A while ago, I asked Twitter what the single most important tool in a kitchen was and overwhelmingly, the response was:
“A good, sharp, chef’s knife.”
Since my husband and I have an agreement about Christmas gifts that includes picking out our own things, I marched off to House of Knives in Coquitlam to be fitted for the perfect knife. The only knives that I have are cheap department store brands that were either handed down to me 20 years ago when I moved out of my parents house, or something I managed to get free from a points program.
Since when were knives like shoes, you ask? Well, let me tell you—if you are new to the prospect of having a really good knife vs something you picked up on the sales rack at a local discount store, then a fitting is a must. Well, not a fitting as though you are getting a bra, but something that suits you in the kitchen.
After being quizzed about how much I cook, and generally the food I cook, I was steered to the German knives rather than the Japanese. It’s all about the metal, people. Japanese knives tend to be more brittle and while blazingly sharp, also a little more prone to chipping.
This was my first real knife so it’s best to start with something that can take a little bit of a beating from a knife care newbie. I thought I was finished until the sales clerk brought out three knives with different handles, a cutting board, and asked me to try them out.
Handles are important. The shape and size affect how well you can control the knife, and only you can tell what is comfortable by actually holding it in your hand and wielding it. After pretending to chop with three different knives I finally chose one, and had it wrapped to take home.
I also learned that a good knife needs to be maintained. Gone are the days where I’d just toss them in a drawer—doing that ensures that your blades will get damaged or your fingers sliced when you reach in there to get one. A blade protector is your best bet, and far worth it. To keep that blade sharp, pick up a sharpening steel at the store. A sales clerk can match your knife’s steel to the appropriate sharpening steel-some knives have a more brittle steel than others, so it’s important that you are using one that fits your knife. You can also ask for a demonstration on how to properly sharpen a knife, to make sure you are doing it correctly.
How often you sharpen your knives depends on how much you use them. I sharpen mine about once a week. I was also advised to only use the knife with vegetables and fruit or meat, never on anything frozen, non-food, or bones. My cheaper knives are saved for that because if they chip or crack, not a problem-but certainly not my really good knife.
It’s been a month and a half now that I’ve had a great knife to work with, and I can safely say I’ll never go back to using a cheap, dull knife. Not only is a good knife safer, but definitely easier to work with.
Twitter was right. All you need is a really good chef’s knife.
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