The last time we were at the mall, we checked out some kitchen knives at the Henckels (corrected link and spelling) shop. There were some knives on sale, I don’t remember if they were Victorinox, but I do remember that they were going for 50% off.
In the kitchen, I don’t use too many knives. I have a cleaver (see photo), an all-purpose knife, a bread knife and that’s about it. I tried switching from a cleaver (quite heavy) to a chef’s knife but didn’t quite get the hang of it.
The knives we saw on sale at Henckels were labeled all-purpose kitchen knives as long as a bread knife, with a jagged edge as well but, unlike the bread knife, they had rounded tips. The saleslady referred to them as serrated kitchen knives.
Now, I know the value of a knife with a jagged edge. The all-purpose knife I have at home, a Revere, has a jagged edge. I have been using it for years, it has remained sharp and I love it.
Speedy asked if I wanted one of those on sale and I was really tempted. The only drawback was its handle. I like knives like this one because I know that the metal is that long, embedded in the handle and screwed in place. To make a long story short, despite the 50% discount, we didn’t buy any knife that day.
About a week later, I bought a magazine about professionally designed kitchens. I finally found the time to read it last night and, lo and behold! Turns out that NOT BUYING the knives at Henckels was a good decision.
Not every kitchen knife with a jagged edge is a serrated knife. The saleslady didn’t know, apparently.
The image above would be how a serrated edge would look if magnified so many times over. The image below would be how a recessed edge would look.
According to the magazine article, serrated knives tear meat while those with recessed edges make clean cuts. Now, I don’t believe that easily but I have tried cutting roast pork with my bread knife (serrated edge) and it is true that the edges of the meat got flayed during the process. So, there might be some truth in the article. It might not just be a case of some paid writer advertising a knife brand.
I do intend to do more research before buying new kitchen knives. Good ones aren’t cheap and it’s better to be informed than sorry.
The images above were made using GIMP.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
carol 10.18.07 at 1:18 am
This reminded me of David Lebovitz’s post about his favorite knife:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/10/my_favorite_kni.html#comments
I was watching a cooking show once and I had an aha moment: I think one reason why these famous chefs seem such experts is that they have such sharp knives!
Connie 10.18.07 at 8:40 am
The one on sale at Henckels looked just like the one in Lebovitz’s entry except the handle was yellow and there was no screw.
Rey 10.18.07 at 8:46 am
Tignan mo yong hollow edge Santuko knife by Henckels di ka mag sisi, good for slicing meat o kaya vegetable huwag lang buto. Connie manipis kaya madaling mag slice.
Mila 10.18.07 at 9:44 am
I was thinking of D. Lebovitz’s post when reading your essay. Also, there was a post on another food/cooking website about gadgets you don’t need (stuff like garlic peelers, and other space gunk). Basically the bottom line is have a good set of knives, keep them sharp and if you have good knife skills, you don’t need any newfangled toy to do the job.
I have a chinese cleaver because that’s what I use to peel my garlic, crack my ginger, and most of the chopping. I have a serrated knife for bread and cutting tomatoes, and a small chef knife to do most of the deboning and stuff. Am not the fastest in cutting, but those 3 knives are my workhorses.
Jon Limjap 10.18.07 at 10:15 am
There’s a serrated knife in our kitchen and I refuse to cut vegetables with any other knife. I also wonder why the maids and everybody else stick to the straight-edged knives that get duller by the day.
Connie 10.18.07 at 12:47 pm
Thanks, Rey. I’ll check next time. I really need a good all-purpose knife.
Mila, am not too fond either of tools that can only do one job. They just clutter the kitchen. Hardly used kitchen tools aren’t my idea of decoration either. LOL
Jon, sometimes, it’s a habit. What we have gotten used to.
inna 10.18.07 at 1:24 pm
alton brown says: the only uni-tasker he has in his kitchen is the fire extinguisher. i have one too- never had to use it- YET.
my mom gave me some super sharp knives. it’s oneida- link attached for you to check out. i like it a lot.
happy hunting!
inna
Connie 10.18.07 at 2:20 pm
Thanks, Inna. I placed the link in HTML tags to avoid the horizontal scrollbar. Long link.
Michael 10.19.07 at 12:56 am
Interesting article. I didn’t know the recessed edge knives cut meat better than a regular serrated knife. I have a chefs knife, paring knife and a bread knife that basically get the job done for me. Thanks for the info.
Mila 10.19.07 at 11:19 am
Heehee, but Inna’s comment made me remember something that said instead of having a fire extinguisher (the foam can be quite damaging in itself, plus due to the pressure in the tank, it could be combustible), just have a spare bag or two of kitty litter or sand. In case of a fire, break open the bag, and throw on the fire. It’s a lot easier to clean up too, just vacuum the sand/kitty litter and may be reused. I have a cat, so kitty litter’s always available at home. Never had to use it for anything other than for the cat’s needs though. So should Alton Brown get a cat, he may not even need the one use only extinguisher.
Connie 10.19.07 at 12:21 pm
Mila, pouring salt on fire works too. And every kitchen has salt, right?
hannah 07.20.08 at 5:58 am
I know that a recessed edge is much more expensive to put on than a traditional straight or serrated edge, and hence, much more difficult to find. A good recessed edge, like Cutco’s “Double-D” Recessed Edge not only remains sharper for longer, but is also sharpened free in their factory in NY, USA and “Forever Guaranteed” without receipts. They are comparable in price to Wusthof or Henckel’s, but better value.
Visit http://www.cutco.com or email me at cutcohannah@gmail.com for more info.