Buying a good kitchen knife is something that every home cook should look into at some point. Since you’re only as good as your tools it is a wise investment to buy good knives and become a better cook. We use them so often that they become taken for granted. The one issue that people have is that they often don’t know what it means to buy a good knife.
There are a number of factors that go into picking out the best knife. Once you understand what makes a knife one that you would want then the choice gets easier. In this article, we will go into what those factors are that will make it easier for you to choose the right kitchen knife.
1 – Looked for forged carbon steel
Essentially, there are two types of metal used for knives. There are stainless steel stamped knives in which the blade is cut from a piece of steel plate. It is then cut to make a sharp edge. Then there is carbon steel that is forged and made by blacksmiths except in a modern way with heavy machinery.
The carbon steels are much harder and of a higher quality than the stamped blades. The stamped ones will eventually wear down and they can’t be sharpened so they have to be thrown away. When you have a carbon steel knife, you will have it for life.
Since you can buy a whetstone and sharpen it yourself, you will never have to worry about a dull knife. This means that as it gets dull you simply give it a sharpen and it will last you forever. Take good care of it and it could even be an heirloom that you pass down.
Stainless steel knives tend to have the benefit that they don’t rust, however. You have to make sure that your carbon steel knife is washed and dried right after so it won’t end up getting rusty.
2 – Find the right weight
Everybody has a different physiology and strength comes with that. This means that a knife that for one person is the perfect weight might be too heavy for another. Make sure that you can hold the knife before you buy it and calculate whether it is heavy or feels light to you.
Carbon steel is a heavier material than stainless steel so it’s very important that you are able to hold the knife for a bit before buying it. Try a few different ones because a heavy knife is going to make it difficult to work.
3 – Find the balance
After the weight, another significant factor in how the knife will work for you is the balance. Some knives have a center of gravity that is closer to the tip away from the handle and others have a center closer to the handle.
This will determine how the knife feels in your hand and how easy it is to slice and cut for you.
