A good knife is one of the most indispensable items in any kitchen. However, today in stores there is such a wide range of knives of different shapes and costs that many novice housewives get lost in this variety and focus solely on the price, believing that you always have to pay for quality.
Size matters
First of all, you should decide what kind of knives you need. It is believed that a professional chef needs only three knives of different lengths: small, medium and large. At the same time, various specialized knives are not taken into account: for carving, for bread, sirloin, hatchet and others. Keep in mind that large "chef's" knives with a total length of about 40 centimeters, most likely, will not be very comfortable to wield on a cutting board of a standard size, so it is better to take a massive, but not very long knife as a "large" one. Medium and small knives are also necessary, since not all operations in the kitchen are conveniently done with a large knife.
You should not buy a set of knives on a stand, as they, in most cases, are quite poorly made. Plus, about half of these knives are likely to be unnecessary.
How much should a knife cost?
Among the significant quality criteria, how much a knife costs does not always play the main role, although, of course, you should not hope to buy a knife for a hundred rubles, which will be easy to handle, hygienic, and most importantly, will last a long time. It makes sense to focus on the price range from 500 rubles to two thousand, depending on the size of the knife, its weight, execution technique and handle.
Naturally, it is also important how convenient the knife is for you personally, so before buying it is better to hold all the samples you like in your hand. The handle should fit well in the palm of your hand, not slip and be strong enough. It is highly desirable that the "shank" of the knife is equal to the length of the handle, this adds strength. Wooden handles are quite popular, but they tend to swell from moisture, so it is better to pay attention to high-quality plastic.
A very important point is the presence of the so-called "bolster" - a metal part between the blade and the handle. The bolster not only increases the weight of the knife for a more comfortable work, but also protects the fingers and prevents food particles from entering the gap between the handle and the blade. As a rule, on inexpensive models of knives, the bolster is welded separately and is made of cheaper steel than the blade itself, but for knives that cost about one to two thousand rubles, the bolster is a single whole with the blade.
Ceramic knives are a good option, but they take some getting used to. These knives are very fragile, so they cannot cut frozen food or meat with bones.
Keep in mind that most of the so-called “forged” knives are actually hot stamped. However, they are still better than cheap cold-stamped blades. It is these knives that are mainly offered in the middle price category and are the most optimal choice for home cooking. Of course, there are more expensive samples, for example, Japanese knives or titanium blades, whose cost can exceed 5,000 rubles, but in practice such a knife is unlikely to be useful to you, unless, of course, you are going to work in a restaurant.
