What makes stainless steel different is the addition of chromium, which gives the material its signature "stainless" status. Carbon steel, on the other hand, contains much more carbon. The more carbon in the knife, the harder it is. Hardness is measured on the Rockwell scale. The harder the knife, the stronger it is. Carbon steel knives are notoriously sharp because of their strength, but also hard to sharpen.
They are also more prone to corroding and rust. Stainless steel knives may not be as sharp as carbon steel knives, but if you sharpen it properly, you may not even notice a difference. And while stainless steel is easier to maintain, especially when it comes to rust-resistance, it's stain-less and not stain-free.
Tang refers to the the blade that extends into the knife handle and can either stop partway, making it partial tang knife, or extend fully throughout the handle, making it a full tang knife. Full tang knives are more properly balanced because there is metal throughout the blade. Partial knives tend to be cheaper because the entire knife isn't made of metal.
Then there's the exception of Japanese knives, which often feature a partial tang. Japanese knives use a wooden wa handle, which emphasize the blade-forward balance. These are better for those who are more comfortable with their knife skills. Knife prices can vary from dirt cheap to outrageously expensive.
It comes down to construction — like if it's forged or stamped — and what kind of materials it's made out of. If you're an amateur home cook, a cheap knife is a great place to start for learning basic and essential knife skills, but a nicer blade makes quicker work of mise en place.
If you're already adept at using a kitchen knife, it's worth the extra cost to get a knife that can further your skills in the kitchen, but many professional cooks use dirt-cheap knives. The point: you can get the job done with cheap or expensive knives, just focus on quality. In general terms, kitchen knifes fall into Japanese knife styles or German knife styles.
Japanese knives tend to be thinner, sharper and harder to maintain than their German counterparts. German knives, more often than not, are more user-friendly and have a more universal appeal because of their multi-purpose nature.
Japanese knives can be singular in their uses, and at the cost of having a sharper blade is the greater attention required for maintenance and care. The ideal balance of price, performance and materials. At just under 2 millimeters wide, the blade is thin like a Japanese knife, but the knife is heavier than most Japanese knives, solving the common issue many new Japanese knife owners have with their blades traditional Western knives are beefy in comparison.
The full-tang construction feels solid in the hand without being needlessly heavy, and the laminated steel used in the Pro version is miles better for edge retention and general sharpness. This knife's base thickness is 2. This makes it more of an all purpose knife starches and hardy vegetables are not an issue , but also means it doesn't glide through softer fruits and vegetables as gracefully. The higher carbon content in the blade makes small rust spots commonplace if you don't wash and immediately dry the knife after use unlike true carbon steel knives, though, highly acidic items like lemons or limes don't immediately stain the knife.
After using this knife for more than a year, it's the best higher-end knife we recommend. We also like Mac's year warranty against material and construction defects. When we first tested this knife, we thought the price was a mistake.
The feel and look is that of a more premium knife, and given Mercer's track record with making strong-value chef's knives, that's not a huge surprise. The edge is taper-ground, meaning it's thicker at the base than it is near the tip.
This makes for easier honing and a more stable blade which is of enhanced importance when dealing with budget materials. We also appreciate that the bend of the heel on the knife, which creates ample room for a pinch grip. Many of the best knives we tested fold attributes from Japanese knife design into Western knife design, and Misen's budget-friendly blade is no exception. The bolsters at the base of the blade slope and allow for an easy pinch grip.
Most traditional Japanese knives will not come with this, opting instead for the handle of the knife to move directly into the blade, which can be awkward for cooks used to having a designated spot to grip.
Curving down from the top and up from the bottom, the blade shape itself is also Western in origin and makes rocking the blade up-and-down on the cutting board easier. The shape and handle are rooted in Western design, but the thinness of the blade is Japanese, and what makes the Misen knife one of our top recommendations. Thicker, clunkier knives at this price point can, after a month or two of use, start to feel more like a chisel than a knife; tools to break vegetables open with.
The extremely thin build of the Misen knife makes for an experience more akin to surgery than brute force. The blade did eventually dull to the point that it needed sharpening about three months of everyday use, for us.
Thankfully, the brand guarantees free sharpening for life. Mail it back to them and you'll have it back within a week.
The blade is quite big and made with X50CrMoV15 steel a mixture of carbon, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, manganese and silicon , which is a staple for high-end Western blades. We also updated pricing. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Victorinox's Fibrox Pro chef's knife is the best value of any knife I have tested.
It holds an edge well and has a nearly nonstick finish to it—hardly anything sticks to this blade, not even fresh cilantro. If you're just starting out on your cooking journey, this makes a great first chef's knife and will serve you well for years.
It holds an edge very well for a knife at this price and makes a great first step into the world of Japanese knives. It's a bit longer than many of the blades here, but unlike a lot of Japanese knives, it has a Western-style handle. A Western handle, or Wa handle, typically has two pieces with flat sides on either side of the metal, whereas a Japanese, or Ho handle, can be any shape but leans toward round octagon is also common.
The Artifex is the closest I've seen a stainless steel knife come to matching the advantages of a carbon steel blade. Kiwi knives have something of a cult following. They're dirt cheap, and the quality of the blade reflects that. But if you regularly sharpen your Kiwi, it'll perform just as well as knives costing hundreds of dollars more. If you put in the work, these will deliver. Again, take the money you save and invest it in a good set of sharpening stones, and you'll have knives that will serve you well for a long time.
I have owned a Korin Carbon Steel knife for nearly 20 years, and it remains the best knife I have ever used. Korin's house-brand knives are very well made and not terribly expensive.
This model sharpens to a razor edge and holds that edge for longer than any of my other knives. That said, caring for carbon steel takes more work than caring for stainless steel. If you don't care for this blade, it will quickly turn into a rusty, ugly thing you don't want to use. All you really need to do is wipe down your knife every time you use it but especially with highly acidic foods like lemons and tomatoes.
Regularly wiping your knife is a good habit to be in from a cleanliness standpoint as well, and it will ensure your carbon steel blade doesn't rust. If you have small hands, or just like a smaller blade, the Korin Petty knives about 5- to 6-inch blades are also very nice. I will confess a general preference for Japanese knives. The shorter, lighter blades work well for me. I've had it for many years, and it's currently the main knife I use. A couple of quick swipes on honing steel to refine the edge before each use is all you need.
Tojiro's DP Gyutou is a solid performer at a great price. It holds an edge nearly as well as blades twice its price, and it has a wonderful, solid feeling in your hand. The blade is capable of precise and very thin slicing that I would normally use a carbon steel blade to achieve.
The only thing to watch out for with this one is the handle height, which is a little on the low side. I rapped my knuckles against my cutting board more than once using it.
Also available at Amazon. Dishwasher safe: Yes. This 20cm cook's knife is front heavy. The steel blade is one of the most flexible and lightest for its size of those we tested. We found the soft rubber handle is well shaped to offer a comfortable grip. It's one of the cheapest blades we've tested.
How does it compare to pricier chef's knives? Comes with a sheath: Yes. This is a front-heavy 20cm kitchen knife that comes with a sheath for safe storage. The chef's knife is made from Japanese stainless steel. The handle of the knife is wrapped in soft-grip rubber. Log in now or join Which? Blade size we tested: 15cm — also available in 20cm. Comes with a sheath: Yes, with a built-in sharpener. The Masterclass chef's knife is a 15cm back-heavy blade.
This kitchen knife is forged from a single piece of stainless steel. The whole kitchen knife is covered in an armour coating which makes it dishwasher safe. But how did this rigid blade compare with the others on test? The Nihon X50 chef's knife is a perfectly balanced 20cm blade. Its flexible blade is forged from X50 stainless steel, containing 0. This kitchen knife's rounded handle is made from European beech wood. How sharp was the edge of this chef's knife? Blade size we tested: 15cm — no other sizes available.
Weight: 98g. The cheapest knife we've tested is a 15cm front-heavy blade. The kitchen knife has a carbon steel blade and an integrated soft-grip handle. This chef's knife comes in sky or duck egg blue with a matching sheath for safe storage. Log in or join Which? How did we find this chef's knife? Also available at Amazon , Lakeland , Robert Welch. Blade size we tested: 12cm, also available in 14cm, 16cm, 18cm, 20cm and 25cm.
Dishwasher safe: Yes, but recommended to hand wash. This stylish back-heavy 12cm blade is the smallest of the chef knive we've tested.
The blade of the kitchen knife is forged from German steel. We found the slightly curved handle comfortable to hold. Blade size we tested: 16cm — also available in 20cm. This is a perfectly balanced 16cm chef's knife. The blade of the knife is Japanese steel, while the traditional style handle is smoked oak with brass rivets.
This kitchen knife is the most expensive of those we tested, but did we think it was worth the money?
0コメント