How do I choose a chef's knife?

A chef's knife does perhaps eighty per cent of the cutting in a kitchen, so it is worth choosing deliberately. Almost none of what matters is what the marketing emphasises.

Step by step

1. Start with length.20cm suits most people and most boards. 15cm feels more controllable if you have small hands or a small kitchen; 25cm is faster for volume work but intimidating and needs a big board.
2. Hold it before you buy if you can.Pinch the blade just in front of the handle between thumb and forefinger — the proper grip — and see how it balances. A knife that feels handle-heavy or blade-heavy in that grip will tire you.
3. Choose stainless for most people.Modern stainless holds an edge well and does not rust. Carbon steel takes a sharper edge and is easier to sharpen, but it rusts if left wet and stains from acidic food.
4. Look for a full tang.The steel running the full length of the handle, usually visible as a strip between the scales. It is stronger and better balanced than a partial tang.
5. Compare Western and Japanese profiles.Western knives are heavier with a curved belly suited to rocking. Japanese knives are lighter, harder and flatter, suited to a push cut. Neither is better — they are different techniques.
6. Ignore the block set.A set of fifteen knives in a block is mostly filler. A chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife cover everything, and buying three good ones costs less than a mediocre set.
7. Set a realistic budget.There is a large jump in quality between £10 and £50, and a much smaller one between £50 and £200. Spend what buys a comfortable, well-made knife and put the rest towards a sharpening stone.
8. Buy the means to sharpen it at the same time.A blunt expensive knife is worse than a sharp cheap one, and more dangerous. A whetstone or a decent pull-through is part of the purchase, not an accessory.
9. Check it is dishwasher-avoidant.Almost all good knives should be washed by hand. Dishwashers blunt edges, damage handles and knock blades against other items.
10. Consider a santoku as an alternative.Shorter, flatter and lighter, with a straighter edge. Many people find it more comfortable than a chef's knife for everyday chopping.

Tips

• Balance in the pinch grip tells you more in ten seconds than any review.
• Three knives cover everything: chef's, paring, bread.
• Budget for a sharpening stone as part of the knife purchase.

Common mistakes

• Buying a large block set — Most of the knives in a set are rarely used and the money is spread across fifteen mediocre blades instead of three good ones. The block also takes worktop space that a magnetic strip does not.
• Buying an expensive knife and never sharpening it — Every knife blunts with use, and a premium blade blunts too. Within a few months an unsharpened £200 knife cuts worse than a £30 one that gets honed, and a blunt knife slips and causes more injuries.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask