The best kitchen knives for today's home cook

A good knife can elevate dinner prep from a chore to a pleasure. It’s an investment and treasure that should - with the right care - last a lifetime.

A good knife is also safer to work with than an inexpensive, lightweight, stainless steel job that will rapidly become dull and prone to slipping off foods, resulting in kitchen accidents.

But what makes a good knife? There are a few things to look for, and a few to avoid.

1. The blade
Just say no to stainless steel. Sure, these blades will keep their shine, but will soon lose their edge, and are too brittle to be sharpened. Once they're dull, you might as well throw them away. Look for high-carbon, no-stain steel. These knives will require some care: wash by hand—never run them through the dishwasher—and dry completely as they can rust. Take the time to sharpen them yourself, or have them sharpened by a professional now and then. Talk to your local kitchen supply shop, or inquire about sharpening where you purchased the knife, as many shops that sell knives also offer professional sharpening services.

2. The construction
The best knives boast only a two-part construction: blade and handle. That means, there are fewer, and in some cases, no parts to get loose, fall off, or come unglued. When looking at the knife, your eye should be able to follow the back of the blade, as the blade turns into the tang, uninterrupted, right to the end of the handle. In a poor quality knife, the blade may only extend a few inches into the handle, and will inevitably fall out… usually right in the middle of carving that holiday bird!

3. The handle
The handle is really a matter of personal taste and style. Here, the choices come down to earthy wood, sleek synthetic, bacteria-resistant plastic, grip-enhancing silicon, or one-piece, über-modern steel. But regardless of the material, a well-designed, ergonomic handle will just feel right when you pick it up.

What you really need
I think we’ve all stood baffled at the knife counter, and felt we had to buy one of everything on display. Not so. Knife sets are tempting and do make lovely gifts, but most cooks only need one really good knife for almost all kitchen jobs, and that’s the classic 8” to 10” chef’s knife.

Round out your knife collection with a pairing knife for delicate work, a good quality serrated knife for slicing bread and tomatoes, a steel for maintenance, and you’re good to go. (Watch how to properly steel a knife on page 2.)

However, there is a new kid in town, and his name is Santoku.

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