Top 10: Knives that Sharpen your Skills
The most important tool in a chef’s kitchen isn’t the pots and pans. It’s not the utensils he used or the people he work with. It is none other than his knife.
A good chef only really need ONE knife s/he can depend on and everything will fall into place. Imagine trying to slice up a tomato for a sandwich, but you end up with mushed up tomatoes in the end - I would say that’s more than annoying. It’d be a bane for most chefs to live with a knife that goes blunt after a few chops.
Therefore, I take it as my responsibility as a passionate foodie and chef wannabe to tell about the Top 10 Knives that will make any wannabe a Chefie!
NO. 1
SHUN CLASSIC 6.5-INCH KNIFE
This baby is by far the best knife in town. I know because I own one. It’s perhaps the most affordable of knives with a perfect grip. Although one not so fine point about this knife is that the knife is made complete from stainless steel, from the handle to the tip, so if you have an oily hand, it might not provide the grip you need. But otherwise, this knife is even recommend by Chef Masayoshi “Masa” Takayama - owner of Masa the most expensive high end sushi restaurant in California that was named as New York’s Top 50 Restaurant by Leisure+Travel Magazine 2006.
NO. 2
MISONO UX10 SEVEN-INCH
The blade is made from top-quality Swedish stain-resistant steel, which has a hardness comparable to carbon steel and holds its edge well.
NO. 3
KORIN VG SILVER 6.8-INCH
Designed by Korin’s knife master Chiharu Sugai, this has a carbon-steel interior coated with a high-chrome-low-carbon layer; that makes it softer and easier to sharpen.
NO. 4
MAC SUPERIOR 6.5-INCH
The Mac, which tied with the Wüsthof below, has a high-carbon stainless blade that sharpens well, but it’s delicate, so it could chip if it hits a bone.
NO. 5
WÜSTHOF SEVEN-INCH
A high-carbon stainless-steel blade forged in Solingen by one of Germany’s oldest knife companies.
NO. 6
GLOBAL SEVEN-INCH HOLLOW-GROUND
A high-carbon stainless-steel blade whose futuristic “hollow-ground” (those identations) style is said to help the knife slide more easily through food.
NO. 7
OXO GOOD GRIPS PRO
A high-carbon stainless-steel blade with the trademark cushiony nonslip grip.
NO. 8
WOLFGANG PUCK SEVEN-INCH HOLLOW-GROUND
Puck’s celebrity knife gets low marks for an uncomfortable handle and a blade that’s more or less uniform throughout.
NO. 9
ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS TWIN CUISINE SEVEN-INCH
Forged in Germany from a single piece of high-carbon steel, with a smooth polypropylene handle.
NO. 10
Thanks to Ray’s endorsement, this has been a best seller in its year on the market, but for some reason, it’s been ranked no.10. Maybe it’s the weird handle.
The Top 10 Knives ranking was taken from NYmag.com article May 22, 2006 issue.
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