Carol’s Essential Gadget #2 – Santuko Knife

Carol’s Essential Gadget #2

Carol’s essential gadget #2 is used every single day. In fact it is seldom in the kitchen knife drawer. I would be remiss if I didn’t include this knife that is nearly always in use near or at the top of my gadget list. When I initially purchased this knife, it was not because I needed it. In fact I have a complete set of Zwilling knives. However after I had read several reviews I decided it was a must have. With that in the back of my mind I added it to my “wish” list and when a sale popped up, I ordered it. There has not been a day since that it has not been used. It is my go-to knife.

Zwilling 7 Inch Hollow Ground Santoku Knife

The Santoku shape is great for all my slicing and chopping needs and is particularly effective in cutting through the tough skins of winter squash. This is a Japanese knife, Santoku meaning three virtues or three uses. The dimples (grantons) at the knife’s edge make it easier to pull the blade out and minimize suction. If this knife is not in your collection, it might be time to add it. 

Pat

I have a knife very similar to this that is also my go-to, although mine is part of a set of Henckels that I bought many years ago and have been very pleased with (in fact my 7″ is in the sink waiting to be washed or I’d snap a photo of it – by the way, did you know that you shouldn’t put your good knives in the dishwasher? Dulls them. You’re welcome.) 

While, like Carol’s essential gadget #2, the Santoku-style knife is our daily driver for chopping and prepping, my favorite knife on the knife magnet is my handy 7″ fillet knife. 

We raise beef cattle on our ranch, and breaking down meat is a pretty frequent occurrence. I love this knife – be careful, it’s sharp! – to carve out silverskin and fat, and give me nice lean pieces of beef with a minimum of waste. Runner up for meat processing? My big serrated knife. For pork, I’ll typically buy a whole loin from Sam’s and cut it up myself into roasts and chops. Tossing the whole loin in the freezer for a couple hours makes cutting it up super easy, and the serrated slicer makes quick work of prepping the meat for our table of two versus a cast of thousands. 

Find your friendly neighborhood knife sharpener

Yes, you can buy a knife sharpener – I have one in my drawer – but the way to go is to find a skilled human knife sharpener. Here in my area, that’s To The Point knife sharpening run by a true blade artisan, Grizz. 

Grizz has performed miracles on some of our knives including regrinding points onto them when they are broken (please, oh please don’t use a knife as a screwdriver!) and my knives are beautifully sharp and shiny. And an annual trip to the sharpener keeps the doctor away, as it’s much more common to injure yourself on a dull knife than a sharp one (so much for that whole apple thing). 

Jan

I also love the Santoku style knife. I am pretty sure Carol gave me this one and it has reigned supreme ever since. In fact, I had to retrieve it from the sink, wash and dry it, prior to this photo session.

My husband prefers using a small knife when he cuts in the kitchen…not a frequent occurrence any more… but it always seemed to me to be sending a girl to do a woman’s job… Although, to be fair, I listened to a podcast interview of Jacque Pepin today where he admitted that a small knife is one of the three he relies upon and can do ANYTHING.

ANYWAY, I prefer the Santoku. It retains a good edge. I keep all my knives stored on this magnetic strip from IKEA. I heartily recommend storing knives in this manner. It keeps them readily available and avoids the danger of the edges knocking together in a drawer making the dull. 

I keep my knives sharp using an electric knife sharpener. I have had this particular sharpener for over four years. It has served me well. It puts a high performance 15 degree edge on the knife, hones and then finishes with a polishing stage. I chose on it on the recommendation of the testers at America’s Test Kitchen.

I use the sharpener every few months to put a good edge on all my knives. My knives slip through whatever I am cutting with ease. A sharp knife is much safer to use than a dull one.

I will caution you to never put a knife into sudsy dishwater. I have learned through painful experience that being surprised by a sharp knife hidden in the suds is something to avoid!