Global UKON 6-Piece Professional Kitchen Knife Set, CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel – Contains 5 Kitchen Knives & 1 Knife Block

Product Information

For more fashion, grooming and technology releases delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our GQ Recommends newsletter. What are the best kitchen knives to buy in 2023? When buying knives online, you’ll also need proof that you're 18 or over. Here are the terms and conditions from the biggest retailers: Finally, any serrated knives were used to slice beef tomatoes, cube aubergines and cut lemons into wedges. The best kitchen knives are objects of functional beauty, letting you slice, dice, and chop your way effortlessly through any culinary challenges you care to throw their way –like a real life Fruit Ninja. From paper-thin tomato slices to perfectly proportioned pieces of meat and veg, having one or more high-end kitchen knives can have a huge impact on how much you enjoy spending time in the kitchen.

GHI tip: Always try a knife before buying. A reputable retailer will let you try the knife out on vegetables - always try on tomatoes, as a new sharp knife should cut through easily without resistance. Hand-washing your knife is always preferable to dishwashing, even if the brand says your blade is “dishwasher safe”. And if you have a high-quality Japanese steel or German steel knife, you should never subject it to the likes of a dishwasher. The hot water and salt of the dishwasher will do your blade no favours, so as soon as you finish using it give it a wash and dry thoroughly to avoid corrosion.The best practice is to wash knives in hot, soapy water and then dry them with a tea towel, rather than leaving them to air. We do always test dishwasher-safe claims, regardless.

It's fairly priced for the performance, and we'd absolutely recommend it for a starter Japanese knife set. Advanced cooks and chefs might look for a higher-end option, but for most home cooks, this is a serviceable and smart buy. The knives in this set are very sharp, but ergonomic features could be improved to make the knives more comfortable to hold and use. This set is a good basic or starter set, but we think there are still better options on the market. They are small rectangular stones, around 20cm by 8cm, with different levels of coarseness. This can range from 0 to 220 (extra coarse) to 5000+ (ultra fine). For most people, one stone with a grain of 1000 and another of 3000 will suffice. Like the manual sharpener, it has V-shaped circular steels of varying coarsenesses. But instead of pulling against the steels, the electric sharpener will buff the blade with the rotating steels as you lightly drag the knife through the Vs. Plastic: Plastic handles tend to be smooth and free from grooves that can trap dirt. Some plastic knives are also slightly textured to offer a more secure grip. Keep them well away from heat sources when cooking to avoid melting the handle.Gently pull your knife through the two rotating V-shaped circular steels, and repeat around five times. It's compact, easy to store and often the cheapest sharpening option, but it won't sharpen as finely as other methods. Sharpening stones take a while to master, as you need to ensure you’re drawing your knife across the stone at the correct angle; most experts agree 20 degrees is correct. Here's how: