Chef Knife Set
A quality chef knife set is no longer just the tools you'll find in your favorite restaurant; many home kitchens are now being outfitted with these professional grade kitchen essentials. Chances are, however, that you know little about choosing the right chef knife set for your culinary masterpieces. Let's take a closer look at what makes up the best chef's knives and what a good chef knife set will include.
Quality of the Chef Knife Set
When you are researching your options when it comes to purchasing a chef knife set, keep in mind that knives for your kitchen will be an investment. If you buy a good quality chef knife set, it will be the one and only set you will ever have to buy. So spending a bit more on something that will last for years and be useful for the rest of your life is not like purchasing a trendy sweater that you'll wear a few times and toss out. For this reason, choose knives that are made of stainless or high carbon steel that have a sturdy, well-built handle made of poly carbonate or nylon. Avoid wooden handles when possible. Avoid any knife that is touted as never requiring sharpening – that's simply false advertising and you'll be disappointed in the end. You also want a chef knife set that comes with a lifetime warranty; remember, you're investing in something that will last for the rest of your life – so you need a warranty that will back up that notion.
Complete Chef Knife Set
Many of the chef knife set options on the market may contain some knives that you will never use, although you can't be sure what knives you may need "on down the road" if you experiment with various cooking techniques and recipes. However, many people choose to buy a partial chef knife set in lieu of a complete chef knife set. Some of the most sought after names in chef knife sets are Friedrick Dick, Sabatier, and Henkles. Buying a smaller set oftentimes means that you can afford even better quality for the knives you will actually use, in lieu of buying a complete chef knife set and having some knives that just take up space.
Essentials for Every Kitchen
Whatever chef knife set you choose, there are three knives that you must own – in any type of kitchen: the 8 inch chef's knife, the 7 to 10 inch slicer, and a 3 to 4 inch paring knife.
- Chef's knife. Most of the dicing and chopping that you do in the kitchen is most easily accomplished using the chef's knife. From cutting fresh garlic to chopping celery, the chef's knife is indispensable. Choose a smaller knife if you have smaller hands, larger for bigger hands. Look for a chef's knife that is well-balanced; the blade should be wide and heavy near the butt of the knife, which is next to the handle. A blade that is slightly curved on the edge give you the great "rocking" motion that makes chopping go by quicker and more efficiently.
- Slicer. Essential for slicing and carving meats, the slicer can also mince spices.
- Paring knife. Small but powerful, the paring knife will be used for all of the peeling that you'll do in the kitchen, as well as slicing and dicing smaller foods in much the same fashion as the chef's knife, but on a smaller scale.
Don't overlook another must-have to accompany your chef knife set purchase – a good quality sharpener to keep your chef knives in perfect working order!