What brand of knives do professional chefs prefer, and why?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “americas test kitchen knife sharpeners“
About Peyton
Written by: Peyton
Published on:
What brand of knives do professional chefs prefer, and why?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “americas test kitchen knife sharpeners“
About Peyton
Disclaimer. I am not a chef, not producing commercial quantitites of food to a time line. I cook casually for family, and can overlook the constraints of commercial usage of knives.
I like carbon steel blades. These are not the hand-forged Japanese beauties, although I have two average quality sashimi knives here. These are the steel blades that were replaced in the shops by stainless, as stainless became more technical, and better alloyed for kitchen use.
The knives in the picture are washed and dried as they are used. I have time to do this, and I like to care for them. These knives are never placed fully underwater, as they would deteriorate faster. Modern chef knives need to be a whole lot more resilient than these old guys. There are plenty of good carbon blades on eBay – Notice that I have re-profiled three of these Dexter-branded carbon steel knives to suit my preferences – the sheep foot profile is also known as the santoku profile in Japan. I like this short blade for prepping most items – and I like the Dexter handles for their excellent grip shape and the very solid full spine tang. They feel good in use. The small Dexter re-profile is a good petit knife, and has a tanto point.
The odd one out in the picture is a Sabatier, with the traditional shaped beechwood haft. This handle shape is excellent in my hand, and the steel is razor sharp with just a wipe on ceramic sticks. It does not have the heavy spine of the Dexters, nor the feel, but it’s an old friend.
Re-profiling old knives has been fun.
These carbon steel blades hold a good edge, and make my cooking prep very enjoyable. Yes they need to be coddled, but I’m good for that.
Authentic XYJ Since 1986,Outstanding Ancient Forging,6.7 Inch Full Tang
I have to tell you my story. Way back
in the 70s, I started building my
kitchen knife set. We started with
what we could afford – a chefs knife and
a carver made by Chicago Cutlery.
Over the next couple years we added to
the set until we had a complete set of
inexpensive CC knives, most of which
cost less than $20 each, which wasn’t
really ‘cheap’ back then.
We’ve always kept them clean and
sharp, and oiled the wooden handles
occasionally. They’re sitting in the
block in the kitchen right now, and
they still cut as well as they did
almost 50 years ago.
I love the ‘high end’ knives, but my
point is, you don’t need knives that
costs $100 or more to do the job in
the kitchen. They don’t have to have a
‘magic brand’, like Wusthof or Heinkel
to cut well.
Wanbasion Black Stainless Steel Knife Set, Sharp Kitchen Knife
Without any of the scientific evidence or reasoning I will tell you that Dexter – Victoronix- Mundial – and even Chicago Cutlery have all been my favorites at one time or another……
Gerber made one of my all time favorites.
I prefer Full Tang blades that are wider from the sharp edge to the back of the knife to prevent my big meaty knuckles from banging on the cutting board…..
Iprefer the heel of the knife to be flat so that as it is repeatedly sharpened, the blade stays true as opposed to bowing in the center and as a result the center of the knife doesn’t make good contact with the board…..
Nowadays, chefs are pissed on and the FEAR OF God is not upon the employees because HR is stronger than the CHEF So Your knives are likely to be fair game for a variety of tasks that any chef will find blood curdling…… Things like, digging the crud from the grout lines of the floor, chipping carbon from the chargrill and cutting plastic pickle buckets not to mention cutting bamboo skewers down to size directly on stainless steel tables…..
Youcan keep your $$$$$knives at home or I can just laugh at you when your PRECIOUS disappears……..
When you are desperate, even a Martha Stewart or OXO will do the trick!!!!
KNIVES DONT MAKE GREAT FOOD AND NEITHER DO CHEFS……
GREAT-CHEFS MAKE GREAT FOOD!!!!
Amazon Basics 14-Piece Kitchen Knife Block Set, High-Carbon
Usually comes down to a few preferences;
Weight
Steel type
Price
Ergonomics/Practicality
Some brands offer a lighter thickness of steel, making a lighter stroke and faster movements on the cutting board. The brand that comes to mind personally is Global Knives, but there are far far lighter blades, usually Japanese or Japanese inspired.
Other brands are quite thick, such as Wusthof and with that added weight, make chopping effortless and larger tasks easier to tackle. These blades are usually more western (german).
Some Chefs* and cooks prefer a certain type of steel. Usually chosen for its edge retention, or ease of sharpening, or ease of maintenence.
Japanese steel tends to be a bit harder than German steel, holding an edge for longer, but requires more work to re-sharpen. It can also be more brittle, the edge has a tendency of chipping rather than rolling. German steel is softer, dulling faster but also easier to sharpen. German steel often has stainless-qualities.
The handle can have a large effect on the efficacy of the blade. The handle should fit well in the hand for the tasks it’s to perform. Many cooks will not use certain brands as they just don’t feel right, so it is always important that you try a brand out before buying them (I have made this mistake)
This handle is very slippery when wet!
Some cooks will avoid knives by hygienic basis. Knives that come with nooks and crannies in which food stuffs could accumulate and bacteria could propegate should be avoided, though there’s debate on what is best.
Finally, cost. This is the big one as it usually trumps all of the above. Most kitchens offer incredibly low wages to offset the heavily competitive price of food in restaurants, and many cooks find it hard to justify spending 300$ on a knife that (in experienced hands) will perform the same job as a 30$ knife. So at the end of the day, like many subjects in cooking, it is subjective.
I’ll leave you with a list of knives that I’ve come across in my 10 years of cooking (in Canada), in order of descending popularity**
10. Kussi (my personal favorite)
9. Sanelli
8. MAC
7. Messermeister
6. Shun
5. Sysco
4. Wustholf
3. Global
2. Victorinox
.
.
.
.
1. Zwilling J.A. Henckels
Cheers!
*most of the time it is a misnomer to call everyone in a kitchen who uses these knives Chef. Chef is french for “chief” or “boss”. Often there is only one chef, though not always. There is also a title of Sous-Chef, meaning under-chief, and Chef de partie, meaning the chief of that particular station.
** many brands offer a wide selection of knife styles to appease as many cooks criteria. I chose pictures of knives that best represented the knives I have seen in my travels. Not all Henckels have yellow plastic handles.
Chicago Cutlery Belden 15 Piece Premium Kitchen Knife
A local Japanese restaurant (not a Sushi place!) which wins “best of” year after year mostly uses Kiwi brand knives from Thailand. Laughably cheap, very capable, easy to sharpen.
Caveat: The brass rivets sometimes protrude and you need to select which ones you’re buying.
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Knife, 8-Inch Chef’s FFP, 8 Inch, Black
Professional Chef’s choose their knives based on what type of cooking they will be doing. One’s preference can be quite personal. Some like a longer blade some prefer a shorter. Some heavy and some light weight. Most go Japanese at some point because of the balance, lighter weight and easy to maintain edge and some women chefs prefer to choose based on the grip as their hands are smaller.
However, most professional chefs purchased a knife kit when they were students, mine was from WÜSTHOF, the classic forged. I still have these 32 years later and while my day to day knives have changed I still find the weight and balance perfect for quickly dispatching a board full of herbs and cracking open large squash and pumpkins.
My all time fav was a cabon steel knife given to my by a mentor who was French. While a pain to clean it was the easiest to keep razor sharp.
Mossy Oak Survival Hunting Knife with Sheath, 15-inch Fixed Blade
It really depends on one’s preference. The way you hold your knife, what you are using it for, what is your slicing/chopping style.
However, most chefs use cheap knives and sharpen them as needed, usually every day.
When it comes to higher quality of knives, others have provided great answers for the mainstream mid-range knives (read “not hand-forged, but not cut out of a sheet of cheap foil).
There are two knives that I absolutely love.
Robert Herder Solingen 1922 series
This beauty is extremely thin. Like, crazy thin. However, it is a carbon steel (not stainless) and requires immense care to prevent it from rusting. In return you get a knife with crazy hard and thin edge capable of cutting paper-thin anything.
My daily workhorse is P-18 CHROMA type301 chef’s knife
And here is how it cuts:
When you can do that with a straight-edged knife, you know it is sharp.
So, if you are looking for a knife that is durable (provided that you use Steel on it every day), great for use with forward pinch (but you can cut in regular way as well), and is a damned looker, look no further.
MOSFiATA 8 Super Sharp Professional Chef’s Knife
Professional chefs consider the sharpness, balance and versatility of the knife more. If you are looking for sharper and weight, I would recommend Letcase kitchen knife set .
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
Most real pros use cheap ones from the restaurant supply house for most sizes and shapes, and will own one or maybe two really good ones from a custom blade smith. It’s not so much a brand thing.
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
You asked,
What brand of knives do professional chefs prefer, and why?
Misono UX10. Fantastic weighting, balance, holds sharpness and easy upkeep by stone and steel. I have four of them and a Shun.
If you’re not a professional chef, or don’t care much about knives, then any knife will do as long as you keep it sharp – as in, KEEP IT SHARP.
There is nothing more dangerous in a kitchen than a dull knife in the hands of an idiot. And that’s anybody with a dull knife in their hand in the kitchen…
PS. Have had my Mi…
12-Piece Color-Coded Kitchen Knife Set, 6 Knives with 6 Blade Guards
I’ve been working as a chef now for over 5 years, and I personally prefer Kiwi. It’s a brand sold in Thailand and they are super easy to use and sharp as hell!
Tac-Force- Spring Assisted Folding Pocket Knife
Mac UK-80. It is the Honda Civic of knives. Japanese, well-made, but totally affordable. You can get one for about 60 bucks, and they are fiendishly sharp. They take that edge back easily, too. They are light, easy on the hands, and versatile. I use one for nearly everything, and I buy them for friends and family for Xmas.
Before you ask, that hole in the nose of the blade is for hanging it on a hook. I don’t really like that part. It creates a weak spot, and the blade can snap. Of course, to do this, you have to be being just plain irresponsible. (I was trying to use the thing to cut a wheel of parmiggiano-reggiano with an inch thick, rock-hard rind.)
ALBATROSS EDC Cool Sharp Tactical Folding Pocket Knife
I use Victorinox from Switzerland. They are light ,easy to keep sharp , very ergonomical handle, really well balanced, can slice through Commis Chef’s and Waiters like a hot knife going through Commis Chef’s and Waiters!
Every piece of equipment I have used from vegetable peeler to sharpening steel I have liked . I do prefer a Swibo for my Boning knife though , another Swiss company .
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
I’m not a chef, or a professional cook, but I am a passionate home cook with quite the collection of chefs knifes. Some of which are very expensive (See Yaxell Super GOU) lol. 9/10 I reach for “The Grandfather”
its a knife that has its drawbacks (full carbon and will rust in the air if you’re not too careful) but 4 or 5 passes of the steel and it’s back to being a hair-splitting razor blade, the tip is thin enough for fine work and the spine is thick enough for serious chopping. All around it’s ideal and it feels good in my hand. If you can find a -real- one, you won’t be disappointed.
Zelite Infinity Damascus Chef Knife 8 Inch, Japanese Chef Knife
I began cooking professionally in the very early 90’s and at the time, most of the cooks and chefs I came up with stuck with the two big Germans: Zwilling JA Henckels and Wusthof. Both of them had been in American kitchens since the 60s. And for young cooks on a budget, the best bang for your buck was the Henckels Four Star Series, particularly for lighter duty pieces like paring and boning knives. It seemed like every cook had at least a few. This was just a little before the major Japanese brands exploded into the American market and ignited a seismic shift towards thinner ground blades with sharper edge geometries. Still, through all that, these two brands have remained absolutely relevant, although they have had to adjust some of their traditional designs. The Zwilling Pro, Professional S, and Four Star lines are still typically found in most professional kitchens, and Wusthof Classics and Ikons are just everywhere. There…
Spring Assisted Knife – Pocket Folding Knife – Military Style
I’ve had wusthof, henckels , global , victorinox , Sabatier , no-name Japanese wooden handled .
I tend to look at the steel rather than the brand these days and find x50 Cr mo v15 a pretty good all rounder. Good bang for the buck ; I don’t want to have to be too precious about knives , so go for £30-£80 range. You can pick up knives using this steel surprisingly cheap sometimes.
I managed to pick up a henckels slicer for £45 (£30 off the rrp) a few years ago and still have it . I really like it – the ice hardened steel stays sharp and the edge is easily topped up with a few strokes on a steel.
Gerber Gear 22-48485 Paraframe Mini Pocket Knife, 2.2 Inch Fine Edge Blade
What brand of knives do professional chefs prefer, and why?
The chef’s from America’s Test Kitchen seem to like the Victorinox 8 inch Chef’s knife , which is fairly cheap considering it’s less than $50. So it seems like price isn’t the biggest indicator at what makes a good knife.
While not a professional, I enjoy cooking at home and I prefer the Wusthof Classic Ikon 8 inch . It’s a little more expensive than the Victorinox, but I prefer the handle and heft to the other knives I tried.
RoverTac Pocket Knife Multitool Folding Knife Tactical Survival Camping Knife
Every chef has their own preferences as to knives.
Good knives are not cheap…
knives differ in weight, balance, suitability, length,, feel, and steel quality.
eg,A Shoe doesn’t fit,suit everybody… same with a knife.!!
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
Like someone else said on here I use wusthof and foreshner as my workhorses reserving my nice knives for intricate cutting or if I’m doing a demonstration or something. Dont go by those expensive knives and start chopping away at prep work, you will break them (or untrained prep cook will) wusthof is solid and holds an edge well although I’m not impressed with their newer lines the old ones will keep you slicing and dicing for years.
Pocket Knife Spring Assisted Folding Knives
I use F. Dick. They are workman quality knives. Not particularly well known nor respected as say Victorinox, Global or Wustof but for my money they’re the best. Good quality steel, well made and over a century of making knives.
The picture is of my preferred knives: A 1920s F. Dick No.50 Lamb breaker (1.5kg knife), a late 1940s/ early1950s F. Dick Buffalo skinner and two wustof paring knives from the 60s. I do prefer old knives and I also have a couple of carbon steel chefs knifes from the early 20th century.
Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S 7.1in S.S. Folding Knife with 3.1in
There are many reasons for being particular about a brand. Fit, finish, sharpness, edge-retention and price/value are all considerations.
That said, many of my knives are custom, and those which are not are definitely what most people would consider “high-end” marks. First, let me show you what I keep in my kit:
From left-to-right: Gesshin-Hide 210mm aogami #1 Usuba, Monzaburo 240mm shirogami ni ko kiritsuke, Suisin Denso 300mm shirogami ni ko yanagiba, Suisin 240mm INOX wa-gyuto, Stefan Fowler W2 235mm wa-gyuto, Suisin aogami ni ko deba, Miyabi 5″ 6000 birchwood petty knife
From left-to-right: Miyabi 5000 6″ chef’s knife, Shun Ken Onion 8″ chef’s knife, Suisin INOX 210mm wa-gyuto, Zakuri aogami-”super” 240mm wa-gyuto, Tatatsuna 240mm white #2 wa-gyuto
There’s one really nice blade that I do not keep in my kit: a Nakaya Heiji 240mm Iwasaki ko wa-gyuto. I keep that in my kitchen at home, for home use. It’s beautiful, takes and holds an edge like nothing else — really, nothing else — and is fantastically put together. Also — even compared to the knives above — is crazy expensive.
Some of the blades look “dirty” or “rusty”. They are neither — that is patina , acquired from use, and it actually protects the blades from rust. Many of my blades are high-carbon steel, and not stainless. High-carbon steel requires a bit more care, but will definitely get sharper than stainless.
So, first thing most people notice is that most of those knives aren’t from anyone you’ve heard of before. Shun and maybe Miyabi. That’s it.
The second thing many people notice about my kit is the heavy preference towards the chef’s knife/wa-gyuto, and especially around 240mm (10″). There’s a reason: the chef’s knife is the most versatile in the kitchen. For me, the 240mm (or thereabouts) blade is the most useful. But not every knife is good for every thing. Some of those blades are like laser beams — very thin, for good, clean, fine cutting. Others are a bit thicker, for tougher items. I pick the knife based on the task.
So, why so many of “nearly the same blade”. Thinner, thicker, different steels (white #1 & #2, blue #1, #2 and “super”, INOX [19C27], Iwasaki) which take and hold different edges.
Then there’s the short chef’s knives/wa-gyutos — an 210mm (8″) and a 150mm (6″). Those are for use on the line, where space is at a premium, and swinging a long blade can be a challenge. And the Shun Ken Onion has it’s uses, too — especially good at rock-chopping/mincing due to the blade curvature — and it isn’t the sharpest knife in my kit, but it holds an edge like nothing else.
Some specialty knives: a Kiritsuke, mostly used for garnishing work and other vegetable prep. Same with the Usuba. The Deba is for fish prep.
The 5′ prep knife is also for the line, and sometimes for prep.
So, now you see what is in my collection. Which is my favourite? Depends on what I’m doing.
Do I have a “preferred” brand? Not exactly. I know what’s out there and what I can get — and how it compares to more mass-produced knives. That said, my experience has been, as far as fit/finish/quality, for knives you can easily find at a decent shop, Miyabi (which is actually a Japanese company bought by Henkel).
However, for a “production” knife, for not much more money for a knife that has the best fit and finish, the best overall quality, the fewest flaws, takes and holds an incredible edge, it’s Suisin, hands-down.
MOSSY OAK 14-inch Bowie Knife, Full-tang Fixed Blade Wood
I get so much shit for my knives. My workhorse is a Calphalon Katana 7″ santoku hybrid. Yeah, a Calphalon made to look like folded steel. Thing is, it’s lightweight, beautifully balanced, and the grip is small enough for my tiny hands.
As you can see from the answers, we’re incredibly varied in our preferences. The only way to know which knife is good for you is to get it in your hand.
imarku Japanese Chef Knife – Pro Kitchen Knife 8 Inch Chef’s Knives
What brand of knives do professional chefs prefer, and why?
I think that each person has their own ideas as to what works best for them. Among all the cooks and stewards that I’ve worked with most really didn’t care what knife they had, they were too busy trying to get the meal out to worry about knife brands. Probably the most common brands among those who paid attention to it were Wusthof and Henkels. They were old school seamen and that was the best at that time so that’s all they knew.
In today’s world, for me, Japanese knives are all I will use. Japanese knives are thinner lighter and sharper than their German equivalents. German knives are rock solid. You can even open tin cans with them. If you’re hard on your tools, German knives will be a better choice. They can take it. Japanese knives are made of much harder steel than German knives. They will hold an edge for much longer, but they will also chip or break if stressed. They should be seen as a precision instrument. They are made to cut and slice. They will not survive if you try to use one as a cleaver.
It’s basically matching your choice of knife to your style of cooking. The German chef knives have more of a curved blade, a belly, they are more conducive to a rocking motion when chopping. The Japanese “gyuto” or chef knife is patterned like the french style chef knife. It has a straighter, flatter blade, more suited to slicing.
It should be noted that the gyuto is mainly produced for the western market. Japanese chefs have a myriad of single edged bevel knives each made for a specific purpose and made for right handed customers. A left handed model needs to be special ordered, usually at a 30% premium.
There is always the comment that you don’t need an expensive knife. That is 100% true. Any knife will get the job done. A Yugo and a BMW are both cars. They will both get you from point A to point B. The question is how comfortable do you want to be and how much are you willing to pay for that comfort. When you have 2 to 4 hours of prep work daily and you’re often grabbing for a knife in the other 8 hours of your shift comfort matters. It just makes your life easier.
I started with entry level Japanese knives ~$100, in the same price range as their German eqivalents. Over the years I’ve accumulated a fair collection, and settled in the $300-$400 range for a well made comfortable knife that will see me through my day.
As a final word, I’ve seen many old school German knife lovers make the switch to Japanese knives and be very happy. I’ve never seen someone switch from Japanese knives to German.
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
Mosts cooks will work with what they have got as long as you sharpen a knife any one can serve you well! But once you get into more expensive knifes edge retention and sturdiness increase, your knife stays sharper for longer, and it can take more of a beating. I like Wusthof and Shun! Shun knifes are great for precision cuts and keep their edge for a long time which is what I need for most of my knifes. I have a Wusthof cleaver which is perfect because german knifes can get beat up much more than japanese knifes like Shun. So shun keeps it’s edge longer but is more brittle, wusthof is still really god when it comes to edges. But still wears down faster. But Wusthof is sturdy as hell, I could throw it at a concrete wall and it might be a little chipped but otherwise okay. If you did that with a shun it would most likely snap off a piece! These are just my two favorites. Global is interesting and innovative, Mercer has some cool knifes, Dalstrong has some awesome looking collections. Honestly I can talk all day about this, but at the end of the day there are a lot of good knifes out there, and it matters much more what style of knife you are using than what brand! I like Santoku knifes the most tbh!
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
Personally I go with Wusthof.
Love the feel of them, they have perfect weight and balance for me.
Razor sharp on purchase and blade wears well.
Well maintained these knives will be as good as the day you got them for many years.
German engineering, what can I say.
Forged Viking Knives, Husk Chef Knife Butcher Knives Handmade Fishing
It really, truly depends on the chef. I’ve known people who swear by ceramic, people who swear by damascus steel, people who swear by high carbon, this brand, that brand…
What it boils down to, to get to the meat of it, is this: What feels most comfortable in YOUR hand when YOU are working. Personally, I was introduced to Sha Ra Ku Mono years ago when I was living in Seattle and it’s what I use to this day. I bought several (they don’t come as a set – they run about $80 – $100 each) and have three left of the original 6 that I had bought. Those three are my work knives. They’re beat up, one of them rattles when you use it, but they can still be honed to a razor edge. They’re super-lightweight. Almost fee…
CJRB CUTLERY Folding Knife Crag
Most chefs I worked with used Wusthofs, J.A. Henckels, or Shuns, although I also saw a set of Globals as well. When I was cooking, I had a Wusthof which I still have today. I now also have a Henckel that works well but I do a lot less knife work these days.
HENCKELS 8-pc Steak Knife Set