In this chat with Rachelle, we’re diving into:
Why having a good knife is so important
What type of knife you should buy (Hint: you’ll only need one!)
How to choose the right knife for you
How to take care of your knives so that they last
Tips for getting a great deal on high-quality knives!
Introduction
Hello and welcome to episode three of the Beyond Nourished Podcast. This is the place to become a better, more efficient health-focused cook in just 10 minutes or less.
I'm your host, Rachelle Girardin, and I'm a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, holistic private chef, and I've been running my own business Beyond Nourished for over 10 years.
Things to Consider When Buying a Knife
In this episode, I'm diving into one of the topics that I get asked more than anything else and that is knives!
“What kind of knife should I buy?”, “How much should I spend?”, “Where should I buy it?”, “How do I take care of it?” - I get so many questions about knives!
You will remember that in the previous episode, we talked about ways to minimize your time in the kitchen, and I really emphasized that having the right equipment was important - specifically, when it comes to knives and how important it is to have a knife that you love, and one that is sharp.
The best way for me to address what type of knife you should buy is actually by addressing what type of knife you shouldn’t buy. You really don't need to spend (or waste) your money on buying one of those massive butcher block sets of knives. You are going to be using a chef's knife about 80 to 90% of the time that you're in the kitchen, and this is where you want to spend your money.
Sure, serrated knives and steak knives are great, but I’d suggest buying them separately from your chef's knife - go for quality over quantity. A chef's knife is the predominant knife that you're going to be using, and you’re really better off spending money on this one piece rather than wasting getting a subpar chef's knife along with a bunch of other knives that you're going to be using very little. When it comes to budget, you can easily spend $100-$400, but you can also get really good knives on sale for $50 or $60.
The first knife I ever bought was from The Hudson’s Bay Company, which is a department store here in Canada. I bought it during their Boxing Day sale - it was a $150 Hankel, German-style stainless steel knife, and I got it for 50% off! I used that knife for over six years. It's not my everyday knife anymore, but I still have it, we still use it around the house, and it still works really great and holds an edge. I say this because it's not necessarily just about the dollar amount. It's truly about the brand and other components that you're looking for.
Choosing the Knife that is Best for You
You more or less will have two types of knives that you can choose from: a German-style stainless steel knife (typically Henkel, Wusthof or a Mercer), or you can go with a Japanese-style knife (Santuko) which can be stainless steel as well but do also come in ceramic or high carbon. Japanese knives tend to be a little more delicate and have a lot of benefits. They hold their edge very well, are
extremely sharp, and incredibly durable. However, they also usually have chromium in them, which is a little bit on the softer side and that actually can hold rust too.
These Japanese-style knives typically require a little bit more care. You'd have to be a little bit more careful with them than a German-style knife. You wouldn’t want to leave water on them - heaven forbid they get left in the sink or put in the dishwasher! Whereas the stainless steel knives, especially the German-style, which are a lot more durable might have accidentally gone through the dishwasher a few times or been left in the sink and you don't have to worry about rust in the same way. Having said that, even though they’re a bit more durable, you do still want to take care of your chef's knife as best as you can by not putting them in the dishwasher and by not leaving them in a sink of water or leaving them wet to dry.
The next thing that I'll say about buying your knife is that you typically don't want to let somebody else buy your knife for you. It's wonderful that your family or friends might want to support you in your cooking endeavours. However, a knife that you're going to be using predominantly all the time is something that you want to feel good in your own hand and only you know what that's going to feel like.
In the list that I've compiled of the 10 Must-Have Tools to Save You Time in the Kitchen, I do suggest a knife that's easily purchased online. The reason I felt comfortable recommending this knife is that there is a typical weight and size of knife that most people are comfortable with. But when you're ready for kind of that next step, take the time to go into a store that specializes in knives and hold a couple of different knives - get to know what the feeling is in your hand.
Getting a Feel for It
You're looking for something that is well balanced and fits the length of your hand. For some people, this is going to be a seven-inch blade, for others it's going to be an eight, some it's going to be a nine, some it's going to be a 10. You get the point. It depends on your hand size, and what you feel comfortable using. Go into a nice store and hold a few different sizes, pretend like you're chopping something and really get comfortable with that knife.
My personal preference is a seven-inch knife, which is a little bit on the shorter side. Most people on our team love an eight-inch size. We're an all-women team at the moment, and most of us have a little bit smaller hands, but honestly, it's truly just a personal preference. You’ll also want to look at the weight of the knife, and so it's really hard to let people buy your knife for you - even though it's an extremely sweet gesture!
You can get so many incredible knives on sale and just keep your eye out for brands that you might like. My recommendation is to look for something in the German-style, the three kinds that I had mentioned before were Henkel, Wusthof and Mercer, but it's not to say that there are no other brands out there that are fantastic. These are just the brands that I've had personal relationships with. They are ones that I've used, and they've come tried and tested and true in my own cooking career.
Have questions?
If you have any knives that you love, or if you have a story around a knife, I would love to hear it! Pop over to our Instagram or send us any questions that you might have.
This topic came into my hands through questions on social media, but it was also a question that I've heard while teaching workshops over the years. Through watching many, many students go through our Holistic Chef Certification and purchase their first chef knives, one thing I know for sure is that there is no right or wrong knife to buy. All that I'll say is that it needs to feel good for you.
Please share!
I hope that you've enjoyed this episode. We're on episode three already and sharing our podcast is extremely important to us at this stage of the game. So please take a few minutes. Let somebody know it exists. Share it with somebody who's interested in becoming a healthier, more efficient cook and thank you so much for tuning in!