So though this knife is very handsome, I’d opt for the Classic for both price and comfort reasons. If you are in the market for a heavy German knife, it may make sense to try them both. Henckels International. So as much as I adore this knife, I can’t recommend it as an all-purpose blade. And second, the blade edge is beveled on both sides, creating a cutting edge shaped like a “v,” rather than beveled on only one side, as is traditional for some Japanese knives. Dicing an onion, it felt balky and a little dull, almost hard to control. ), Wusthof Classic Ikon 8-Inch Cook's Knife (available at amazon.com), I like this knife very much, in all the same ways I like the Classic Wüsthof, but the main difference between the two is the Ikon’s contoured handle, which I find a little awkward. It supremes an orange quickly and precisely. Of these knives, three were the clear leaders, most others were solidly designed and only one stood out as really bad. Harder steel holds a sharper edge for a longer period of time but can be more difficult to sharpen once it does get dull. Mercer, Zwilling and to a lesser degree, offered solid performance and well-balanced products for beginners looking for a bargain (Victorinox gets a lot of love online for its price tag and balance, but it's more expensive than the $16 Mercer and not quite as well balanced). If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. It feels almost alive in your hand, super light, and extremely agile. Henckels' Zwilling Gourmet 8-inch Chef's knife is a great budget option. One of the best measures of how comfortable a knife feels in your hand is breaking down a chicken -- as it requires many types of cuts across skin, meat, fat and cartilage. (Weight: 7.02 ounces. Those tasks tell you almost everything you need to know about whether a knife is nimble and sharp, sturdy and powerful, and above all, comfortable and secure-feeling. A chef's knife can be your best friend in the kitchen -- if you find the right fit. I just couldn’t get over how the light, plastic handle felt—it’s not that it was uncomfortable, it’s more that it made my grip feel less confident. The high carbon stainless steel makes it quite hard, but also has a dose of molybdenum, which lessens brittleness and makes the metal more flexible, less likely to chip. It’s intensely personal. Henckels (available at amazon.com), Bob Kramer is one of the most important knife-makers in the United States—his handmade knives cost thousands and thousands of dollars and have long waitlists. That price tag. I wanted to approach the procedures as the average home cook would, focusing on general use and experience. Not only is the Mac super sharp (it slides through tomatoes without any tearing whatsoever), but its blade is thinner than heavier knives like Wusthof's, which makes slicing snappier veggies like carrots feel like cutting a ripe banana with a butter knife. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. ), This was my first knife—I saved for it for months when I was in my early 20s, so I have a soft spot for it. It’s a long, thin grip that’s completely smooth, without any contour at all, and though it looks beautiful, it felt slippery and small in my hand. In the end, we loved six knives: A razor-keen all-rounder that can handle any job, two classic workhorses that are excellent for tough tasks, a scalpel-sharp tool for those demanding surgical precision, a wonderful featherweight kitchen knife and a best-value pick. If you run it through an at-home wheel sharpener, it will hone the blade to an even “v,” which is standard, and you will lose the knife’s distinct quality. Low to mid-50s is on the softer end, mid-50s to low 60s is hard. The one disappointing feature of the Mac is how easy it is to chip the super-thin blade. For now, it seems to be a well-designed knife for customers comfortable dropping over $400 on a kitchen tool. But the handle design is perfect for teaching beginners how to hold and use a chef's knife, guiding your thumb and index finger to the base of the blade. (Weight: 8.92 ounces), Miyabi Evolution 8-Inch (available at zwilling.com), This is a really good knife, a Japanese-German hybrid, with a flat-sided wooden handle and a very sharp, very hard blade with a relatively wide, curved belly. We publish buyer’s guides to essential pieces of kitchen gear based on real-world testing. Both are made of a slightly softer steel than the best Japanese knives, and therefore they feel a little less sharp. (Weight: 8 ounces. I also avoided overemphasizing sharpness, as factory sharpness doesn't really tell you much about a blade beyond its first few weeks or months of use. A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. It had an effortless, precise way with onions, basil and oranges. That said, the Artisan Revere will likely need sharpening fairly often, just like any other knife, if you want it to keep its edge. (Weight: 8.32 ounces. However, every hand is different, so if you have a chance to try it out, see if you find it more comfortable than the Classic—if you do, it would be worth the extra $20. You might even want an ergonomic handle. And a very hard, very sharp edge can also be more delicate and brittle than a softer one, making cutting up a heavy squash, say, a little risky to the blade. Find them all here. The second question -- which one you need -- is harder to answer. A softer steel alloy, like those used in the German tradition, may be less sharp to begin with and get dull a little faster. After researching popular models and consulting the author of an excellent new book on kitchen cutlery, we tested 14 highly-rated chef’s knives by chopping, slicing, and dicing a variety of foods over the course of two weeks. High-quality chefs' knives offer versatility above all. “If they won’t let you test the knives, walk right out,” he says. All that said, the Zwilling's cuts were consistently clean, it felt comfortable in my hand, and for $50, I'd be more than happy to add this knife to my kitchen. (Though I used kitchen shears to cut through the chicken ribs to separate the breast from the back, as no chef’s knife is really meant to cut through bone, only through joints and cartilage.) In short, don't buy this knife. Finally, 's knife was the worst of the bunch: It is so poorly balanced, in fact, that I stopped the chicken test midway through for fear of cutting myself. It’s also a fantastic value. Global's design is also unique: the handle and blade are made of a single piece of high-carbon steel, and the handle is filled with sand to weight it. We've also written about how to sharpen a knife correctly. Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? You could get a stainless steel knife, a carbon steel knife or a ceramic knife. Abby Hocking / Food & Wine, Credit: