Besides learning how to set up a cooking fire, the knife is perhaps the single-most-important discovery for humanity. It is believed that the first knives were created by sharpening the edges of hard rocks. These primitive tools allowed early humans to process their food.
To this day, knives are one of the most crucial pellet grill accessories for all cooks. Hence, you should educate yourself about the best knives for chefs.
Here, we cover the most important knives that can serve many vital purposes for serious BBQ chefs. Besides dressing meat, these knives are also needed for slicing and dicing vegetables for preparing healthy and nutritious side dishes. In short, knives are essential for a complete BBQ meal.
Best Knife Material
It is necessary to start with the basics for selecting the best knives for grilling. Material selection determines the quality of implements. Nowhere is it more apparent than knife construction. Although knives are made from different materials, steel is undoubtedly the best choice.
You can get better quality knives by using harder steel. The edge of these knives is sharper as it is made from a harder material. The edge can also stay sharp for longer time periods.
The Rockwell C Scale is one of the many hardness measuring scales in use. For a good quality knife, the hardness in this particular scale should be in the 52 to 60 range.
One might be led to believe that choosing a better-performing knife is simply a matter of using harder steel. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as it sounds. Hardness also brings with it another undesirable consequence: brittleness.
Harder materials are often more brittle. Hence, they are more prone to breaking with shock and impact. The same goes for knives made from harder steel. Their edges can break or chip off easily if the steel used is too hard and brittle.
If your knives face rough use, then it is better to utilize softer steel since it is flexible and malleable. Although the knife edge will not be as hard, it won’t break or chip off easily.
The most widely used blade material is steel. Stainless steel and carbon steel are the most common material selections for steel knives.
Carbon Steel – carbon steel is made chiefly from iron and carbon. Sometimes, another element is included. Knives made from carbon steel are harder as compared to stainless steel knives. However, they suffer certain drawbacks.
Carbon steel is more brittle than stainless steel. Hence, carbon steel knives can chip off or break easily if you are not careful. Carbon steel can also develop stains when it is used for slicing acidic ingredients, such as lemons, tomatoes and onions.
Carbon steel is, unfortunately, susceptible to rusting easily. To avoid rusting and corrosion, you should oil and clean your carbon steel knives regularly. This is in addition to using them carefully so that they don’t break.
Stainless Steel – this material has now become the most popular material selection for kitchen knives as it does not rust or discolor easily.
Lower-grade stainless steel alloy has the advantage of being fairly inexpensive. However, knives made from such alloys do not keep a sharp edge for long.
There are specific grades of stainless steels whose hardness approaches that of carbon steels. If you have a choice, go for 440A or AUS6.
At this point, it is worth mentioning that ceramic is also a great choice for knife-making. However, it is not recommended. Although ceramic knives can be harder than even carbon steel knives, they are also more brittle. Ceramic knives can, therefore, break easily if you drop them or strike a bone too hard. Consequently, it is better for you to skip ceramic knives.
Knife Parts
A knife may look like a very simple kitchen utensil. The uninitiated might think that there is not much terminology involved as far as knives are concerned. They may be surprised to discover that knives have a fair list of parts. You should know these terms as they are essential to understanding the different properties of knives. Since knives are rather simple tools, these terms are easy to understand. This knowledge will help you to make better knife-buying decisions.
The steel part of the knife comprises three basic parts. They are blade, bolster and tang. Probably, everyone is familiar with the blade. But not as many people are familiar with the bolster and tang. The blade cannot exist on its own. It needs a stout base behind it for support. These are present in knives in the form of the bolster and tang. The bolster is the thicker cross-section right behind the blade. As the name suggests, its primary purpose is to support or ‘bolster’ the blade. It keeps the handle separate from the blade.
The bolster also needs support, which is provided by the tang. The tang is the portion behind both the bolster and the blade. The tang is the steel portion of the knife that exists within the handle. It is the steel portion of the knife that you hold while using it. A handle made from a different material often envelops the tang. It rivets the handle to the tang. Some handles are made out of one plastic piece rather than wood.
The blade portion is also further subdivided into three more parts, including the tip, edge and heel. The tip is the part in the vicinity of the knife point – the extreme end of the knife blade. The part of the blade in the middle is called the edge. The heel is the rear portion of the blade. The spine is the unsharpened side of the blade.
There are also other blade types, besides the straight edge. There are also blades with scalloped and serrated edges that can make it easy for you to cut through tough foodstuff. The vast majority of knives, however, have straight edges.
Here are four different knives that can serve your entire pellet grill cooking needs. Your collection of the best knives for chefs should consist of these, at the very least.
Chef Knife
If you were to choose just one knife for your kitchen, then the chef knife would be it. This is the most versatile knife for nearly all purposes. This all-purpose knife has almost everything covered. You can cut small parts using its tip. The edge is valuable for slicing and dicing all kinds of foods, while the heel works well for chopping.
Chef knives are commonly available in 8, 10 and 12-inch lengths. If you want to use just one knife, then choose the 10-in length. This mid-length knife is a good all-rounder. You use it comfortably for long time periods.
You might think that the 12-inch chef knife is ideal for all purposes, including extended use. The truth is that it is not the optimal choice for extended use. The long blade length can put a larger strain on your wrist than shorter knives. Shorter knives put less strain on your hands and wrist. Hence, they are better for prolonged use.
On the other hand, the 8-inch chef knife has one key drawback. It is suitable for relatively small food items. It is not the best option for cutting down big chunks of meat or for chopping up several pounds of vegetables. You can, therefore, take the middle ground with the 10-inch chef knife. It is the best choice if you have to choose just one knife. The 10-inch chef knife minimizes the drawbacks of long and short knives. It balances and combines the best of both the worlds.
There are further things to consider when selecting your chef knife. You should hold it to check the balance. A well-balanced knife is the key to minimizing fatigue from extended use. This matters if you will be slicing and dicing large quantities of food. You will not have to apply too much force on your wrist to make the necessary cut with the optimal blade length.
The blade thickness is also another key factor that you must consider. When you have a selection of knives in front of you, choose the one with the widest blade. With a wide blade, it is much easier to chop down bulky items. Most importantly, your knuckles will not crash into the cutting board when you are working hard and fast.
You can find an outstanding quality chef knife in the $100 price range. With proper care, it should last you a lifetime. If you are seeking a bargain, then you can also get good knives for around $50. Keep in mind that these knives are often made from softer stainless steels.
The edge will, therefore, not last as long and it won’t remain sharp for long either. It may be wise to invest more for a product that performs well over an entire lifetime. A chef knife is not something that you buy every day. So there is not much point in saving, especially if you are a serious cook.
You don’t need to spend a fortune either – unless you are a knife collector who loves collecting artisan knives. The Global G-2 is a fantastic option for a chef knife. The famed Japanese designer Komin Yamada has put much thought behind this well-designed ergonomic knife.
A key design aspect is the cutting edge – the most crucial part. Most knives have a rather large angle on the edge since only the portion close to the edge is machined. A small area is machined this way to cut costs. But this is not the case with the G-2. You can clearly see with the bare eye that a large portion of the blade well above the edge is machined. The end result is a cutting edge that has a very acute and small angle. The knife edge is, therefore, extremely sharp. The Global G-2 does not cut corners to cut costs.
Another crucial facet is the choice of material. The steel corresponds to the CROMOVA 18 that contains chromium, vanadium and molybdenum. The exact ratio of these elements is a trade secret and for a good reason. This steel composition is hard enough to maintain a razor-sharp edge for a long time. Yet, it is soft enough for grinding with a whetstone. The chromium content minimizes corrosion, staining and rusting. The razor-sharp edge is a great option for minimizing hand fatigue. These knives are handcrafted to perfection.
If you are still interested in saving costs, you can go for the Mercer Chef Knife or the Victorinox Fibrox Chef Knife.
Although you can use a chef knife for most jobs, it is not the most suitable in all instances. You can benefit from other options.
Boning Knife
For satisfactory butterflying and deboning, you can’t go wrong with a boning knife. As the name suggests, its primary purpose is to separate the meat from the bone. Sturdy handles and tapering blades characterize these knives.
These knives have different shapes. They may have either a straight edge or be curved like a scimitar. The blades are often five or six inches in length.
The best choice for pellet grilling is a straight and stiff blade. This particular design is best for dressing ribs, shoulders and other parts.
Wood and plastic are the most common materials for the handle. You can choose whichever you are most comfortable with. Make sure that you select the highest quality steel.
The Zwilling JA Henckels is one of the best quality boning knives. Zwilling is a well-recognized manufacturer that specializes in high carbon stainless steel knives.
As these knives are forged from a single piece of hardened steel, they are very strong and durable. These knives are manufactured in Germany using special grade carbon steel that does not stain.
A laser-controlled process hones the cutting edge to the right degree of sharpness. Similarly, three rivets bond the handle with tang for the perfect grip.
At 57, the hardness ranks high on the Rockwell scale. The edge is hard enough to last for a long time. Yet, it is not too hard to be brittle in nature. In fact, the blade is flexible enough so that you can ply it easily around ribs and tough cuts of meat.
The Dexter Russell boning knife is a fine medium-grade option. You can clean the knife easily. The grip is designed to stop your hand from slipping.
Slicing Knife
Slice your way to a perfectly prepared BBQ with a slicing knife. This knife is the best tool for cutting uniform slices from the bigger cuts of meat.
Slicing knives have a distinctive shape. They have a rectangular shape with a rounded end where the sharp knife point should be. Slicing knives have scallops or hollow air pockets in the blade to reduce the drag friction force. There is a much smaller risk of ruining soft tender meat with such knives.
You can select from three kinds of edges, including scalloped, serrated and straight. Although serrated blades are good for crusty hard bread, they are unsuitable for soft brisket. To make clean slices, your best option is to opt for the straight edge.
If you are looking for one of the best slicing knives for cutting briskets, then look no further than the Dalstrong Shogun Series slicing knife. The cutting edge is only 12 degrees. It is, therefore, extremely sharp. The blade is nitrogen cooled for better flexibility as well as corrosion resistance.
Paring Knife
This knife is suitable for performing a wide range of chores, such as slicing small fruits and vegetables and cutting through packaging and strings.
It is a heavy-duty knife that can be used for all the tough work, so there is no need to use your expensive knives. By taking over the hard work, it can keep your finest knives in good shape.
These knives have a rather short blade length of around 3.5 inches. Tough paring knives are inexpensive and, therefore, easy to replace in case they get damaged. However, do not purchase the extremely cheap varieties since they gather rust quickly.
Dexter-Russell and Victorinix are good quality paring knives that you should consider.
There are many reasons why seasoned grill masters are obsessed with their knife collection to some degree. These reasons may range from cutting big chunks of meat to slicing and dicing fruits and vegetables. Even for the perfectly presentable ribs and briskets, you need a good slicing knife.
You should, therefore, select the best knives for chefs as these are the most indispensable pellet grill accessories.