Choose the Best Chef Knife for You!
How do you choose the best chef knife for you? A good chef knife is probably the most essential piece of raw food equipment for creating easy vegan recipes and fabulous raw food meals. There are several important factors to consider before purchasing a chef knife or a chef knife set:
- Material: Forged, stamped, or ceramic
- Weight and balance
- Use
Material
The first consideration you will need to make is whether you want a knife made from forged or stamped steel, or whether you want to use a ceramice knife. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.
The difference between forged and stamped knives - aside from the price - is that forged knives are made by heating the steel to a very high temperature, shaping the blade and then letting it cool. This creates a very hard and sharp knife that does not dull easily.
Stamped blades - which are generally cheaper - are made by stamping the blade from a sheet of metal. This creates a knife that is a bit lighter and might be easier to manage. Stamped knives tend to be easier to sharpen, but will dull more easily than forged knives.
Ceramic knives are made from zirconium oxide which is almost as hard as a diamond. These knives are lighter than steel knives and stay sharp for longer so they are easier to hold for longer periods of time. The down side is that they can occasionaly chip and you need special sharpeners for them.
Weight and Balance
The optimal weight and balance of a knife will vary from person to person depending on personal preferences and comfort. Aside from the obvious necessity of a comfortable grip, you want a knife that doesn't make you feel like half the job is wrestling with it.
A good sign that it's the best chef knife for you is that the knife is working with you rather than against you - that it's making the job easier. If the blade and handle do not balance each other in your hand, if one feels heavier to you than the other, then it may not be the best chef knife for your needs.
Use
Another major consideration in finding the best chef knife for you is how you will use it. If you make a lot of recipes with heavy vegetables like butternut squash, yams or parsnips, then you will probably want to use a heavier knife made from forged metal.
If you make a lot of asian style recipes using lighter vegetables, then you might be better with a stamped blade or a ceramic knife. Before purchasing a knife, take a good look at the kind of recipes you like to make to see what type of knife would be the best chef knife to fit your personal style.
Best Chef Knife - Product Recommendations
Wusthof - Wusthof knives are considered the Rolls Royce of chef knives. They are forged from high-carbon steel and each knife is honed by hand twice to create a truly precision instrument. Although these knives are a bit more pricey than some other brands, they do come with a lifetime warranty. Here are a few of my recommendations - you can find the complete collection at Kitchen Universe.
| Wusthof Classic Cook's Chef's Knife 4.5-in This smaller chef's knife from Wusthof's Classic series is ideal for fine chopping and mincing. This knife also features a full bolster/finger guard to create heft and balance at the knife's midsection. $45.95 |
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| Wusthof Classic Cook's Chef's Knife 8-in Wusthof's Classic Series knives feature a traditional a full bolster/finger guard which adds heft at the knife's critical mild section. Each knife is precision-forged from one solid piece of high-carbon, stain-resistant steel. $94.95 |
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| Wusthof Classic 3-Piece Starter Knife Set This set from the Classic Series includes an 8-in cooks knife, a 6-in sandwich knife and a 3.5-in paring knife. Totalling $199.85 if purchased seperately, this set is a great value, saving you over $50.00. $149.95 |
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Global - Global knives are rated as a "best chef knife" by professionals and amateurs across the board. Those who use this knife describe it as being very light and extremely sharp, which makes the work seem almost effortless. There have been a few complaints that the handle is not as comfortable, but most feel that the performance outweighs this. The blades are stamped, but the steel has been heated at very high temperatures and then ice-tempered to create an incredibly hard metal. These knives hold their sharpness, but because of the angle at which the blades are sharpened, they need special sharpeners. I particularly recommend the G-2 - you can find the complete collection at Kitchen Universe.
| Global Chef's Knife - 8-in The edges of this G-2 chef's knife have been ground straight rather than on a bevel, which makes for an incredibly sharp knife. Global knives singular edge and balance makes them unique and ones of the best in the world.The vast majority of reviews on this knife have been extremely positive. $99.95 |
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MAC Mighty Chef - The MAC brand of knives has been consistently rated highly in all areas of performance and is considered by many reviewers for overall performance to be the best chef knifes. The blades are stamped from tungsten alloy, which is a super hard metal, for extra sharpness.
| MAC Mighty Chef's Knife 8.5-in This 8.5 inch knife has dimples that make the blade glide through all your food. There is a bolster between blade and handle for better grip and balace which also keeps food from gathering into the handle. $96.99 |
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| MAC Mighty Chef 8.5-in with Dimples The dimples give this blade a "best chef knife" status because they allow you to effortlessly cut forwards and then backwards without tearing or ripping your food. Like the regular MAC knife, there is a bolster between blade and handle for better grip and balace and for preventing food from gathering into the handle. $115.00 |
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Shun Classic - Shun Classic knife is rated as a "best chef knife" because they demonstrate consistently high performance when tested on a wide variety of tasks. The VG-10 Stainless Steel Blades are harder but a bit more flexible than other blades. This is because they are actually created with 16 layers of high carbon steel on each side which creates a rust-free, Damascus-looking blade. Here is my recommendation for the best chef knife of the Shun collection - you can find the complete collection at Kitchen Universe.
| Kershaw Shun Classic Chef's Knife 8-in This stunningly beautiful knife features the look and benefits of Damascus steel without its rusting problems. The Damascus-look blade profile reduces sticking, results in less damage to the food being cut, and enables faster prep times. Also available in a left handed version. $118.95 |
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| Kershaw Shun Classic 2-Piece Asian Knife Set with Bamboo Case The bamboo box includes a 7-inch Santoku Hollow Edge Knife and 3.5-inch Straight Vegetable Knife - both excellent for vegetable preparation. A great gift for the vegan in your life! $169.95 |
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Kyocera - Kyocera manufactures very high quality ceramic knives made of Zirconium that hold their edge for an exceptionally long time. In addition ceramic blades don't brown foods or transfer a metallic taste and they don't rust. Because they are half the weight of steel knives, you can work for longer without tiring. Keep in mind that ceramic knives are intended to complement rather than replace you other cutlery and are particularly good for fine chopping and creative tasks.
| Kyocera Revolution Ceramic Chef's Knife 6.25-in -Black The Revolution series features deeper blades for greater knuckle clearance. Ergonomic handle provides precise control. Offered in black- or white-bladed |
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| Kyocera Classic Series Chef's Knife 6-in The Kyocera Classic series features knives with a more elegant pakka wood handle. Each knife features an advanced ceramic diamond ground blade. $116.95 |
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RH Forschner Victorinox - Made in Switzerland by the same company that brought you the Swiss Army Knife, the Victorinox chef's knife provides excellent quality for a very reasonable price. While it holds its own with competitors in most reviews and comparison tests, it does not hold up quite as well in the more precision oriented tasks. Most customers who have reviewed this line find that overall it is a good value for the money and perfect for the vegan on a tight budget!
| Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle The Victorinox is stamped from high-carbon stainless steel and features a slip-resistant Fibrox handle. All Victorinox knives come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. $29.99 |
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| Victorinox 8 Piece Knife Block Set This 8-piece cutlery set includes a 4-inch paring knife, a 6-inch boning knife, an 8-inch chef's knife, an 8-inch serrated bread knife, a 10-inch slicing knife a 10-inch sharpening steel, kitchen shears and a hardwood storage block. Great for almost all cooking preparation and much cheaper as a package. $140.95 |
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Caring for Your Knives - Although many knives are labeled as dishwasher safe, it is best to wash and dry your knives by hand immediately after use to prevent staining and wear on the handle. Dishwasher detergents tend to be harsh and the intense heat can wear down the handle over time.
Store your knives somewhere where they are not rubbing against anything as this can dull the blade. The best storage is a Knife Storage Block
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