Do you really need that knife set?
No, say most professionals. Rather than buying a block full of blades, start with the best chef’s knife and paring knife you can afford. Then, add a flexible boning knife and serrated bread knife when the budget allows. A santoku, the Japanese-style chef’s knife, is another fun-to-use option.
For knife-buying advice, we looked to Cook’s Illustrated, the magazine that tests equipment in the same way as Consumer Reports. In 2005, Cook’s answered the question, “Could we find a decent knife for less than $50?” This January, the staff posted an update: “Our recommended knife has been and continues to be the Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef’s knife.”
Top choice:
Forschner Victorinox Fibrox Chef’s Knife, $25.33
One tester summed it up: “Premium-quality knife at a bargain price.” Knives costing four times as much would be hard pressed to match its performance. The blade is curved and sharp; the handle comfortable. Overall, “sturdy” and “well balanced.”
Chef’s knives also recommended:
Wüsthof Gourmet Cook’s Knife, $49.99
Best suited for cooks with smaller hands. Testers with large hands complained that their knuckles hit the board before the blade did. The spine of the knife was thought to be “unnecessarily sharp,” but this knife performed well in all tests.
MAC Chef Series Chef’s Knife, $47.50
This “ultra-light” knife is also “ultra-sharp,” although the “skinny” handle doesn’t fill a palm very well and the thin blade is too flexible to chop up squash or chicken bones. If you use a cleaver for those tasks, this knife could be a “nimble” addition to your collection.
When the magazine tested paring knives, Forschner prevailed again.
Top paring knife:
Forschner Fibrox 4-Inch Paring Knife, $4.95
Testers loved the “great flexibility” of this knife, which slid under silver skin easily and turned the curve of an apple nicely. Though some testers complained that this lightest of all the knives lacked “heft,” most agreed that the super-thin, razor-sharp edge more than made up for it.
Paring knives also recommended:
KitchenAid Cook’s Series 3.5-Inch Paring Knife, $9.99
With the thinnest of all blades and an extremely narrow pointed tip, this knife was a standout in the tenderloin and apple tests. Some testers complained about the heavy handle, but most praised the “smooth” cuts from the “nice sharp blade.”
Wüsthof Classic 3.5-Inch Paring Knife, $29.95
Testers praised the “incredibly sharp” blade that made slicing an apple “like cutting butter.” Though the “stiff” blade came in handy in the shallot test, most testers agreed that they would prefer a bit more flexibility.
Sources: Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines
