Technology has advanced in almost every field. The kitchen tools are getting more and more advanced every day. There are so many different types of products in the market which you can choose from. The number of choices is just overwhelming. Among all these choices, it gets really tricky sometimes to choose the best tool that suits all your needs. One of the most important tools in both personal and professional kitchens is the chef’s knife. When the knife was designed for the first time, the main purpose was to develop something that can slice and disjoint large cuts of beef. In later stages more advanced versions of the knife were developed and today it is one of the most versatile tools that are used by most chefs around the world.
When you are going to buy Chef’s knife, prefer to check some professional quality Best Chef Knife Under $200 reviews before finalizing anything. In general, the most famous Chef’s knife is eight inches in length and 1½ inch in width. There are some other versions of the chef knife ranging from 6 inches to 14 inches which are comparatively less popular. The two most common types of the blade are German and French. The German Chef’s knives are more deeply and continuously curved along the whole cutting edge. On the other hand, the French Chef’s knives have an edge that is straighter until the end and then curves up to the tip. This is to be noted that choosing any of these knives is the personal choice of the chef. It has nothing to do with productivity.
Unlike the original version, the modern chef’s knife is a multi-purpose tool which can be used in a number of different tasks in the kitchen. You can use the knife for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts.
Different Types of Best Chef’s Knife
What is the best chef’s knife out there? It’s not that easy of an answer really. It’s kind of one of those things that really depends on what you’re doing with it and how you are doing. There is German made chef’s knife, Japanese chef’s knife, Carving Knife Set and few American made chef knives that are in the United States.
Basically we will look at it from a philosophy standpoint. The Japanese Chef’s knives are more the Asian style where they’re more precision style of food. You know everything with chopsticks and everything is prepared in the kitchen, everything has to be cut up into bite sizes there. Whereas with the German knives, the European style knives you’re more looking at the traditional European style where you know you might have a big old hunk of meat on the table or something like that. So the prep is a little bit different but they break down different animals. Also so it really does altar of course the vegetables are also another consideration. Then you get to the American well just like everything else we do in America we make it our own. So what they’ve done, the ones that I have they basically rethought the knife. So it’s a little bit different than what the Europeans had over the Asians. it’s kind of a combination but really modernized.
Here are the Top 5 Best Chef Knife Under $200
Of course no matter what chef knife you’re using you need to make sure that it works that you have a sharp knife. Don’t worry if you get it muscle is going to be sharp.
But anytime using a knife your force, it’s got to work smoothly. It’s got to be cut through, it’s got to be real easy to use and comfortable in your hand.
1. Professional Best Chef’s Knife Review – Equinox Professional Chef’s Knife – 8 inch
Equinox International is one of those companies that believe in producing some fine kitchen products. If you are looking for a durable and versatile chef’s knife, you should check the eight inch Equinox Professional Chef’s Knife which is one of the best professional chef knife sets. It is the standard knife with an 8-inch blade. There are a lot of features that make this blade a special collectible for your tools.
First of all, it is very versatile. The very first chef’s knife was designed mainly to cut meat. With time, the requirement changed in the kitchen. Equinox’s knife fits perfectly to the description of the tool that can be used in all sorts of cutting and chopping needs. You can use the blade for a number of different tasks like slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish.
Germans are famous for their engineering skills. The raw material that is produced in Germany is well known for its durability and strength. The blade is made of the highest quality steel imported from Solingen, Germany. The raw material helps in keeping the blade sharp, rust resistant and very easy to maintain. The Overall Length of the knife is 13.0 inches. The blade is 8.75 inches long and 2.0 inches wide. The handle of the knife is 4.5 inches in length. It weighs only 14 ounces.
The blade is very light weight. It gives it the required balance and durability. The handle is made of ABS. It makes it strong, durable and moisture resistant. The handle is designed in such a way that it provides perfect balance and comfort to the user. The interesting part of the blade is the packing. It is packed in a gift box. In case you are looking for a gift for some cooking enthusiast in your circle, it can be a perfect choice.
2. Victorinox 8 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife
Victorinox is famous especially for blades. Let it be Swiss army knives or kitchen knives, there are very few companies which can actually compete with them in terms of the quality of the products. One of the most famous kitchen knives manufactured by Victorinox is the Fibrox Straight Edge Chef’s Knife. It is the standard knife with an 8-inch blade.
The blade is designed to be the multipurpose tool in your kitchen. It can be used for all the different tasks that you have in the kitchen like chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing. The blade is made of High-carbon stainless steel. The raw material plays a vital role in the durability of the blade. The steel used in this blade is known for maximum sharpness and edge retention.
The engineers at Victorinox are experts in making the best products. The Blade is conical ground lengthwise and crosswise for minimal resistance while cutting. Each and every piece has to go through a laser test to ensure optimum cutting power. The guarantee of the best product is provided with the Swiss item #5.2063.20 printed on the Blade.
The company holds the patent over the Fibrox handle. The handle is textured, slip resistant, and ergonomically designed. All the blades of Victorinox are manufactured specially in Switzerland. It comes with a lifetime warranty. As mentioned before, it is recommended to hand wash the blade and not in a dishwasher.
3. Mac Knife Professional Hollow Edge Chef’s Knife, 8-Inch
Mac Knife is famous for the durable and long lasting products. It is produced in Japan and is exported worldwide. It is the standard knife with an 8-inch blade. The blade is designed to be ideal for both home and professional kitchens. It sports a thin blade and bolster which allows you to cut through any raw material easily and smoothly. The knife features dimples which make it really easy to cut fruits like apples and squash.
The best part of the blade is its thin size. It is only 2.5 mm thick. The knife is designed to keep it lightweight. It provides the user ease while using. If you want a blade which can be used to chop and slice raw material at a comparatively faster speed, then this is the right product for you. Another interesting feature is the handle of the knife. It is made of hardwood. The wood used in the handle is light weight and gives remarkable grip while using.
The blade comes with a recommendation for washing. The company requests the users not to wash the knife in the dishwasher as it damages the sharpness of the blade hence making it less durable. The knife weighs only 9.6 ounces making it really easy to handle.
4. ZHEN Japanese VG-10 67-Layer Damascus Steel 8-Inch Slicer Chopping Chef Butcher Knife Set
When it comes to Chef’s knives, the Japanese make some of the finest products. Zhen is very popular for the fine Japanese blades they produce. There are two blades which are very popular among the chefs in Japan. One of them is the standard 8-inch blade and the other one is a 7-inch Santoku knife. Zhen sells the knives in sets too. This set contains four different pieces. One is the chef knife + paring knife and the second one is santoku knife + paring knife.
The design is perfect for the kitchen where sticky food items are used. The hollow ground pocket design helps in preventing any food item from sticking to the surface of the blade. This makes it easy to maintain the blade. It is made of top grade 440C Japanese High Carbon stainless steel with HRC 56-58 hardness.
The knife sports an integrated stainless steel handle to prevent slip. It also helps in creating a comfortable holding pattern. The long-lasting sharp edge designed for cutting meats, vegetables and fruit. It is recommended not to use the blade for chopping bones as it may destroy the blade. The raw material is manufactured in Japan and the blade is made in Taiwan. The dimensions of the blades are according to the usage. The Chef knife is 8″ x 1.8″ x 2.0 mm with the Paring knife 5″ x 1.1″ x 2.5 mm. The Santoku knife is 7″ x 2″ x 2.0 mm with the Paring knife 5.5″ x 1.7″ x 2.5 mm.
5. Victorinox 46892 Fibrox 3-Piece Best Chef’s Knife Set
Victorinox not only sells the knives individually but they have also created different sets that will suit all the needs in your kitchen. For a professional kitchen, having a perfect set of chef’s knife is always a blessing. It not only reduces the production time but also helps in relieving the stress that comes with time bound tasks.
The set comprises three different blades. First is the 4-inch paring knife. The second one is an 8-inch slicer knife. Last but not the least is the 10-inch chef’s knife. This is not the standard chef’s knife and is ideal for those who prefer a longer version of chef’s knife. The blades are made of High-carbon stainless steel blades to provide maximum sharpness and edge retention. It is stamped from cold-rolled steel for a lighter heft.
The blades are conical ground lengthwise and crosswise for minimal resistance while cutting. Each and every blade is laser tested before it reaches the shelf for sale. The patented Fibrox handles are textured. It provides resistance to the handle from getting slipped. The blades are designed for balance and comfort. It has an NSF approved certificate. The blades are manufactured exclusively in Switzerland. This is one of the best kitchen knife set for the money.
How to Choose the Professional Top Chef Knife Set?
Choosing the style of the Best Chef’s knife Under 200$ mainly depends on the choice of the Chef. You can go through some professional best chef’s knife review to get some info on the product you like. There are so many different types and sizes of the blade that are available in the market that it sometimes become little hard to decide. The following points can be helpful in choosing the best chef knife set for your kitchen. These are:
i) Chef knife weight
ii) Balanced chef knife
iii) Standard size chef’s knife
Chef Knife Weight
First thing that you should look for is the weight of the knife. Heavy knives cut through meat easily but the lighter knives have easy and quick flow. It will be better to think about what you do most with the chef’s knife and how quickly you want to complete the task.
Balanced Chef Knife
While choosing the best chef knife set, it is very important to check the balance of the blade. It should fit perfectly in the palm of the user. If while holding the knife, you experience an uncomfortable weight on the back of the handle, it is not meant for you. The side-to-side balance is also very important if you want to do the task quickly. If the blade wants to teeter towards one side or the other, that means it is unstable and can be risky to use.
Standard Size Chefs Knife
If you have small hands and you choose a bigger blade or vice-versa, it will be a disaster in the kitchen. The size of the blade should be comfortable for your hands. Though the 8-inch blade is the most popular size of the blade that is available in the market but you can choose anything between 6-inch to a 14-inch blade depending on your palm size and usage.
Conclusion
If you want to have a productive time in the kitchen, you should have some of the best tools in your possession. Chef’s knife is one of the most important parts of your collection. It is very important to choose a blade which is durable and long lasting. To make sure the blade stays with you for a long period of time, you should maintain it properly. Regular cleaning after use, periodic honing and sharpening is very important for a long lasting blade.
There are a lot of companies that manufacture some very good quality blades. To make sure you choose the best blade for you, always check it in your hand while buying. In case you are planning to order the blade online to get the best chef knife set, you can always check for the user’s best chef’s knife review on big retail websites like Amazon.