Samm

Is it worth it to but the expensive knives? I need new ones and the prices vary, I guess for cutting power.

FourBear

It depends, I think. I got 3 knives really cheap from K-Mart, and they are some of the sharpest knives I've ever owned. They were so sharp that I cut myself without knowing when I took them out of the package. Cheap-yet-sharp knives work well for me, since I don't trust my apartmentmates to not destroy them or take care of them properly.

Melizzy

It depends, yes. I like to have at least one really good knife and a steak knife.

abngourmet

I would offer that a good knife is the essential tool in any kitchen, be it home or restaurant. Most chefs will tell you that their knife is an extension of their hand, and they'd be correct. It is the single most important implement in the kitchen IMHO (and the opinion of just about every chef I've ever talked to or took classes from).

Most home cooks need three knives: a 6-10" Chef's, a 3-4 paring knife, and a "utility" or regular knife if you will. Bread knives, boning knives, tourne knives, etc. are nice to have but not essential for most folks. There are lots of brands out there as I think most people know, but the higher end lines are forged from a single piece of steel. There are also excellent stamped knives (Forschner comes to mind, as does Mac) that perform equally well for a lot of cooks and chefs.

I have over 60 pieces of cutlery I've collected over the years, to include about 15 Chef's knives. I've got models from Henckels, Wusthof, F.Dick, Global, Mac, Kyocera, Kasumi, Shun, and a few more. The difference to me between them and, say, a cheaper knife bought from a Target or Wal-Mart is night and day. It doesn't mean that one can't use a cheaper knife, but the pricier versions will definitely last longer, have a keener edge and make a lot of kitchen tasks that much easier IMHO.

For me, I prefer the German style knives (my F. Dick is the favorite here) and the Shun Japanese style. Both feel very comfortable in my hand, and I use them daily.

Samm

Well I bought some knives and they were costly, but I do have to admit, they are so worth it, each knife for different uses, I used to just use a couple for everything, boy was i wrong!

Rob

abngourmet: great post, +rep!

I think that the common cook is mystified by knives because of all the shams and promises of infomercials that make knives seem like some gimmick. You know the, "But wait... There's MORE! We'll also throw in this..." Haha

But, if you have ever worked with a bad knife and a great knife you know how important it is. Try slicing tomatoes with each, that should give you an idea. And, does anyone here want to chime in with the importance of sharpening your knives and how to go about doing it for best results?

hardcase

Knifes are very important and a dull or not sharp knife is not only hard to cut with and bruises delicate veggies and fruits, but they are dangerous because you have to put more pressure on what you are cutting to get the same job done, which opens the door to it slipping and you getting cut.Also I used to know a ER doctor who said a sharp knife made a smooth cut which was easy to stitch up but a dull knife ripped the flesh and made a jagged cut which was a lot harder to stitch. Check out the ceramic chef knifes they do a good job.

jmw

Yes, I think a good knife is an investment well worth the cost. I just bought a Shun Ultimate U2 Utility knife a few months ago and love, love, love it!! It has a wavey edge on it so I think I'm going to have it professionally sharpened otherwise I sharpen my knives every few weeks myself.