Cooking Knife Reviews  -- Cooking Knives That I've Used

People tell me that if you're a cook, you're either a knife cook, or a pot cook. That means that if your kitchen was burning down, you'd either run to save your knives, or your pots.

Personally, I'm a knife cook. I can't really say why, but I just love preparation work -- Chop, Slice, Julienne, you name it.

I've found that it's always good to get other people's opinions on knives, that way, you don't end up buying a dud. So, without further delay...review time.

Victorinox Chefs Knife, 9"

The Victorinox 9" chef's knife is my staple knife. It's lightweight, well balanced. The fibrox handle is tough, and comfortable to grip, while the blade cuts extremely well, and is sturdy, being made from high carbon steel.  Cooks Illustrated gave this knife the top rating when comparing it to half a dozen other chef's knives. Furthermore, at less than $35 the price simply can't be beaten.

Calphalon Traditional 5" Santoku and 10" Chefs Knife



Calphalon 5” Santoku --

Knowing that I really wanted to try a Santoku, my girlfriend bought me this as part of a set. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of shorter knives, however, this time I was impressed. While it isn't perfect (the handle is a little square, the blade is a little light) it has replaced my Henckels 6” chef's knife as my 'short knife' of choice. The dimples on the blade do help to stop food from sticking, it's well-balanced, and because it is a santoku, the entire blade is effective at cutting. (Normally, you can't cut with the last 1-2” of a chef's knife because of the curve). Definitely a winner if you're looking for a well-priced santoku.

Calphalon 10” Chef's knife --

The other part of the set I mentioned above. Nowhere near as good as the Victorinox, however, the grip is comfy, and the blade is sharp and well-balanced. The standard Calphalon series tends to have a thinner blade than most other forged knives. This appears to help the food stick less, and lessens the weight. But, it also means that it feels a little 'tinny'

Henckels 4-Star 6" Cleaver

I rarely use this as I don't do a lot of work with meat and bone, and I'd prefer to use a chef's knife to cut melons and such. However, it's -very- sturdy, and when I do use it, I get the impression that -nothing- can stop it. A good option if you do need a very heavy knife. The handle has also been improved recently, Heckles knives used to come with a smooth, round grip, that got slippery when wet. This one is slightly rubberized

Wusthoff Paring Knife Set

This is a great little set of three paring knives. I rarely use the beaked knife, but the pointed tip, and round tip knives both see a lot of work in our kitchen. Nice and sharp, very lightly, and they don't stick to the food. Worth a look if you want a full set