Knife Set

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: zoiks
It's not a retarded argument. $200 is also a lot of money for knives and you do get good stuff for that price. I'd wager that I could cut stuff just as easily as those 640 knives with a much cheaper one.
And the computer analogy is retarded.

And I'm gonna say you can't. I'm not gonna change your opinion so let's just drop this argument.

This could also come from standards in cutting. Ns1, you might want a slice that is picture-perfect, or maybe you make those super-thin sushi thingies.
My $10 knife set accomplishes the basic job I want: Turning big pieces of food into smaller pieces.

The objectives are different, therefore the tool for the job is going to be different as well.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: zoiks
It's not a retarded argument. $200 is also a lot of money for knives and you do get good stuff for that price. I'd wager that I could cut stuff just as easily as those 640 knives with a much cheaper one.
And the computer analogy is retarded.

And I'm gonna say you can't. I'm not gonna change your opinion so let's just drop this argument.

This could also come from standards in cutting. Ns1, you might want a slice that is picture-perfect, or maybe you make those super-thin sushi thingies.
My $10 knife set accomplishes the basic job I want: Turning big pieces of food into smaller pieces.

The objectives are different, therefore the tool for the job is going to be different as well.

No arguments here.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: compman25

Originally posted by: acid45
Miracle blade III

No, Cutco!

Sarcasm? Cutco knives are pretty good.

 

[Howard]

Any set of knives (I mean in a kitchen, not as a purchase) revolves around at least one bread-and-butter knife. Usually, this is a chef's knife in the 8"-10" range, but if I may make a suggestion: if your heart isn't particularly set on a chef's knife, I would recommend trying a Chinese cleaver. They can do pretty much everything a chef's knife can do and then some, and easier, since they've got more heft. If you want to know more about them, check out the link in my sig.

Here's one that you can try looking for at your local Oriental supermarket: CCK KF1303. If you can't find this one, any cheap carbon steel Chinese cleaver that weighs about a pound should do; cheap stainless steel cleavers tend to have poor edge-holding capabilities. Or, if money really isn't an object, you can start with the Misono No. 61 or even the Hattori FH-15.

If Chinese cleavers don't look like they'd do it for you - which I highly doubt - then you can feel safe with these chef's knives: the Tojiro DP 24cm, or if you want something with a better fit & finish, try the Hattori FH-7 24cm. The blade of the Tojiro DP offers excellent value but sometimes the scales of the handle need a little more rounding, or the pins don't sit completely flush, etc. Still an awesome value, though.

Next, you'll want a paring knife for small jobs, to complement your parer. You can't go wrong with the Hattori FH-1 70mm, though it's a bit pricey indeed.

Any long-bladed, serrated knife will be fine for bread, as long as the teeth feel sharp.

If you will be breaking down large cuts of meat like PSMOs or roasts, or cutting foods that require elegant presentation, like sashimi, you'll want a long slicer so that the cuts will be cleaner. You can do roasts with an electric knife, but some people aren't impressed by that. Check out the Hattori FH-14 300mm sujihiki, and no, I'm not doing any more redundant linking.

To break down chickens and the like, you'll want kitchen shears

Now, this isn't really cutlery, but it IS really useful. Best meat tenderizer ever invented?

To round things out (pun coincidental), you should have one of these: Zyliss pizza cutter. It's great for foods that are difficult to cut with knives, like fudge... or pizza.

You'll need to keep these knives maintained. If you don't want to deal with sharpening them yourself, you can send them out, but it's a crapshoot as to whether your local sharpener will be able to do a good job. A Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great start to keeping your edges keen, and an Edge Pro Apex is even better. If you find yourself getting caught up in sharpening, you may end up buying several waterstones and a strop (or even a diamond plate or two). Are they necessary? Well, you can do a fine job on the Sharpmaker. See link in sig for more details.

EDIT: You can build a nice knife block yourself.

 

[Howard]

^

 

[ivan2]

^^ marked

 

[dawp]

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: TroyEade

Originally posted by: sactoking
as well as a knife block that just collects bacteria.

Yes, i've always wondered about hygene with those wooden blocks

Do you put your knives away without cleaning them? I don't see how it's going to get bacteria in it without you putting it away dirty. It might get dusty in the slots over time I guess, but that isn't bacteria.

Our research was first intended to develop means of disinfecting wooden cutting surfaces at home, so that they would be almost as safe as plastics. Our safety concern was that bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, which might contaminate a work surface when raw meat was being prepared, ought not remain on the surface to contaminate other foods that might be eaten without further cooking. We soon found that disease bacteria such as these were not recoverable from wooden surfaces in a short time after they were applied, unless very large numbers were used. New plastic surfaces allowed the bacteria to persist, but were easily cleaned and disinfected. However, wooden boards that had been used and had many knife cuts acted almost the same as new wood, whereas plastic surfaces that were knife-scarred were impossible to clean and disinfect manually, especially when food residues such as chicken fat were present. Scanning electron micrographs revealed highly significant damage to plastic surfaces from knife cuts.

source and this page is horrific.

thought some of you may find that interesting.

Oh I know that wood cutting boards are a no no, but I thought they were talking about the wood blocks that people store clean knives in.

that link says wooden cutting boards are generally ok. i even bolded a part where it said bacteria isnt a problem.

Must be having reading problems so close to a long weekend. Anyway, I normally use plastic for that because I can wash it in the dishwasher which uses much hotter water than I can personally wash dishes with which can help kill the bacteria. However, it is interesting that in a study wood was better when manually cleaned.

I have a tempered glass cutting board that I've had for years. works really well and throw it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

Also have a couple of cheap Old Hickory knives that I've had for just as long that have served me well, one butcher and one chef. Just need to replace my sharping stone that got lost during a move last year.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Shun if you are male

Global if you are male and your wife will use them too

 

[FlashG]

My youngest son is a professional chief and he likes Global.

 

[Sasiki]

I have this set - $225 on sale at a retailer here in the US, Linens-n-Things. I bought them on a recommendation from my supervisor and members of another forum I'm on.

http://usa.jahenckels.com/3henckels_blockset

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: dawp
I have a tempered glass cutting board that I've had for years. works really well and throw it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

Also have a couple of cheap Old Hickory knives that I've had for just as long that have served me well, one butcher and one chef. Just need to replace my sharping stone that got lost during a move last year.

Glass is probably the worst surface for cutting on as it kills your knives.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Paying $600+ for knives?
Wow, you guys are nuts.

No different than CasioTech spending $200 on Diesel jeans.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Lothar
Paying $600+ for knives?
Wow, you guys are nuts.

No different than CasioTech spending $200 on Diesel jeans.

I disagree. And why I want a nice carving knife for Christmas. I sharpened my cheapo Wustoff boning knife before carving my turkey bird. By the time I got to the breast it was dull and I could barely saw through the breast.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lothar
Paying $600+ for knives?
Wow, you guys are nuts.

No different than CasioTech spending $200 on Diesel jeans.

I disagree. And why I want a nice carving knife for Christmas. I sharpened my cheapo Wustoff boning knife before carving my turkey bird. By the time I got to the breast it was dull and I could barely saw through the breast.

We've been using the same $100+ knife set to cut our birds for the past 7+ years.
Never had any problems with it.

Pure luck? Maybe you just aren't cutting right?
I don't know.

 

[finite automaton]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lothar
Paying $600+ for knives?
Wow, you guys are nuts.

No different than CasioTech spending $200 on Diesel jeans.

I disagree. And why I want a nice carving knife for Christmas. I sharpened my cheapo Wustoff boning knife before carving my turkey bird. By the time I got to the breast it was dull and I could barely saw through the breast.

It's a valid argument. Knives cut stuff, some better than others. Jeans are worn, some fit/look/wear better than others. Someone who buys $200 jeans might laugh at the idea of paying any more than $20 for a set of knives, while the person who spends $1000 on a knife set would never shop anywhere besides walmart for their clothes. To judge others on the way they spend their money is plain stupid. I say, do what makes you happy; it's an added bonus if you piss off a few people in the process.

 

[videogames101]

This whole expensive knives vs. cheap knives arguement is quite ironic, because we're on a computer hardware enthusiast forum.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: videogames101
This whole expensive knives vs. cheap knives arguement is quite ironic, because we're on a computer hardware enthusiast forum.

You're in an off-topic forum.

 

[finite automaton]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: videogames101
This whole expensive knives vs. cheap knives arguement is quite ironic, because we're on a computer hardware enthusiast forum.

You're in an off-topic forum.

I'm not sure that was his point. I believe his point was that it is similar to cheap computer parts vs expensive computer parts. Though, I'm not sure where the irony is.

 

[spidey07]

All I know is that I'm pissed at my cheapo carving/boning knife and have been for some time. I sharpened it before I started carving.

Is it the knife or the sharpening? Well I don't have this problem with my good knives that cut through meat/skin with no problem.

I will never own cheapo knifes again, they are now out of the kitchen. Never. Today I just reinforced why I want good knifes. I've got a nice chef, santuko, pairing knifes and they are a pleasure. Santa Claus please bring me a good carving/boning knife.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: videogames101
This whole expensive knives vs. cheap knives arguement is quite ironic, because we're on a computer hardware enthusiast forum.

You didn't seem to think the same thing when you were spouting stuff like "there's no audible difference between 128kbps MP3 and CD), eh?

 

[virtuamike]

I mixed and matched my knives according to usage and whatnot.

I use my chef's knife the most - it's a Mac chef series 8" w/ granton edge. I use it for almost everything.

I really liked my buddy's paring knife so I bought the same, Mac superior series 4" santoku. I use it when the chef's knife is too unwieldy. I don't use it as much as the chef's knife, but a good paring knife is a good idea.

My buddy also has a Mac birds beak but I didn't feel like spending that much, so I bought a Forschner. Good enough, I don't peel a lot of fruit.

I use my bread knife pretty much just for bread, but sometimes I'll use it to prep sandwiches if I'm too lazy to take another knife out. Went with a Forschner fibrox 10". It's not too expensive, so safe buy for me.

I got started by using my mom's chinese cleaver so I bought one for myself too. Looking at it now though, it's probably my least used knife. I bought a Forschner (on the cheaper side), but a generic from chinatown would be just as good. Note that it's not designed for chopping through bones. You'll want a heavier cleaver like the german stuff for that. If you do invest in a chinese cleaver then it should be because it's your main knife (wouldn't get both that and a chef's knife).

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: dawp
I have a tempered glass cutting board that I've had for years. works really well and throw it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

Also have a couple of cheap Old Hickory knives that I've had for just as long that have served me well, one butcher and one chef. Just need to replace my sharping stone that got lost during a move last year.

Glass is probably the worst surface for cutting on as it kills your knives.

Yah, glass bad. Wood safe, plastic too. I have an Epicurean that I really like. I was using the cheapy bamboo cutting boards from Costco but they would start splitting after a few weeks (maybe I wasn't diligent enough with the oil), so after a few of those I just gave up and returned them.

 

[dawp]

Originally posted by: Lothar
Paying $600+ for knives?
Wow, you guys are nuts.

No different than CasioTech spending $200 on Diesel jeans.

I don't know, Professional quality knives are actually useful where as $200 jeans not so much.

I'll get some quality knives when I can afford them.

and thank for the info on the glass boards. like I said, I've had it for years and never thought about the hardness, looks like I will be picking up a wood board next chance I get. I've used plastic before and I just don't care for them.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: dawp

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: TroyEade

Originally posted by: sactoking
as well as a knife block that just collects bacteria.

Yes, i've always wondered about hygene with those wooden blocks

Do you put your knives away without cleaning them? I don't see how it's going to get bacteria in it without you putting it away dirty. It might get dusty in the slots over time I guess, but that isn't bacteria.

Our research was first intended to develop means of disinfecting wooden cutting surfaces at home, so that they would be almost as safe as plastics. Our safety concern was that bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, which might contaminate a work surface when raw meat was being prepared, ought not remain on the surface to contaminate other foods that might be eaten without further cooking. We soon found that disease bacteria such as these were not recoverable from wooden surfaces in a short time after they were applied, unless very large numbers were used. New plastic surfaces allowed the bacteria to persist, but were easily cleaned and disinfected. However, wooden boards that had been used and had many knife cuts acted almost the same as new wood, whereas plastic surfaces that were knife-scarred were impossible to clean and disinfect manually, especially when food residues such as chicken fat were present. Scanning electron micrographs revealed highly significant damage to plastic surfaces from knife cuts.

source and this page is horrific.

thought some of you may find that interesting.

Oh I know that wood cutting boards are a no no, but I thought they were talking about the wood blocks that people store clean knives in.

that link says wooden cutting boards are generally ok. i even bolded a part where it said bacteria isnt a problem.

Must be having reading problems so close to a long weekend. Anyway, I normally use plastic for that because I can wash it in the dishwasher which uses much hotter water than I can personally wash dishes with which can help kill the bacteria. However, it is interesting that in a study wood was better when manually cleaned.

I have a tempered glass cutting board that I've had for years. works really well and throw it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

Also have a couple of cheap Old Hickory knives that I've had for just as long that have served me well, one butcher and one chef. Just need to replace my sharping stone that got lost during a move last year.

I weep for your cutlery.

 

[The_Dude8]

op,

amazon has the shun knives on sale @ $199:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L30VU4/ref=

they're temporary OOS.

or from here for $299

apply this code C6872 for 20% off,
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=14903

Please allow me to make a very important point, for the 20% off coupon (code: C6872) to work, another item besides the Alton Brown Shun knives MUST be added to the cart. I could not get this coupon to work until I added a $5 Forschner paring knife to the cart. Happy cooking!