Most cookbooks suggest purchasing steel to keep your knife sharp, but you need more than that to keep them sharp.

The best, and most expensive, are the electric sharpeners. The ChefsChoice 110 is a great example of an electric sharpener which is a foolproof method of keeping your knives sharp. By allowing the magnetic guides that keep the blade at a precise angle is ingenius and allows the diamond abrasives to hit and sharpen the knife perfectly.

It’s a great machine and keeps knives extremely sharp, so much that you should warn other people that are going to use the knives so that they don’t cut themselves. Keep in mind that you should sharpen them about once a month if not more to keep the knives at optimal sharpness.

Some people purchase wood boards because they like the look but remember if you user your cutting board alot it’s not going to look the same in a couple of years due to the wear and tear. Eventually the surface is going to have a lot of cut marks. Which is what a cutting board should have anyways!

Some will decide to use synthetic because it offers you a variety of colors shapes and sizes. It also weighs a lot less than a similar sized wooden one. You should also know that plastic ones are indeed tougher on your knives. Not enough to keep you from purchasing them, but its something to keep in mind.

Staining is another negative attribute of synthetic boards. As you cut into them while you are working, you are carving grooves into the plastic that permit blood and juices to get into them and stain. This will happen and you will have a shorter lifespan than with wood ones.

Style

Over the sink – I had one of these back in the day and never used it over the sink. So I wouldn’t really say that I used it how I should have. I suppose that it has a purpose so that you can cut stuff up right next to the garbage disposal. Typically though you will need your sink for other tasks and that it won’t really work to have this style board.

Groovy Cutting Boards – This type features a carved groove around the cutting board which allows for the cutting board to capture juices and blood that may leak out. I’m sure they work well when carving at the table I just don’t like this type for some reason.

Cost

With cutting boards, it’s not always what you get what you pay for. I’ve had cheap mats which I’ve purchased for $10 last me forever! You can even find lesser quality wood boards for around $10 but they aren’t going to look that great and probably won’t hold up that well. But for $10 bucks, who cares?!?!

When you start looking at better quality boards, you are going to be looking at $30-$50 and even up to over $100. If you decide that you want the new boards which are made of bamboo, you could be looking at up to $200 for a board. These are more than just cutting boards and are beautiful pieces of wood that will last forever if properly maintained.

Size

Some people say that a cutting board size should depend on the size of your kitchen and where you will store it when not in use. Although I think that your size should depend on what you are going to use it for and how often you will be using it. You can always make room on your counter for your cutting board if it is your main work station. A stylish cutting board may also enhance the look and feel of your kitchen.

Another factor that you will need to consider is the size of your sink. You have to clean the thing a lost so make sure that you buy one that you can get into your sink to scrub with hot water after cutting up a raw piece of meat. You don’t want to get sick from a dirty cutting board! Keep in mind that you don’t need to get the WHOLE thing in the sink, rather a portion of it to clean at a time.

Thickness

Thickness isn’t something that really matters much unless you are a butcher or preparing large portions of meat. I once owned a huge butcher block cutting board that was so heavy it was a pain to clean. It looked great and was a blast to work on but cleaning it was way to much of an effort. I never bought a cutting board of that size again, it was fun once but not after experiencing it first hand. Thinner boards are great and allow for just about any job. Not to mention allow you to put the vegetables easily into the pan by being able to ‘fold’ them.

Shape

This depends on what you are using it for of course. I typically prefer a square board with enough space to do my cutting but some people like to serve cheese and hros d’oevre on them so they buy an assortment of shapes and sizes. Obviously this makes sense as you don’t want a huge cutting board to serve three little pieces of cheese and crackers. On the other hand, if you are putting out a giant spread of cheese, sliced meats, and vegetables you don’t want them on a tiny board.

Including:

1. The Chef’s Knife

2.  Slicer Knife

3. Utility Knife

4. Parer Knife

The Chef’s Knife

These are typically 8 inches long, although come in larger sizes as well. This is the most important of the knives and is typically the workhorse of the kitchen.  You should always have your chefs knife in your best kitchen knives set. You will use it for chopping, slicing, dicing, and crushing garlic.

Slicer

A slicer is generally longer and thinner than the chef Knife. It’s used to mainly cut cooked meat and things of that nature, hence why its called a slicer. It’s a necessity to have a slicer in the mix because otherwise you won’t be able to truly slice well without one.

Utility Knife

The utility knife is a smaller knife, usually 4 to 6 inches and is often interchangeable with the chef’s knife for cutting and slicing fruits and vegetables. It’s a lighter version and the whole point is to do what the chef’s knife cannot.

Parer

Lastly, a parer is perfectly used for things like peeling and coring. Usually 3 to 4 inches long allows for optimal knife control when attempting to peel and core items.

Carbon Steel

Stainless Steel

Laminated

Ceramic

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is a material which is used to make kitchen knives early in the day. It is still extremely popular till this day although its vulnerable to stain and rust if made from carbon steel. The good thing about carbon steel knives is its much easier to sharpen than stainless steel knives.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel knives are my favorite type of knife and have become quite common knives no adays. It requires low maintainability for sharpening and best of all it’s easier to wash also.

Laminated

Well, laminated knives are made of the ‘best’ parts of material for each different part of the knife. Different parts if the knives have a different mix of steel material. This is more like the future technology of kitchen knives.

Ceramic

Ceramic knives is the best material for kitchen knives. It holds an edge for the longest time when compared to the different type of knives. Best of all the ceramic kitchen knife are chemically nonreactive. So acidic foods and rust aren’t an issue for discoloration and other similar things. The problem with ceramic knives is that they require a special type of equipment to resharpen them and will also break if they are dropped from high positions. Typically the finest chefs only use a ceramic blade knife.

What type of blade is it? There are many different types of metal used for making knife blades. Here are a few with advantages and disadvantages.

Carbon Steel - This is a very tough type of material and can take a great edge but they tend to discolor when they come in contact with anything acidic such as tomatoes or citrus fruit. They also tend to rust if not in use for a while so they must be taken care of to avoid discoloration by being sure to clean and dry them after use.

Stainless steel – Boats use stainless steel fittings for obvious reason, they don’t rust and require less maintenance. However, what you gain in usability, you lose in the most important part, the edge. They are very difficult to keep a good sharp edge.

High carbon Stainless Steel – The best of both worlds, Tough and olds an edge and they won’t discolor. A very good choice when choosing a knife blade. The carbon adds strength to teh stainless steel but costs more.

Titanium - Much lighter than steel, holds its edge, and more wear resistant. Flexible, so it is better choice for boning and filleting knives.

Things to Consider

Does it have a full tang or partial tang?

Is the blade stamped or forged?

How heavy is the knife?

How is the knife’s balance?

What kind of edge does it have?

How long is it?

A chef’s knife usually come’s in lengths from 6 inches to 12 inches and are about an inch wide. How long it should be depends on what you are going to do with it and how comfortable it feels in your hand. I personally like a 10 inch blade but do own several different sizes.

What Chef’s Knife Would you Buy?

A typical chef’s knife on the market are 6 to 10 inches long with the most popular being 8 inches. I recommend every home cook start with an 8 inch chef’s knife and get used to it before moving on to anyting bigger. When starting an 8 inch chef’s knife will feel heavy and awkward althoguh as you practice and get used to it it will begin feeling natural.

Another choice you have is what type of knife you want, whether its a French or German style. The French style have a longer and thinner blade which allow for better slicing and dicing. The German style is shorter and wider and better for chopping. Just another factor when deciding which to choose. Make sure the knife has a secure grip and has a good feeling to your hand. Remember your looking for balance and a good feel for you. The handle should be riveted to the blade as well.

The chef knife is where everything starts in the kitchen. You’ve recently got hooked on cooking and have started researching where to start and what the most important tool in the kitchen is.

The answer is a great chef knife, sometimes referred to as the French knife. Consider it like purchasing a blue chip stock. You’ll own it forever and the dividends it pays are endless.

When you look at the example of the knife on the right you will notice the tapered triangle edge which tapers to the center tip. The center tip means the back of the knife and the blade are gently sloped until they meet at a point.

The blades shape is perfect for allowing the blade to rock back and forth to the tip when you are chopping, mincing, and dicing. While at the same time the knife can be used to cut things like meats, vegetables, poultry or fish. It is a great all around knife, an all purpose knife in the kitchen.

What can you do with a Chef Knife?

A chef’s knife can be used for most cutting chores. It can be used for everything from slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, julienne cuts, disjointing large meats and even smashing garlic. This is the most essential tool in the kitchen.

Another example of eastern inspired cutlery is the Chinese Cleaver which was developed for a number of cutting purposes. It has a rectangular blade with a straight cutting edge with a slight curve for rocking purposes when mincing and dicing. The top of the blade is dull and typically used for pounding purposes and the wide side is perfect for smashing garlic and scooping cut ingredients.

Japanese Knives

The most prevalent knife in Japanese culture and cuisine is the santoku. Although there are three variations which are prominently used in eastern cuisine. The santoku has a long, medium width blade. What’s interesting about this knife is that it only has one sharp side versus Western style knives which are sharp on both sides. The reason for this is that the Japanese feel that a single sided sharpness is more effective.

Japanese Knives are made of materials from ceramic, which they later introduced to the west. A company called Kyocera manufacturers knives with a ceramic blade that is incredibly sharp and more durable then one would typically assume. Global, another Japanese knive company, manufactures a stainless steel blade that can hold a razor sharp edge. These knives are wonderfully balanced and beautiful to look at.

Don’t get to excited and overdo it yet by going out and purchasing a new set of knives. It’s time to take a look at some of the basics of choosing your knives so that you know what you are doing before purchasing one. The first and foremost thing you need to consider is the feel of a knife rather then what the ‘chefs’ are saying.

Typically high end knives are made extremely well and will hold their sharpness and hold an edge, oh and size does matter! People with smaller hands are going to want to be working with smaller knives, not a 12 inch chef knife. Some materials provide a lighter feel, while others are heavier for those with stronger hands.

Parts of the Knife

Most knives consist of the following parts, the front of knife, tang, bolster and handle. Let’s take a closer look at these sections individually:

The front of the knife contains the blade, spine, tip, and heel. The sharp part which does the cutting is known as the blade. While the spine is opposite teh blade and adds weight and stability.

The tip of the knife allows for delicate and fine cutting of small items, cutting open package and other similar uses.

The tang of the knife, is the piece of metal which extends from the blade to the back of the knife and handle that it attaches to. Not all knives come with tangs but the good ones do, the tang also gives a knife balance and weight or the knife woudl be off balance due to the front being too heavy.

The bolster is the part which seperates the blade and the handle. This part adds strength, balance and most importantly prevents you from cutting your finger off if the knife slips while cutting. The bolster typically runs from the spine to the edge, or just part of the way. Again typically most of the better made knives have a bolster.

The handle or the portion which you hold on to can be made out of wood, plastic, composite, and or stainless steel. The handle is single handily one of the most important aspects of the knife as its the part which you will ahve the most contact with and what makes a knife ‘feel good’.

Construction

Knives are either blocked, forged or sintered.

Blocked knives are created from sheets of metal which they are cut from. The blades are created by grounding the block and handles are added to the tang. They usually don’t have bolsters and are less expensive to make and therefore a cheaper buy and not usually of high quality. These won’t have the balance, quality or feel of a forged knife.

Forged knives are the made the way ancient swords are made. The manufacturers take a large part of metal, which heats up and then pounds it into hte correct shape using forge machine. Forged knives typically have bolsters, more weight, thicker bolsters and cost a heck of a lot more. The added expense is well worth it, you get a better made and balanced knife that you can have forever if taken care of properly.

Sinter is a knife in which they take seperate blades and fuse them together to seperate a tang. It’s a less expensive process than forging and allows you to create beautiful Eastern style knives like global wehre the blades are flat and have tubular handles.