Until this past Christmas, I would have argued that a knife was a knife was a knife. I would have said a $10 set works just as well as a $100 set. I would have said that I was perfectly happy with my 10 year old $15 set because they got the job done.
Until this past Christmas when my husband and kids gave me a beautiful set of Chicago Cutlery knives
At first, it seemed kind of indulgent to me. But then I used one of the knives for the first time. I diced an onion in half the time I usually did! I was sold.
Since then, I have truly fallen in love with these knives. My favorite is the Santoku knife
I use it for almost everything. It really has cut down on my prep time, so much so that I would never have believed the difference if I didn’t experience it first hand. (If you buy just one good quality knife, I definitely recommend the Santoku knife
The blades are smooth and sharp and they cut cleanly. For once, I can cut things the way they do on Food Network and it actually works.
A few weeks ago, my friend Lynn shared her feelings on Quality Kitchen Knives and I am in full agreement with her views. Our set was a bit less than hers (I think my husband paid about $75), but these knives are definitely still high quality.
And honestly, I am all for anything that speeds up prep work in my kitchen. It leaves more time for experimenting!
Do you have a favorite higher quality kitchen item that you couldn’t live with out? My Kitchen-Aid is definitely right in line with knives, but I’d love to hear what tops your list.
Oh I agree 100%! I bought a ‘Global’ brand knife a few years back and then my husband brought me home an ‘Icel’ brand knife. I like the Icel best, but really, a good quality knife kept sharp is a must. No more supermarket knives for me!
I have to say, you guys are incredibly fortunate. Aussie knife prices are significantly higher than what you pay.
My kids gave me a set of Wustoff knives for my birthday last summer as they know how I must have a very sharp knife to prepare meals. It did not have the santuko knife so my husband bought me that one just before Thanksgiving so I would have it through the holidays and I love it. I keep the set near my prep area and they are used every day. Never in the dishwasher, always washed by hand. I have had a set of Chicago Cutlery for years as well and it is also a very good set. I am known to travel with my favorite knives if I am cooking–they are that important!
I really believe that a good kitchen knife can also help in making the dish more delicious. It also makes the task faster and makes the ingredients fresh and still good looking.
Well I have to say that agree with you in that my wustoff santuko knife and kitchen aid are a must in my kitchen. There is one more thing though in my kitchen that I dont use on a daily basis but was so glad when I broke down and ordered it off Amazon a few years ago. It is a Jaccard. It is a meat tenderizer. You can take cheap steaks or any meat and the two rows of angled blades make it so tender. It also helps if you “Jaccard” the meat and then marinade it for better flavor through the meat and it makes it cook faster. I have seen other brands in the stores but the blades are not the same. This thing is sturdy and I just through it in the top rack of the dishwasher.
I agree that a good quality knife (or two or three) is critical. I tried Chicago cutlery years ago and it was either a bad one or a fake illegal copy. I was disappointed with it.
My favorite knife brand is Cutco. My Mother had one and it was awesome. So, I’ve got a bunch of those with deals and steals.
I also have a very nice Rachel Ray chef’s knife that I like very much. I haven’t had it very long; but, so far, it’s been great. It’s lighter and slightly smaller than the Cutco — fits my hand much better. We’ll see how it handles (endures) after it’s been used awhile.
I am 100% with you on the knife. Two years ago I used my birthday money to buy myself this knife (the 7 inch)
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/wusthof-classic-hollow-ground-santoku-knife-and-sharpener/?pkey=cknives-wusthof|cutwuscls
It has been worth every penny and then some more. It’s the only knife I use (except the occasional paring knife) and I love it!
Interesting to see a previously unknown (to me) brand being praised so highly; will keep an eye out next time in the US.
- Kitchen Knife Review
- http://www.kitchenknifereview.info/