PSA: Good kitchen knives are worth their weight in Gold!

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: Howard
Why get a santoku when you're already getting a chef's knife? What can you do with one that you can't do with the other?

I have an easier time cutting soft or juicy vege's/fruits (like tomatos) with a santoku than with a chef's. It just goes faster, and with less mess than I can do with a chef's.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Nyati13
I recently went through the same thing. I had always used crappy knife sets (like $29 for a set of 13 style knives) and just upgraded to better steel. It's actually noticeably easier to cook now, I was surprised how much difference it made.
I got the Calphalon Katana starter kit (block and 5 knives, lists at $299) for free from my jobs "rewards" system, and I was so impressed, I've been picking up the other knives in the series as I can.

Ditto, having good knives has made all the difference for me as far as being in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking a lot more now because the tools work like they are supposed to. Right now I have a 3.5" Wusthof Classic paring knife and a larger Chinese Chef's knife, plus a nice little electric knife from Hamilton Beach for slicing homemade bread. I'm slowly upgrading as I get better at cooking and try new things. Next knife will be a 10" Chef's knife. Oh and I picked up a GREAT magnetic knife holder for the wall:

MUI 15" Magnetic knife storage bar (also available in 20" size)

I'm also turning into a gadget-guy in the kitchen. Well, appliances at least. George Foreman grills, bread machine, rice cooker, toaster oven...I need to build a bookshelf to hold all my appliances lol. Geeking out in the kitchen ftw.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Originally posted by: Howard
Why get a santoku when you're already getting a chef's knife? What can you do with one that you can't do with the other?

I have an easier time cutting soft or juicy vege's/fruits (like tomatos) with a santoku than with a chef's. It just goes faster, and with less mess than I can do with a chef's.

It seems like Chef's knives are better for cutting and Santoku knives are better for chopping. Right now I'm using the best of both worlds, a Chinese Chef's knife, but I would like to get a 10" Chef's knife for certain things.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Originally posted by: Howard
Why get a santoku when you're already getting a chef's knife? What can you do with one that you can't do with the other?

I have an easier time cutting soft or juicy vege's/fruits (like tomatos) with a santoku than with a chef's. It just goes faster, and with less mess than I can do with a chef's.

pffft

if your chefs knife was sharp itd be a breeze 😛

 

[JDub02]

I spent $80 on a "Member's Mark" brand knife set from Sam's Club. Very solid, full tang knives. It's amazing when the steak knives aren't serrated, yet they cut far better than the old ones that were. I'm not a professional chef, so $500 for a set of knives isn't justified for me. The Sam's Club knives are very high quality and, IMO, hold their own against the expensive German and Japanese knives.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: JDub02
I spent $80 on a "Member's Mark" brand knife set from Sam's Club. Very solid, full tang knives. It's amazing when the steak knives aren't serrated, yet they cut far better than the old ones that were. I'm not a professional chef, so $500 for a set of knives isn't justified for me. The Sam's Club knives are very high quality and, IMO, hold their own against the expensive German and Japanese knives.

I don't think there's anything wrong with not having $500 brand-name knives. As Alton Brown says, the right tool for the job isn't necessarily the "best" tool available. It's all about what you like and what works for you.

 

[imported_Goo]

Originally posted by: CellarDoor

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Oh, and I'd like to suggest you get a cleaver. I got one in addition to the knife set (they were a xmas present) and it's REALLY useful. I'd never used one before, but I find myself using it all the time.

I have a Chinese cleaver and it's really the only knife I use in the kitchen.

QFT.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Goo

Originally posted by: CellarDoor

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Oh, and I'd like to suggest you get a cleaver. I got one in addition to the knife set (they were a xmas present) and it's REALLY useful. I'd never used one before, but I find myself using it all the time.

I have a Chinese cleaver and it's really the only knife I use in the kitchen.

QFT.

I use a small one labeled as a "Chinese Chef's knife":

http://www.eleanorhoh.com/products-knife.htm

LOVE it! It's the most-used knife in my kitchen.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Honestly... We've had all Wustof knives that we got when we got married. But a few months back we were turned on to Pampered Chef knives and they are Awesome!

Of course my wife sells it so she's biased but they are nice. Let me know if you want to order some and I can place an order for you. heh heh.

Interesting...which line of Wusthoffs do you have - Classic, Grand Prix...? I've had hit and miss experiences with Pampered Chef stuff. Sometimes it's incredibly useful and I love it, sometimes it breaks really easily. My chopper just crunched itself 🙁

We had Wustofs from Williams Sonoma. I think it was the Classic set.

As for Pampered Chef knives, they are brand new (few months ago they rolled out). Here's a link:
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/overview.jsp?categoryCode=CE

Look at the stuff called Forged. They handle really well and work great.

As for other stuff, the stoneware collection is one of the most popular stuff they sell. Some of the gadgets are great too and if something breaks, check the warranty on it and you could get it replaced.

If anyone wants to buy anything, PM me and I'll have my wife get in touch with you. Or she can send you some catalogs and you can have a Catalog Party and take orders at works and such and then you get stuff for free. heh. Good way to stock up on the cheap.

 

[49erinnc]

You'll never realize just how crappy your knives are until you get a high-end, quality set. My girlfriend bought me an entire set of Calphalon Katana knives for Christmas and with the block and cutting board, it's around a $1,000 set (retail). She gets a discount through her workplace so obviously, she didn't spend that much on them.

They're so nice that I was paranoid about even using them for a while. But now that I do, I'm amazed at how great they are compared to the set I had previously been using. The 7" Santoku will cut paper thin slices of London Broil like cutting through butter...amazes me every time.

But be sure to properly care for your knives. Good knives should always be sharpened correctly, never put in a dishwasher and hand dried before storing.