Browse Kitchen Knives

A set of good quality kitchen knives is the most essential purchase any budding chef could make. A good quality chef's knife will last for many years and make food preparation much easier.

If you are only going to buy one knife then you won't go far wrong with a good quality cook's knife such as this Wusthof Wusthof Classic Cook's Knife or this G-Series Cook's Knife from Global. Better still would be to invest in a basic set of chef's knives, we would recommend the following; A paring knife, a small cook's knife, a large cook's knife a bread knife and a carving knife.

When buying kitchen knives one should consider a number of factors. The quality, and cost, of kitchen knives varies great deal and depends on how the knife is made. The best quality kitchen knives are "Fully Forged", meaning the blades and tang are made as one piece from a single block of steel. This makes for a very strong and durable knife. "Stamped" knives are cut from a continuous strip of steel making them more economical than Fully Forged knives but also less strong and durable. They can, however, still offer good quality and value for money.

The way a knife blade is ground will also have bearing on the cost. The whole blade of a "Taper Ground" knife is ground to make a very fine, sharp and strong cutting edge. "Hollow Ground" knife blades are only ground at the bottom to form a cutting edge making them less durable. A blunt knife is no use to anyone so to keep your knives good and sharp use something like this Two Stage Knife Sharpener or a Whetstone.

Good knives are an investment and with regular sharpening will last a lifetime. To keep them in top condition your knives should be stored in a knife block or on a magnetic rack to protect the blades and one should always use them on a smooth surface such as a wooden chopping board.