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February 13, 2019

The Best Chef Knife Kit & Kitchen Cooking Knives Available in American

The Chef’s Knife: A Multi-purpose Masterpiece

Key Factors and Features to a Best Chef Knife Bevel/Edge Style Most of the knives on this list fall into one of two bevel categories: Japanese or German. Japanese knives are almost “single-beveled”, which means one edge of the knife slopes inward at about a 15° angle while the other side is straight down. This promotes precision but can also make the blade weaker in heavy-use scenarios. In general (but not always), German knives are built more durably than Japanese blades with a 22° double-beveled design, and can take more punishment between sharpening sessions. Japanese knives, by comparison, are softer, but also allow for more precision cuts overall. Blade Material Of the two knife styles, there are four main categories of materials that knives can be forged from: carbon steel, stainless steel, Damascus steel, and ceramic. Within these groups there are about another 20 sub-groups of different types of steel, which various knife makers will use in different combinations depending on their own recipes and style of blade they’re trying to produce. All you need to know in this category is don’t ever buy a ceramic knife, that is unless you like the idea of re-buying your kit once every six months when the ceramic inevitably cracks or contorts under heat/usage stress. Weight/Balance Both the weight and the balance of your chef’s knife are important factors to think about when making a final decision on which blade is right for you. In general, German knives tend to be heavier than Japanese knives and are balanced with a skew toward the front of the blade, while Japanese knives are lighter, more nimble and balanced toward the handle or on a 50/50 basis. Stamped vs. Forged Of the two different regional variations and four different metals to consider, you also need to keep a close eye on how your knife was actually manufactured. In general this falls into two camps: “stamped”, or forged. Stamped knives are just what the name implies, i.e. – stamped out of a larger sheet of metal and then sharpened. Forged on the other hand means the knife was made the old fashioned way, by either folding the metal in on top of itself in layers, or at the very least hammering out one solid piece into the desired shape. Forged knives can be significantly stronger than stamped, but also come at a much higher price as a result. Blade Length An often overlooked feature of any good chef’s knife is the size of the blade itself, which usually comes in three lengths: 8″, 10″, or 12″. For the average home cook we recommend either an 8″ or 10″ as those are most comfortable in the hands of novice users. However, if you’re more confident with your skills and want something that can double as a filet knife in a pinch, a 12″ will get the job done just fine. Handle The handle of your blade can say a lot about its overall quality, including how the grip is formed and what material it’s made out of. This is also where the “tang” of the knife is, or part of the knife that extends into the handle itself for added strength and stability. Some people are perfectly fine with plastic, while others like myself fall more into the camp of “wood or bust”. There’s no technical advantage of one material or the other, and ultimately this feature comes down to personal/aesthetic preference. Find the handle you think would fit your grip style best, and remember that Japanese knives come in either left or right-handed styles, and depending on which hand you’re dominant with, you’ll need to buy accordingly. Hardness When referencing how durable the material of your knife is, you’ll hear a lot about its “hardness” rating, measured on what’s known as the Rockwell scale, seen as “HRc”. These vary depending on the steel used, but go anywhere from 58-62. The harder a knife is the longer it will hold its edge, but it also makes it quite a bit more difficult to re-sharpen in less skilled hands. Knife Holder Yes, technically this isn’t a feature of the actual knife, but for how many people don’t own a proper knife holder, it should be. While plain old woodblock knife holders are all well and good, we don’t recommend using one if you can afford a magnetic strip instead. This is because if there is any excess moisture left on the knife when you store it (even though there shouldn’t be), the surrounding wood will absorb it and start to rot/breed mildew. This then transfers to your supposedly “clean” knife the next time you use it, resulting in bacteria spreading to the cutting board and beyond. Magnetic strips remove all pretense of moisture wicking, and more to the point, look pretty cool when you have your knives displayed up on the wall for everyone to see!

A chef's knife (sometimes called a cook's knife) is the most important knife to have in your kitchen. It has a wide blade between six and ten inches long and is used primarily for chopping, though it can be used for anything you want to do. 

A quality knife set is not just something nice to look at on your countertop, but a must-have for anyone wanting to cook at home. With a little investment, you can find the perfect set to handle all your slicing and dicing needs for years to come.

TOP VG-10 Damascus Steel Chef Knife Kit

The Culinary Institute of America Assembling a personal collection of knives is one of the first steps in becoming a professional. Just as an artist or craftsperson gathers together the tools necessary for painting, sculpting, or drawing, you will need to select knives that allow you to do your work in the safest and most efficient way. The knives you choose will become as important to you as your own fingers— quite literally an extension of your own hands. 1. Handle knives with respect. Knives can be damaged if they are handled carelessly. Even though good-quality knives are manufactured to last a lifetime, they are still prone to damage if not properly taken care of. 2. Keep knives sharp. Learn the proper techniques for both sharpening and honing knives. A sharp knife not only performs better, but is safer to use because less effort is required to cut through the food. There are many ways to sharpen knives. Use a stone periodically, a sharpening machine, or send them to a professional cutlery sharpener. 3. Keep knives clean. Clean knives thoroughly, immediately after using them. Sanitize the entire knife, including the handle, bolster, and blade, as necessary, so that the tool will not cross-contaminate food. Do not clean knives in a dishwasher. 4. Use safe handling procedures for knives. There are standards of behavior that should be remembered when using knives. When you are passing a knife, lay it down on a work surface so that the handle is extended toward the person who will pick it up. Whenever you must carry a knife from one area of the kitchen to another, hold the knife straight down at your side with the sharp edge facing behind you, and let people know you are passing by with something sharp. When you lay a knife down on a work surface, be sure that no part of it extends over the edge of the cutting board or worktable. Also, do not cover the knife with food towels, equipment, and the like. Be sure the blade is facing away from the edge of the work surface. Do not attempt to catch a falling knife. 5. Use an appropriate cutting surface. Cutting directly on metal, glass, or marble surfaces will dull and eventually damage the blade of a knife. To prevent dulling, always use wooden or composition cutting boards. 6. Keep knives properly stored. There are a number of safe, practical ways to store knives, including in knife kits or rolls, slots, racks, and on magnetized holders. Storage systems should be kept just as clean as knives.

This knife set comes complete with 6 pieces to perform a variety of cooking tasks around the kitchen.  The blades have been made from superior Japanese VG-10 Damascus  stainless steel to provide precision and accuracy when using.



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