What Is The Best Kitchen Knife Steel?
A good knife is the essence of a kitchen and in the heart of every meal. It’s the most important equipment in the kitchen when considering handling ingredients.
Depending on personal preferences, kitchen knives aren’t just pieces of honed steel, they are a good investment that will serve you right and a long time if taken care of properly.
However, not all knives are equal and to be treated similarly. Every knife has its own attributes that need to be taken into consideration. There are different pros and cons in every knife, you just need to learn how to spot them, and like in all things, there’s a small learning curve.
Where can you tell that what is a good kitchen knife and what is not suited even to spread butter?
There is the matter of material, balance, construction, width, ergonomics, and price. However, the most important perk to be aware of is material! This will determine the durability, weight, quality, and how long it will last, and how easy the knife is to sharpen. Let us dive into materials.
Contents
What Is The Best Kitchen Knife Steel
When examining the different types of knives out there, and there are a lot of them. You want to think about what you will be using the knife. This will determine what kind of steel you should be looking for. Below you can see the most common and appreciated steel types and their pros and cons.
Stainless Steel
Let’s start off with the basics. Stainless steel has many perks when using it as the material of a kitchen knife.
Pros
Stainless steel comes usually with a low price tag and stainless steel has a lot of chromium, therefore it won’t rust! This material is also really easy to take care of and can be washed in a dishwasher without further thought.
Cons
On the other hand, stainless steel is a weak form of steel that results in a quickly dulling blade. Stainless steel blades won’t maintain the sharpness for a long time because sharpening destroys the soft steel instead of sharpening them to a razor-sharp condition.
They will get sharp tough don’t get me wrong!
In conclusion, stainless steel knives are an excellent choice if you are looking for a reliable and durable kitchen knife that will last a long time.
Carbon Stainless Steel
Pros
When comparing carbon steel to stainless steel, there are notable differences between them. Carbon steel is harder than stainless steel, which means that it can be sharper, and it will hold the blade longer. It is also easy to sharpen!
Cons
When pros improve in some factor, so do the cons… Carbon steel is more expensive than stainless steel, however, the difference isn’t that big. It will rust also easier than a stainless steel blade, in fact, its’ not recommended that you put such a knife in the dishwasher.
All in all a carbon steel knife will be the perfect choice for you if you appreciate a sharper blade that will hold it a long time, and aren’t bothered with the fact that you should hand wash it.
High-Carbon Stainless Steel
Pros
High-carbon stainless steel is the most durable steel type out there. It will easily hold the edge and sharpness even in rough and long cutting sessions, and it is effortless to hone back to the razor-sharp edge!
Cons
When there is the best perk in sharpness and durability, there are also the highest cons as well… High-carbon stainless steel is extremely easily stained and discolored when cutting citrus fruits or other acidic ingredients. However, this won’t affect the cutting abilities of the knife at all!
Also is essential that this kind of knife is hand-washed because it will rust fast if not taken care of properly.
High-Carbon Stainless Steel is a great option if you want the absolute best durability and cutting power, and won’t be discouraged about hand-washing and discoloration over time.
Damascus Steel
Damascus Steel is an unusual steel type because a layer of hard steel has placed between two soft metals to give a sharp edge while protected from the sides.
You can find Damascus steel knives usually in a professional restaurant due to the fact that it has great perks when considering ingredient handling. Let us review these perks.
Pros
Damascus knives are extremely sharp and will hold the edge really well. That is one of the reasons professional chefs adore these types of knives, there is also the fact that Damascus knives are extremely beautiful and unique looking, and they have more of a ”traditional” feel than a plain metal colored stainless steel knife.
It’s good to remember that everything is relative and Damascus might be the perfect fit for someone, but another person wouldn’t just get one.
Cons
If you work in a busy kitchen and don’t have time to hand wash and care about every knife perfectly, then Damascus maybe isn’t suited for you. Damascus knives don’t have rust or stain resistance, and that is a deal-breaker for some people. Damascus steel tends to be more expensive than other steel as well.
In conclusion, a Damascus knife is an amazing option if you have the time and energy to really care about it, then it will definitely return the favor.
Ceramic
You heard right, ceramic knives. Metal knives aren’t the only players in the market and ceramic ones have some extraordinary pros and cons.
Pros
The ultimate pro that no other knife has is that ceramic knives will stay sharp for a long, long time. Actually, the blades will hold the sharp edge more than 10-times longer than a similar quality steel knife.
Equally, the good perk is that it won’t stain or rust, ever. It’s not metal so that just can’t happen! Pretty cool huh?
Lastly, ceramic knives weigh less than metal ones, and gives you a tireless and continuous cutting experience!
With these kinds of perks, there are equal cons as well.
Cons
As amazing as it may be that ceramic knives stay sharp extremely long, there will be a time when the blade is dull and you need to sharpen it, then you will need caution, effort, and a diamond stone to make it sharp again.
And what comes to the stain and rust-free qualities that are just incredible, there is a counterpart to that con as well. Ceramic material is actually weaker than steel, and if you drop your knife, hit it hard in a corner, or place it in the dishwasher it can get broken. Therefore if considering a ceramic knife, take good care of it as expected anyways.
Finally, the ceramic blade will cut effortlessly fresh vegetables and other brittle ingredients, however, when it comes to cutting thick meats and frozen foods, ceramic knife isn’t the number one performer in this category.
The ceramic knife truly is a miraculous thing when considering the incredible pros against equally challenging cons. It truly comes to preferences and habits whether you lean towards a ceramic knife or not.
Titanium
Our last metal in this list is Titanium. Let us review the perks of this metal!
Pros
Titanium is really light and really strong steel! Quality titanium knife can cut like a new one even months without sharpening. It can also endure extreme temperature changes, even better than steel!
This list is filled with knives that you shouldn’t place into the dishwasher, titanium however is rust and corrosion resistant and will put a stop to this because you can wash it any kind and where ever you want.
Cons
Thanks to the durability and strength of titanium, you will have a hard time sharpening the blade and in the worst case, you can ruin the whole blade if not knowing what to do.
Titanium knives are usually more expensive than other metals despite that, it isn’t a ”rare” metal because it isn’t super easy to craft one.
Titanium knives aren’t the most usual type of knife in the kitchen however, you need a knife that will hold through hard treatments, titanium might be the right choice for you.
Conclusion
From this list, you certainly will spot the right metals for you and your kitchen, remember to keep in mind the dos and don’ts that you require from a knife and you will make the right decision.
Feel free to leave a comment about which metal do you like the best and if you have tried any of the more unusual ones!