While buying a knife for your food preparation, you may have noticed that there are ceramic and steel knives. However, it comes down to which one should you purchase? Which one is better? That’s why this article will let you know whether a ceramic or a steel knife is a better choice. Let’s settle the Ceramic VS Steel Knife debate!
Ceramic Knife
These knives are made of both ceramic as well as Zirconium oxide. One needs to dry press it in order for a solid material to form. After that, one needs to sharpen it and then a sharp ceramic blade can be in use. When measured on a Mohs scale, the hardness is at eight-point-five. This is why the ceramic is second to diamonds for its hardness.
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Blade & Sharpness
When it comes to a knife being made of ceramic, they are known for being quite hard. If you don’t know, ceramic is one of the hardest materials. It’s the second on the list, in fact. This means that if you buy a ceramic knife, you won’t have to worry about it becoming dull quickly. It is extremely sharp and will stay so for a very long time. If it ever comes down that you need to sharpen the knife, you can get sharpening for free most of the time.
It’s also important to note that because of its hardness, it will likely fail to cut through tough foods. So you shouldn’t be using a ceramic knife for that. Such tough food includes frozen food, bones and anything that can’t be easily sliced. Because of that, ceramic knives can easily chip. Despite being able to fix the chip with sharpening, it is still not recommended to use a ceramic knife to slice hard food.
Durability
Generally, the edges of ceramic knives aren’t so durable. That is because ceramic knives are more likely to shatter. However, when it comes to rusting, it’s expected for ceramic knives to last longer in that category. However, these days it is possible to purchase a stainless steel knife in which case a steel knife wins partially here.
Weight
When it comes to weight, ceramic knives are a lot more lightweight than steel knives. This makes them ideal for anyone because it means these knives don’t cause back pain while cutting. You will be able to handle these knives with incredible ease no matter how strong you are or not.
Usage
Ceramic knives are most ideal for cutting meat, bread, vegetables and fruit. That is because they are incredibly sharp so you will be able to cut through these items with ease and accuracy. However, they are not generally very versatile. They only have one intended use and have more or less difficulty completing different tasks that aren’t intended.
Some ceramic knives are sharpened more excessively so they gain enough sharpness. Such sharpness allows them to cut very smoothly through vegetables like tomatoes. Because, as we know, tomatoes have a skin that’s quite hard to pierce through. Overall, these knives are extra sharp and should be used carefully so they don’t break or chip.
Odours
What’s so great about ceramic knives is that they are not porous. This means that any sort of scent or smell won’t stick to the knife. In that way, you won’t need to worry about transferring it from one food to another. That case is more often than not a thing with steel knives.
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Steel Knife
Materials used to make a steel knife are carbon, titanium, iron and even more materials. They are either a combination of all of them or just a few. That’s why there are so many different types of steel knives. With a steel knife, one can carve, serrating, pairing etc.
Blade & Sharpness
Steel knives are not as sharp as their ceramic counterpart. However, they can be used to slice any sort of food including the hard food. They can also be designed to have stainless steel, which comes close to the sharpness of a ceramic knife. The steel is a much softer material in comparison to ceramic. That’s why it dulls more often and requires sharpening frequently.
Knives with stainless steel are sharpened very frequently especially. That is in order to keep up their longevity and make them last for a longer time. Unlike ceramic knives, one can easily sharpen a steel knife at home. One can purchase a honing rod or steel in order to maintain the sharpness of the steel knife.
Durability
When it comes to durability, steel knives generally can last you for a very long time. Despite you having to sharpen them regularly, they can be in your kitchen for quite some time. Just because you need to sharpen them doesn’t mean that they aren’t durable. Dropping them doesn’t break them so you don’t need to be too careful with them unlike with ceramic knives.
So, steel knives are definitely more durable than ceramic ones. They don’t shatter or chip easily at all. This makes them also much tougher. Also, in case the knife is made out of stainless steel, it can’t rust so it even adds to its longevity.
Weight
Steel knives are definitely heavier than ceramic ones. So, you may need a little bit of strength in your arms to use them. However, steel knives do get the job done so it isn’t that big of a problem. On top of that, there is a good balance to handle due to the weight. This makes the cutting experience a lot more efficient.
Usage
Steel knives are a lot more versatile than ceramic ones. They can cut through almost any food and this includes hard ones. There are many different types of steel knives that one can purchase for different purposes. That’s one of the reasons why they are more popular than ceramic ones. Stainless steel can also reach the sharpness of a regular ceramic knife, so steel knives can also be used to cut through vegetables, bread, fruit etc.
It mostly up to your needs and your cooking style what kind of steel knife you’re going to go for. Luckily, there are many types and you can feel free to choose whichever you please. You will notice that every one of them has their different purpose. There are many different components that make the steel knife as well and that’s one of the reasons why they are so versatile.
Odours
Unlike ceramic knives, steel knives do transfer odour from one food to another. That is because they do have pores so that could be a problem. Not only that but the possibility of dirt and germs sticking to them is also quite likely as well. That’s why thorough cleaning and scrubbing of steel knives is highly recommended.
Ceramic VS Steel Knife: Conclusion
In the end, you may wonder which one is better: is it a ceramic knife or a steel knife? Well, it certainly depends entirely on what you need a knife for. Steel knives are generally more versatile and are more durable, so if you’re not entirely sure, steel knives provide a range of options. While ceramic knives are more narrow in their versatility and more prone to break.
Overall, we hope you have found this review informative and now know the differences between the two and that we settled the ceramic VS steel knives debate.
For more similar articles have a look at carbon vs stainless steel knives or German vs Japanese knives.
Gary Portman is the founder and main author of Knivesadvice.com. With his extensive knowledge and experience, he is committed to assisting people in choosing the perfect knife for their needs. Through his articles, Gary shares valuable insights on various aspects of knives. With his expertise, readers can make informed decisions and find a knife that is tailored to their preferences and requirements. You can find more info about Gary here.