Chef Knife
This is probably the number one subject friends ask me about. It’s a good one, and there are as many opinions about a chef’s knives as there are chefs. Here are my thoughts…
There are really no deep secrets, about knives but they are super sexy and enchanting to me. We chefs spend an entire 8-12 hour prep day (sometimes longer) with the knife in our hand. We are mindful about the feel of the handle, its balance, and making sure they are kept sharp so that each slice, dice, or chiffonade is as clean as possible.
I tend to be a minimalist compared to some of my peers knife bags. “How?” and “What do you cook?” are great starting questions to ask yourself. The focus should be on investing in great essentials. When you have great tools, it makes the work effortless and fun. My personal preference is to buy open stock knives vs buying a set of knives. This holds me to my minimalist needs, using the money to invest more in the knives I want, verses four to six knives I would never need, want, nor use in my kitchen. My go-to knives are chef’s knife, a small pairing knife, and a long serrated knife.
Your chef’s knife will be your kitchen workhorse. As a cook, this is the extension of your arm and even your soul. Make sure it fits your hand and feels balanced. Your knife should be comfortable to hold. When you are shopping, you will see 8-12 inches, or longer, chef knives. I suggest an 8-inch long chef knife for home. The longer ones are more suited for larger industrial kitchen spaces where there is more room to move. Prices can be overwhelming, but don’t fret. I have a chef friends whose ride or die chef knife was $15 from the grocery store as well as those who rolls out a $1,700+ hand-crafted Japanese knife. Both of them kill it in the kitchen and have my admiration. Most chef’s spend $100-$400 for their chef knife. I recommend high carbon-steel knives since the blade is softer and easier to keep sharp. The best way to know is go to your nearest cooking store and ask to hold them and take a look. It’s really cool to see how different they all are and how different they all feel. Have fun with it.
The second knife I suggest is a pairing knife - 2 to 4 inches - it looks like a miniature chef's knife. It's good for delicate tasks, where your larger blade would get in the way. I find myself reaching for my pairing knife when I am peeling onions, coring tomatoes, or trimming fruits and vegetables. You will find lots of uses for this small blade.
For slicing bread, you will need a serrated knife. This is the last knife I usually pull out of my knife bag when setting up my station to cook. I also find myself reaching for this knife when slicing ripe tomatoes, meats, and food that has texture, e.g., trimming off melon or pineapple rinds.
As you grow in your cooking skills and wanting to invest and add to your knife collection. Here are a few more.
A slicer for meat carving, 8-10 inches, is a great length. This addition is made to slice a roast, carve a turkey, slicing fish steaks, and much more. Make sure it has a great point. The point will help get close to and between a bone to remove the all the meat.
A boning knife is incredibly thin and flexible in order to remove the flesh and or skin from the bone for meat, poultry and fish.
A utility knife is a smaller version of my chef knife - about 6 inches long - and great for smaller cuts and knife work. It can be used just like my chef knife and can be more manageable to move through prep on smaller items, e.g., fruits and vegetables. Personally, it has been and upgrade to just having a paring knife.
My knife bag, with knives I set out to begin food prep.
A few tips.
Just like any investment, take care of your knives.
Never put your knives in the sink and just leave them there to get damaged. And man oh man! Regarding your own safety, you could get cut if it is hidden under something or in the bottom of a soapy sink. The best way to clean your blades is to hand wash and dry them, followed by putting them away properly. Never use the dishwasher - it is not good for the knife. Also, there is superstition about your knife being an extension of your soul, and you would not want to put your soul in the dishwasher.
Now, keeping your knives sharp is another post, but here’s a quick run down. Use a steel rod often, and as often as you change cutting textures, e.g., carrots to tomatos. If your knife has lost its edge, using a whet stone is ideal. There are also small hand-held knife sharpeners you can buy, but if you are not comfortable with sharpening at home, take them to a professional knife sharpener. It is inexpensive and worth it for knife care and peace of mind.
Alright, lets get to work. You’ve got this!.
