With solid materials, classic designs, widespread availability and a very long legacy, the knives from Zwilling Group’s biggest cutlery line, J.A. WÜSTHOF 4582/20 Classic 8 Inches Chef Knife. Hardness is measured on the Rockwell scale. The shorter, lighter blades work well for me. It … Chef's knives are a versatile kitchen accessory and can be used for anything from cutting meat and hard vegetables to chopping nuts. The truth is that what makes the perfect knife for you will depend on many factors, including your comfort level with knives, the size of your hands, and what sort of food you like to cook. The most important knife is the all-purpose, versatile, sturdy, roughly eight-inch chef's knife. Right now, the brand is offering 33 percent off its best selling three-packs for Gear Patrol readers. The design is both Japanese (the blade is very light and very thin) and anti-Japanese (its balance isn’t pushed toward the cutting end and the whole thing is one piece; most Japanese-style knives taper into a wooden handle). The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. The full-tang construction feels great in the hand and the laminated steel used in the Pro version is miles better for edge retention and general sharpness. Awarded the prestigious Good Design Award in 1990 and the even more rare Good Design Long Life Award years later, Global’s kitchen knives are atypical but pretty awesome. We’ve picked products we think you’ll love and may earn commission from links on this page. That said, there's a reason your basic 6- to 8-inch chef's knife is ubiquitous: It's the most versatile knife. Tojiro's DP Gyutou is a solid performer at a great price. Just as the name suggests, the Shun Classic 6-piece slim knife comes with a Santoku knife, multipurpose kitchen shears, chef’s knife, paring knife, honing steel, and a dark wood knife block. It's beautifully designed with an ebony Pakka wood handle, a full tang for balance, and 34 layers of Damascus steel enveloping each side of the blade. Knife emporium ChefsKnivestoGo describes Tojiro’s DP series as “the gateway into the world of high end Japanese cutlery.” Simply put, you will be hard-pressed to find a blade that’s made better than this one for under $100. It's lightweight, easy to handle, and holds an edge very well. Knives like these, which are predominantly used for foods with firm exteriors and reasonably soft interiors, need to carve through foods without destroying what lies on the inside (a la tomatoes or oranges), so better steel and engineering is the better long-run choice. In fact, it's very much like a carbon steel blade but without the hassles that come with maintaining carbon steel knives. Much of the price difference in knives comes down to the quality of materials, which in turn often translates into how well the blade holds its edge. Its blade is a bit smaller and it’s thinner and lighter than Made In’s, but it was a bit more prone to staining. It's easier to get a fine edge on this than on other stainless blades I've tested, and it holds it for a long time. We waded through all the nonsense and set out to find the best chef’s knives for home cooks at the best prices. Both come with recommendations from the gear testing team at Serious Eats, too. I love these Shapton stones.). Skip the set and invest in a sharpener. A cheese knife is really more for show than it is actual use. Messermeister is known for being one of the best chef knife brands around. So, like the bread knife, the paring knife should follow the cheaper-is-better idea. Mac makes a number of more affordable blades, but its Pro series is when the brand starts to become superlative. After testing a number of Mac Knives, we recommend steering clear of its sub-$100 options — there’s better value elsewhere. They're dirt-cheap, and the quality of the blade reflects that, but if you regularly sharpen them, they'll perform just as well as knives costing hundreds of dollars more. The harder the knife, the stronger it is. In testing, we compared affordable options from Victorinox ($31), Wüsthof ($30), Hoffritz ($13) and Potluck, a direct-to-consumer brand that sells a chef’s knife as part of a set (it’s $60 for three knives). Sort (Best Match) Filter Quicklook. It holds an edge very well for a knife at this price and makes a great first step into the world of Japanese knives. It doesn't have the high-quality construction as some of the others here, but it's also only $30. Mac Professional Hollow Edge Chef's Knife, J.A. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED. It doesn't have the same high-quality construction as some of the others here, but it's usually available for less than $40. All steel has carbon in it. If you put in the work, these will deliver. Wired may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. If you want to find a small knife with a sheath for ease of storage and transportation, you... 3. … Keep that in mind when sharpening on a stone, as you'll want to hold it a bit differently to get that great edge back. The blade is quite big and made with X50CrMoV15 steel (a mixture of carbon, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, manganese and silicon), which is a staple for high-end Western blades. Before making a decision, have a look at your cooking habits and practices, and consider the various pieces that come with the set you’re thinking of purchasing.Do you really need 12 steak knives? 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