Recommendation? Which knife is best for professional chefs?

chriskriag said:
Could anyone help me out with the best knives for professional chefs
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In what capacity? I know a lot of folks that cook professionally who won't use anything nicer than a Dexter Russell or similar, on the theory that anything nice will get stolen, broken or used up anyway and the Dexter Russell is more than good enough for line work. I also know a guy that worked as an executive chef for a fancier restaurant that used a Misono gyuto for just about everything he did.
 
chriskriag said:
Could anyone help me out with the best knives for professional chefs
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That is highly subjective with each individual chef, their kitchen environment, and where they are on the management/economic ladder. Are you looking to buy one as a gift for a chef, or looking to become a chef and looking for the right tools for yourself?
 
The only pro chef I know swears by the Victorinox fibrox line of knives for line work in a pro kitchen, but his personal knives at home are all KAI Shun.

That said I’m sure you could ask 5 chefs and get 6 opinions.
 
19-3ben said:
I’m sure you could ask 5 chefs and get 6 opinions.
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I'm so stealing that line. ;)

Theft or borrowing to cut inappropriate materiel and the blade gets damaged is rampant in restaurants.
Their chef knife is so personal that only they could decide.

However a good Japanese petty would be my call or a 10" Victorinox Fibrox to be the sacrificial lamb for the work kitchen.

For guaranteed they don't have one check this out. Don't know what the hell it is intended for but this F Dick double edge cleaver is just gnarly looking as a kitchen battleaxe.

https://www.madcowcutlery.com/store/pc/F-Dick-Double-Edged-Cleaver-74p1889.htm

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Jim
 
19-3ben said:
... I’m sure you could ask 5 chefs and get 6 opinions.
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This. You have what you need. Work knives can be a couple or a half dozen banged up or good pieces and if you cook much at home or not it’s whatever again. I always kept a full unblemished set of assorted blades at home. But I knew guys who didn’t cook at home.
 
It's a tool, it's all down to personal preference. I'm not a cook but I've been around enough people in trade jobs to know if this is a gift you have a hard time picking out the right one they like if they are particular about what they use.

If this is for you there are two routes to go. See if you can hold one, borrow, etc to get a feel for it. Or buy and experiment, usually cheaper beaters work well for this so your wallet doesn't take as big of a hit. Than you splurge on the one you want when you know what you want in a knife.
 
Spideyjg said:
I'm so stealing that line. ;)

Theft or borrowing to cut inappropriate materiel and the blade gets damaged is rampant in restaurants.
Their chef knife is so personal that only they could decide.

However a good Japanese petty would be my call or a 10" Victorinox Fibrox to be the sacrificial lamb for the work kitchen.

For guaranteed they don't have one check this out. Don't know what the hell it is intended for but this F Dick double edge cleaver is just gnarly looking as a kitchen battleaxe.

https://www.madcowcutlery.com/store/pc/F-Dick-Double-Edged-Cleaver-74p1889.htm

92111-60_834_detail.jpg




Jim
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That’s cool! I would think it would be set up like a double bladed ax. One side kept fine for chopping and the other more convexed for cutting through bone and joints.
 
For something at work something cheap and easy to maintain. For home use you could never go wrong with custom.
 
mycough said:
The one they pick out.

Russ
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In the short time I've been a member here at BladeForums, I learned that the term "The Best" is subjective. "The Best" depends on one's culinary style, and the user's techniques and preferences.

The Best for what? Edge retention? Then you will want to aim for materials that have high hardness on the Rockwell C scale.
SRS13, SRS15, HAP40, ZDP189 are just some of the materials in the mind-boggling array of high-end blade materials.

The Best for attaining the highest sharpness? Any (well... almost any) blade material is capable of being very sharp. As to how long it can retain that sharpness, and therefore the edge retention, is another issue altogether.

The Best for acidic foods? Normally hardened high-carbon steel will work just fine for most cutlery applications. But if you, as a professional chef, deal with acidic food or foods that are notorious for being 'stain-o-matic' all day long or for many hours at a time, then you might want to consider stainless steels. And there are lot of varieties of stainless steels, each with its own pros and cons.

So in short, what's THE BEST for your needs? That's a loaded question. The answer will depend on lot of factors. And there are LOT of factors.
If there's anything I learned here, that's it. There is no single best steel for everything. You must choose/decide what's the most important to you and then go on from there.

I am just a clueless noob, basically new to machirology, and cutlery stuff. So you must take anything I say here in this forum with a grain of salt. ... unless you are on low sodium diet. :D
 
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