knife selection help needed

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

ones that feel comfortable in your hand.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

sarah bennett said:

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

ones that feel comfortable in your hand.

Exactly. Go to some housewares stores and pick them up. Wave them around
and chop up a couple customers to see if they feel good...

Except for the waving and customer chopping, that's what you should do.
The reality is that different people like - and can use to best
advantage - different knives. I have big hands and the ones that feel
good to me aren't comfortable to my daughters who have small hands.

I'd suggest you not buy a set. It'll turn out that you'll use one or two
and the rest will sit there being expensive.

Pastorio

sarah bennett said:

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

ones that feel comfortable in your hand.

Yes, good advice. Just like any other tool you need to find one with the
weight, balance and size that works for you.

"maestro" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

I find that a 8" chef's knife and a 4" paring knife meet 90% of my cutting
needs.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

Maestro,

I agree that you shouldn't go with a particular brand, but instead what
feels good in your hand. One all-around knife would be like one
all-around pair if pliers. But to answer your questions, I often use a
5" utility knife and it's an all-around knife. Not too big, not too
small. But you have to slice vegies across, you can't do a rolling
motion like with a chef's knife. You can use it like a pairing knife,
but it is a little big for that. In other words, it's a compromise
knife. If I could have only one knife, that would probably be it. But
let's just say I don't have only one knife.

Ken

Ken said:

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

Maestro,

I agree that you shouldn't go with a particular brand, but instead what
feels good in your hand. One all-around knife would be like one
all-around pair if pliers. But to answer your questions, I often use a
5" utility knife and it's an all-around knife. Not too big, not too
small. But you have to slice vegies across, you can't do a rolling
motion like with a chef's knife. You can use it like a pairing knife,
but it is a little big for that. In other words, it's a compromise
knife. If I could have only one knife, that would probably be it. But
let's just say I don't have only one knife.

Ken

I use a heavy 8" chef's knife for nearly everything. I also use a boning
knife occasionally. I have a paring knife, but I'm scared of cutting
myself, so I do not use it much. A metal peeler works for those tasks
that one might use a paring knife for, most of the time, anyhow.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

I tend to like a chef's knife with an 8 to 10 inch blade. Long knives are
easier to work with than smaller ones. Stainless steel blade is a must!!
A majority of kitchen tasks can be completed with a 6-inch utility knife and
a 3 to 4-inch paring knife.
You also might want to consider a serrated knife for cutting breads and
fruits and a honing steel to keep your knives nice and sharp.

********
Geoff Steuernol
http://www.schmecks.com The Cooking Super Store

"maestro" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

First thing to consider is how much money you're willing to invest...
then armed with that info look only in that price range... it'd be
silly to look at the Lexus when all you can afford is the Corolla..
either will get you there. I suggest an 8" chefs knife and a paring
knife for starters, no one actually needs more, just nice to have more.
If your budget is tight you can find both those in decent utility
quality for around $30... if you are more flush then go for top of the
line, about a C-note. Familiarize yourself with knife use, care and
cooking before sallying forth into building a collection. If you're
suckered into buying a set because it looks like a bargain, it's not,
you'll not ever use half those knives... I'd put that extra money into
buying the pieces that rarely if ever are included with a set, like a
good quality bread knife, a flexable boning knife (a stiff boner is
only good for one thing), a substantial cleaver is nice (a wimpy one is
no better than the back forty of your chefs knife), and a quality steel
(the steels typically included in sets are small and of poor quality).
Later on you may want to consider a few plain carbon steel knives, for
slicing roasts and ripe tomatoes nothing beats carbon steel.
Eventually you'll want say a 10" chefs knife, but only after you
develop some skill... and one can never have too many parers, I
actually have a couple in every room of my house including the
bathrooms, basement, and garage... in my tractors and automobile too.
I have three parers right here in my desk drawer, great for opening the
mail, opening packages, or when having a snack. I just know someone is
going to question why I need a small knife in the bathroom... have you
ever tried to remove the tamper proof seals on some items, practically
need a sledge and mason's chisel. Bought a set of ten metric wrenches
at Lowes yesterday, needed heavy duty tin snips to cut through that
thick plastic packaging... would have destroyed a kitchen knife.

"G. Steuernol" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I tend to like a chef's knife with an 8 to 10 inch blade. Long knives
are easier to work with than smaller ones. Stainless steel blade is a
must!! A majority of kitchen tasks can be completed with a 6-inch
utility knife and a 3 to 4-inch paring knife.
You also might want to consider a serrated knife for cutting breads
and fruits and a honing steel to keep your knives nice and sharp.

Can't add much to what the posters above had said - comfort is key! My ten
inch Oxford Hall chef knife is now 25 years old (and the company no longer
exists) and when cooking it feels as natural as the softest pair of broken-
in jeans. My richer friends laugh that none of my kitchen knifes match - a
Henckel here, a Wüsthof there - but I find my knives to be perfect for the
job.

I would no sooner buy a knife I haven't tried than I would buy a car I
haven't test driven.

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

I'm going to assume that by "the big knives" you mean a chef's knife.
Most people find a paring knife to be the next most useful. A
selection of types is shown on this page:
https://www.surfasonline.com/productlines/98.cfm

Personally, I find myself grabbing the inexpensive Chinese cleaver more
often than any other knife. -aem

"maestro" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

One that feels good in your hand. Keep in mind that knives have different
shaped handles-rather than just the straight one you are probably familiar
with.
Weight is another concern. Do you prefer light or heavy? A usual chef's
knife is about 8 inches.

George said:

sarah bennett said:

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

ones that feel comfortable in your hand.

Yes, good advice. Just like any other tool you need to find one with the
weight, balance and size that works for you.

Even that doesn't work if it's a new shape. I paid $$ for a Wusthof
santoku but once I got it home and used it, I decided it's too light
for me. Oh, well... live and learn.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

maestro said:

I'm trying to build a collection of high-quality knifes and I'm
currently looking for a all-around knife that is usually there for most
occasion's that don't require the big knifes. What sized blade and type
should I consider?

I started out with a R.H. Forschner 6" curved boning knife, 6" skinning
knife, and a paring knife, and that's all I needed for several years.
The boning knife is still one of my favorites, but I also use a 10" chef
knife and a drop-point or "bird beak" paring knife quite a bit. Most of
the other knives (including the skinning knife) just sit there looking
pretty in the knife rack. Some have black handles, some have white
handles, and a couple have rosewood handles; there's no need for them to
match.

Dexter-Russell "Sani-safe" knives are the best bargain I've ever found
on good knives, but Forschner, Victorinox, and F. [censored] knives are better
(at quite a bit higher prices).

Bob