Hemingway had his pens...
Hendrix had his guitars...
And a good cook MUST have their knives...
I've already been getting questions about knives: What brands should I be looking at? Which type of knives should I get? Should I buy one of those sets? What about ceramic knives?
Let's tackle these one at a time:
What brand should I be looking at?
This is NO time to skimp. You will use your knives more than anything else. And cheap knives dull quickly and THAT can be very dangerous to you, your hands, your fingers and small animals in the general location. Now I'm not saying you need to get the best on the market, but get something solid that feels weighty and good in your hand, with a good thick blade (not flimsy). Go to your local Williams Sonoma or cookware store and test them out in your hand. BUT DON'T BUY THERE YET! Once you find what you like, go online and find the best price for it. Duh. But to give you a head start, here are some good Knife Brands:
High End: Shun Knives, WÜSTHOF Knives, Henckel Knives, Global Knives
Economical: Um...no
Spend a little here TRUST TPC. It's a long term investment that will last many many wonderful cooking years.
Which type of knives should I get?
Now people can tell you all these stories about what kind of knives to have, but honestly I only really use two kinds of knives for the cooking I do. A Chef's knife and pairing knife.....maybe a bread knife......maybe. OK fine a bread knife too....geez get off my case.
Here's the Chef's Knife I use...
...and it.....is....awesome. Shun Ken Onion Santoku Knife, 7-Inch. Not cheap, but not a mortgage payment either. Should I buy one of those knife sets?
No
What do you think of ceramic knives?
Love, love , love them....but only for the pairing knives. They are simply amazing at cutting tomatoes...try it...you'll see.
TPC NOTE: Keep your knives sharp all the time! It will make your life easier and cooking WAY more fun. Dull knives are like dull people, they are dangerous and will probably get you killed....(what does that even mean?) But seriously there is nothing worse or more dangerous than a dull knife.
OK you have your homework assignment, that should keep you busy over the weekend. I'd love any feedback on what you use.
Until then....Eat well!
TPC
5 comments:
I love my Henckle knives...I'd be lost without them!! TPC How do you recommend I keep them sharp? I have a sharpener, just not sure how to use it...any advice?
Henckel are great knives, great choice Ash. I would say that most people don't have a clue how to sharpen knives correctly so forget the sharpening stone or a butchers steel. Either have them done for you professionally or use an electric sharpener or even a hand held sharpener, which will keep the blades angle intact properly.
I know how to sharpen the blade on my hockey skates, does that count?
Where can I take them to get them professionally done?
Love your Santoku knife. Just got myself a 9-block set of Wusthof! (part of my tax refund went there)! Happy cooking!
Awesome gift Beth...and you KNOW how to cook!
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