One of the most frustrating experiences one can have in the kitchen is having blunt knives. Low quality knives either become blunt or break where the blade and handle is joined together. I speak from experience; the immediate thought is, what do I do now? Replace it with an economic version or spend some more money and buy a high quality knife. The decision will be based on your budget.

So what should you consider when buying a knife?

  1. The material the knife blade is made from.
  2. The tang of the knife.

The material which is used to manufacture the knife: stainless steel, carbon steel and ceramic are the most used materials to manufacture knives. I am going to try and compare the different types of kitchen knives.

Stainless Steel Kitchen Knives

There are two types of stainless steel kitchen knives, one with very little carbon and another with a high amount of carbon. The stainless steel with less carbon is generally not very sharp and tends to lose its sharpness very quickly leading to frequent sharpening. The second type of stainless steel knife which is also known as high carbon stainless steel knife is of a higher quality and has the best attributes of stainless steel and carbon steel.

The advantages of high carbon stainless steel blade knives are:

  • They require less maintenance
  • Very sharp edges making them easier to use
  • Do not catch rust or stain

Carbon Steel Kitchen Knives
Advantages of carbon steel kitchen knives are:

  • These knives are easier to handle
  • Come with very share edges which can easily be re-sharpened

Disadvantages of carbon steel kitchen knives are:

  • Heavy maintenance – need to be cleaned and dried after use
  • Can catch rust and stain
  • Can impart an acidic flavor to food

Ceramic Kitchen knives:
Advantages of ceramic kitchen knives are:

  • These knives do not impart any kind of flavor to food
  • They are corrosion resistant
  • Do not require much maintenance
  • They are very hard and sharp

The disadvantages of ceramic kitchen knives are:

  • Ceramic knives are brittle and can chip or span
  • They are difficult to sharpen and can only be sharpened by professionals
  • They can cause damage to dinnerware cause of their sharpness

The tang of the knife
A knife’s tang is the portion of the knife that extends well into the handle. Good quality kitchen knives have a full tang, meaning the tang extends through to the end of the handle. This is one sign of a long lasting kitchen knife.

I wish I could conclude that one type of kitchen knife is better but it boils down to the amount of value you place on your knife and the purpose it will have. Have a look at knifes from Russell Hobbs, Jean Dubost and Diana Carmichael before you rush to a store and buy one.