Ceramic knives are among the finest you can buy for several reasons. These are summarised below.

Strength – Without doubt the blade is harder than steel. In fact, ceramic blades are only just behind a diamond’s hardness. With that said, dont be fooled into thinking that the entire knife cannot be broken. While the knife edge will keep its sharpness for a long, long time they are also quite brittle so it is possible to damage them if you strike them against other objects.

Sharpness – As mentioned above, the knives are the sharpest that you can get and because of how tough they will stay that way too. This means that your knife will be as sharp in a few years time as it was when you first purchased it. It makes chopping vegetables finely an easy task and one that you might struggle with if you do not have a ceramic knife. They do not need to be sharpened although if you suspect that the blade is blunting for any reason you should take it to a professional as the blades can get chipped if you are not careful.

lightweight – Ceramic kitchen knives are usually lighter than steel ones, which makes them easier to cut with especially if you have a lot of food to prepare as this means your wrist will not ache as quickly.

Taste – Ceramic knives do not taint the taste of the food that you cut with them. This can happen with some other types of knife, such as those with carbon steel blades which can make add a slight metallic taste to it. Although this is usually quite rare you simply do not want your tools and utensils to ruin the great meal you are preparing.

They dont corrode – Kitchen knives that have steel blades need to be cleaned and dried in order to make sure that the blade does not corrode. This can happen quite soon after purchasing them if you are in the habit of doing the washing up and leaving them out to dry. The problem is even more apparent if you use a dishwasher. Ceramic kitchen knives do not suffer from this problem however.

As you can see, ceramic knives are the much better choice when you are looking for a set of quality kitchen knives to buy. Although you might have to pay more for them, the initial outlay is worth it as they do a far better job and they will last longer as well.

It doesnt take much to do and a lot of it is just common sense. One of the easiest ways to look after them well is to always use a chopping board when you are preparing food with them. A chopping board will make sure that when you cut through the food there is a suitable cutting surface beneath it.

This will not only protect your work tops, but it will also ensure the knife stays sharp for longer. If your knife appears to be blunt or just not cutting as good as it did when you go it, you might want to sharpen it yourself or take it to a professional to do.

If you cut into your work top you might find that you are leaving cuts and ridges on them. This might ruin your worktops which aren’t cheap to replace, but it also makes it less hygenic as bacteria is more likely to survive in such places.

If you are able to afford a wooden chopping board then you should try and get one of these over any other kind. For one thing they are self healing so over time the smaller cuts will repair themselves but they are also more hygenic to use as well.

Some people think that the shape of the wooden chopping board matters, but in reality this is cosmetic only. You might find that a round chopping board suits your kitchen design better than a square one or vice versa but it is really down to your personal taste.

Of course, the amount of time they last will also depend on how well you look after them. You may have to sharpen them from time to time and once in a while they will need to be taken to a professional to re-edge. Be careful if you put them in the dishwaser though as this will mean that you have to sharpen and re-edge them much more frequently.

If you are looking for a set of quality kitchen knives then you might want to start by looking at what sets are available. Not only can these work out cheaper but you will also usually get a good selection as well as a knife block which will store and protect them. You can always add to the set later if you find you are lacking a certain type.

With that said, if you have an idea about what type of knives you want, then buying individual knives might be the better option. Buying a single knife from one of the premiere knife companies means that you can buy the exact type you need, wether its to start your collection or as a replacement for one. It is also a good idea to do this if you already have a knife that you like to use but perhaps want to double up, or get one with a larger blade.

On that subject, people with smaller hands might want to remember that chef knives are available in different sizes so you shouldnt have to struggle with one that is too big to hold comfortably.

1. Victorinox 47520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chefs Knife

Suitable for at work or in the home, these knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel which undergoes a special tempering process which means you can keep the sharper for longer and throughout its entire life it will feel just as good as when you first started to use it.

They are made by the inventors of the famous Swiss Army knife and the same quality is evident as soon as you pick the knife up. The Fibrox handles are a patended design which are slip resistant even when they are wet and they are designed for balance and comfort.

For the price (about $29 on amazon) you cant really go wrong with a Victorinox 47520 Chefs knife

2. Wusthof Classic Hollow-Ground Santoku

This santoku style knife is able to chop and dice vegetables with ease. It is a light, well-balanced and versatile knife with a thin yet rigid blade. The edge is also very thing which means that you are able to get thin cuts on fresh meat although the knife isnt really designed for chopping frozen food or bones. If you like making stir fries, or if you often have vegetables and herbs that need preparing then this is the knife for you.

The Wusthof Classic Hollow-Ground Santoku is available for under $90 on amazon.com (you save about 30%!)

3.Shun DM0706 Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

This stainless steel kitchen knife is a little bit more pricey than the other two, but still represents great value for money. Amazons website says the following: “This stunningly beautiful line of cutlery features the look and benefits of Damascus steel, yet without its rusting problems. The Damascus-look blade profile reduces sticking and results in less damage to the food being cut and faster prep times”.

Its currently available for under $130 on amazon.com and with more than 40 reviews it has full marks and it averages 5 out of 5 stars. Again, this is a lot of praise for what is a very good knife.



Here are the top 3 things you can do in order to keep your quality kitchen knives in tip top condition.

Use a Chopping Board

You should always use a chopping board, not just for hygiene reasons, but because it will help to protect the blade on your knives. Where possible you should use a wooden one as these are somewhat self healing so shallow cuts in the wood will repair themselves. Also, they will help to protect you in case the knife slips, rather than doing it on a slippery work surface.

Regular washing and drying – by hand

Of course, you are also going to want to clean them after use. It doesnt take much to give them a thorough clean as they are quite easy surfaces to wipe down but you should also try to dry them afterwards too. Avoid using a dishwasher if possible as even the top shelf can take a layer off the knives and can also lead to premature rusting.

This isnt a sign of a bad quality knife – its what dishwashers do!

Sharpen them as needed

You can keep your knives as sharp as when you first got them by using a sharpening steel. However, every now and again you will need to take them to a professional knive sharpener. This is usually when you need a new edge. Of course, if you do not feel comfortable using a sharpening steel then you can always take them to the same place once in a while to have it done for you!

If you do end up with a dulled knife blade then you will need to have it sharpened. A sharpening steel will help to keep blades in top working condition although you will need to sharpen the blade manually and it can take a little bit of getting used to. If you are not comfortable however, you can always take it to a professional knife sharpener and have the them sharpened for you. If you look after your knives, such as not putting them in the dishwasher, and storing them in a knife block, you can usually do this just 2 or 3 times per year.

If you have a sharpening steel at home, you may find that there comes a time where it no longer does a good job. This does not mean however that the knife is on its last legs, it just means that it needs a new edge. Once again, a professional knife sharpener can put a new edge on it for you.

You should also try to aboid using most electric knife sharpeners as they can often do more harm than good. If you aren’t carful you may find that they remove too much metal and in some cases can harm the temper of the blade. Even worse that this, some of them also change the factory-applied angle on the edge and you do not want this to happen on a quality kitchen knife as it could be rendered useless.

Here are the 4 main types of blade edges that you should be aware of.

Straight. A straight edge blade has a perfect taper along the blade and they are probably what you most usually associate with a kitchen knife. Yhry do not have any serrations and they are designed to cut without teating. Most kitchen knives are straight edged and you will probably find you use them more than any other type.

Serrated: Serrated knife blades are designed with small, jagged teeth along the length of the blade. They are deceptively sharp, yet because of the teeth they may not seem to be at first. They are handy for cutting uneven or hard surfaces that a straight edged knife might have difficulty with.

Scalloped: Scalloped blades have round wave shapes up the length of it which is designed to get through tough exteriors. They are perfect for cutting through a loaf of bread that has a hard crust and any tough vegetables such as squash and pumpkin.

Granton. Granton edges have hollow grooves along the side of the blade. The blade itself is straight edged, but the grooves are designed to collect the juices and fat from the meat that you are cutting through. This means that you get thin cuts without terating.

As you can see, there isnt a lot of differences in the types of blades you can get, but they all have their uses. Bear in mind that you can also get different sizes of blade too and from the above you can get a knife for every situation in the kitchen.

If you are looking for a basic set of quality kitchen knives then you should aim to buy the following;

A Paring knife

This is quite a small knife which is used in the preparation of small vegetables and fruit. The blade measures around 7-10cm so it isnt that big but it does have a pointed end that can be used to pick out pips. If you are proud about your cooking then you will know that you will usually cook vegetables every day so consider this vital.

A Large and Small cooks knife

These knives are the jack-of-all-trades. They come in several sizes, but you only really need to get a small and large once since they will overlap where you use them. They will help you tackle chopping jobs on a larger scale than a paring knife will be suitable for so they are probably one of the most essential knives you will need.

A Bread knife

Cutting warm, freshly baked bread is one of the most satisfying jobs in the kitchen, but to do it properly you are going to need a good bread knife. They usually have rigid, serrated edges but sometimes they are scalloped or even both. This makes them ideal for cutting through the tougher crust on the bread while making sure you do not tear or squash it at the same time.

A Carving knife

If you often prepare and cook your own meats then you are going to need a carving knife. They have a large flexible blade which is about 20-26cm long and the tip is pointed sharply so that you can free the meat on the bone.

Kitchen knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes and there are some even designed for dedicated jobs. You do not need to get every type however and a good quality kitchen knife will easily cope with most things you will do in the kitchen. You might want to make your life a little easier by buying 3 to 5 different types and sizes as some will be too big for chopping or too small make a proper cut on larger food.

All knives are made of 1 of 3 basic materials; metal, ceramic and plastic.

Plasic knives can do a fairly good job in the kitchen but are particularly well suited to soft fruits and some of the softer vegetables. They are dishwasher safe but they aren’t usually particuarly sharp so you are probably better off avoiding them where possible.

Steel is much stronger and a good stainless steel kitchen knife should last you a long time. You should however also look at how flexible the knife is as cheap ones do not have much give and this is a sign of cheap steel being used. You can also look on the packaging to see if the knife is made of forged steel or not.

Ceramic kitchen knives are the sharpest of all three. Of course, they come at a price, but if you imagine a scale of 0-10 where warm butter is rated 0 and diamond is 10, then a ceramic kitchen knife would be rated around 8 or 9.

If you do end up buying some quality kitchen knives then you should also look after them. Try not to put them in the dishwasher as this can lead to premature rust and even the top shelf can take a layer off each wash. If you must put them in the dishwasher then you will probably need to sharpen them at least once a month. In comparison, If you wash them by hand, you can usually get away with having them sharpened twice a year.