When it comes to buying knives for your kitchen, if you are somebody who either doesn’t particularly enjoy cooking, or you just don’t particularly believe in splashing out for expensive items for your home, you may be wondering why on earth you would pay more for knives when you can pick up a set in your local supermarket much cheaper.
But when it comes to knives, finding the right balance between quality and cost is super important, and can make all the difference to how much enjoyment you get from cooking. Whether you’re a chef in the making or someone who avoids cooking whenever possible, you’ll benefit from a good set of knives. With that in mind, we’ve put together this quick guide to buying kitchen knives to help you get the balance right between quality and costliness to find a set that suits your needs.
Why invest in good knives?
So why do you need to invest in a good set of knives in the first place, and is it really worth it? Let’s run through a few reasons why you’re much better off opting for quality.
Safety
We spoke to Kitchen Knives who told us “one of the biggest misconceptions is that sharper knives are more dangerous when in actual fact the opposite is true. People are afraid of a really sharp blade, but it is actually far less likely to slip when cutting things such as vegetables. What’s more, you’ll be using a lot less force to try and cut, so if your knife does slip, you are much less likely to seriously injure yourself.”
Makes food preparation much easier
If you hate cooking because you find the preparation stage a chore that you would much rather avoid, then it may just be down to the fact that you are not using the best tools for the job.
Poor quality, blunt blades will struggle to cut through things such as vegetables and meat, which is not only frustrating but also time-consuming. A knife that is better quality and stays sharper for longer should make light work of food prep, and also damage your ingredients far less which will improve your presentation as well.
If you’re still not convinced, check out this video which shows you how much of a difference a better blade can make to your food prep efforts!
They will last you longer
Although initially, you will have to spend a little bit more money on a good set of knives, in the long run, they are much better valued as a decent blade can last a lifetime if you look after it properly. Check out this article from the Huffington Post that explains a few things you can do to look after your knives and make sure that they last.
Not only will the knives themselves last longer, but if they are better quality they will also stay sharp for longer, meaning you’ll need to sharpen them far less often. This can save you even more money if you get them professionally sharpened!
Getting the balance right between quality and cost
The material of the knife is one factor that really affects how much it is going to cost you, as of course the higher the quality the higher the price because the material will cost more to produce.
At the top end of the spectrum, we have materials such as Damascus steel and ceramic, which are very hard materials and so hold their sharpness very well. Typically these will be the knives used by top chefs, or those who are really into cooking and want to invest in something they know they will get a lot of use out of.
The good news is that you don’t have to go super high end to get a decent blade, as carbon steel is a great option for the average home chef. It is much stronger than stainless steel, which is what most of the cheap knives you will come across will be made from.
We hope this has helped you to understand a little more about why a good set of knives is important for the kitchen, and a few things to look out for the next time you’re in the market for a set!
