A good grip is vital



A good comfortable grip is very important, after all knives are sharp and you could injure yourself quite badly if the grip was not good enough. The knife handle should be shaped so that it sits securely and comfortably in your hand. What the handle is made of depends upon the type of knife and also the cost, but remember, handles made of plastic can be slippery, wood can be breakable if not properly cared for and metal can be unwieldy.

Types of blades

The blade can be made from several different materials too, however, stainless steel remains a popular favourite and with good reason. High quality stainless steel, particularly Sheffield steel, is robust and long lasting when cared for properly. Carbon steel is a softer metal than stainless steel and is easily sharpened, the downside being that it also blunts easily. Ceramic blades require a special diamond stone for sharpening. However, they remain sharp for longer than steel and are rust and stain proof. There are two choices for the blade edge, serrated or straight. Serrated edges don't usually require sharpening but often don't have that 'clean' cutting action. Bread knives normally have a serrated edge and serrated edges are particularly good for cutting tomatoes etc.

Different knives for different jobs

There are different knives for different jobs and it is advisable to use a specific knife for the task in hand. For instance, it would be no use to try and carve your joint of meat with a paring knife and similarly it would be inadvisable to use a bread knife to chop your vegetables.

Kitchen knife sets

The solution is simple of course, as you can purchase sets of kitchen knives, these generally come in a knife block or a case and some are also equipped with their own sharpening device. These sets will have a selection of knives for specific tasks, giving you a range of suitable knives for your cooking. A definite bonus with these sets is that your knives will be kept safely in their own proper storage place and this will help keep them sharp. At the very least, make sure your set includes a chef's knife, a bread knife, a paring knife, a utility knife and a slicing or carving knife. This will give you a suitable implement for most of your cooking tasks and after all, as you will spend a good deal of your time preparing food, you might as well have proper tools for the job.

Handle before buying

When choosing kitchen knives, handle them, pick them up and hold them in your hand, get a feel for what they will be like to work with. Make sure the tang (the part of the blade that is embedded in the handle) goes all the way into the handle and that the knife is balanced.

Finally, try to buy the best quality that you can afford, the knives will last longer and hopefully, give you many years of happy cooking.