A Good Knife
All great chefs seem to say the same thing – all you need is a great knife. While I’ve heard that a million times, it wasn’t until my soon-to-be husband and I were gifted with the most amazing Global chef’s knife (model: G 58), did I truly believe. I’ve spent the last decade studying food, working in cooking schools, and teaching kids about cooking. During this time, I’ve used a few great knifes and many awful ones too.
My dear friend Marcia gave us a Global set – complete with a smaller chef’s knife (perfect for my hand) and paring knife. She believes giving knives as a gift can symbolically “cut your friendship,” so she gave us this gift with a nickel to prevent this from happening.
Having this lovely knife in our kitchen has made food prep and chopping so efficient. These are the knives we pull out over others. These are the knives that are carefully set on the counter (not inside the sink) for washing and laid upon a kitchen towel to dry, and be promptly put back into the bamboo knife holder in the drawer. Having our bamboo knife holder has become a must and I never knew how much I’d love this kitchen item until we added it. If you don’t care for knives on the countertop, consider this. It’s also an easy way to child-proof your knives by adding drawer locks. We love less clutter on the counter and especially love preparing recipes with a great knife.
If you’d like to invest in healthy eating and can only purchase one thing look for a great knife. Many of the fancier kitchen stores have knifes on display; try holding one to find the best fit and chopping to see what is comfortable.If culinary stores are a bit out of your league, think like a culinary student. Where do they buy their knives? Likely a restaurant supply store. I’ve used and liked: Global, Victorinox, Dexter, and Opinel knives, but there are many others that find themselves in restaurant kitchens and do a great job. While online you may find a great deal, this is purchase where in person in best & supporting a local business is important. Many stores offer free or low cost knife sharpening – great to do 1x/year. Or ask the chef at your favorite restaurant for a recommendation next time you’re there. Maybe $100, is too much for now, but $20 is more suitable? You be surprised to know you can find a decent commercial grade knife that suits your budget in a restaurant supply store vs. buying a low-quality landfill variety from Walmart or Target. Happy knife hunting.
More on how to select the best knife for you here.