One of the most important tools you can have in your kitchen is a good knife. A really good knife. Just know that it is going to cost you, but it will be a great investment that will take you through years and years of preparing so many great things! A really good, high quality knife will make any job a snap!

Something I get asked a lot is “What kind of knife do you recommend?”. There are a good number of good knives out there. I would never buy a knife without “trying it out” for size and performance. Size you say? Yes, size. My favorite knives are made by Miyabi and I got them at Sur La Table. 

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Never mind the “play video” arrow. I copied this picture from the Sur La Table site. This is the knife I have. I love it so much I bought two! It is the Miyabi Artisan SG2 Collection Chef’s knife 9 1/2 ” ($229.95) It cuts like a dream. 

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 10.06.33 PMWhen I went to Sur La Table to look at their different knives, the gal there highly recommended this knife. It is a Bob Kramer 8″ Stainless Damascus Chef’s Knife  (399.95). I excitedly took the knife in my hand to try it out. She handed me an apple and said I could cut the apple to try out the knife. I quickly asked for something more substantial to cut. An apple? You don’t need a sharp knife to cut an apple! How was I supposed to see how well this knife performed by cutting an apple? I asked for carrots or something firmer like that. After cutting the carrots with this knife, I knew it was not a good fit for my hand. The handle felt too bulky for me.

That’s when I asked for another recommendation and she handed me the Miyabi knife. It was like I was cinderella slipping on the perfectly fitting glass slipper! It cut effortlessly and fit perfectly in my hand.That’s what I mean when I say you need to try it on for size. 

You can keep buying your sets of 50.oo knives in a block set that will never perform that good, dull quickly and then buy a new 50.00 set. Or you can buy one amazing knife that will perform incredibly and make you feel like Julia Child in kitchen! 

Head out to your local Sur La Table or gourmet kitchen store to take some knives out for a test run. Remember to ask for something firmer than an apple or onion to slice. I hope this helps with making your decision and gets you in “slicing and dicing” good form!