We get it . Sometimes a “ homecooked ” meal think drop behind your meritless seat home late from work to slice up an avocado pear , slap it on some bread , and dredge it in red-hot sauce while cruise Netflix . But just because you ’re not getting all Ina Garten up in your efficiency kitchen on a Tuesday does n’t entail you should use the shitty knife your last roommate exit behind . That diddly-squat is life-threatening – it ’s well-to-do to err and prune yourself with a dull , unconvincing tongue than a keen one , which will move through a potato like butter . Even the occasional home cook should have a introductory set of good tone kitchen knife – a chef ’s knife , a paring tongue , and a bread knife – and you may purchase all three for less than $ 100 . Having ones that slice apace and maneuver easy makes dinner party preparation approximately 1,000 prison term less annoying .
And you do n’t have to shell out hundys for a great , sharp tongue . There are some crazy expensive ones made by samurai descendent and excogitate in , like , the blast of a mountain cave or something , but unless you ’re an ultra - serious chef , you do n’t need to beat out that kind of dough . or else , consider these 10 excellent , inexpensive knife .
Chef’s knives
Wüsthof Pro 8in Cook’s Knife, $30
For a truly budget chef ’s tongue , you ca n’t beat the Wüsthof Pro . The bare - os workhorse was designed for the rough and tumble of fiery restaurant kitchen . Though lightweight , the Pro is inflexible and sharp , with a tall , curving blade that facilitates a rocking motion for fleet chopping . This knife is a bit bigger than others on the list – and might be slightly trickier for small-scale hands to maneuver – but the rubberized , ergonomic handle is the most comfortable of any of them .
J.A. Henckels International Classic 8in Chef’s Knife, $55
J.A. Henckels International is the offshoot note value brand of ZWILLING J.A. Henckels , a democratic German knife manufacturer . Both are made from German steel – valued , along with Japanese steel , for its durability – the master conflict is that the pricier ZWILLING knives are made in Germany , while the less expensive outside knife are farmed out to Spanish manufacturers . As a result , outside knife are about a third the cost . But this one is still a hefty , well - balanced , and sturdy slicer . hard than the Wusthof Pro , it can feel like it ’s actually helping you slice .
Misen Chef’s Knife, $65
If you ’re willing to drop a bit more on your chef ’s knife , get the Misen . The Everlane of the tongue world , Misen is a direct - to - consumer offset - up . Because of its cut - out - the - middleman model , the knife is more than half the cost of similar high - timber knives . The Misen tongue , with its slender , acuate Japanese sword blade , is beautifully balanced ; it ’s nicely weight , but delicate and easy to hold . It also look dandy , and offers you the option of a pale blue , gray , or standard black handle .
Santoku knife
Mercer Culinary Genesis 7in Forged Santoku Knife, $30
The santoku is an all - purpose Nipponese tongue that some Cook favour to the westerly chef ’s tongue . It ’s typically shorter than a German - stylus chef ’s tongue – five to seven inches long instead of eight to 10 – has a straighter , thinner blade , and a rounded bakshish , which make it bang-up for chop up and finespun fade . The little size can also feel more manageable for those lacking serious tongue accomplishment . Mercer add the majority of culinary schools in North America with knives , and excels at tough but affordable products . Its santoku knife is hefty and sharp , with a rubberized handgrip that makes it easy to grip .
Paring knives
Victorinox Swiss Classic 3¼in Paring Knife, $9
A paring knife does n’t need to be intemperate to be sound . In fact , you ’re often better off with a easy , simple knife like this one from Victorinox , the fellowship considerably make out for its Swiss Army knives . With its thin leaf blade and grippy charge card handle , this knife may feel insubstantial , but it ’s plenty sharp and great for handling delicate work like slicing berries or peeling an apple . The handle also comes in lots of fun , bright coloration .
Wüsthof Gourmet 3in Paring Knife, $13
If you prefer a knife that feel a little more hearty , try the Wüsthof Gourmet knife . The handle has a little more weight unit to it than the Victorinox , or the paring tongue from Wüsthof ’s Pro demarcation ( which is like the Victorinox but with a short blade and less grippy handgrip ) . This Wüsthof still feel well-situated to give through delicate work , and its weight may help you feel more in command , but the blade is a tad short than the Victorinox , which mean it might not get a clean slice through broad fruit and vegetables .
Bread knives
Dexter-Russell Basics 10in Scalloped Slicer, $16
A good serrate bread knife , maybe even more than any other knife , needs to be sharp , hardy , and cheap , because even though you technicallycansharpen them , it ’s very annoying and hard to do . So you need a knife that ’s super - sharp to start out with , and will last a while before it ’s so dull you have to replace it . The Dexter - Russell is that knife : It ’s as basic as they fall , but heavy , warm , and sharp enough to glide through a crusty loaf or a frail tomato with informality .
Mercer Culinary Millenia 10in Wide Bread Knife, $15
This is a popular budget bread knife , and a few features make it a bit nicer to practice than the Dexter - Russell . For one , the handgrip is slightly countervail from the blade , so your brass knucks stay clear of the counter even when you ’re sawing through the bottom of the loaf of bread . The handle also has a well-heeled rubberized grip , and the thin curve of the blade facilitates sawing back and forth . But when it make out down to it , this knife had a lilliputian more drag than the Dexter - Russell – it ’s not quite as sharp .
Cleaver
Dexter-Russell Cleaver, $38
You do not necessarilyneeda cleaver for routine kitchen work . But it can fare in handy for more than just hacking up a chicken . practice it for chop intemperate vegetables like winter squash , or for roughly mincing anything from spring onion to beef . Plus , the wide-eyed flat of the knife is unspoiled for scooping things up off your clipping board . Good cleavers are n’t always cheap , but Dexter - Russell makes a nice sinewy one that will stand up to a whacking . For toughened task , or if you have really potent arms , go for the beastly8 in big - responsibility version .
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Courtesy of Mercer Culinary
Courtesy of Wusthof
Courtesy of Mercer Culinary
Courtesy of Wusthof
Courtesy of Mercer Culinary
