Chef Knife Sets: What You Need to Know About Kitchen Knives

Avoid putting your good knives in a dishwasher. The detergent can discolor and stain the handles

It's not everyday that we look for a set or kitchen or chef knives so you may not be sure what to look for and how to choose your individual knife or your set.

Whether you are looking for a set for yourself or as a gift I'll give you a few tips to help you in your quest.

Just remember that as you look at your choices,the higher the quality the longer your knives will perform flawlessly. Most sets if taken care of properly ( and we will cover this further down the page) will last a lifetime and will hold up long enough to pass down to your children.

1. You will want to choose a knife that has sharp edges in addition to sharp a sharp tip.
While you already know that a sharp knife will give you the best performance and will make it easier for you to cut, slice, chop and dice you will want to make sure that the knife description mentions that the edges and centers are sharp in addition to just the tip. Remember that you will be doing most of your food prep with the edges and not the tip.

2. Check the material that the blade is made of..
There are three choices that you should focus on and they are carbon steel, ceramics, and stainless steel. Each has their own properties and will work differently in your kitchen. Ceramic knives are a highly popular choice but you should know that if you drop a ceramic knife on a hard surface it may shatter or a piece of the tip can break off. Always try to keep your knives
( ceramic or not) away from the edge of your counter.

3. Handles that are evenly weighted, heavy, and slip resistant.
A properly balanced knife will handle much easier, there will be less chance of it falling out of your hand and will also do much of the work for you. A handle that is not balanced or a handle that is too light weight can easily slip and if you are doing a lot of food preparation can make your wrist and finger tired. A slip resistant handle will help you avoid injury to yourself and those around you and this is especially true when your hands may become greasy or wet.

4. A well-known brand with an excellent reputation.
Many of us can name a few knife brands but not all of them are known for their quality. You may just know the name from seeing infomercials or ads on the television or online. Before you purchase a knife or knife set be sure to real read customer reviews and not just a single review on a website. You want to see what more than just a few people have to say so that you can get a very good idea of how your knife will work and hold up.

5. Make sure that the knife comes with a guarantee that offers 100% satisfaction .
But you also must think about the reputation of the company. It is is an off the wall brand that you have never heard of before, then it really doesn't matter if they give you a lifetime guarantee if they will be out of business in a year or if will cost you more to send back your knife then it was to purchase it in the first place.
That's why you need to stick with highly visible brands with a lot of customer reviews. Then and only then is their guarantee is really worth it.

When you are purchasing your knife or knife set these 5 tips will help you get the best knife for your money and food preparation tasks. It will only take you a few moments to see if the knife that you are looking at falls into the "it's a good purchase" category.

Some knives are ever sharp and will not need to get sharpened. Otherwise sharpen your knives as needed - usually after 5-8 uses, depending on what type of foods you are working with.

Your block will occasionally need to be cleaned to remove dust and kitchen splatters.
Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to clean it properly.
If you do not have instructions, then clean your block with a clean damp cloth.
Do not place in a dishwasher and if you must just use a very small amount of a gentle dish washing liquid. Remember to let your block dry thoroughly before placing your knives back in the block.

Santoku knives are the favorite knife of choice for dicing, chopping and slicing.
Their scalloped edges (properly called a granton edge) allows small food pieces to be released easily so that you can dice or chop more in a shorter amount of time and with less time spent cleaning off the blade.
The weight of a Santoku knife if well balanced helping you avoid hand and wrist fatigue.
Want to add a Santoku knife to your collection?
Start off with a 7" as this is the most popular size.

Whimsical knife block sets make a statement, without saying a word.
The knives include an 8-inch chef's knife, an 8-inch bread knife, an 8-inch carver, a 5-inch utility knife, and a 3-1/2-inch paring knife and come with a 25 year guarantee
(don't you wish that you got a guarantee on your relationship?)

Take him for a spin - literally!
Made of hand crafted wood, it comes complete with 5 stainless steel razor sharp professional chef knives.
Each knife is held securely by magnets in individual protective sheathes.
Fashioned after "The Wheel Of Death" this set is an instant conversation starter & will bring tons of smiles & laughs to you and your guests.

A cutting board can bread germs and salmonella.
Be sure to clean your cutting board thoroughly after each use.
When cutting chicken, be sure to clean your board and knife well before chopping the rest of your meal.
If possible have two cutting boards; one for meat and one for vegetables and greens that you will eat without cooking.