When it comes to selecting the best budget chef’s knife, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. First, a chef’s knife does not just have to be sharpened and made to order. It needs to be able to do a variety of different tasks so that it can be used for a variety of cooking techniques. There are four basic purposes that these knives serve.
First of all, the best budget chef’s knife will have a tapered cutting edge. The ability to make different motions without catching or breaking the knife blade is important. Chefs often use their knives for a wide variety of cutting tasks including chopping, slicing and dicing. A dull knife blade is much easier to injure yourself or your food with.
Secondly, the best budget chef’s knife will be able to perform its tasks with ease. This means that you will have to perform a series of test cuts to ensure that each cut is clean, smooth and strong. Each individual cut should not be more than about 0.75 inches long to allow for a perfect and even presentation. The blade should also be stiff enough to easily slice through food without any resistance. Even a dull knife blade can perform these tasks well, if you pair it with a quality stainless steel 8-inch chef’s knife.
Thirdly, the best budget chef’s knife will be one that is built tough and offers a lifetime warranty. You want to be sure to invest in a knife that is going to last a long time. There are many manufacturers out there that offer warranties on their products. For the best deals, shop at stores that specialize in sporting goods. If you shop at stores like Walmart or Amazon, you can find good buys on heavy-duty survival knives. These brands are typically built tough and offer a lifetime warranty.
Fourth, you should opt for blades that offer replaceable blades. Blades that can be changed are much less expensive than buying a whole new knife. It can sometimes be more economical to purchase a knife that offers blade replacement at a later date instead of buying a whole new knife. When you consider the cost of the replacement blades and their average lifespan, it can actually be cheaper to replace your blades with a previously owned product.
Fifth, you will need a good cutting edge. All good knives have a good, solid cutting edge. Tang blades are best. Tang blades are made to help you chop. A tang blade works with a sharp point and is much easier to sharpen than a flat top or other types of blades.
Sixth, consider a bread knife. There are two types of bread knives: serrated and flat. Serrated knives have a thin, wide, serrated edge that is ideal for chopping and bread slicing. Flat top knives lack this sharpness, making them more suited to making breads. The bread knife I prefer is the bread serrated by Old Line Foods. It’s also a really good replacement knife for my Grandma.
Seventh, I like a paring knife. A paring knife has a flexible, spring-loaded edge that is great for slicing things. Unlike a fixed blade, a paring knife can be fully extended in some models. Some people prefer a paring knife, but I prefer the versatility of my bread knife.
Lastly, I like Swiss army knives. These are probably the most versatile kitchen tool you could ever own. They’re great for everything from slicing vegetables to chopping fish to opening cans. The Swiss army knife, however, may be my favorite knife because it serves so many functions! While they cost a bit more than other chef’s knives, you’ll get many more years of use out of them than the cheap Swiss army knives.
So which of these six-inch chef’s knives is best? I would say it’s the paring knife. It’s a little longer (6 inches versus 5.4 inches) and it costs just a few dollars more than the old standby serrated knife. But it has the versatility to do so much more. If you cook a lot of vegetables and don’t have a lot of knives on hand, get a solid paring knife to replace your old ones.
In the end, the best budget chef’s knives are the ones that perform their duties well and meet all of your needs. And in my opinion the Wusthof Classic Series line of knives does that job and then some. Wusthof offers some models in Europe, including the 5.4-inch Wusthof Pro series and the Santoku Wusthof Santoku 10th Anniversary Edition. If you haven’t tried one of these models, I highly recommend them. They come in different handles and have different blade styles.
Isabelle Johnson is a fitness expert and yoga trainer with over 12 years of experience as a dietician. Her knowledge of nutritional facts has made her take to the web with her blog, Sprout and Press.
Isabelle lets her audience understand products used in the kitchen, which can improve your diet, add more convenient ways to juice, create smoothies, and do so much more. Her blog informs readers about the newest kitchenware and the benefits each ingredient brings to the table. In 2016, sproutandpress.com was founded to share her knowledge with the world and inspire a better, healthier tomorrow.
