Kitchen People

There's only one name in knives:

Ginsu!

But seriously: go to a restaurant supply storeand get pretty much anything there.

Here is what I was told by a chef I used to work with:

"The knife doesn't matter anywhere near as much as the skill of the cook."

I got a knife at Target for about $10, and it's my primary use knife.  It's a santoku type blade.  I think it's Hampton Forge, maybe.  If you want to look for something that's decent, you want to avoid anything that's stamped, and you want to look for a knife where the tang goes through the entire handle.  Forged stainless steel is the way to go.  Also, don't get any of those Eversharp or serrated knives (unless it's a bread knife, which is supposed to be serrated).

Beyond that, get a sharpener, and sharpen the knife regularly.  More likely to cut yourself with a dull knife. 

How many pieces do you need? Are you talking about a set of steak knives, too?

Can't recommend a brand for < $100 for a set (mine are Henckels) but I can suggest that you look for a knife with a full tang. Also, hold the knife in your hand to see how it feels; you want the weight to feel balanced in your hand.

Found this at Target for $60 but I did not see the words "full tang" in the description. I'm guessing it's Henckel's budget line.

Research!

(Another way to go is to spend more for fewer knives - just buy a good chef's knife and paring knife. They will last YEARS. Mine are about 15 yrs old and just as good as when I bought them.)

I agree that you only really need about 3-4 knives (some would agrue even less). For the money, I am fond of Chicago Cutlery, the forged ones with thicker blades. I reccommend

• chef's knife (8 or 10 inch)
• paring knife (3-4 inch)
• serrated slicer (bread knife)
• (bonus if you have the $) utility knife (5-inch)
• a sharpening steel

Spend the most on the knife you are going to use the most (chef's knife). Keep them sharp.

I LOVE my carving knife; it really makes a difference. Does it matter that I use it twice a year? Not at all!

I had to restrain myself from buying a fish fileting knife. When is the last time my then-husband brought home a fish that needed fileting? Ummmm... 1987? What's your point? Ok, I didn't buy the knife. It was a growth experience for me to walk away from the filet knife.

I have 3 chef's knifes, one of which I never use (I dislike it for personal reasons so I won't use it). Hey parrj - want my chef's knife? It's a Henckel's. Freebie. At least it will go to good use and you can use the $100 to buy a couple of other good knives!

This is something I'm trying to teach my wife.

Henckel's and Wustof are the two "premier" brands.  There are different categories w/in each brand, some more or less expensive than others. Be sure that:

You get stainless steel.  The ceramic blades are super sharp, but really expensive and can shatter if dropped on a hard surface.

You get a full tang, meaning that the blade is integrated into the handle.

You can get an automatic sharpener which work really well--as well as getting them professionally sharpened at a fraction of the cost.

Get a chef's knife, ideally either 8" or 10", depending on whichever feels better.  A 3.5" paring knife is #2, and you should get a sharpening steel, which will preserve the edge longer. That should be enough for 80% of your needs.  I think simpler is better with knives.  I have a set of Henkels that I got 20 years ago in college, and they're still in great shape.

We have this Henckels set, and they have been great!  Although, I wish they had the "knife name" on the handle so that you didn't have to pull each knife out of the block to find the one you want to use.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13907471&RN=395

Ohhhhh kitchen porn...