How often should you sharpen your knife?

There is honing and sharpening. Honing maintains the edge and is something you should do every time you use your knife. Honing is done with a honing steel or the “fine” setting on a pull through sharpener. Every time you use your knife the microscopic teeth get out of alignment. Honing realigns the blade and makes it appear sharper (even though you are not sharpening/removing metal). Sharpening is something you should do approximately 1 time a year (max 2).  Sharpening can be done by a professional or at home. Sharpening actually removes metal.  

What is the best way to sharpen your knife?

The best way to sharpen your knife is to take it to a professional or you can do it at home.  To sharpen at home you have several options; Diamond steel, “course” setting on a pull through sharpener or a stone.  After you sharpen you should always finish with a honing steel or the “fine” setting on your pull through sharpener.  

mincing using chefs knifechefs knife

What are the best knives to have in your kitchen?

The three essential knives to have in your kitchen are:

  • Cook’s knife, the workhorse of the kitchen, will be used to chop/slice foods like onions, vegetables, and herbs. 
  • Paring knife, for close up work like cutting strawberries or can be used as a small cook’s knife.
  • A serrated knife, for bread, citrus, tomatoes, cantaloupe or pineapple.  
  • After that, the knives you add to your collection are task-specific based on what you cook/prep at home.

My favorite knife is the Nakiri!  It has a rounded tip so you can easily “rock” the knife for chopping vegetables.  The thinner blade makes it the perfect choice when I need to cut really thin slices.  It has a wide blade, which allows me to easily scoop up food and transfer to a pan or bowl.

Nakiri knifeWusthof Nakiri knife

Which knives do you think make the best holiday gifts and why?

The knives that make the best holiday gifts are ones that you will use all the time, but are slightly different/unique from the basic knives you already have in the kitchen.  For example, the Wüsthof Classic 4 ½” Asian Utility knife.  It is a cross between a small cook’s knife and a paring knife.  Great for both close-up work and chopping vegetables.  It has a thin blade, more of an Asian style knife, so you can also achieve very thin slices.  The Double Serrated bread knife is also a great option.  It is double serrated, so it will slice through those extra crusty artisanal breads like butter.  If you are buying a gift for someone that is in need of one good knife, the best options is our Classic 6” Cook’s knife.  This is a great starter knife and is on sale for $59.99!

Wusthof Chefs Knife

What makes Wusthof knives different from others?

Wüsthof knives are made in Solingen, Germany nicknamed “The city of blades”.  To have Solingen, Germany on the blade it means the knife has to meet a multitude of strict requirements.  We are very proud that for over 200 years we still have Solingen, Germany on our knives.  This is different than “made in Germany” which does not have to meet the same requirements.  The most important part of the knife is the steel.  Wüsthof’s proprietary formula produces a knife that is sharp out of the box, maintains its edge and allows you to easily get the edge back.  Wusthof currently has the sharpest knives in the industry.  Our traditional blades are at 14 degrees and the Santoku and Nakiri knives are at 10 degrees.

cutting a carrot using chefs knifeChefs knife chopping