How to choose a good chef's knife - Cook's, German chef's knife
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- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- I will explain why and how to choose a chef's knife.
A chef's knife has a specific good point that a western chef loves; by understanding why we love it, you will only know how to pick a chef's knife for yourself.
I will be explaining everything from the blade anatomy to balance point, Rockwell hardness and handle design, and more in this video.
The knives used in the videos are:
Victorinox Fibrox: amzn.to/2TnT6rc
Wusthof Ikon Classic: amzn.to/32ReTe2
Zwilling Pro (Traditional version): amzn.to/2InyERe
Tojiro DP3 Gyuto: amzn.to/38r4RRS
Mcusta Zanmai Nakiri: amzn.to/38wQ7Bm
(Mcusta changes their kitchen knife line a lot)
Shibata knives: shibataknives.com/knives/
For more Chinese knives: bit.ly/31Z5sXP
For more information about another steel-types, visit my website:
www.chefpanko.com/types-of-kn...
For more information about the steel-types and choosing your knife, you can visit my website:
www.chefpanko.com/choosing-yo...
If you have any questions about Japanese knives made in China or about some brands, feel free to ask it in the comment section below.
If you have seen my review videos about one of the knives and own one of them, feel free to add your experience in the comments too this will help other consumers make a decision.
Thank you all for your support and feedback.
Click on the link below if you want to search for other Chinese knives:
bit.ly/31Z5sXP
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
0:12 - What you should never buy
0:30 - Why you want a western chef's knife
1:08 - Chef knife anatomy
2:36 - chef knife handles
3:30 - Cutting Edge of a western Chef's knife vs. Japanese knife
4:20 - How I pick a western chef's knife / What to look for
5:10 - Chef knife lengths
6:17 - Gripping style and Balance point
7:47 - Is the western, german, french Chef knife something for you?
8:16 - Rockwell hardness guideline for a western Chef knife
8:31 - Summary - Jak na to + styl
Edit: Knives like the Wusthof (14º) and Zwilling (15º) have switched the 20-degree angle a long time ago:
For specific angles per knife make sure to read the specification sheet from the manufacturer. Thank you @Jan Go for the correction,
TIMESTAMPS:
0:12 - What you should never buy
0:30 - Why you want a western chef's knife
1:08 - Chef knife anatomy
2:36 - chef knife handles
3:30 - Cutting Edge of a western Chef's knife vs Japanese knife
4:20 - How I pick a western chef's knife / What to look for
5:10 - Chef knife lengths
6:17 - Gripping style and Balance point
7:47 - Is the western, german, french Chef knife something for you?
8:16 - Rockwell hardness guideline for a western Chef knife
8:31 - Summary
Trying a longer video format for these kinds of explanation/tutorial/howto/guides videos.
Planning to use the same for the knife sharpening guide with timestamps so that you can jump to the parts that you are interested in.
im new to cooking, and i cant decide between a 6" chef knife or an 8" inch. what are some of the good things about getting a 6" knife. i feel like people really trash the 6". any real reason? i would only be using it for me and my wife in a small kitchen. i dont eat a lot of meat. and if i do,its chicken.
@@prince2thethrone The 6 inch should be fine too if you have a small kitchen there is no real reason why they are hated. The 6 inches maybe a bit more curved (more of a belly in the blade profile) compared to the 8 inches. And for a certain food, you need to cut it in smaller sections but that's all. (if you have a whole watermelon for example it is beneficial to have a longer knife)
@@chefpanko I would prefer an "in-betweener" knife of 7". Thats the sweet spot for me, in a small galley kitchen, cooking for 2-4 people. But options are limited in the 7" category, sad to say. A good 5 1/2 prep knife is very useful (not the petty profile), ... and then you'd have to bump to the 8" Chef knife for more handle/steel/profile options. That's my grip about the knife world - the largely overlooked 7" category for home cooks. Btw, ... a great explanation in your video about knife features!
Wow! You actually managed to expertly explaine what took me years to learn about chef knives in 10 beautiful minutes. Kudos!
The only thing I would like to add is that you didn't really mention about the actual French Chef Knife like Sabatiers. You presented only the german style with the more rounded belly.
I personally like Sabatiers with their straight blade profile, sturdy weight and classic style handle. As you mentioned they use that annoying bolster. I understand it creates a better grip and balance, being in a way descriptive of the French style of Chef Knife but I plan to use a angle grinder to bring it at a level with the edge. I saw that at an old romanian chef of mine that worked in Saint Sebastien (catalan gourmet cuisine based on fresh fish and seafood) . He loved his Sabatier knives and he used them since the '90s, they looked prestine.
And as a side note, I' ve seen on eBay some really nice vintage Sabatier Napoleon 10 and 12 inch chef knives from the 1940's. They had a two piece bolster made out of brass that "hugged" the blade letting the edge be exposed all the way to the base. Unfortunately manufacturers have extinguished this type of knives after WW2 due to the amount of craftsmanship (2 teams of specialised craftsman were needed to fit the blades to the handle) , extra effort and cost necessary to produce. These knives i've been hunting are not only beautiful but are a treat to use giving you a feeling of a different time.
You are absolutely right I forgot the French-styled knives, removed ''French'' from the title. The french knife definitely has its purpose, but unfortunately, you don't see them that often and many stores don't stock them up anymore because of the low demand.
But the french knife has its own plus sides and intended use but unfortunately many of the chef's shift towards the more rounder belly ones. And most celebrity chefs' shifting to Japanese knife (or whatever company pays them the most money). So less and less exposure for the Frech chef knife.
The benefits of working in a restaurant and being a knife nerd in one helps with the learning progress a lot :)
@@chefpanko Zwilling and Wusthof have had a very good marketing strategy it shows in sales, brand recognition and price. They sell a lot better than F. DICK that have in my opinion a far better, in house developed, production standards and more quality knives. Sabatier are very good knives that are done a bit with "outdated" technology. Their price is so much lower than the germans despite the fact they are still made in France. But.. c'est la vie. I just hope the old values will still be apreciated by the future generations.
@@orlandolzr And Zwilling Japanese line were doing amazing back in the days when everyone jumped to their Miyabi line-up and I'm one of the few that did not like the handles and blade overall. they are definitely not bad but for the price and performance, you get you can get a knife that is made by an individual blacksmith.
Most of the old branded knives and traditional Japanese knives will always leave something personal behind but I don't think that the personal feeling for a particular brand will go over to the newer generations. But I also like the newer knife and the improvements that they added (but the more choices the harder it is to pick a knife that you yourself will love).
Great info on chefs knives. Thanks. 👍
Thanks for this! Great video🙏
Very good explanations!
Thank you mate, very helpful video😁
Glad it helped, thanks 🙂
Thanks for this! I learned so much. Like you, I hate full bolster knives. I have a Victorinox, a Misen, and a Zwilling chefs knife. The Victorinox is the most comfortable to hold.
Thank you for the great review.
Thank you for the comment really appreciate it :)
Thank you very much. Very informative.
Glad it was helpful! and thank you for leaving a comment behind really appreciate it :)
Great videos Chef Panko.Greatings from Bulgaria.
Very well explained. I ended up with the 21 centimeter blade F.Dick 1905 chefs knife 2 years ago. And it is probably the last chefs knife I'll buy. It. Is. Perfect.
F.Dick knives are on my list hope to try one in the future heard it a few times in the comments and they were all positive about it.
Excellent point concerning Western vs Japanese steel. Western knives can perform task that Japanese knives are not suited for and you explained that very well. Nicely done, good presentation!
Not entirely true. I dont know of a task a german knife can do that a japanese one cant. If were talking about a beater knife then perhaps. Though there are japanese knives that can take immense beating. Heres some examples. 1 the honosuki. This is a thicc boy 6 ish inch chicken knife made for slicing as well as ripping through chicken joints. Not burly enough? Well then theres the deba, which has a weird unicorn model. The deba is even thicccer thats right its 3c's thiccc... its a single bevel traditional japanese fish knife. But what about that unicorn? Ya its a western style double bevel deba that resembles a beater chefs knife while being made of far superior steel. The only downside is it costs 200 bucks, wich is also far beyond beater price. Its the Tojiro Classic DP deba knife.
Now all that being said. For how often i use the beater, ill stick with my mercer.
I want a deba and a honosuki, but I really want to try a 10" chef knife and feel like ill use it more. So thats my next move i think. Probably a year away because the knives i love are 700 bucks or so for the big boy chef knife...
Awesome!
Glad you think so!
¡Vaia marabilla de vidéo! É a primeira vez que atopo explicacións tan detalladas acerca dos tipos de coitelo.
Unha auténtica mina de información.
Dear Chef Panko
First I'd like to thank you for your wonderful channel. Since the Corona lockdowns, I startet to intensify my hobby of cooking and now I feel like I want to buy a new knife. For the last five years, I used the cheap Victorinox beater Chef's knife, but now it is time for a new Chef's knife. Your channel gave me very many good inputs and advice!
On your website, where you talk about Chef's knives, you wrote that your recommendation for a Che'fs knife is the Xinzuo German Steel 1.4116 210 mm. This seems extremely interesting to me, especially since it is very affordable and as a home cook, I don't think I need a very expensive knife. Now I did see that you reviewed the Xinzuo "Gyuto" Chef's knife (which gave me a very positive idea of Xinzuo knives), but as far as I know, you didn't review the Xinzuo German Steel Chef's knife. Since you recommend it, I assume you tested it - How is the knife? Can you give a couple of details on why you recommend it?
Thank you very much, and keep up your excellent work!
Thank you for the comment
Xinzuo is one of the brands I tried the most knives from, they delivered consitent quility from all the knives I have tested from them.
I still have around 25+ knives to test and currently testing 5 new ones too so it is not always possible for me to release the videos at once.
As for the 1.4116 german steel: czcams.com/video/Vp152OVOH_4/video.html
Xinzuo german steel was harder compared to the other branded knives from AliExpress with a 1.4116 steel.
If you have a bit more to spend I advice the 440C one: czcams.com/video/2GIIJe4xkIY/video.html&t
@@chefpanko Thank you very much, I followed your advice and am looking forward to rhe knife!
@@Michilein69 I have bought the xinzuo 21cm and I love it :)
Where can I get these knives with handles made out of composite raisins? Sounds cool. I want one.
Zwilling messer sind top
Very informative as always, i have a little suggestion about your videos in general, if possible can you speak a bit slower? i do understand quite well your accent but sometimes i struggle a bit, thanks.
I noticed that I was indeed talking too fast. Thank you for the feedback I will slow down in the next video :)
thanks for this! I saw you have the tojiro fusion knife, whats your opinion on it? i'm considering it
The Tojiro knife is priced reasonably in the USA. You get exactly what you expect from a Japanese knife without the fancy Damascus layers, hammered finish, etc.
And finding a '' made in Japan'' knife under $100USD is hard but I also saw that Kai Shun is dropping in price it was $200/$250 now $130 (hope that more Japanese made knives drop in price with the Chinese competition).
If the price is a factor then you can get a Chinese made knife that has similar edge retention and that for around $50 to $60 (but keep a close look at the pictures since some has little to no knuckle clearance and some factory profile is questionable).
I friend just brought me an Eden Chef knife, I posted my sharpening setup in the sun.., the old vg10 with out Damascus pattern.thats an awesome hybrids knife. Rocking profile, cheap, kinda thin, good vg10 at a moderate 60hrc. So I went to a chat and asked about the new version and it's highly recommend too. So whoever wants a chef knife that stays sharp longer than a wusthof and is 50g lighter there you go. If you can find the old ones used it's a steal, people don't value anything without that stupid Damascus pattern.
I'm curious about that :)
Great video! Thank you! Can we have a gyuto video too?
Of course I also plan to cover all the other Japanese styled knives like the Santoku, Nakiri etc and the Chinese cleavers.
I have always sworn by the 8" chef's knife. I have used Cutco, Wustoff, Ken Onion Shun, and a handful of others. About 6 months ago, I bought a 6.5" Xinzuo chef's knife mostly to test the steel quality and overall design. I have been very impressed with it. Not only the quality of the steel, sharpness, and edge retention but also how much I like a 6.5" chef's knife. I make a lot of pico de gallo. It is so effective in slicing roma tomatoes and the smaller peppers in pico. I would encourage people to try the smaller 6.5" chef's knife. They might find they really like it for certain functions.
I can definitely see the appeal of a shorter 6.5inch chef's knife for some smaller tasks. Will probably try a 6.5 inch soon. Thank you for sharing your experience with it :)
Sounds awesome now I want one!
@daAnder71 have you seen how many people spell gyuto?;)😭
I looked at the Chef knife but I'd rather get the nakiri on next occasion maybe even the xinzou one.
Might I add, do not be sold on the forward pinch grip for home cooking this bypassing classic western knives with bolster. That technique is best left to pros. You can still press with thumb and have index against bolster and maintain excellent control with increased safety(how he chops at 8:30)By keeping fingers behind blade. There is a French Chef online who points this out.
Hello ChefPanko!
First of all thank you and hats off for all your perfect videos and blogs on your website - it contains tons of useful information and it is also very nice visually, and nice to read and watch, I've been watching it for 2 days in a row already:)
I've found your website when searching for the a chef knife for my needs. I'm a home cooker, and till now, I have never had a chef knife.
Initially I wanted to buy a generic, western, stainless, 8" chef knife, but when watching your videos I really like the idea of getting a Damascus knife, mostly because its sharpness, but also look of course. But I want an all-purpose heavy-duty knife (also for separating chicken etc.) so I am wondering, if Damascus knife will not be to brittle. I also really care about the aergonomics, so I would rather prefer a really comfortable handle rather than one of those japanese handles.
If I may ask for your opinion, would you advise more to go to some VG10 knife (such as tiny.cc/wzzylz or tiny.cc/95zylz or tiny.cc/a8zylz) or rather go for stainless steel - such as Mercer tiny.cc/mb0ylz or Victorinox Fibrox or something else? (I really like the Wusthof chef knife your reviewed but it's way to expensive for me for now). Among the Damascus western chef knives you reviewed, is there one that was comfortable and not too brittle that you would recommend for a cook like me (under cca 50$)? :)
Thanks a lot in advance :)
Martin
Update: I just found a very nice knife that you also reviewed - czcams.com/video/MbPZRFbM3pc/video.html - so I think I'm gonna start with that one...:)
...or you would rather recommend the XINZUO chef's knife 440C? tiny.cc/5l10lz
I saw in your discussions that you recommended their steel. Do you think this steel is OK also for cutting through chicken bones etc.?
Sorry for the late reply it was in my spam box.
Sometimes CZcams deletes it without putting in the spam folder (noticed that they do that to comments with links in them). So when I don't reply it is usually automatically deleted by youtube, but I try to salvage as much as possible from, the notification bar but the comments there is a preview and will cut off most text. (I also reply back under the video but you won't get notified since it is not a reply on the original comment).
But to answer your question, for a heavy-duty all-purpose knife I don't recommend the VG10, AUS10, etc.
The Damascus cladding looks cool but the hardness of the outer cladding is softer than the core which will result in scratches over time. It is a good multi-purpose stainless steel but not for heavy-duty work.
The Mokithand German steel is very thin and not really suitable for heavy-duty work. But a good budget solution if you want to try a copy of a Japanese knife with german steel.
The Xinzuo 440C is recommended since the thickness is better than the Mokithand one, the quility of the handle and finish on the knife is in all ways better than the Mokithand. But you are also paying 2.5 times more for it.
The Xinzuo 440C is my recommended choice, it has everything I expect with the durability of a German Wusthof.
I tested the Nakiri version, but the Chef's knife version should perform like a Chef's knife the core of 440C is similar if not the same as the Wusthof. You are basically getting a knife comparable to a Wusthof for $35+/- that is in my eyes a great deal. Of course, you are not getting the best aesthetic so no Damascus pattern hammered finish, etc.
What they did add was a visible cladding for the aesthetic, since the outer cladding is a 440C too it is only for aesthetic purposes.
Hope that this clears things up for you, feel free to ask more questions.
Thank you for the nice words :)
@@chefpanko Great, thanks a lot for your exhausting reply and the professional recommendation. Thanks to you, I feel I'm starting with a new passion - knives - and I start to understand why many men are so into it :)
Don't you also consider to make a video about sharpening / using the whetstones?
The most inportant parameter for a kichen knife is not only how sharp it is,but how often we have to sharpen them.For this we have the Rokwell scale.Most Japanes knives(not Global knives witch are Europans made in Japan)are higher than 61 rokwell.
All factors matter; there is no one knife fits all. Every person has their own preference.
There is a place for production knives, artisan knives, cheap knives, etc.
The question is, what are you looking for (therefore, there can't be ''one'' knife fits all or one knife is the best knife in the entire world. It is simply not possible since it needs to cater to each individual needs).
Some of the following factors will always matter, what are you going to use it for what do you prefer edge retention or more durability.
The higher the Rockwell, the better the edge retention, but the less durability and the more brittle it is.
Therefore I find the form factor, balance point, weight, comfort, and the usage of the particular styled knife very important. (which I try to review for each individual knife reviews that I do on the channel).
I often hear Japanese knives are the better knives over a western chef's knife. Well, for one, it is, and for another, it is not. It highly depends on the cuisine and the person using it.
Always emphasize the strong and weak aspects of each knife style and always figure out if those strong and weak aspects fit in your prep work conditions and cuisine.
Hardness does not determine how often you must sharpen. In fact, I must sharpen my gyuto far more often than my chef’s knives, which I can bring back to good sharpness with some honing. Honing is not recommended for harder steels, it often does more harm than good. However, I can sometimes get away with stropping my gyuto (on a stone) rather than a full sharpening, it depends on edge condition and objective so it is hard to compare.
I should've watched this video before buying my first Chef's knife. I went ahead and bought the Zwilling Five Star Plus with a "full bolster" because it was on a discount. Don't regret it one bit though because it is stunning, but I'll have a tough job after a few months sharpening this 8-inch monster (already made my finger bleed lol).
Any suggestions on how I should approach sharpening this in the future that does not involve grinding off the bolster? I'd prefer to keep the original design of the knife. Or do I have to eventually grind off the bolster?
You eventually have to grind the bolster a bid or get a curve in the heel area. I suggest a coarser stone to grind it away. If you leave it untouched and sharpen a lot over the time period, it will take a long time to grind the bolster away. In that case, it is better to bring your knife to a shop that can remove and reprofile for you since that saves a lot of time and it is quite cheap.
@@chefpanko thanks for the teply. So if I sharpen my edge with a 1000 every few months, would a 400 be enough for grinding off the bolster? On the coarser stone, I reduce the bolster in the same way I sharpen the edge, or is there some other sharpening technique?
I understand I'll have to eventually get a knife shop to belt grind it off, but I'm just trying to understand the possibility of using the 400 grit that I have to reshape the bolster everytime I work my edge with the 1000.
@@arjun._.bbC6 that should indeed be fine, just don't be lazy otherwise it will be very hard to grind the indent out especially when you use a honing rod that will make an indent a lot faster since you don't hone the full-bolster with it.
@@chefpanko I see. Thanks for the advice! I'll look into it asap. Hopefully I can get the bolster ground off soon.
Я прошёлся УШМ болгаркой 125мм и все. Делов то... Это называется работать головой по-русски 😂 И получилось идеально на долгие годы. Возьмите на заметку полезный совет из России. Без обид.
Great, very informative. Why the maximum value of 58 on the Rockwell scale?
Rockwell values are not the only aspect to consider it is an indication of what you can expect They are softer but not too soft and not too hard so a nice middle between durability and edge retention.
But the most important thing to consider is how the knife will benefit the end user and how it assists you in your daily tasks. As with all knives, they eventually get dull, and maintaining the edge sharpness is more important than the Rockwell scale values.
If you are a street vendor for example selling fresh young coconut juice and you need a knife to hack through it a simple knife with a lower Rockwell is recommended for that task.
While you can go higher than 58 you lose the properties of it being more ductile and durable. If you go for a knife with a Rockwell of 60+ it will be more prone to chipping if used improperly.
@@chefpanko It was the trade-off I was looking for like, what is the downside of a harder blade. thank you, again for a great and easy to understand answer.
@@castor448 Glad that I could help, Manufacturers play a role too but the Rockwell scale gives us a decent indication of what to expect.
For an in-depth explanation you can visit my website: (will put it in a separate comment just in case YT deletes it)
@@castor448 here you can get a bit more information based on my personal experience: www.chefpanko.com/kitchen-knife-edge-retention/
What's your issue with a bolster?I exchanged my 20cm wusthof for xline without bolster and a different shape but the 26cm extra wide wusthof classic with bolster is a supreme workhorse for mass rockchop and bolster doesn't matter, we simply grind it away when it gets on the way.
Ps: wusthof all come at 14 angles and zwilling at 15, the times of 20 seem to be over for a long time.
I don't like the bolster for various reasons, I don't want to grind it away since it cost extra time and it will also dish out your stone very fast if you need to give extra attention for it. I used to work in various restaurants including French, Japanese, Asian fusion and time is very important.
The other problem is that at the restaurant we use a honing rod (especially the french cuisine) a lot more than domestic use since we don't grind the edges straight at the full-bolster the end will get dished out especially with diamond honing rods, so you have to spend another extra time by reprofiling the blade and grinding away the bolster.
Of course, this is all very focussed on restaurant use, for domestic use it may not seem to be a big deal. But I will personally never suggest a full-bolster and I can see that even Wusthof is moving away from the full-bolster with their new Ikon series (The new Ikon series only has half-bolsters and I love the that they decided to move away from it).
Back in the days, the bolster was very useful since most packagings for oil and other produce were not user-friendly and the bolster was used to break open the can without looking for a can opener or other tools. But now everything is packaged a lot more user-friendly. In that scenario, I would love to have a bolster but back then we also did not sharpen our blade in the western cuisine, but let the blade be sharpened by a knife sharpener. (Japanese knives and whetstone sharpening was not common in the western cuisines back then).
If the knife has the same price and the only difference was a half vs full bolster then I would definitely pick the half-bolster option (unfortunately the full-bolster is always on a huge discount compared to their half-bolster versions of the Zwilling and Wusthof at least here in Europe).
Especially with the user-friendly packaging, and see no extra benefit from a full-bolster over a half bolster.
It is my suggestion and recommendation not to go for a full-bolster, but what others do is only what they can decide for themselves.
@@chefpanko thanks for your long answer. Wusthof classic come with half bolster too that's what I meant. The restaurants I saw the wusthof knife in use usually have a power solution like Dremel. It takes a couple of minutes and a chef told me the bolster would help with the material loss of steeling because how they don't they hit steel with bolster first. Maybe it's a German thing. I wouldn't chose a bolster at the same price either. Tldr is that it takes more time to sharpen.
@@emeukal7683 Interesting, I never have seen a power tool like that in the restaurants that I worked for. Those tools (like a drill) only come out when we need to hang a magnetic knife strip or add an extra plank for our storage room or knife rolls etc (for bigger make-overs like installing a locker or adding an extra sink we hire a handyman instead of our DIY solution).
As with material loss, the problem with the bolster is when we steel it we don't hone the bolster but the cutting edge, over time the contact point of starting at the heel will eventually dish out because of the first force of impact by placing the rod there (not visible after a few times but if you become lazy and don't use a whetstone or other tools the dishing out at the heel will be a problem in the long run). Therefore you need to grind a significant amount of the bolster away in order to get the bolster leveled with the cutting edge. And as a result of multiple honing you will cause an indent/curve at the heel and you need to reprofile the heel to be flushed with the mid and front part and bolster again. (Of course not a big deal if you let a knife sharpener do the repair work with the tools they have it will be an easy fix but with a whetstone, not an easy fix and a waste of your stone).
Yes, the Wusthof Classic half-bolster is one of my favorites knives that I used to work with at the other restaurant. Especially when you are a blade pinch gripper, the newer ikon classic models have a nice new handle but not a real benefit for blade grippers and I had to adjust to using a handle pinch grip.
@@chefpanko Dremel is awesome it fits in a small drawer. The post has nothing to do we me or anybody i know but google found it quickly, we did something similarly. cutt.ly/pttC5hT . Just sayin, 3minutes per knife and you really can get those for like half of the cost.
Great point about the angle (will add it in the pinned timestamp comment), they are indeed switching to a lower angle, that is a nice tool indeed you can save money on the knife and buy the tool to remove the bolster and you still have the tool as extra :)
Edit: added the extra new details about the sharpening angles, thank you again for the correction.
What brand and which model is the long damascus blade knife at 5:20?
It is a generic Chinese-made Damascus knife sold under various brand names on Ali.
@@chefpanko Thank you very much for the information!
What you are calling a "Western" chef's knife is a knife with a German profile, designed for easy rocking. The Japanese gyuto is a relatively modern based on the French profile, which is a good option if you want a Western knife designed more for slicing than rocking. The santoku is also a relatively modern design, but based more on a traditional nakiri with the blade brought to a point. I know that you know all this very well! Just adding some info to your excellent presentation.
The gyuto rocks just fine. You just gotta look @ your blade shapes when you buy. A german blade tip rides high towards the spine (zwilling pro/wusthof classic) french rides in the middle, straight from bottom of handle (henkels statement/mercer millenia/Tojiro classic DP) most japanese gyuto's have a french shape but some try to stay more traditional. A traditional japanese style will have a low tip with an even yet minimal curve throughout the blade and is situated for slicing or chopping (hatsukokoro kurokaze gyuto).
Most modern japanese gyutos these days are fairly french in shape. This is because french cooking techniques have been adopted globally. So when all those japanese knife makers talk to their business affiliates that sell their knives to the consumers. They all said make more french style shapes, theyve been heard. These guys literally have their finger on the pulse of the industry. Nigara knives recently changed their sharpening techniques partially due to pressure from a canadian knife store. This is the modern world we live in. Canadians are having a say in japanese knives with a history older than canada! I love it.
what's the best knife that doesn't require much maintenance, easy to not rust? looking for a knife to just pick up and slice through ingredients
I would suggest a cheap stainless steel knife it is sturdy, worry-free, and can be sharpened quite easily.
The only thing you lose is edge retention and it is less sharp, but since it can take a new edge quite easy you can use a diamond honing rod and get the edge back to sharp without problems.
Something like this:
czcams.com/video/d4Z25umj-wM/video.html
Currently sold for approx $15 USD
If you want longer edge retention and sharper performance:
czcams.com/video/2GIIJe4xkIY/video.html
Of course what knife style suits you the best plays a huge role in what knife is the ''best'' for ''you''.
For more information you can visit my website:
www.chefpanko.com/choosing-your-knife/
Excellent video. Now im not sure do i need western chefs knife or santoku
it highly depends on your use case and cutting preference (as in your main cutting motion).
While the chef's knife is versatile so is the Santoku.
The only difference would be Chef's knife is available with a much longer length.
For most use cases at home, you don't need a very long knife to prep your food.
So a straighter profile makes it ideal for a push cut while the chef's knife is more convenient with a rocking motion.
Your preference will determine what is best for you. (how you use the knife in terms of what motion you use the most and if the shorter length is long enough to do everything you plan to do with it).
Hope that this can help you in making your decision feel free to ask me any questions would love to assist you in pushing you toward a direction that would suit your needs.
Thank you very much! Watched a lot of your videos and finally bought zwilling pro traditional chefs knife. Handle fit and finish is unimpressive but blade seems great.
Actually got an idea of santoku from you, seemed like an ideal knife since i mostly chop and that works best with flatter blade. I also like very thin blades and take care of my blades.
I am a novice home cook so i figured my cutting style may not be as important and that i should learn new techniques.
I really wanted zwilling pro because of a bolster made for pinch grip is quite unique.
For 4 years i used 7in chefs knife i made from soft chinese stainless and it was almost too short. I also had painfully poor edge retention and thats primary reason i wanted something high quality this time.
If i ever get to have more knives santoku is my next buy, have to give it a try.
@@Boz1211111 the Santoku's are great most users will find them very comfortable and easy to use out of the box. In terms of specific grips like the pinch grip at the blade/bolster the point of balance can make a difference too. I prefer a middle balance for the Santoku knives (so at the point where I grip the knife should neither be front nor handle heavy).
Hope that you will enjoy your new knife for many years to come, make sure to keep maintaining them, and over-time you eventually need to thin the knife out and go beyond the sharpening of the edge.
Thank you for your tips. I explored your website and i just have to say its beautiful and full of useful info! CZcams is really an adition to quality content you have on your website and i like that. Keep up the good work!
Havent thought about thinning but hope i when it comes time i wont mind loosing factory brush finish.
From the factory its 0.58mm or 0.023in behind the edge. At which thickness do you recomend thinning, and is it okay to be thinned to less than factory thickness?
I do hope to use it for many years since its very comfortable after smoothing back of the heel. That said i still havent adjusted to such curved blade so im overall feeling neutral rather than impressed.
Can you recomend xinzuo 7in santoku from aliexpress 1.4116 steel 34dollars? Is it worth the price if i decide i really need a santoku?
I liked all your aliexpress reviews a lot but u usually went for higher hardness steels, and dont see this one covered
@@Boz1211111 Thinning a knife is a process that involves reducing the thickness behind the edge to improve performance and avoid problems like splitting food or faster degradation of the edge. Thinning is not necessary for most home use, but in a restaurant environment, it can be needed after less than a year. For cheaper knives with low Rockwell ratings, it's better to replace them than waste time and money on thinning. However, for expensive knives in a work environment, it's best to gradually thin the knife over time through regular edge maintenance and occasional thinning sessions. Thinning is more important for single-bevel knives like Yanagiba, which need to be thinned with each sharpening session. The process does not need to be measured, but consistency is important to gradually thin the knife over time.
When you start thinning you will notice that even the expensive knives will have some high and low spots no matter how flat your stone was. Regular edge maintenance and thinning sessions can help gradually remove high and low spots. Thinning sessions should be added to regular sharpening and consistency is key. Don't focus on the aesthetic or finish, just be consistent in thinning. Use the residue from a #800 whetstone to buff out any scratches. A high Rockwell knife will not lose too much of its edge, maybe after 1 year of heavy usage in a restaurant on a knife with a Rockwell of 61. You probably would just remove 2/3mm in 6/8 months. (imagine that for home use they probably don't need to sharpen their knives as much as the knives in a restaurant)
Buffing things out can be done with whetstone residue:
I explained it in this video: czcams.com/video/7r4W8kxWZtM/video.html (starts) (you can use this method to blend the high/low spots and to remove some scratches or you can buy a powdered solution or sandpaper)
Less than factory thinness depends on the knife, some knives are so thin and fragile that going beyond the factory thinned can result in less durability. And some knives are so thick that can benefit from thinning. (also keep the cost of the knife in mind in most cases for cheap knives it is not worth the time and money).
You may want to look at Xinzuo 440C: czcams.com/video/2GIIJe4xkIY/video.html (It is a knife that I have recommended a lot of time and still can recommend, as for the 1.4116 steel those are cheaper steel, so I would rather advise a step-up from that kind of steel if you plan to upgrade the 440C is a good option).
Most of the Chinese brands I just don't understand thier focus, the handle design is often too much for show than actual comfort. They are getting bigger and bigger and get a lot more flare added to them which is mainly aesthetic. This is one of the reasons why the 440c of Xinzuo is recommended the handle is still comfortable unlike some of their other series where the handle is so big that the knife is not an extension of your arm but feels more like a tool. the last 3 knives that I have while the blade is fine and all, the handle design in all 3 of them disappointed me (way too big and I have a large hand size).
Also, wait for a sale, I think that they will have a sale around valentines day. (Prices on ALiExpress have gone up a lot).
Is WMF knives are any good to have please
I never tried WMF so I don't know, they do claim that they have a rockwell of 58. (same material that Wusthof use and also made in germany).
Looks good but idk how they perform.
Nice video, very good explanations. I have a question that gives me a dilemma: As you also say, if someone doesn't like very much the rocking motion shouldn't go for a western chef's knife. But what if you still need to cut hard vegetables like (sweet or not) potatoes, carrots, etc for European style cooking at home, what would be a better alternative? I'm looking for one all around knife, to use for veggies, boneless meat, fruits. I find the rocking move awkward for high profile ingredients. Would a lighter western chef's knife be a good solution since it may be used for some push-pull movement, or is it a bad idea? What would you reccommend? Thanks a lot! Arigato
I would say the following knife styles are all suitable for it: Santoku, Bunka, Nakiri, Chinese ''Vegetable'' knife (don't make the mistake of buying the other 2 similar Chinese Cleaver ''Dual-purpose Cleaver'' or ''Bone Cleaver''). These knives have a straighter profile than the more rounder western chef's knife, western-styled/fusion gyuto's.
Traditional Nakiri has a very straight blade; it is less suitable for rocking on herbs because of this.
Fusion Nakiri's is a fusion between a Nakiri and western preference of rocking. They added a slight curve at the front, so it is still possible to rock on herbs (smaller stack height).
Chinese ''Vegetable'' Cleaver has a slight middle curve that allows for rocking on herbs like a Mezzaluna knife (designed for back and forward motion).
The Nakiri need to be used differently for scoring tasks. Normally if you score a fish, you score it with the knife tip, but Nakiri knives have a rounded front, so you need to use the complete knife profile to score. Example of the scoring motion Chef's knife vs. Nakiri: czcams.com/video/jQKMc0gO5lY/video.html
The Santoku is a good versatile knife. Most Santoku now is a hybrid, so more curved. You can still rock, but the preferred cutting style is the push-forward motion.
The Bunka is also more versatile, and it shares the same knuckle guide of a Nakiri while still having a tip. It is a mix between a tip from a Gyuto, a Santoku profile, and a height of a Nakiri.
The Santoku, Bunka, Nakiri are limited by the knife length. All 3 are lightweight.
The Chinese Vegetable Cleaver is significantly heavier but also very versatile.
A lighter alternative to a Western Chef's knife is the Traditional Gyuto (with a straighter profile).
The Japanese knives are thinner, giving you a sharper/smoother performance. Usually, it is a lot harder to take a sharper edge and hold it for a longer time.
It is not bad to use a push-pull motion on a chef's knife, but the other mentioned knives do a better job since they assist you with that motion.
Western Chef's knives are usually back heavy, assisting you with the rocking motion.
Japanese knives are usually middle balanced or front heavy.
Middle balanced gives you control over everything.
Front heavy balance assists you in the forward and pull back motion and assist you on tip work if it is a Gyuto with a front-heavy balance point.
I personally like a middle balance Santoku, Bunka, and Gyuto.
Front heavy Nakiri.
Chinese Cleaver is standard front heavy.
Western Chefs knife back (handle heavy), some brands make middle balanced western chef's knife.
Hope that this helps a bit. Feel free to ask more :)
@@chefpanko I've read most of these, but feels more compact and easier to compare with your summary. Feeling very grateful you wrote this here. My confusion is that there is always a reason to avoid a specific type. For example I was thinking the Santoku because of the better support for the push-forward, but I read that the lower angle and style is mostly suited for the Japanese cooking preparation, rather than the European with lots of hard vegetables (which I do often). Wouldn't that make them less suitable for me? That's why I was looking more for the western chef's knife. Bunka could be a good combination. I read though it requires very good skills and it's not for a home average skills. Thanks again so much! Arigato!
Or a Western knife with a French profile (more like a gyuto) rather than a German profile with rounded belly.
Allweys knifes.
Hello Chef, can you please tell me why you don’t like the Wüsthof knife with a full bolster? For some reason they feel much more comfortable in my hand… Can you please give me more information as to why such a knife is not the one to go with…? Thank you
There is nothing wrong with it, it is a hindrance for me and for many others that resharpen the knives themself.
The downsides I found are the following:
- It is harder to be resharpened as you need to spend more time grinding the bolster away. (harder = it just takes more time each time you resharpen the knife and you will waste a lot of your whetstone material reducing the lifespan of your stones)
- If you use your honing rod a lot, you eventually will create an indent at the front of the bolster. (example in the link below where I did a review of a full-bolster knife)
- You will eventually need to grind the bolster down and reprofile your entire blade. (see above point and below video example)
czcams.com/video/j0WFr_vnC0I/video.html
It is a choice everyone should consider before buying a full-bolster, if you bring the knives to a sharpener then the above problem is not of your concern.
Hope that this explains why I don't recommend it especially for those that sharpen their knives themself.
@@chefpanko Thank you for The very detailed reply Chef Panko. I actually do sharpen my knives myself but I use an electric sharpener where I pull the blade through the grinding elements.
@@petergiancola5965 In that case you have to consider if you need the full-bolster if it adds any benefit for you.
As I don't know what kind of electric sharpener you have most of them have a presets of various angles.
If you add the full bolster in there you sharpen the bolster with it which defeats the purpose. (pull-through sharpeners)
Most pull-through sharpeners either manual or electric will leave a gap because the bolster area widens the angle, creating a bulge instead of an indent. (the bolster is thicker than the blade so when you pull through it leaves a cap where the grinding belts won't touch the blade) that is why many of the pull-through sharpeners show you in the manual that you only put the blade side in the sharpeners and not the bolster.
There are also electric sharpeners where you can ''manually'' grind the angle on each side on a grinding belt in that case you can round the bolster off.
One of the example is here an E5 electric sharpener: czcams.com/video/O7IJSyAXCD0/video.html
You can remove the angle guide in this particular sharpener to manually grind away the bolster.
So make sure your electric sharpener can grind away the bolster on a manual mode. (like the one above the E5 where you can remove the angle guide)
@@chefpanko thank you again for the very detailed reply as well as the video link. I found it to be very helpful.
The main advantage I find with the full bolster knife is that it is more comfortable when I use my pinch grip because my index finger is fully supported by the outside bolster. However now that I think about it, since both my thumb and my index finger are in front of the bolster I’m really just finding it more comfortable rather than it providing any kind of safety for me… What do you think…?
As for sharpening, I never seem to have a problem with achieving a very sharp blade that is acceptable for my uses whether or not it is sharpened all the way until the heel of the blade.
0:17 Full bolster what is it and why do you not recommend?
1:23 Wait what is the tang?
The full bolster is the excess metal/guard at the heel of the blade.
Half-bolster is a bolster at the neck area but not all the way towards the heel of the blade.
the reason for not recommending it is because you will create an indent when you hone the knife multiple times, therefore adding extra maintenance work when you sharpen your knife yourself.
As you need to regrind the cutting edge and reprofile the edge.
And you need to grind the excess metal away that is at the heel area (full-bolster).
In this video you can see my explanation about the full-bolster:
czcams.com/video/j0WFr_vnC0I/video.html (timestamped
At this timestamp: czcams.com/video/j0WFr_vnC0I/video.html (you will see a drawn visual that explains the above)
A tang is the metal part that sticks into the handle or in most western handles called ''scales''.
You have a full-tang meaning the metal goes all the way toward the end of the handle and a half-tang meaning just 1/2 of the metal goes into the handle mostly seen on traditional Japanese wooden handles.
Is this an 1:42 oak cutting board?
If I'm correct it is Rubberwood
Подскажите пожалуйста, у какого ножа вхождение в продукт и рез лучше, у zwilling pro или wuesthof icon? И какой нож удобнее для вас из этих ножей? Т.к. я купил zwilling pro и меня все утраивает в нем кроме реза, вот и подумываю купить еще wuesthof icon , т.к. думаю, что , wuesthof лучше будет zwilling в плане реза
F.Dick premier chef knife, love it.
Bob Kramer knifes by Tzwiling,Japanes and Damascus steel,the best kitchen knifes in the world!!!Kramer forever!!!🌹🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️❤️❤️🥑🥑🥑🥑
Always wanted a Bob Kramer, just to try. Unfortunately, I never tried it :(
שלום אדוארד xD
how to cooperate with you?
Hi, you can contact me on my website:
www.chefpanko.com/contact/
Or
instagram.com/chefpanko/
twitter.com/ChefPanko
Why no full bolster ?
Great question I have explained it in this video: czcams.com/video/j0WFr_vnC0I/video.html (timestamped at the subject)
@@chefpanko Thank's a lot :)
But I like european style knives ,where the final part of the blade doesn't have a full bolster but it's a bit grinded, to avoid cuts.
I will probabably do that to my Xinzuo , I've already cut myself 😂🙈
Is he saying “Western” or “Wüsthof” knives all the time?
I may be able to help you if you add a timestamp (Edit: seems like I did not add CC on this video most other videos have added CC due to my pronunciations)
I will work on my accent/pronunciations thank you for watching :)
I have added CC/Subs. Sorry for the inconvenience. It is most likely ''Western''. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
If there are some spelling errors, don't hesitate to notify me about it hope that this helps.
Thank you sir. I learned from you!
+1 for disliking a bolster. 8 inches is ideal for cutting large pieces of flesh or vegetables without losing accuracy at the tip. Steel handles are easy to clean and do not fear cleaning chemicals or the sun.
For what reason do you not like bolsters?
It is a hindrance for me and for many others that resharpen the knives themself.
The downsides I found are the following:
- It is harder to be resharpened as you need to spend more time grinding the bolster away. (harder = it just takes more time each time you resharpen the knife and you will waste a lot of your whetstone material reducing the lifespan of your stones)
- If you use your honing rod a lot, you eventually will create an indent at the front of the bolster. (example in the link below where I did a review of a full-bolster knife)
- You will eventually need to grind the bolster down and reprofile your entire blade. (see above point and below video example)
czcams.com/video/j0WFr_vnC0I/video.html
It is a choice everyone should consider before buying a full-bolster, if you bring the knives to a sharpener then the above problem is not of your concern.
Hope that this explains why I don't recommend it especially for those that sharpen their knives themself. Others may have other reasons for liking it but that is the factor of me not liking it.
@@chefpanko i love the answer chef panko thank you!
Bolsters are also bad for chef knife weight distribution right? They place more weight toward the center, thereby losing some ability to rock and chop easier i would think 🤔
@@chefpanko Eh, I've grown to like my full bolster 8" chef knife. The bolster also helps me do some unique grips when I peel vegetables. As I am not in a restaurant setting, I'm not really pressured by time to sharpen and hone my knife so I can take a bit of time to work around the bolster to sharpen/hone it. And it really isn't troublesome at all. But then again, as a homecook. Lol
I hope whustof doesn't completely stop their manufacturing of their 8" full bolster classic cook's knife as I'll be purchasing it some time in the future.
Nice video though, very informative. But it feels a bit snobbish and gatekeepy at the beginning, though. Just my two cents. Cheers.
To use a German Chefs Knife right neds ALOT training and ALOT Practice.....
Chef panko...
You know a Gyuto is better than a chefs knife!
There are blades made of japanese steel that are used to cut blanks of german steel for german knives. 😅
Ya thats german sweat. Ya im mostly German and i support this message...
Personally I prefer straighter blades. But each brand does something different. In the long run it wont be German vs Japanese made but rather what kind of knife style you prefer. As the brands adapt in creating different styles from various countries. Looking forward to the future when they fuse more ideas and styles/cultures.
Are you saying, "Western Chef Knife"?
I'm indeed saying that.
It is to differentiate the differences of the so-called ''chef's knife'' with ''western'' or ''german'' in front we usually know what we meant.
''Chef's knife'' can be used for many different versions or sometimes also called the ''all-purpose'' knife.
Now with all the different knife styles from around the world, it is essential to know the differences. (Santoku, Gyuto, Chinese Cleaver, etc.)
You now have the ''Gyuto'', which is different from a ''western/German'' chef's knife. However, a lot of webshops are naming a ''Gyuto'' a chef knife.
But the performances and balance point is totally different.
And you have webshops that call the chef's knife a Gyuto, which in my opinion is not a Gyuto but a Chef's knife.
A knife that is made in Japan does not automatically mean it is a Gyuto, they are adapting the knife to the western market instead of Japan alone, and therefore you see modifications in blade profile, etc. Therefore, it performs more like a western chef's knife instead of a Japanese Gyuto despite being made in Japan.
And that is why I used the ''western chef knife'' to differentiate the knives to avoid confusion.
@@chefpanko that makes a lot more sense, thank you so much! I am about to purchase a knife and the task seems a little daunting. Especially when I am low on funds.
@@airbear69 Buying a knife on a budget is a task indeed I'm still finishing the knife choosing guide but you can find it here on my website:
www.chefpanko.com/choosing-your-knife/
Or if you already know what style you want my current recommendation:
www.chefpanko.com/types-of-knives/
Hope that that helps a bit, good luck finding a knife that suits your cutting style.
Hello chef Can you sponcer one knife to me
I would love too but :(,
My channel is currently not big enough to compensate for shipment cost and more, but it is something I want to do in the future to do some give aways. (not sure when but once it is profitable enough to finally give back to the subscribers only then I can look for a solution to do a giveaway). Also need to figure out how give aways work since not everyones CZcams Channel has a contact email. But will think about it once I can finally do one :)
10K Kramer knives have a full bolster.... go figure.
Santoku or chef's knife? Which knife is the right one? czcams.com/video/963JWp_jSzM/video.html just take them both.....
Really like your videos and your thorough, honest advice (i.e. "no such thing as "the best" knife). I also find your Dutch accent charming to a certain extend. Yet, you maybe need to work on your English pronunciation of "U" - You say it like "oo" as that letter is pronounced in Dutch and German. In English it's rather said like "you" as in the word "use" (say "youse", not "ooze"). Also your inconsistency in using either singular or plural can be irritating, while your English vocabulary is great, though. Also, please e so nice to use your index finger for indexing, using the middle finger looks kind of rude. Keep up the good work and all the best!
Thank you for the comment and amazing feedback, I will be working on it :)
I, did not notice it untill others pointed that out I hope the newer videos has the ''youse'' prounced correctly in it.
Youll never recommend a full bolster but absolutely no mention as to why. Youre an amateur. The fact you worked in a restaurant doesnt mean anything and you think saying that in your every intro makes you a pro🤣
Thank you for watching :)
Full bolsters really are fine, I don't understand the hate. "I can't sharpen them!!!" no you just suck at it.
Thank you for your comment 😊
@@chefpanko I didn't mean to say you were sucking at it btw, the other average commenters.
@@warpbeast69 No worries, I appreciate the comment. There will always be pros and cons, and whether they apply to the person using it is another matter. Since there was no real discussion, I could not add to the conversation, so I appreciate the comment.
@@chefpanko Yeah no worries, I understand personnal preference just not the absolute unhinged comments people say when they show a nice knife that has a bolster like for example a vintage chef's knife, it's crazy to me.