The Raquel Rose

Good Knife for cooking

shapeshifter

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Feb 17, 2006
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I am dabbling in gourmet cooking, took a small course last fall and have bought a few books since then.

One thing that I need is a good knife, I like the look of the one Rachel Ray uses as her all pruprose type knife (have also seen the same one used on Iron Chef occasionally)


Here is the Rachel Ray knife that I am thinking of ordering, FURI PRO 7-INCH - Coppertail
East/West Knife:Granton Edge
any gourmet cooks out there with suggestions? any pro's or con's about the metal handle?
 

MasterRPC

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Aug 27, 2006
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do yourself a favor

go to a reperatable store that specalizes in knives. and handle several. some handles will feel better in you hand than others. also remeber it is a comfortable grip you don't need to choke the living shit out of the knife it's already dead. look for a blade at 8 or 10" and spend some good money on it.
have fun
 

HeMadeMeDoIt

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Feb 12, 2004
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gravitas

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There is nothing else in your kitchen that will get used as much as your basic three knives so don't skimp. I'm going to sound like a bit of a snob but if its being shilled by some greasy brit on late night TV then its a piece of shit. If it comes with a bonus of a fold flat colander, pasta scoop, ice cream maker or any other useless kitchen gadget then its a piece of shit. If you can buy a basic set (small paring knife, medium paring knife an a chef's knife) for under $50 they're a piece of shit, under $100 they're a piece of crap, under $150 you're getting close.

If you're operating on a budget you'll only need three knives. First, find the highest quality 8" chef's knife (or santuku, I actually prefer this style of knife given its straighter blade) that you can afford that feels natural and balanced in your hand. Handle shouldn't be too big or too small and you should be able to weld the knife we ease but still feel as though there's something of substance in your hand. After you've spent the bulk of your coin on a good chef's knife find a 4"-5" paring knife. Definitely look for something decent quality but since this knife will likely face a fair bit of abuse, and consequently shorter life, you don't need to go as high end. Find something that holds its edge, feels sturdy and again has a good handle as you're going to use it for coring, peeling, etc. Lastly find a cheap chef's knife that you can abuse without remorse. Find something with a molded plastic handle with a nice roughed up finish that you can hold onto if its wet or greasy.

Once you've got the knifes treat them well and use them as they were intended. Despite what you may have seen in those shitty infomercials don't use the knife to cut pipe, leather, rope, wire, tin cans, etc. I have an ex GF who seemed to think her kitchen knife was the household multitool. She'd use it as a screwdriver, can opener, stir stick....aside from bugging the hell out of me its just not safe. Next, keep the blades sharp! Knives, like people, get dull and need proper up keep. Sharpening the blades requires a bit of science and IMO something like this kit from MEC is perfect. Provides you everything you'll need to keep the blades sharp and your fingers safer. Once every few years, or if you get a major knick in the blade, take your knives to a proper knife smith and have them re-profile the blade. Don't bother taking in your cheap chef's knife as replacing it will likely be less expensive. When not in use don't just throw them into your kitchen drawer. If you don't have the space or need for a knife's block then just get a couple of blade guards (just a little piece of plastic to slip over the edge) when they're not in use.

As you budget grows you can expand your collection. Some suggestions would be a carving knife, bread knife or cleaver.

Happy cutting!
 

Marvin

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Oct 28, 2002
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between her thighs
Cinnamon Girl said:
J.A. Henckels :cool:
Yeah, but make sure you get the Henckels made in Germany, not elsewhere like Brazil or Spain.
 

bannister

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Jun 17, 2005
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Cooking is a hobby for me and just like skiing ya have to keep up with the times....latest addition is a 10" Global chef's knife, made in Japan....looks really cool too !!!!!
$150 but worth it
FYI don't go smaller than 8" chef's if you want to keep you finger tips....
 

IQof10

The One and Only
Feb 12, 2005
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Global

bannister said:
Cooking is a hobby for me and just like skiing ya have to keep up with the times....latest addition is a 10" Global chef's knife, made in Japan....looks really cool too !!!!!
$150 but worth it
FYI don't go smaller than 8" chef's if you want to keep you finger tips....
It's my favorite knife also. Got mine on eBay awhile back but watch out for the fake ones sold in the UK.

http://www.yoshikin.co.jp/w/rights/index.html
 
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shapeshifter

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Feb 17, 2006
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Uno viso, omnia visa sunt
Thanks people, I really appreciate the time you all took to give me the nuts and bolts type of advice I was looking for, blades, handles etc.
This is my first foray into the area and I didnt know what to look for other than the little bit I picked up at the gourmet cooking class I took last fall which really didnt go into any significant detail in the area of utensils or knives.

The crap I have been working with since I took the cooking course last fall has been pure hell!
I've been using the knives I already had in my kitchen which were a set from Sears (CHEAP) and a few others I picked up here and there over the years (trying to carve a chicken after roasting is almost impossible with this pile of junk)

I'm off to Metrotown, see if I can locate the shop that dcuplover mentioned and take a look see.

I'm concentrating on a set of 3 good knives as most of you suggested and I'm hoping to stay under $300 (preferrably $250) including tax, wish me luck.

:)
 

sushiman

Tempura too ;)
May 12, 2002
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Vancouver - sort of
Check out the Nella Cutlery store at 5327 Lane St in Burnaby. Tel 604-451-7865. Lane St is north of and runs parallel to Imperial. Just a short street running between Royal Oak and Kingsway. In addition to knives they have a selection of professional grade kitchen pots, etc and also offer a sharpening service.
 
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