In the next installment of our introspective equipment analysis, we’re detailing the knives that make both of us tick, because we believe the easiest first step to good cooking is sharp knives. If you’re weary of shiny, sharpened steel, believe this: You will cut yourself worse on a dull knife. First we’ll take a look at Evan’s arsenal. We’ll show off Alex’s preferred weapons later this week…
Evan’s Knives
Though we rarely do so on the Internet, we have to explain the double entendre of the name ‘Hot Knives’ all the time (most recently to my boss). Obvious perhaps in its drug vehicle reference, it loosely derives from one unfortunate experience I had with an old roommate misusing my knives.
The first serious blade I was gifted came from a guy I worked the line with in a coffee-shop bistro. Doug was a 30-something ex-marine (with black forefingers from chain smoking in the brig and everything) and a one-time banker who hated his life until he went to culinary school. So it was a sweet gesture when Doug gave me a simple, wood-handle Japanese vegetable and fish knife. One morning, when I woke up to a particularly messy house-party aftermath I found it a charred and stuck in a tree. My roommate had used it to smoke hash, burning the blade into a gasoline-colored mess. Around this time Alex and I pledged to take better care of our cooking instruments. Since then, I’ve invested in a concise collection of cutters that I feel does the trick without going over board.
10-inch Chef’s Knife
Think of the 10-inch as your inevitable ‘Holy shit, this squash is huge’ kinda knife, something that will cut through enormous things and stay sharp with some minor pamperin’. My 10-inch is a relatively bare bones Wustoff Grand Prix II. A straight shooter with a very negligible angle on it, this monster feels like you could carve a ham hock with it, but has the precision to slice garlic if you’re too lazy to reach for a different tool. The textured black plastic handle welcomes athletic chopping and hacking both. As my ‘driver,’ in golf terminology, I find myself puling it out for two reasons: items that demand a little dominating, or to impress guests.
7-inch Santoku Knife
Technically 26-centimeters, I’m pretty sure this roughly translates to 7 inches. It’s the classic Japanese-style sushi blade for slicing, dicing and mincing. So it makes sense that Alex and I both swear by these more manageable, all purpose steels. Consistently ranked in the top of the charts as far as knife geekiness and consumer reports-style testing, Global makes some of the best knives on the market. And this size is where they really shine. Stainless steel, including the dot-perforated handle for grippiness, this Santoku knife is easily the go-to in my kitchen. All purpose and easy to forget you’re holding.
3-inch Pairing Knife
There are dozens of knife sizes in between the 10 and the 3-inch, but I see them mostly as window dressing. Besides a serrated knife, which is essential if you’re baking at all, I really only use the above instruments. The only time I reach for something else is when I’m dealing with minutia, little tasks, like slicing exceptionally tiny garlic cloves or whittling out walnuts from their shell. That’s where the 8-centimeter Wustoff classic comes in handy. It’s the only knife in my collection with the standard, black coated handle with the 3-dot design. It’s hooked tip is great for wiggling free avocado flesh or burning through the smaller sized shallots. It’s also easy on the knife-skills challenged who prefer its appearance of safety.
To be continued…
