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Illustrious_Bed902 t1_j8io2hg wrote

Reply to comment by swordgeek in Best set of chef knives ? by MatineHen

This is good advice … I’d expand on two parts (as someone with a medium-sized collection of knives) …

Definitely don’t buy a set … they will contact knives/accessories that you never use. That said, if you will use, don’t worry about buying a weird/unique knife (one of my most used knives is a small serrated tomato knife)

Buy what you like. If a more expensive knife will make you happy and you will pull it and cook more with it, buy it! Part of the fun of cooking is using the tools that you love ❤️

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swordgeek t1_j8irytu wrote

Absolutely great points.

Out of the knives I have, there are a small few that get used a lot:

  • Cheap-ass chef's knife from Ikea (shockingly good steel!) for general purpose abuse
  • Really really nice Japanese Gyuto for most of my breakdown/prep work
  • A handful of inexpensive and interchangeable paring knives
  • A good potato peeler
  • A serrated bread knife
  • A serrated tomato knife
  • A carving knife

These are my used knives though, and will vary from person to person depending on what you cook and eat. Honestly, I could probably lose the carving and tomato knives from that list and be no worse off in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the boning knife doesn't get much use at all; nor do the cleaver, the santoku, or the mid-sized utility knife (which was my very first good knife, 35 years ago). However, if I were doing a lot of Asian prep, I'd probably use the cleaver all the time. If I were breaking down more primal cuts or whole fish, I'd probably use the boning knife a lot more. My wife finds the full-sized chef's knives uncomfortable, so tends towards the utility knife. It is all about what you do, and what feels comfortable for your cooking.

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ConfusedNegi t1_j8ist9c wrote

I recently got a cheaper honesuki for deboning chicken thighs that I love using.

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Illustrious_Bed902 t1_j8iyqpr wrote

Exactly. It’s funny what you reach for sometimes …

My 5” santoku gets used all the time by the spouse and the eldest kid. It’s an inexpensive one that I picked up at a department store when I lived in the UK, probably paid like £20 because I was a grad student. It has remarkable good steel and despite taking a hit on the tip, it’s perfect for smaller hands.

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Central_Incisor t1_j8kni1a wrote

Oddly I bought a Chinese chef knife to try out the different knife techniques as kind of a novelty and now use it for almost all my normal meal prep. I cannot say that I would recommend a $12 Winco knife for most people, but it is strange how habbits and style can take you to an entirely different direction in knife choice.

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laeuft_bei_dir t1_j8jhsm3 wrote

Ikea knifes? They are a bit on the lighter side and the balance could be better. The finish seems to be average...is what I'd say if they sold at three times their actual price. The bang for the buck is great.

Probably the best budget knifes I bought and I find myself picking them over more expensive knives regularly. Basically for anything that doesn't require force to cut or big pieces of meat. Can confirm that the steel is nice. Very easy to sharpen!

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swordgeek t1_j8jtfuy wrote

My Ikea knife is no longer available, sadly. It was a clear step above their current (still surprisingly good) offerings, and I only paid $20 for it.

edit: Actually, Ikea's line has grown considerably since I was last there. Depending on the edge angle, they look to be potentially excellent.

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