A santoku is the knife for cooks who chop straight down instead of rocking. Its flat edge lands on the board from heel to tip, the dropped tip keeps your fingers clear, and the shorter blade feels nimble on a … Read more
A whetstone is the one sharpener that works on every knife you own, from a soft German chef’s knife to a hard Japanese gyuto to the folder in your pocket. Pull-through gadgets grind a fixed angle with carbide or ceramic … Read more
HENCKELS knives are good value, and of all its lines I’d buy Classic: fully forged, made in Spain, and close in feel to the far more expensive ZWILLING knives from the same company. The stamped sets (Statement, Solution) are fine … Read more
The Tumbler is a good sharpener for people who want sharp kitchen knives and will never learn to use a whetstone. You stick the knife to a magnetic block that sets the angle, roll a diamond disc along the edge, … Read more
Most people who search for the best kitchen knives are really asking which knives to buy, and the answer is fewer than the block sets suggest. A home kitchen runs on a chef’s knife (or a santoku), a small paring … Read more
The best ulu for most kitchens is The Ulu Factory’s Alaskan Ulu: a 6-inch stainless crescent blade with a wooden handle above it, made in Anchorage. You press it down and rock it instead of sawing back and forth, which … Read more
A butcher knife isn’t a cleaver. It’s a long, curved blade for slicing through big pieces of raw meat in one sweeping stroke: splitting a brisket, portioning a pork loin, cutting steaks from a strip loin. My pick for most … Read more
Before you sharpen a Cutco knife, look closely at its edge. Cutco makes two kinds. Straight-edge knives, like the chef’s knives, santoku and paring knives, sharpen like any other kitchen knife. Double-D knives have a pattern of tiny recessed scallops … Read more
Victorinox makes the best value kitchen knives you can buy, and the Swiss Army knife that started the company is still the pocket tool I’d hand most people. Buy it if you want knives that cut well, grip when wet … Read more
Work Sharp is the sharpening brand I’d point most people to first, with one condition: buy the right model, because the range runs from a simple kitchen pull-through to belt grinders that will reshape an axe. The guided and field … Read more