Knives

[tuixiu]

So for some reason lately I've been coveting the Henckel 7" Santoku knife. Problem is not sure I need it ("need" being a very relative term here) since I've got a 8" chef's knife. Been reading that the santoku is better for chopping most veggies since a little thinner/lighter plus dimples make so slices don't stick to knife.

My kitchen knives collection is high quality gear but only consists of chefs, slicer, paring, and a cleaver. Of that I'd say I use the chefs knife for at least 90% of all kitchen work. The cleaver I actually regret buying I hardly use it all all, although it has great home defense or zombie apocolypse potential.

So the question is: do any of you own a santoku knife, and if so do you find it's usefulness would warrant an addition if one already has a chefs knife?

In my desperate attempt to internally rationalize the purchase I've got notions like "well I guess I won't have to wash the chefs knife as much during prep if I can just grab another knife good for chopping" etc.

 

[haha]

In my desperate attempt to internally rationalize the purchase I've got notions like "well I guess I won't have to wash the chefs knife as much during prep if I can just grab another knife good for chopping" etc.

I'm convinced!

Ha

 

[freebird5825]

pretty good price here
Henckels Pro S Santoku Knife (7-in.) at Cooking.com
even better price here
http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-Gourmet-7-Inch-Santoku-Knife/dp/B00007BKRT

I would be the last person to try to talk anyone out of a Henckels knife. I'm cheap about a lot of things, but never my kitchen equipment. I wish I'd bought my set sooner in life instead of the cheap, completely unergonomic set I owned before.
Rationalize away!!!!

 

[freebird5825]

um....uh oh...all sorts of knife ads are appearing above.
DUCK!!!!

 

[jambo101]

I have the same delema,i use the Henkles chef knife for just about everything and the Henkles paring knife for just about everything else, My $100 Sabatier Santoku knife only gets used when i'm cooking a big meal like Turkey etc. and then i will use my chefs knife on the meat and the Santoku knife on the vegetables,Dont think i've used my Henkels cleaver in a long time i would probably use it more but when i'm cooking i usually forget that i own it so it just hangs on the wall,i had visions of chopping chickens with it but i find it does a better job of just smashing garlic,it does come in handy for chop and scoop chinese dishes.

 

[tuixiu]

I'm cheap about a lot of things, but never my kitchen equipment.

Me too. I believe quality pots/pans, and knives are worth the expense in the how the impact the cooking experience and they can be multi-decade (lifetime?) investments.

I like the Henckel five star line myself, the handle feels a lot better to me than the Pro-S or four star.

jambo101 - thanks for the info that's what I was afraid of that I'd buy it then rarely use it like you do. I'm same with cleaver too rarely use it but man when you need to seperate some ribs or a poultry leg it's great. I had it professionally sharpened to a thinner bore so it can be used for most stuff now but it's too much overlap with chef's knife to get much use.

 

[FinanceDude]

I use Henckel, and have some knives like the ad above. I inherited a set of very nice French knives from my late sister, I like them a lot. I will find out the name and post it here...

 

[haha]

I am not sure about working chefs in working kitchens, but people who cut meat all day usually use relatively cheap and easily sharpened stamped knives like the Victorinox line.

You should see the oyster knife i got from a local fisherman's supply. It cost me $2, and I'm guessing I could open a safe with it.

Ha

 

[freebird5825]

Me too. I believe quality pots/pans, and knives are worth the expense in the how the impact the cooking experience and they can be multi-decade (lifetime?) investments.

I like the Henckel five star line myself, the handle feels a lot better to me than the Pro-S or four star.

Made me look!
I did not know there was more than 1 line of Henckel knives.
I have a 5-Star set, sans cleaver. I chose it because of the ergonomic handle and the brand name, in that order.

 

[jambo101]

Most places that use a lot of knives send them out to a specialist to get sharpened,so there're always sharp.

 

[FIREd]

I have had the Henckel Pro S collection for 9 years (Chef knife, bread knife, cleaver, paring knives, carving/slicing knife) and I have been thinking about adding a Santoku knife to my collection ever since I saw one on Rachel Ray's show. But I can't imagine what I will be able to do with it that I can't already do with the chef knife. So I still haven't bought it though I get tempted every time I walk into Bed Bath and Beyond.

 

[Amethyst]

Ten years ago, I bought my husband a set of 4-inch parer, 6-inch utility and 8-inch chef's knives (Sabatier commercial brand). (Our cooking arrangement is: He chops, slices, and dices; I cook). He uses the 6-inch knife almost exclusively . The 4-inch is too small for his big hands, while the 8-inch seems a bit clumsy since he doesn't do any real butchering.

I'm with Freebird and tiuxiu -- you gotta spend coin on high quality basic tools. My father was an electrician and a master mason who did not make a lot of money, but insisted on the best quality tools he could afford (and took excellent care of them).

 

[HFWR]

Farberware!

YouTube - Is That a Knife

 

[Westernskies]

Get a Ginsu knife- it will slice tin cans AND tomatoes!

 

[jambo101]

While i love a good knife i really only need a chefs knife and a paring knife,if i could use more i'd have a lot more.One of my favorite knife shops is a little place just off I-95 on rt17 in South Carolina (northbound exit for Charleston),if you like knives its like knife heaven.

 

[HFWR]

Get a Ginsu knife- it will slice tin cans AND tomatoes!

Saw an engine block in half, and still slice a tomato paper thin...

 

[happy2bretired]

I have a Henckels set and a Santoku of another brand (Anolon - nothing fancy). I reach for my Santoku knife more than any other knife these days. I love it for vegetables. Just the right size.

 

[Martha]

Farberware!

YouTube - Is That a Knife

Man that woman is a wimp! Gag me.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Man that woman is a wimp! Gag me.

Yeah, that choked me too, had to be written by a man, a man's movie.

 

[cashbalancetrouble]

....,,,billie mayes here!

it slices, it dices, it whacks things in two!

by it now and i'll send free at no extra charge this genuine bille mayes cutting board!

it wipes clean with your towel and won't retain the blood when your knife whacks wrong stuff!

call me now and i'll throw a free set of washable and reusable billie mayes brand band aids.

......

 

[HFWR]

Man that woman is a wimp! Gag me.

I got a totally different vibe. Here is experienced "big city" girl, telling the outback bumpkin the ways of the city. After all, isn't it conventional wisdom to just hand over your wallet. However, if you are used to wrestling crocs and poisonous snakes, maybe a street punk doesn't seem like much of a challenge. It helps to have a very large knife...

His reaction to "he's got a knife" if priceless.

 

[DblDoc]

So for some reason lately I've been coveting the Henckel 7" Santoku knife. Problem is not sure I need it ("need" being a very relative term here) since I've got a 8" chef's knife. Been reading that the santoku is better for chopping most veggies since a little thinner/lighter plus dimples make so slices don't stick to knife.

My kitchen knives collection is high quality gear but only consists of chefs, slicer, paring, and a cleaver. Of that I'd say I use the chefs knife for at least 90% of all kitchen work. The cleaver I actually regret buying I hardly use it all all, although it has great home defense or zombie apocolypse potential.

So the question is: do any of you own a santoku knife, and if so do you find it's usefulness would warrant an addition if one already has a chefs knife?

In my desperate attempt to internally rationalize the purchase I've got notions like "well I guess I won't have to wash the chefs knife as much during prep if I can just grab another knife good for chopping" etc.

I just bought a Shun Classic 7" santoku. It is a beautifully made knife, excellent reviews and is scary sharp...

Santoku Knives Review

DD