J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife

Amazon.com Review
A good chef's knife becomes your daily kitchen companion. It's used for everything from prepping steaks for the grill to finely mincing onions, and chances are you'll reach for it every time you cook--so it better be good. This lower-priced line from Henckels is a great value: excellent quality knives with their standard lifetime warranty. There's good balance, and the handles are a shade heavier than other lines, which some cooks will prefer. The 8-inch blade length is the most practical for multipurpose use, and regular sharpening will keep the stainless-steel blade razor-sharp. It's only minimally flexible, which makes it a great choice for vegetables such as potatoes and turnips. While it's dishwasher-safe, unless it needs sanitizing after use with raw meat, it's often easier to hand wash. --Jill Lightner

Classic 31161-201 8" Chefs Knife

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Chef’s Choice Multi-Edge Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

Amazon.com Review
Diamond abrasives in this tool actually sharpen a knife rather than simply realign its edges, as most sharpeners and sharpening steels do. For right-handers and left-handers alike, it's simplicity itself to use. Grasp the handle and draw a straight-edge blade back and forth through the stage 1 guide 25 to 50 times to coarsely bevel it. Then move the blade to the stage 2 guide and draw back and forth 10 times through finer diamond crystals for the second, fine-edged bevel. Serrated blades go only through stage 2. By turning, rollers demonstrate that a blade is properly straight so it is being beveled at the precise angle required. Lightweight but tough, the sharpener is formed of silver and black plastic. It's 6-1/2 inches by 2-1/4 inches, small enough to take on a camping or hunting trip. --Fred Brack

The Multi-edge is a breakthrough two-stage manual knife sharpener puts an excellent, longer lasting edge on both straight edge and serrated blades. T (more...)

best-chef-knife Chefs Choice Multi-Edge Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

September 29, 2009 | Filed Under Best Chef Knife | Leave a Comment

Chef’s Choice M130 Professional Sharpening Stations

Amazon.com
Keep household knives in ideal working condition with this simple-to-use electric knife sharpener. Using advanced knife-sharpening technology it sharpens, steels, and strops all brands and types of knives, including straight-edge or serrated, kitchen, Asian-style, sports, and pocket knives, in seconds. The appliance works great for both left- or right-handed users, and it offers an array of sharpening options all in one compact appliance. Three different stages make it possible to obtain a "better than factory" edge quickly and effortlessly. The first stage uses 100-percent diamond abrasives for remedying a dull edge. Next, its super-hardened miniature steel develops a shaving-sharp edge with ultra-sharp microscopic teeth, offering a superior edge "bite". The final stage consists of a revolutionary flexible stropping disk that polishes the edge to hair-splitting sharpness. Using these three stages in different combinations allows for creating custom edges depen (more...)

Shun 7-3/4-Inch Stainless Steel Chinese Chef’s Knife

Amazon.com
Offering a graceful elegance, this 7-3/4-inch Chinese chef's knife from the Shun Steel line is made with a seamless, one-piece stainless-steel bolster, handle, and end cap. Resembling a Western cleaver, the Chinese chef's knife is an all-purpose performer in the kitchen, perfect for cutting and slicing everything from meats to vegetables. The blade is made from VG-10 steel with a high carbon content for a higher density. This allows the steel to be tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 61, and still have the flexibility and strength to take and keep a perfect edge. It's clad in layers of high-carbon stainless steel that protect the VG-10 and give the Shun its Damascus-look pattern, which also helps ensure that foods stick less during slicing and dicing--resulting in faster and easier food preparation. Shun knives rely on traditional Japanese construction methods, including a full composite tang, in order to ensure the best balance. The D-shape of the stainless st (more...)

September 27, 2009 | Filed Under Best Chef Knife | Leave a Comment

Chef’s Choice 300 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener, White

Amazon.com Review
This electric sharpener is so simple to use that knives practically sharpen themselves. It puts a professional-style edge on any kitchen or sporting knife (except serrated knives). Because magnetic guides hold a blade at the proper angles, no guesswork is involved. You simply grip your knife loosely and pull it lightly through the sharpener's slots without pressing down. Key to this knife sharpener's performance is the two different stages: the sharpening stage and the second honing stage, which polishes the blade to a razor edge. Those two stages create different bevels, putting a "shoulder" on an edge instead of sharpening with a single bevel. The shoulder strengthens the edge so it lasts longer. For each stage there is a pair of slots, and the slots use 100 percent diamond abrasives for hardness. The sharpener measures 7 inches long, 4-1/4 inches high, and 3-3/4 inches deep and carries a two-year warranty against defects. --Fred Brack

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Victorinox Cutlery 10-Inch Chef’s Knife, Black Fibrox Handle

Amazon.com
From the inventors of the famous Swiss Army knife comes a line of fine cutlery designed for accomplished and aspiring chefs at work or in the home. Each blade in the Stamped collection is expertly made in Switzerland from high-carbon stainless steel and undergoes a special tempering process for an edge that can be resharpened again and again. The result is a knife that can keep its original sharpness throughout the entire life of the blade. Each blade is conical ground throughout its length and depth, and laser tested to ensure optimum cutting power and durability. Ergonomically designed to minimize wrist tension, the unique, patented Fibrox handles are slip resistant when wet. Plus, all Stamped cutlery with Fibrox handles is approved by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF). Although cutlery steel is naturally sanitary, materials and construction details of these handles minimize crevices that may otherwise offer hospitality to bacteria. The Victorinox Stampe (more...)

Tom Douglas by Pinzon Kai 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife

From the Manufacturer
Award-winning chef-restaurateur Tom Douglas, renowned cutlery manufacturer Kai, and Amazon.com introduce a line of superior cutlery that will inspire home chefs and build confidence in the kitchen. This 8-inch chef’s knife is the indispensable workhorse of any cutlery collection, and is used for quickly and comfortably slicing, chopping, and dicing meats, fruits, and vegetables. The broad, curved blade that narrows to a point allows you to rock the knife on a cutting board for precision and control, and makes quick work of chopping dense vegetables and cooked meat. Designed with an extra-deep blade profile, the knife provides ample knuckle clearance. Tom Douglas by Pinzon cutlery is made of high-carbon stainless-steel for excellent edge retention, and each blade is honed to a shaving-sharp edge. Co-polymer handles, with bolsters, provide a comfortable grip and reduce hand fatigue. Combine this versatile chef’s knife with other knives in the Tom Do (more...)