How to choose a cooking companion?

When you think about buying a kitchen knife, what is your first criterion? To choose a good kitchen knife, do you simply go to stores and randomly pick one? What should you consider beforehand to make the right choice?

The right kitchen knife will be your friendly partner that you use every day while cooking. In today’s article, we will briefly summarize the types of kitchen knives you should choose and how to choose them.

Which country is the knife brand from?

Knife brands come from many countries, but Japanese and German knives are the most famous.

Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Compared to German knives, Japanese knives are more suited to Vietnamese cuisine.

The ingredients and cooking styles in Japan are somewhat similar to those in Vietnam, so choosing a Japanese knife for a Vietnamese family is often the better fit.

Where to buy knives?

When buying a Japanese kitchen knife, it’s best to purchase after receiving advice from a specialized knife store with solid knowledge and a good reputation.

Getting proper consultation will help you choose the best kitchen knife based on your cooking style, cooking frequency, and the ingredients you use in your family.

Furthermore, when buying from a specialized store, they can provide support and advice if any issues arise during use, as well as offer sharpening services.

Purchasing from reputable shops ensures the authenticity and quality of the knives, so you won’t end up with counterfeit or low-quality products.

Price

With the wide range of prices and countless designs available on the market today, choosing a good knife can be a challenging decision.

Currently, many knife sets advertised as “Made in Japan” are sold online for just a few hundred thousand VND. In reality, it’s difficult to find a high-quality Japanese knife for such a low price.

Counterfeit and fake products being sold cause users to feel disappointed when the knives don’t match the advertised quality.
This damages customer trust in Japanese knives.

Authentic Japanese knives with high durability and good edge retention usually start around 100 USD. If you have a good budget and want a beautiful, high-quality knife to elevate your kitchen, knives priced above 150 USD are often a more reasonable choice.

First-time buyers

There are many types of Japanese knives, so it can be difficult to choose the right one if you don’t have specific criteria—especially if you’re buying for the first time. For beginners or those who want an all-purpose knife, Santoku or Gyuto knives are good choices.

Both Santoku and Gyuto knives are commonly used for everyday cooking with meat, fish, and vegetables. However, it’s important to note that these knives are not suitable for cutting frozen ingredients.

If you often cut frozen foods, you should prepare a separate knife specifically for that purpose.

Regarding size, we recommend 150mm to 180mm for Santoku knives and 180mm to 210mm for Gyuto knives.

For chefs or those with more demanding cooking needs, the two options above may not be suitable. They will require specialized knives - for example, a Yanagi knife for slicing sashimi, or a Deba knife specifically for handling fish.

The steel material of the blade is also important to consider, but you should choose the type of steel that suits your purpose.
If you want a beautiful, sharp, durable, and sturdy knife, go for one made from Hagane (carbon steel). However, you’ll need to take extra care to maintain it after each use.

If you simply want a rust-resistant, easy-to-maintain knife, choose one made from stainless steel.
Ceramic knives are also lightweight and ideal for those allergic to metal, but you must handle them carefully because the blade chips easily and is nearly impossible to sharpen by hand.

Additionally, when assessing the quality of a knife, the most important thing to check before buying is that the blade is not warped.
No matter how sharp a knife is, if the blade is bent, it will perform poorly and won’t cut ingredients properly.