How to care for kitchen knives

Choose a knife that is fully forged – this means it has been made from a single piece of metal, providing superior strength and rigidity. A good knife should feel balanced and comfortable in your hand. Cook’s knives vary in size from 15-30cm, but for women’s smaller hands 20cm is usually a good size. Wash your knife by hand and towel dry, and learn to use a butcher’s steel to keep it sharp. Store in a knife block, on a magnetic strip, or covered by a knife sleeve.

If you only own one good knife, then it should be a cook’s (chef’s) knife. This essential tool is the workhorse of the kitchen – chopping, slicing, shredding and trimming its way through a variety of ingredients – and is worth spending money on.

Look for a knife that is fully forged, this means that the knife will have been made from a single piece of metal, which will provide superior strength and rigidity. Cheaper knives are stamped or may be made from inferior metals, can require sharpening more frequently, and are less balanced, so require a firmer grip and more pressure to get the job done.

Once you have selected a knife, hold it, gripping it around its bolster (the knife’s balance point and finger guard) -- it should feel balanced and comfortable in your hand. Like choosing a pen, there will be personal preferences, some knives offer more contoured grips or weight. Sizes for a cook’s knife vary from 15-30cm, but for women’s smaller hands 20cm is usually a good size.

Once you have bought your knife, look after it. Wash it by hand, not in the dishwasher (or the edge will become dull and wooden handles brittle), and towel dry. Also, learn to use a butcher’s steel to keep your knife sharp. It is a good idea to buy one the same brand as your knife, and to get the shop assistant to show you how to use it properly.

Lastly, don’t throw your knife in a draw with other utensils; store it in a knife block, or on a magnetic knife strip, or covered by a knife sleeve. Do all this and you will have a tool that will last a life time.

Top-of-the-range, fully-forged brands cost more, look for knives from Wüsthof-Trident (available in classic handled styles and brushed stainless steel handles) and Zwilling J.A. Henckles knives. Also fully forged but more moderately priced are Viking and Messermeister knives (with a thicker blade and bolsterless edge, which means the whole knife blade can be sharpened), and stylish Global knives (forged blades moulded on to dimpled handles). Some of the best quality and value stamped knives are from Victorinox. Look for these and other knives in department stores and specialist kitchenware shops.

 

Words & Styling: Sophia Young. Photography: Andrew Lehmann