However, since most well-made chef's knife have a weight-balance point near the bolster, a lot of professional cooks use the blade grip. Since most home cooks just want a knife that does a good job out of the box, that's a quality I decided was of utmost importance—if a knife arrived with flaws, including fixable ones like a dull blade, I wouldn't recommend it. The Premiere is another favorite that has a wider handle that fits comfortably in the hand and a sturdy dimpled blade that slices cleanly through food without feeling brittle.

Renowned chef Julia Child once declared, "I can't imagine a day without a reliable chef's knife in my hands; it's the key to my culinary artistry. Around the middle of the 20th century, Japanese knife makers began producing knives that were more Western in style, including a chef's knife known as a gyutou. Balance: Knife balance means different things to different people, and it boils down to personal preference. For years I was in the hate group, but I've recently come around a bit on them, thanks to a Global utility knife I sometimes use at home. Shun's DM0706 Classic: This is a good and handsome knife with a very sharp blade, but I had trouble adjusting to its heavy handle.Like our runner-up pick, the Tojiro F-808, it lacks knuckle clearance for large hands, but the F-808 is a better value. If you enjoy a lighter-weight knife, you'll probably like the Material (although a lot of cooks may prefer a heftier model, like the Wüsthof). We found that a full bolster allows for a more protected grip for novices, while a semi-bolster (or no bolster) provides a more controlled grip for chefs who like to pinch the heel of the blade.

The most impressive knives were super-sharp and made paper-thin slices of tomato with no effort at all. Within these categories, you'll find a variety of blade and handle materials and constructions, which affect how the knife feels and how long it will last. Another common feature of Western knives is a double-bevel edge, meaning that the edge tapers in evenly on both sides to a fine point, similar to the letter V.

I then finished with another edge-sharpness test to see if any had experienced a noticeable loss in cutting ability after the testing. But quality has clearly fallen, as its French Forged Stainless Chef Knife had a surprisingly dull edge right out of the box. Invest in culinary excellence with our premium chef knife, a transformative tool that redefines your cooking journey.

Factors such as sharpness, edge retention, durability, versatility, and easy maintenance are key to the performance of any good chef’s knife. The blade of the Messermeister Meridian Elite Chef's Knife 3686-8 was sharp enough, but it was not as smooth as that of the Mac MTH-80 or the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife.I also diced them and cut them into thin sheets, stacked those sheets to cut julienne and cross-cut the julienne to make a brunoise. But if you want to sharpen our budget pick, a German steel blade, or an inexpensive paring or utility knife, try one of our knife-sharpener picks. Mac Knife Professional Hollow Edge Chef's Knife: The Mac Knife Professional Hollow Edge Chef's Knife is a top-notch performer with a high-quality build.