BUYING KNIVES FOR THE HOME COOK

IF YOU CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE GOOD KNIFE...

 -- the Victrinox serrated tomato knife (above) costs £5-6.  It's very sharp and effective and will handle most tasks.  It will, however, struggle with large root veg and normal loaves of bread. When the knife dulls, as it will after several months, buy another. (Stockists below)

Ideally, a kitchen would have a minimum of three effective knives: 

•  a small one for paring veg or slicing tomatoes & fruit
•  a larger, heavier 'cook's' knife that efficiently chops root veg and meat 
• a solid serrated knife for slicing bread and cake

BUYING KNIVES 

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PRODUCTS OR STOCKISTS)


The key thing to look for is the weight of the knife in your hand. Does it feel comfortable?  Is the balance right?  A person with small hands may prefer a large vegetable chopper instead of a Cook's Knife.  Test it and see. 

Supermarket brands like Waitrose offer low-cost knives suitable for home cooks, as do Robert Dyas and high street kitchenware shops.  Kitchen Devils or similar are perfectly acceptable if you like the feel of them -- and I did when I was much younger. 

Victrinox (who make Swiss Army Knives) make good quality, lower-cost 'professional' knives, popular with catering students. Thai-style knives, sharp but very light, are increasingly popular amongst chefs.

Some very fine brands chosen by senior chefs include Wustulf and Global.  To the uninitiated, they are shockingly expensive -- even Wustulf's lower-cost range!  Mine were stolen a few years ago -- just four of them would cost £300 to replace today. 

Professional knives cost money but it shows in how they perform and how they feel in the hand.  Treated well, they can last a lifetime and will handle everything thrown at it.  

Buy the best you can afford.  A good Chef's knife is an excellent investment and, starting at around £25, makes a wonderful gift for the home chef. For the budget conscious, Victrinox is a good start but if you take cooking seriously, aim for a brand like Wustulf.    
      
It's not necessary to buy all your knives at once; many top chefs don't get their top-of-the-line 'dream' knives till they're well established (and even then keep a set of work-a-day knives for the kitchens they work in!)

Stockists

67 took the Luncheon club to Dennys on Dean Street in London, the go-to place for catering students.  The Lunch Club members were thrilled with the Victrinox tomato knife, which for most, is their only "serious" knife.  Nisbetts, another large firm, is also in Soho. Both do mail order.

Specialist Food Shop Borough Kitchen offer free classes in knife matters.  Many major department stores have excellent knife sections with knowledgeable personnel.     




DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.