The right knife in the right hand is like an extension of the body and will help you cook much better than ever before. This is because when preparing to cook, the easier it is the better you can make a meal. The right kitchen tools make it a much more pleasant experience as well. The knife is easily the most important tool and is really all that you need.
When picking the right knife, you have to know what you’re looking for. This is because there are a lot of cheap knives out there that get dull quickly and become a chore to use which makes you not want to cook. In this article, we will go over what to look for in a knife so you get exactly the right one.
1 – Forged, not stamped
Most kitchen knives that you get at the store are stamped metal forms. They then sharpen them and put a handle on them. These are not good knives because they are not made out of quality material. They get dull very quickly and then you have to buy a new knife.
Instead of buying those knives, look for the ones that are forged and made of high-strength carbon steel. These are made by skilled craftsmen that results in a knife that will last a lifetime. They stay sharp longer and when they get dull you can use a whetstone to get them sharp again unlike the stamped metal variety.
The best ones are made in Germany and Japan as they have a long tradition of forging knives from high-quality carbon steel. They will cost more money initially, but in the long run, they will pay for themselves. Since you never have to buy a knife again they end up being cheaper than cheap knives.
2 – Weighted correctly
A quality forged knife made with carbon steel is much heavier than a cheap stamped one. This means that if you don’t think about how it is balanced it may be too heavy to use for you. Knives are all weighted differently which means the center of gravity varies. With the center of gravity right where the blade meets the handle, you can use the knife without even noticing the weight.
The knife should also not be too light or you will need to use too much force to get it to cut. This can end up causing you to cut yourself.
3 – The right length
Ideally, you will have a set of knives so that you can use different ones for different tasks. A short one is great for pairing while an extra long one is good for slicing meats very thinly.
If you can have only one then a traditional chef’s knife is the perfect length since it can handle a lot of different tasks well. The length is good for fileting and also for chopping vegetables. If it is too long then you won’t be able to do simple jobs with it.
