Originally posted by PatrolMom
Chef,
What kitchen knives do you recommend? and if they are truly very expensive, can you give me an idea of where to start my collection. In other words, what are the "must haves" in a kitchen.
Thank you, and thank you for this thread.
Happy to help!
I like Wustof Trident or Henkels.
My standard arsenal is an 8" French (chef's) knife, get a "wide" one if you can. They have a heavier and wider back. Indispensible.
I also suggest a paring knife, a long narrow carving knife,and a boning knife.
For the money I believe Trident gives the best bang for the buck. They have a lifetime warranty, are easily obtainable and once sharpened properly, hold an edge forever. You simply need to run them over a sharpening steel now and again. Tridents usually have a good factory edge.
The keys to keeping a knife sharp are:
Cleaning immediatly after use.
Proper storage- don't let them bang around a drawer with lots of utensils.
Never clean or scrape a cutting board with the blade of your knife- always use the back.
Using a sharpening steel for just a few strokes to take the burr off before using.
Tridents are widely available at Marshall Fields, cooking and Cutlery-type stores; online too. They throw them on sale all the time. You'll spend up to $75 for the 8" chef's alone, but you will never need another one. When it comes to knives, you get what you pay for. Brands like Chicago Cutlery are inexpensive, but the quality of the steel just isn't there. You can feel by the weight alone that you have a good knife in your hands.
Hope that helps!