Evidence index · Kitchen Knives

Kitchen Knives, according to restaurant professionals

Only claims about kitchen knives made by people we have grounds to call restaurant professionals. The unrestricted kitchen knives evidence is on the kitchen knives page.

restaurant professionals is a community we read.

10 people on record as restaurant professionals make 96 quoted claims about kitchen knives across 11 sources. Membership is recorded with its own evidence — for a person by the trait they are on record holding, for a community by the source it was said in — and authority is scoped to kitchen knives rather than to fame.

Which kitchen knives do restaurant professionals recommend?

Endorsements and objections about kitchen knives from restaurant professionals, together, strongest evidence first.

Victorinox bird's beak knife

1 voice 4 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

10:04 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

always have one of these with me.

recommendation Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “All amazon links are affiliate links” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

9:34 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

It is a very cheap knife. It is good.

value Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites price

9:34 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

It is excellent for peeling things especially things like garlic.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Masamoto chef's knife

1 voice 4 claims 1 objection

4:32 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

And this is my probably my favorite chef's knife, a Sukijichi Masamoto.

best in class Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

4:32 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

They're like rugged and they're not that expensive.

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

value Uses it professionally cites price
durability Uses it professionally cites durability

Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

4:32 objects speaking on Bon Appétit

They stopped importing them.

mention Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites availability (against)

Inox sujihiki slicer

1 voice 4 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

3:31 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

but they are very comfortable. They are very very wellmade.

handling Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites handle

3:01 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

It has a really nice thin blade made of a really good stainless steel.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites build quality, shape and form, versatility

This is a lot more versatile.

3:31 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

They are very very wellmade.

durability Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites build quality

Tojiro bread knife

1 voice 3 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

2:31 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

Love this guy. Highly recommend.

recommendation Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

2:00 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

Now, what I like about this compared to other bread knives is it has a very, very thin blade. It has a nice serration, but it is flat on one side. So, it's a very, very sharp blade.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites edge retention, shape and form

2:31 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

Cut bread with it and things with like tough crust, maybe like the top of a pork belly or something.

use-case fit Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Wusthof boning knife

1 voice 3 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

7:02 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

Amazing amazing bon knife.

recommendation Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

6:32 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

Great knife, great quality.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites build quality

6:32 supports Stephen La Rosa earns commission on this

This is what I do use for most of my butchering, whether that's fish butchery, meat butchery.

use-case fit Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Um, I've really started making this my like butchery filleting workhorse.

Mac filleting knife

1 voice 3 claims 1 objection

3:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I like the weight of them. I like the way they sit in my hand and I like how sharp they stay. So I'm a big fan of those partic that particular brand of knives for a filletin knife.

handling Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention, handle, weight

3:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

But they're super sharp. They're really fine. The blade's super thin. So if I want to slice peaches, slice tomatoes, whatever it is, I just know that I'm going to get a really fine slice.

performance Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention, flexibility

3:31 objects Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I kind of dispose with them. I use them and, you know, use one a year or something.

durability Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites durability (against)

Misono utility knife

1 voice 3 claims 1 objection

8:03 supports Stephen La Rosa

This is a knife that I can like use and abuse a little bit more.

use-case fit Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites durability

But yeah, this is a bit more of just like a workhorse knife.

8:03 supports Stephen La Rosa

so even if I'm like cutting lemons or like a bunch of like acidic stuff, this is going to be just fine.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites acid resistance

8:03 objects Stephen La Rosa

The tip is a little chipped. I believe it's been like heated up as well.

durability Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites durability (against)

CCK Chinese cleaver

1 voice 2 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

1:30 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

My favorite knife I've ever had that I use most of is a CCK Chinese cleaver.

best in class Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

1:30 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

Great for cutting vegetables. Works as a scooping surface, so you don't have to use like a pastry card or bench scraper or anything like that. It's good for smashing garlic as well.

use-case fit Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites shape and form, versatility

Nissano paring knife

1 voice 2 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

2:31 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

This is probably my favorite knife, my Nissano pairing knife.

best in class Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

2:31 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

It's great for like deboning things or I don't turn vegetables.

use-case fit Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Wolf Gourmet knife

1 voice 2 claims no objections from restaurant professionals

0:00 supports Jon Glaser speaking on FOOD & WINE

so this looks like just it says wolf Gourmet looks like a Prett pretty Kick-Ass big knife made in Germany so I guess that would be wolf gouret

appearance Tested it Jon Glaser Loves Kitchen Gear | Food & Wine

Cites appearance, build quality

0:30 supports Jon Glaser speaking on FOOD & WINE

let's check this out oh yeah that's a clean cut Precision German craftsmanship this is a sweet knife I would love to take this home with me

performance Tested it Jon Glaser Loves Kitchen Gear | Food & Wine

Cites edge retention

Mac chopping knife

1 voice 2 claims 1 objection

4:01 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

So if I want to chop chop through some duck carcasses or perhaps move through some the cartilage in chicken thighs and things like that, I'll use a knife like that that's got a bit of weight behind it.

use-case fit Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites weight

4:01 objects Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I'm not going to really cut so many herbs with it because it's not razor sharp.

performance Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention (against)

Misono kitchen knives

1 voice 1 claim no objections from restaurant professionals

1:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

So, I'm a big fan of this particular brand. I'm not paid, by the way. No affiliate link. I just love the brand. Um, and I've always used misono knives.

recommendation Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

What do restaurant professionals say about kitchen knives in general?

Not a recommendation for a specific product: technique, materials and what to look for in kitchen knives. Citable on its own terms. There are 63 of them; the 40 with the strongest evidence are below.

0:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I would say it has to be my chopping board and my knives. Once I've got a great chopping board, great knives, sharp knives, the rest is easy.

recommendation Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention

0:30 supports David Chang speaking on GQ Chef

this is like five bucks six bucks if you lose this you can replace this I certainly have a really nice pairing knife but I tend to always use this because it's easily replaceable it's something you use all the time

best in class Uses it professionally Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

Cites repairability, price

7:02 supports Stephen La Rosa

but this is a very like rust resistant carbon steel. It also has this beautiful like uh dark layer on it, which is completely rust proof.

performance Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites edge retention, rust resistance

7:02 supports Stephen La Rosa

Now, this is perhaps my most used knife.

recommendation Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

4:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

That's the one I prefer. Just a really big guard on the front because I've lost lots and lots and lots of parts of my fingers going into the oyster. So, actually, a guard for me is good.

recommendation Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites safety

3:01 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

but they are far sharper and and the blade resistance for me is much nicer. So, I really like carbon steel knives.

performance Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention

2:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I really believe that when you're carving meats and proteins and fish after they're cooked, it is that carve that really gives you that finish on the plate that is taking your food to another level.

use-case fit Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

2:31 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Always have a really nice uh non serrated carving knife. This is a Japanese knife that was made for me in Kyoto in Japan. So it's a bit special, but um ultimately it's not serrated, so you get that really clean finish.

performance Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites shape and form

1:00 supports Gordon Ramsay Chef

the secret behind a great set of knives is in the handle if you're comfortable holding the handle your cutting is going to be so much easier the firmer the grip the better the chopping the heavier the handle the more control you've got over the blade

handling Uses it professionally Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Kit | What You Need To Be A Better Chef

Cites handle, weight

2:31 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

This is probably the knife that I use the most. my chef's knife. Kind of my versatile everything knife.

use-case fit Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites versatility

I use my chef's knife for everything. Big job, small job, it's my best friend.

I use this chef knife for literally everything. It's like my boy.

15:03 supports Ian Fujimoto

The first is your chef's knife. This is your all-around all-purpose knife. You're going [music] to use it every single time you cook. Whether you're slicing meat, vegetables, cheeses, it doesn't matter. It's going to be [music] your workhorse.

use-case fit Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites versatility

0:30 supports Lynne of The Splendid Table Home Cooks

This is the instrument that I love. It's called a mezzaluna, meaning a "half moon." It's the best knife for chopping because you just rock it.

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

best in class Owns it cites ergonomics
recommendation Owns it

Lynne's Favorite Tools for the Kitchen

1:00 supports Joshua Weissman Chef

first thing is super obvious i'm sorry but a knife and a cutting board are king if you're not starting with this then you are in trouble this combo alone solves way more kitchen tests than you would think other than just cutting stuff and it's super economical if you don't want to buy a bunch of mechanical things like…

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

recommendation cites versatility
value cites price

19 Tools To Make Cooking Easier

i would just recommend having different kinds of services have some that are non-stick have some that are cast iron

7:32 supports Stephen La Rosa

This is great for small tasks like cutting mushrooms, cutting tomatoes.

use-case fit Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites versatility

Yeah, I probably use this more than my chef's knife. So, that tells you just how versatile this is.

7:32 supports Stephen La Rosa

this beautiful uh Japanese handle. Uh super super comfortable.

handling Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites handle

5:01 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I can pretty much do every task that I want to do with that set of knives.

use-case fit Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites versatility

3:01 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

So, I think that's a really important that's razor sharp and uh and has done me proud for at least last five, six years.

durability Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites edge retention

Owned 5 years

0:30 supports Gordon Ramsay Chef

basically need three knives a heavy duty chopping knife followed by a small pairing knife which is brilliant for prepping vegetables and then this baby here a serrated edge knife for carving and slicing

recommendation Uses it professionally Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Kit | What You Need To Be A Better Chef

Cites ergonomics

before you buy a knife hold it in your hand and make sure it feels right for you

3:31 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

I have my bread knife. I got this one in Paris. We've gone through so many different bread knives. Love this one because it's really sharp.

performance Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites edge retention

0:30 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

So like both these are carbon steel. Carbon steel definitely just stays sharper longer. It's easier to maintain in my opinion.

performance Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites edge retention, maintenance

16:03 supports Ian Fujimoto

What you're looking for when you're buying one of these knives is that it's comfortable [music] in your hand. It's made of good quality steel, and it has a good quality handle, and it's something you're going to enjoy using.

handling Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites build quality, ergonomics, handle

15:03 supports Ian Fujimoto

Next up, a utility knife or a petty knife. This is going to be your smaller knife for smaller [music] details. When you're cutting something more delicate or you need a little more precision than you get with your chef's knife, cutting garlic, cutting herbs, or trimming off the skin of your fruit, it's essentially…

use-case fit Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

1:00 objects Ian Fujimoto

Don't do that. It's dangerous. You cut your hand. You're going to dull your blade all around. Like, not the safest thing to do.

use-case fit Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites safety (against)

Because if you are ever cutting through red, trying to cut through it with a non- serrated blade sucks. [music] Total suckness. Plain and simple.

0:30 supports David Chang speaking on GQ Chef

basically any serrated knife that's cheap with a rubber handle is important

recommendation Uses it professionally Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

Cites ergonomics, price

1:00 objects David Chang speaking on GQ Chef

you can't really sharpen this so it's sort of a disposable thing after a certain point you're going to just have to throw this away

durability Uses it professionally Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

Cites sharpness (against)

19:36 supports Stephen La Rosa

the fact that it's this like hardy, sturdy, like amazing blade and looks

durability Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites build quality

7:32 supports Stephen La Rosa

It's also way way cheaper.

value Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

Cites price

5:02 supports Stephen La Rosa

yourself a really good chef's knife.

recommendation Uses it professionally What's In My Knife Roll! My Top Tools for Michelin Kitchens, Catering Events & Content Creation

5:01 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

And I just carry a little handy knife like this. I carry that around during the day and I can just sort of turn stuff with it, do little bits with it, cut string with it, things like that.

use-case fit Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites versatility

3:01 objects Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

It's carbon steel, so they are dirtier. They do need more sharpening

appearance Uses it professionally 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Cites appearance (against), maintenance (against)

5:02 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

They're sharper so that anything that we slice for service, we get like a lot nicer cuts.

performance Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites edge retention

It's probably made of like the cheapest metal, but because it is made of super cheap metal, it sharpens really, really well.

3:01 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

I use this little knife to peel like garlic, ginger, cut small scallions and stuff. I bought it for like $5 at Bed and Bath Beyond.

value Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites price

2:01 supports speaking on Bon Appétit

This one was a custommade knife from a Brooklyn knife maker. It's beautiful from the custom handle to the size.

appearance Uses it professionally Inside 20 Chefs' Knife Rolls: Pro Chefs Reveal Their Go-To Tools | Restaurant Talks | Bon Appétit

Cites appearance, handle

22:12 supports Dr. Doug Graham speaking on FoodnSport with Dr. Doug Graham Food Writer

if you keep your knife sharp you can cut with great Precision

performance Owns it Dr. Graham's 5 Favorite Raw Food Kitchen Tools - Culinary Skills Retreat

Cites edge retention, maintenance

I sharpen it I sharpen it every day and at that point it only takes two or three Strokes either with a sharpening tool such as you're looking at here or with a sharpening tool that does both edges at the same time and two or three Strokes it's sharp and noticeably different than if I don't take those two or three…

21:42 supports Dr. Doug Graham speaking on FoodnSport with Dr. Doug Graham Food Writer

one of my favorite tools a good knife I use my knife every day for a lot of things

best in class Owns it Dr. Graham's 5 Favorite Raw Food Kitchen Tools - Culinary Skills Retreat

16:33 objects Ian Fujimoto

Because, as we all know, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

performance Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites safety (against)

16:03 supports Ian Fujimoto

But as for these two knives, this is where you can spend a little [music] bit more.

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

value Owns it cites price
value Owns it cites price

Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

16:03 objects Ian Fujimoto

This is the knife that you're going to use until it is dull in the face and then you're just going to throw it away and buy a new one because it really is simply not cost- effective to [music] spend a ton of money on a really nice bread knife and then have to sharpen it and spend the money again and again and again…

value Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites price (against)

15:33 supports Ian Fujimoto

But if you decide to get one, just know that this is the one that you can spend the absolute [music] least amount of money on.

value Owns it Top 10 Most Needed Kitchen Tools

Cites price

So, if you're going to buy one, buy something that's cheap because you're rarely ever going to use it and then [music] when it eventually goes dull, you'll just replace it.

1:00 supports Lynne of The Splendid Table Home Cooks

One of the things I like to do is to pile lots of ingredients on a chopping board, and then I can chop them all together. There's something rather special that happens to the flavors when you do it this way.

performance Owns it Lynne's Favorite Tools for the Kitchen

Cites flavour impact

How do kitchen knives score among restaurant professionals?

Computed only from claims about kitchen knives by people we have grounds to call restaurant professionals, so the axes answer “according to restaurant professionals” rather than “according to everyone”.

Domain authority

1 recommender, weighted by demonstrated expertise in kitchen knives. Weighted by expertise in this category, never by audience size.

Independent consensus

1 independent voice across 1 source. How many independent voices converge, unweighted.

Long-term ownership

no dated ownership reports yet. Volume and length of dated first-hand ownership reports.

Performance

1 performance claim. Claims about how well it does the job.

Value

no value claims yet. Claims about what it costs relative to what it does.

Repairability

no repairability claims yet. Claims about whether it can be maintained or rebuilt.

Community breadth

all evidence from a single community so far. How many distinct communities converge, rather than one echo chamber.

Recency of evidence

most recent evidence from 2017. How recent the evidence is. Old evidence is not wrong, just older.

Objections raised

no objections recorded. How much complaint is on the record. A high figure means the drawbacks have been stated and quoted, not that the thing is worse.

These are separate measurements, not components of a score. They are never added together, and there is no overall rating, because which of them matters depends on what you are buying the thing for. An axis that says no evidence means nobody has spoken about it, not that the answer is low.