. So, it's best to opt for a decent quality knife that will last you a decade.
Versatile
The forging technique used to make the steel in kitchen knives makes the knives very useful for many purposes. Whether it's for outdoor camping, hunting and fishing or for luxurious restaurant cooking or home cooking. Normally, a kitchen knife is capable of being used for all of these and more. It's not steel you need to worry about damaging or breaking.
Sharpness
Kitchen knives are razor sharp. You don't have to be a professional chef to know that sharp knives require less brute force to cut than blunt knives. The steel in kitchen knives is usually made to be extremely sharp. This steel can not only retain its sharpness for a long time, but also be easily sharpened when needed. It doesn't need to be sharpened all the time, but enough to match the frequency with which you use it. Because of its construction, you can quickly restore its sharpness whenever it becomes dull.
Hold your knife with only three fingers.
Instead of using the handle to grip the knife, slide your hands slightly higher so that only your three fingers touch the handle (middle, ring and pinky). You will now hold the blade in place between your thumb and index finger. You will have a little more control over the movement of the knife. You'll also have more balance as you begin your cutting.
Always make sure the blade is sharp.
Don
't forget to sharpen the blade of your knife. The blade should be razor sharp, which will simplify cutting the hardest ingredients. When the blade is sharp, it allows the chef to make the perfect cut, which is very important when serving customers at a professional level.
Protect your fingers.
Protect
your fingers, you will be handling a very sharp knife, you should take maximum care. For example, curl the fingers of your hand that is holding the vegetable or meat to be cut well and place your thumb firmly on the cutting board so that you have good balance.
Use a cutting board.
In
most modern kitchens, granite is the most common material used for the construction of the work surface. Although granite looks great and is very durable, the surface is rather slippery and your knife could easily slip, which could cause accidents. Wooden or plastic cutting boards are designed to hold the momentum of the knife.
Never throw the knife in dishwater.
The
knife should be cleaned, but as a precaution, wash it separately, without mixing it with other utensils. You could injure yourself with it by trying to catch it in soapy water.
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