Kitchen Knives?

[Ironbar]

Wife and I are tired of the crappy knives in the knife drawer. We're ready to upgrade to something much nicer. We'd like to start with a high quality 8" chef's knife. Maybe around $100.00?

Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[JRA]

in spite of the hype/college-student-sales-team approach: cutco knives and ware are very nice pieces and they just stay sharp/viable forever. they're sturdy, too --- if you had no other tools ...... great knives.

all i got.

good luck on your kitchen knife quest!

 

[Wfrance3]

Years, and years ago, my Mom got me a nice set of Cutcos for Christmas. I was a bachelor and she was taking care of me. They have a Petite Chef in that set that is still my "#1" and fits your size need. Amazon has these at $147, but might be other deals out there. They are lifetime warranty I think. I had a Cutco rep make good on resharpen or replace deal just last year. Sold me nothing, but came out the house, sharpened everything he could for free from my 20+year old knife collection. He also left me a prepaid RGA form so I could send the ones back to the factory for them to fix up, that he couldn't. I sent those off and all came back 3 weeks later. A few were replaced, the others looked brand new. All were back to brand new sharp. There are probably nicer products out there, but I don't cook for a living, but do cook for a family of 8. I'm fine with this grade of knife, and the customer service is unbeatable.

 

[wraub]

I do about 90% of my kitchen cutting with a razor sharp cleaver.

 

[walking Bass]

One of my favorite knives and I have many, is Miyabi 8 inch chef's I bought at Sur la Table for $110 on special, you might have to check frequently to get the best deal. I mostly use Wustof Trident Classic series knives with some over 50 years of hard that are still perfect.

If you have the ability to care for them, carbon steel will always yield a sharper knife, since the minerals added to make steel "stain-less" are larger than the carbon atoms themselves, but that's a whole different discussion.

Any knife will get dull over time and I recommend a good 2-sided wet-stone with coarse/fine surfaces. I give my knives a touch-up about once a month, but cook a lot.

 

[MJ5150]

If you have a Sur La Table nearby, go in and ask for a demo on kitchen knives. There are many different styles of kitchen knives and build quality. Handling a few in person and getting a feel for how they fit in your hand is important.
We're a fan of Zwilling knives from Henckel, particularly the Kramer series. They are great knives and Bob Kramer used to live down the road from us.

-Mike

 

[dlb1001]

Maybe a Serbian cleaver knife.
Almazan Kitchen Knife - Order yours to enjoy the slicing and dicing !

 

[GBBSbassist]

You don't need to spend upwards of $100, but you're welcome to. You'd likely end up with something very nice.

In the $30 range though is this knife that I've had for about 8 years now. I've had it professionally sharpened a few times, but it feels good in my hands and takes a while to dull as long as you maintain it.

Mercer Culinary M20608 Genesis 8" Forged Chef Knife with Full Tang Blade

 

[ArtGuy9516]

I agree with MJ5150. Try out knives to see what feels comfortable. OTOH I recently got a ceramic knife as a present. It is very sharp and light. I don't know how long it will stay sharp or if it can be sharpened. This knife is a little too light for my preferences but I do use it. I saw them at Harbor Freight for well under the OP's upper price limit.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I've found decent knives (perhaps in need of a sharpening) at thrift stores for chump change.

If you want to spend that much, there are places that will take that much off you and laugh all the way to the bank.

If you hit a restaurant supply store you can probably get a knife as good or better for a lot less, if you want new. Even the bottom grade under $10 is useable, and the $30-40 stuff is quite good, if you want a tool, not something to impress visitors with.

 

[MJ5150]

There is a reason why a knife is $10 and a reason why one is $100, and it goes beyond appearances to impress visitors.
It's just like bass guitars. You can get a bass guitar for $100 that makes bass guitar sounds, you can get one for $1,000 that also makes bass guitar sounds. The differences are more than cosmetic, but it may not be obvious to everyone. I remember when I first started playing bass, then found TB. I thought guys were crazy buying expensive basses and gear. I found no reason to spend $1,000 on a bass when the $190 bass I bought made the same sounds. After I educated myself, I found out why one was $1,000 and one was $100.

-Mike

 

[Biggbass]

I highly recommend you start with J.A. Henckels.
Start with one and build your culinary arsenal.

 

[Stevorebob]

I recommend Shun Classic. Excellent value, scary sharp, holds an edge, and sharpens easily. Way better overall than Henkles or Wustoff. A little above your budget, but don’t waste your time at $100 — $150 to $160 is where you want to be for an 8” chef’s knife.

 

[DirtDog]

My current set of knives I procured through collecting stamps at our local grocery store. Get enough stamps, claim the prize knife set.

Gotta say that these freebies do a better job than anything I’ve paid for (admittedly nothing better than IKEA).

Got a large chopping/chef’s knife, small chopping/chef’s knife, carving knife (with matching carving fork), medium paring knife and a normal sized serrated bread knife. Out of them all, the carving knife was an eye opener. Huge difference for slicing the roast or the turkey compared to the chefs knife.

 

[Al T.]

I have had my Henckels 4 Star cutlery for 26 years now and my wife and cook every day- at least 2 meals- and they are still a joy to work with, resharpen easily, and hold an edge. I wish I could convince Mrs. to not cut on a plate, use a cutting board instead.

 

[friskinator]

I have had my Henckels 4 Star cutlery for 26 years now and my wife and cook every day- at least 2 meals- and they are still a joy to work with, resharpen easily, and hold an edge. I wish I could convince Mrs. to not cut on a plate, use a cutting board instead.

I have the Henckels 4 Star as well. Been using them for almost 20 years, and they're great.

To the OP: start with one good 8" chef's knife. Be prepared to spend at least $100 for it. A good 8" knife at that price point is like the American P bass of knives. It'll be a workhorse that you can do almost any kitchen task with. You can't go wrong with Henckels, Wusthof, or Global. And Shun is great if you don't mind spending a bit more. Don't bother with the multi-knife sets - most of them include pieces you'll rarely use, if at all.

Once you make a selection, take care of it. Store it properly (don't throw it in the drawer unprotected), and never, ever put it in the dishwasher. With proper care, a good kitchen knife will last forever.

 

[pie_man_25]

I agree with MJ5150. Try out knives to see what feels comfortable. OTOH I recently got a ceramic knife as a present. It is very sharp and light. I don't know how long it will stay sharp or if it can be sharpened. This knife is a little too light for my preferences but I do use it. I saw them at Harbor Freight for well under the OP's upper price limit.

The ceramic stuff can be very good, I've been told if you take proper care of it. Never had one though.

I've got a victorinox paring knife and an 8" Henkels. Wish I could still use them, but unfortunately cannot. Honestly with an 8" knife and a paring knife I find it's possible to do most things. Everything else is kind of a later thing, but the other knives definitely have their place.

With that said, I've met a few guys who have been professionals for a great while, most of them aren't too big on spending on flashy knives.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

I recommend Shun Classic. Excellent value, scary sharp, holds an edge, and sharpens easily. Way better overall than Henkles or Wustoff. A little above your budget, but don’t waste your time at $100 — $150 to $160 is where you want to be for an 8” chef’s knife.

If you cook a lot I think you should definitely try out the Shun knives. They're beautifully made, well balanced and hold a very sharp edge. I've had my set for at least a decade or so now and I can recommend them highly. I balked at spending that much until I tried out several sets and it was clear that the extra money was well worth it when averaged over the years of use. Just like with basses Have fun, and good luck!

 

[two fingers]

Here's what I prefer. I get mid-priced nowhere near professional knives. And I sharpen them often.....sometimes with a motorized sharpener and sometimes by hand. Does it wear the blades down? Yep. But my knife is always sharp. They usually last us a couple of years. I'll put $100 in a whole butcher block of knives. $50 a year to always have a sharp knife is worth it to me.

 

[BurnOut]

If you have a restaurant supply store near you, great workhorse knives can be had for relatively low price. There's really no reason to get a big set. A 10 or 8 inch chef's knife, a couple few paring knives should do ya.
I keep my good knives put away, and have some beater knives for the wife and daughter to abuse every day. I keep em sharp for them. They really have zero respect for them, I'll find them tossed in the sink, or in some other sad state.