Essay: You Need A New Kitchen Knife
WIRED—May 18, 2018
If you do a bit of kitchen knife research, you will soon discover a recurring theme, as well as some odd advice. The recurring theme is that the three key knives everyone must own are a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife. The odd advice is after those three, what you choose to add to your collection is personal. As someone whose job it is to definitively point people toward the best next thing, this “personal choice” business is disconcerting. Also, it’s true.
This came up because I’ve been test driving three exciting new knives—one from Shun and two from Kikuichi Cutlery. The Shun is a dual-core nakiri, a rectangular, glistening beauty designed to make quick work out of vegetables. The two offerings from Kikuichi Cutlery are a Japanese take on a Western-style chef’s knife known as a gyuto, and a six-inch bunka which resembles a santoku with a more aggressive snout.
Do you really need a new knife? Read on and find out in WIRED.