Hey everyone, David C. Andersen here coming at you from the Knife Center. Today we’re
going to be taking a look at kitchen knives and helping you to build your perfect kitchen
knife collection. Let’s do this.
First off, you’ll want to decide whether you want to build your kitchen collection
one at a time, or as a block set. Block sets can get you a lower price per blade, but the
advantage of doing things piecemeal is that you can get the exact assortment of knives
that suits your hands and your cooking style. There are a ton of different blade types and
options to choose from, but to keep things simple, we’re going to focus on some of
the more common types you’ll want to look at.
We’ll be picking and choosing knives from a variety of different brands and series to
show you what it would be like to customize your own knife set. If you like the style
of any of these knives and would prefer all your kitchen knives to match, all of these
knives are available in block sets at the Knife Center, as well.
The first knife you’ll want to consider will be the centerpiece of your culinary blade
kit, the workhorse that is going to get the bulk of your work done. A popular option is
the German-style Chef knife. From cutting meat to slicing veggies, there isn’t much
you can’t do with a good chef knife at your side.
A popular alternative to the traditional Chef knife is the Eastern-inspired Santoku. Typically
a little shorter than the German Chef knives, the sheepsfoot blade is designed for versatility.
Generally speaking, while both styles are almost interchangeable, German-style Chef
knives tend to be better optimized at rocking motions and slicing meat. The Santoku will
usually be nicer when it comes push cuts and chopping vegetables.
No matter which you choose, you’ll probably want something with a blade in the 7-8 inch
range. This is large enough to tackle most jobs you’ll need in a home kitchen but is
still agile and easy to use. Wusthof and Henckels are by far the recognized leaders of the German
style, while Shun and Miyabi carry the torch for the Asian style.
This Wusthof Classic Ikon 8” Chef Knife is one of our favorite German chef knives,
which takes the classic forged triple-rivet look and turns up the style. It has a natural
feeling handle and is made with nice, tough stainless steel. The edge might not be the
longest lasting out there, but it is durable and easy to maintain. Some chef knives come
with a full bolster here at the heel of the knife, but the Ikon does not. The edge comes
all the way which is going to ensure it can make full contact with your cutting board,
especially after it has been resharpened a few times.
For a great example of a Santoku, we love the Shun Classic 7” Santoku. Like many Santoku-style
knives, this blade features dimples above the edge which help sticky foods release more
easily from the blade. It also has a stabilized Pakkawood handle which looks quite nice and
will stand up well to moisture. The star of this knife, however, is the laminated blade,
which features a high-performance VG-10 cutting core with Damascus cladding on the sides.
The edge itself is sharpened to a narrower angle than the Wusthof for a noticeable improvement
in slicing efficiency, but you will have to be a little more careful with the edge on
this knife. While it will last longer, it won’t stand up to as much abuse as the Wusthof,
such as working around bones or other hard foods.
Of course, if you want to seriously wow with your knife set, you ought to check out the
Bob Kramer EUROLine Series from Henckels. There are both Chef and Santoku patterns in
this lineup as well as a full range of kitchen knives. While the price may be slightly higher,
they have the beauty and performance to justify it. Hand shaped handles, a mosaic pin, and
brass hardware mean it looks great, and time-tested 52100 carbon steel offers classic performance
that few modern kitchen knives can match. You get a whole lot for your investment.
The next knife you need after a Chef or Santoku is a good paring knife for smaller tasks,
like peeling potatoes or trimming vegetables. The Wusthof Ikon and Shun Classic knives that
match the other knives we just looked at are certainly good options, but one of our favorites
is the Miyabi Evolution 3.5” Paring Knife. It is just the right size, very well balanced,
and sports a very comfortable grip. It also looks great thanks to the blade finish and
red liners on the handle. Boasting Japanese handmade craftsmanship with German engineering
and fine-grained Swedish steel, this is truly a knife with worldwide pedigree.
The next thing you will want is a good serrated bread knife. We like versions with a slight
curve to the blade to allow excellent contact with a cutting board, like this Messermeister
San Moritz Elite 9” bread knife. Good for more than just your favorite loaf, the serrated
edge also makes it great for dealing with soft-skinned foods such as tomatoes, where
the serrations will allow you to cut without having to put too much pressure on the food.
These three types of knives will cover most of your bases in the home kitchen, but if
you are looking to expand further, there are a few specialty blades that can really help
you be prepared for anything.
Buying larger cuts of meat can help you save money, but you’ll want the best tools to
be able to break them down into manageable pieces. A good boning knife and a slicing
and utility or butcher knife will be essential.
Since a boning knife is a tool for getting down and dirty, we are okay with it not being
as fancy as the rest of our set. The Victorinox Forschner Fibrox 6” Curved Boning Knife
is great for breaking down whole chickens, navigating joints, and deboning large hunks
of beef or pork. Its non-slip grip helps maintain a secure hold when dealing with slippery proteins
and the stainless blade is both razor sharp and durable. The blade also pulls double duty
and makes a decent fillet knife, meaning you can buy whole fish fresher and cheaper if
you’re willing to do a little work yourself.
Next up you’ll want something with a little more length for the larger cuts. While a German-style
Chef knife can do the job, something with a thinner blade will generally be more precise
and efficient. There are several styles of slicing and butcher knives that you can explore,
but we prefer something that will not only help you cut up your meats as needed, but
will also look good tableside when carving a turkey or roast.
One great option is the Old Hickory 10” Carbon Steel Butcher Knife. This wood handled
knife is an American classic. Steeped in history, it feels like an old friend when you use it.
The 1095 carbon steel is easy to maintain and holds a fantastic edge, but make sure
you clean it promptly after using it to avoid corrosion. The best part about this knife
is the price-to-performance ratio. The entire Old Hickory line is very affordable but can
perform just as well as knives costing much more.
If you would rather not deal with carbon steel or the natural wood handles, or just want
something with a more modern aesthetic, the Global G-3 Classic 8.25” Carving Knife has
plenty of style and custom formulated stainless steel with a nice convex edge. The integral
steel handles are formed as a single piece with the blade, meaning there is nothing to
break loose, wiggle, or swell, and the dimpled finish ensures it is easy to hold on to in
use.
And of course, if you’re buying your kitchen knives piecemeal, you’ll want to procure
an easy way to store your knives without damaging them. Never throw your knives in a drawer.
Instead, make sure to check out the wide selection of slotted and magnetic storage blocks and
magnetic strips we have over at KnifeCenter.com
This is just the start of the rabbit hole you can go down when it comes to kitchen knives,
but you can’t go wrong with the items we’ve featured here. Of course, the next step up
is to start looking at custom kitchen knives. We are proud to carry some great options from
folks like Michael Zieba, Dogwood Custom Knives, Mikkel Willumsen and more, and today we are
actually offering you the chance to win a Zieba custom Master Chef!
This knife is an absolute stunner, featuring a 9 ⅝” laminated blade with 410 stainless
sides and a 52100 carbon steel core with an unbelievably sharp edge. The handle is very
comfortable, made from contoured spalted maple with thick black liners. It feels great in
the hand and looks phenomenal. It truly makes an impression and will be the envy of all
your friends.
In order to win, you must have a U.S. shipping address and do these two things: make sure
you have subscribed to our YouTube channel by clicking the button underneath this video,
and then leave a comment below telling us what you need most in your kitchen.
The knives you’ve seen here are just a representative sample of all the kitchen knives we carry.
We hope we’ve helped you on your path to picking out your own set of kitchen knives,
either a custom mix or a nice block set. To check out any of the knives we’ve featured
above and to see what else we have for sale, click the link in the description below to
head on over to KnifeCenter.com.