Cook's knife

The key role of a cook's knife is chopping. The knife has a characteristically wide blade designed to cope with repeated impact against a chopping board. The cutting edge has an elegant curve along its entire edge, which encourages you to chop with a rocking motion, keeping the blade in contact with the cutting board.

Blades

Modern good quality blades are made of high-carbon, no-stain (but not quite stainless) steel. Broadly speaking, the higher the carbon element, the better the blade will hold its edge. To keep the blade in prime condition, always give it a few strokes on a steel before use.

Choose a forged blade rather than a stamped one - the difference in quality is obvious. As the name suggests, stamped blades are stamped from a piece of steel. They feel thin and flat, and can lack stability.

Forged blades are a work of art. They are hammered blacksmith-style from a single lump of hot metal. They have a distinctive thickened metal section, called a bolster, which fuses smoothly with the handle. This strengthens the blade and keeps your hand away from the cutting section. Forged blades are beautifully tapered from the flat top edge down to the razor-sharp cutting edge.

Choosing

When buying a knife, pick up several and feel which is the most comfortable. A good knife will feel perfectly balanced - neither front-heavy nor back-heavy. Blade lengths range from 15-28cm, and you may find 20-25cm the most practical. If the handle has rivets, the tops should be smooth and flush.

Care

Unlike traditional carbon-steel knives, which typically corrode and rust unless oiled, modern knives are easy to maintain. Just rinse and wipe after use, but don't leave them to soak, as this may damage the blade. Some of the better-quality knives are dishwasher-proof, but check first.

Store your knives safely in a slot in a knife block or on a magnetic rail. Don't let them rattle around in a drawer - the cutting edges can be damaged by impact with other utensils.

Good Food Cookshop

Zwilling JA Henckels are arguably the finest producer of knives in Europe, and have produced an excellent range of forged chefs knives

Click here for Henckels Chefs Knives

Sabatier knives are used by professional chefs all over Europe and we have a collection of excellent chef/cooks knives

Click here for Sabatier Cooks Knives

Each Mundial knife is individually tested to ensure sharpness, precision and durability, with a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Click here for Mundial chefs knives

Click here for our full kitchen knife range