Equipment Review: Best Santoku Knives & Our Testing Winners
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- Buy our Winning Santoku Knife: bit.ly/44NYdnL
Buy our Best Buy Santoku Knife: bit.ly/4aw2Owf
Behind the Testing: bit.ly/2xmc9ok
Full testing details and ranking chart: bit.ly/2h7Kule
We tested 10 santoku knives to find the best one (listed in alphabetical order):
Global G-48 7" Santoku Hollow Ground Knife
Kramer by Zwilling J.A. Henckels Euroline Essential Collection 7" Santoku Knife
MAC Superior Santoku 6 1/2"
Mercer Culinary Genesis 7" Forged Santoku
Misono UX10 Santoku 7.0"
OXO Good Grips Pro 6.5" Santoku Knife
Shun Classic 7-in. Hollow-Ground Santoku
Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 7" Granton Blade Santoku Knife
Wüsthof Classic 7" Santoku, Hollow Edge
Zwilling Pro 7" Hollow Edge Rocking Santoku Knife
With its petite build and curved tip, this friendly-looking Japanese blade is giving Western-style chef’s knives a run for their money. But does it offer something unique?
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WINNING TRAITS OF A GOOD SANTOKU KNIFE
- Slim, sharp cutting edge that retains its sharpness
- Slim tip for precision work
- Narrow spine (top edge of blade), less than 2 mm
- Handle of moderate width and length, and neutral shape, so it is comfortable in various hands and grips
- Handle that doesn’t become slippery when hands are wet or greasy
- Spine that isn’t sharp, facilitating pinch grip
- Good balance between handle and blade
WHAT WE TESTED
We tested 10 santoku knives and also compared their feel and performance to that of our favorite chef’s knife, the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife. We measured the knives’ blade length, blade angle, and spine thickness. All knives were purchased online.
RATING CRITERIA
Performance: We minced fresh herbs, diced onions, broke down whole raw chickens into parts, and quartered unpeeled butternut squashes. To assess precision, we cut carrots into matchsticks and sliced slightly frozen boneless steak against the grain into uniform slivers (a technique used when preparing beef for Vietnamese pho). Knives that sliced smoothly and helped us complete the tasks with crisp cuts and neat results scored highest. We also assessed the sharpness of each knife before and after testing by slicing sheets of copy paper; blades that started sharp and stayed that way rated highest.
Ease of Use: Throughout testing we rated the knives on how comfortable and easy they were to hold and use, evaluating the handle shape, spine sharpness (if we used a pinch grip), weight, and balance of the blade. Six testers of varying heights and handedness, including three proficient with knives and three self-described knife novices, chopped onions and rated the knives. Knives rated higher if most testers found them comfortable and easy to use.
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This is pure 100% information with no fat. I love it. Great job!
Sadly, the Victorinox part is not accurate...
I own a sandwich shop and use a J.A. Henckels Santoku knife for just about everything. Meat, cheese, veggies, even bread. It slices corned beef thin as paper and goes through soft rolls like air. I do have keep it sharpened, though, but it's not a big deal. One advantage of the Santoku is it's very handy as a scooper, for things like chopped onions.
I have Henckels Zwilling Pro S and Gourmet knives. I love the Pro S knives. I like the Gourmet knives.
@@rdaltry777 I have one of this after I saw Gordon Ramsey using it, it is wonderful
I keep hearing about these Zwilling Henckels knives. I have some knives I like, and I almost can't justify spending more money on knives, but it might only be a matter of time before I get a Zwilling. 😅 Maybe I'll save up for a Bob Kramer. Those things are gorgeous.
I've been looking to retire my cheap Santoku and trying to settle on a good value inexpensive (but not cheap) upgrade. After a few reviews/comparisons and some research to figure out the best bang for my buck. A Henckels Santoku seemed like it was the best of both worlds, very reasonably priced for a single knife and super sharp (also seems to hold and edge pretty well too). Then here I come across your comment, more confirmation that Henckles is the way.
Because I'm a writer, I pay attention to writing in all the venues where I encounter it. This video is written exceptionally well. She compresses a great deal of information in a short time span while covering the topic clearly. Well done!
Have u written any books?
the winner is almost a chef's knife. a true santoku, liek this best buy, has a a triangular profile - the handle is at an angle with the blade edge, not almost parallel. this makes it better suitable for chopping, which is how most asian chefs use a knife, as opposed to a rocking motion used in the west.
Also, Western knife technique often involves a pushing-forward movement, whereas Japanese technique more-frequently pulls back.
Santoku is a nakiri that got a tip. Then Japanese noticed how good rocking can be any they got a curve. Triangular? nope.do u mean a deba?
Seriously. I wanted a santoku, not a short chef's knife.
@@seikibrian8641 I find this the precise definition of the difference between the two. With my cheap Santoku, that, however, remains sharpened, it is easy to slice through almost all veggies pulling back. That same veggie won't cooperate if I rock the knife, or push it. With a chef knife, both rocking and (sort of) pushing is all right.
Funny thing, when I was shopping for knives for a few days, I bought two of them based on shape, almost back to back, for exactly these reasons. I have one reeeally flat santoku that I like for chopping, and a more curved one I love for slicing. I already had a 8" chef's knife that I could use for almost anything, but these 6" santoku quickly became my favorites.
I have two Santoku and Chef's knife. I use which ever one is clean :)
FACS bro😂
Honestly me
Question: because Santoku have a 30/70 bevel how do you sharpen them?
A good chef will never have a good knive laying around dirty 😉
@@bl6973 Use a diamond sharpening stone to sharpen them.
I have a knife set made by Mercer that I got from the Culinary Job Training program that I went through and all of the knives in the set work just fine.
I like the finesse of the santoku, it feels much more comfortable/appropriate when making thin slices of vegetables or cutting into strips like peppers. Santoku is also good for cutting bread without tearing it or making lots of crumbs. My first santoku actually got stolen, probably the guy that took it had never seen a knife that sharp before. Also it might seem odd, but i would probably not try to cut through a squash like that, a utility knife might actually be better, push the knife into the squash and work your way round (we dont really have squash that much in the UK tho).
Thanks
To cut sqash there's cleaver or like a big chef knife. You gotta try a sharp Chef knife before making your statement, santoku is the same type of knife, boring all-round. Try s good nakiri for veggies... that's a specialist.
Technique is important too w/ squash. One method: 1) cut off top & bottom so have flat stability; 2) slice down around skin like one would a melon.
Sometimes I question is the tester really a novice. Then you showed the tester chopping onion like me. I find the evidence satisfactory that they are a novice.
2:09 surprised they still have fingers 😑
HAHA yeah. That was brutal.
That novice shouldn't be allowed around sharp objects!
Did no one listen to the narration? The whole point to that section was that they had an amateur test the knives in order to get feedback in addition to the trained testers. So it was intentional that he sucked-in fact, the whole point.
Dan Garrison comprehension is a lost art in today’s society.
I only use 1 santoku knife for everything. It replaced all my old knives when I moved to a smaller apartment. I've never looked back ever since.
Damn!!!😳really didn't know there was so much involved in knife selection,this lady is very educated and well informed on this matter.I will never look at knives the same way again.
She has not got a clue about knives, or cooking in general
ATK has many virtues. Great cook, incredible recipes, easy techniques and of course, the non cook staff like Lisa, Adam, Jack, etc.
I like how comprehensive her very focused and well detailed reporting is. Just all around good stuff!
I seriously need to stop watching these reviews, I bought 3 knifes just this month!
buy one when watch one
Jacque Pepin in another video said you only need 3 knives: a short (3-4") paring, medium (6") slicing, and large chef's knife. "But I have 300 knives at home!"
@@Lughnerson it's nice having granton/hollow edge santoku along with chef knife. One short one as well. Also multiple paring knives cause you need them all day and it's easier to wash a few at once 😁
So I reckon 8 to 10 is a good number!
If you really love to knife work with any kind of bulk kitchen like hotel ,resturant or flights kitchen ! You may deeply enjoying to knife their 🔪🔪🔪👏👏👏🖒🖒🖒💖💖💖💖
Yup. You're one of us. 😌🔪
I love these videos. I happened to see a rerun of an episode where Adam Reid makes a similar presentation. You guys are great. One reason I was interested is because I was considering buying a vegetable cleaver, but since I had a santoku I wondered if I needed one. Adam said that part of the growth of the santoku in popularity is because it was in part intended to replace a vegetable cleaver. This are all so informative, and even though I don't cook as much as I like, I really enjoy the education.
For years I've just used the Chicago cutlery set gifted to us as a wedding present. I added a couple of knives. Not sure that the home cook needs both a Chef Knife and a Santoku. I primarily use a smallish 7" Chef Knife and a couple of paring knives for fruits and veggies. I have a stiff bladed small boning knife for trimming meats, ... and there's a double-sided long and thin serrated knife that slices bread and is helpful for anything where you want a "bit more tooth" to penetrate what you are cutting. My wife uses a serrated utility knife to cut tomatoes for her salad. There's a big, cheap knife that is my kitchen hacker. Add to that a pair of kitchen shears and seems to just about cover everything. I used a simple hand sharpener from the hardware store that got a reasonable edge on the knives, which aren't really hard steel. I just sharpen the knives before putting them up. Recently, ... I did get the electric Chef's Mate sharpener (diamond cutting at 15 degree angle) which has made it a breeze to get a knife sharp. I would like to get a finishing whetstone to polish the edge just a bit, but it's not really needed. For a home cook, who isn't preparing multiple meals every single day, ... I think it is more practical to have a knife that can sharpen quickly. It also is usually more practical for a professional, meat processing plant butcher to have a knife that sharpens quickly. Professional chefs have another standard and may prefer harder steel. But for the home cook, the weight and feel, and ease of sharpening, is likely more important factors. The feel of a knife may have a lot to do with what you are used to. My Dad gave me a large German knife, thinking that I'd appreciate having a large knife in my collection. However, it was awkward and I much preferred sticking with 7" Chicago Chef Knife. I swapped the big knife out for a German boning knife. Dad had big hands, so what fit his hand was not what fit mine. Glade to see ATK reviewing the Santoku. I like the shorter length and width of the blade to gather up chopped food from the board, ... but, honestly, it seems redundant to a chef knife for a home cook. If I was to advise someone starting out, ... I'd suggest that they go to store and get a feel of the shapes and sizes. I'm sorta in agreement with Jaques Pepin - all you need is about 3 knives. If I had to just have 3, I'd have the Chef Knife, a paring knife, and a serrated/bread knife. After that, ... it would be a boning knife, but you could get a utility knife for that matter. And, ... it's always handy to have a large beater knife or cleaver to hack with. As it is, I don't use knives that made their way into my kitchen as gifts. I can't imagine what people do with dozens of knives - that's going beyond the practical, day-to-day, needs of a home cook. As for criticism of the ATK reviews and recommendations. I think they strive to fit the recommendations to practical decisions and they offer a couple of choices: the best, ... and the runner-up, which usually is a cheaper alternative.
I’ve had the Mac Superior Santoku for at least for 5 years now. It’s still going great, what a bargain.
Hi Bro, can you send me the link for your knife here? thx!
Here you go man. smile.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Superior-Santoku-2-Inch/dp/B0006MM4RE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1529444778&sr=1-1&keywords=mac+superior+santoku+knife
These videos are just so well done. Please keep making them!
AHA! It wasn't all in my head! I bought a Faberware Santoku in 2005, and I absolutely loved it. After losing the knife after a breakup, I recently purchased another one (Victorinox this time). However, I immediately noticed how rounded the belly was. I swore my old one was almost dead flat. There was a slight bow at the tip, but that was it. I got used to that profile, and am having trouble finding it again.
I thought maybe my memory was failing me. Thanks. Great video.
If you want a kitchen knife with a nice, straight edge, look for a "Nakari" or "Kiritsuke" knife from one of the Japanese knife companies. They will be expensive, about $100 to $200 each, but well worth it if you like a straight edge knife.
Go to second hand shops, they sell old knives. You might run into a knife like your old one. Plus, it will be cheap!
I loved mine when I had it. Actually used it more than my chef's knife. I need to get another
No decision I have ever made has been influenced by rachel ray.
@Tony Samson I watched her once. No chef training and doesn't have any cooking chops. She's a hack
Tim C - I was influenced enough to change the channel forever.
She's kind of down-market, but many of her quick-dinner recipes are good, and her branded kitchen products are also good. She's a useful resource for people who aren't foodies, especially those on a budget.
A TV hack cook..Sad she made millions on being a hack cook.
If you want the flat belly of the older santokus, maybe try a nakiri (basically a usuba with a double sided bevel). Some of the newer nakiris have a rounded profile near the tip, so keeping the front of the knife down isn't out of the question - but, like the usuba, they're more for push-cutting.
Also those winner-knives don't look to be particularly comfortable for a pinch grip, angle from choil to blade too abrupt.
Finally, you can round down the spine of the blade and the back of the heel where your fingers some in contact in a pinch grip. Whoever you go to for knife sharpening can do this, or get some #600 wet-dry emery paper at the local hardware store. There's no need for a knife to make your hand hurt.
Thank you for this review - I'm sticking with my chef knives I already have because of you!
What a magnificent job you guys are doing. The videos are so well produced and incredibly thorough.
I recently Joined a culinary Program that is run by Red seal chefs (From Canada) and second week was when Knife skills were taught to me, how to properly Hold a knife and How to cut Vegetables and how Butcher a Whole chicken from the store, I fell love with using this knife, the Curve makes for easy rocking motion chopping, The rounded end makes it less intimidating, and dang Did I have to cut a crap ton of onions with it on my second day of knife skills. I bought one for myself During my 3rd week in the program.
Santoku is meant to be a slicing knife, you aren't meant to use it in a rocking motion, or to chop (force it down) a butter squash like a Chinese chopper. If you are testing Santoku then the right approach is to test it as what it is meant to be used for. This is like testing how well a car would fly and glide
This lady is the best; these videos are the best. I'm truly impressed and my cookware is improved!
My Kitchenaid Santoku knife was $35 & I love it so much I got another one for a spare. It's got a full tang with a great wooden handle & it stays sharp. Don't sleep on it.
I’ve got a few Santoku knives from $50-200 and used them for ten years but I’ve moved back to chef’s knives as my most used knife again now. I still use them daily but not as much a my 8 and 10” chef’s knives. I like the Dalstrong Shogun Santoku the most of my bunch. more than the more upswept Shun but even a cheaper Henkle works well.
... I have a draw full of kitchen knives ... and you are right, the Dalstrong Gladiator or Shogun series are my favorites ... love the 7" Shogun Santuko (the 5" I can't use as I beat my knuckles to death because of short blade height) ... the Shogun Kirutsuko is also a excellent knife too.
I also have a 8" Sabatier Chef Knife, w/ (3) brass rivets, a wooden handle that I treasure ... that a friend who was a professional Chef gave me ...
Each knife is different and is used for different tasks ... but they are all sharp !!!
i actually feel that the santoku-type tip is much more accurate. at leastfor me. i believe this is down to personal preference.
I believe so too, due to its flatter profile. It's hard to gauge the tip's position when it rounded/curved like the Chef's Knife.
I find the tip is easier to locate. So I can place it exactly where I want to start the slice, and get more consistency.
I have been using the sujeo santoku knife for more than 6 months and I love it. There is no way I would pay $200 for a knife. I could go on vacation for that.
What the hell kind of vacation are you doing for 200.00 dollars?
I have a MAC and Victoria, no complaints from this home 👨🏽🍳 I use them everyday.
I really like the soft handles of Mercer knives that cost 15-20 bucks for santoku/chef. Your hand just merges with the knife.
I'm from Japan and mainly use Santoku (by Wüstof), which has a great balance for smaller hands. Rarely touch chef's knife. Maybe because it's more familiar to Santoku which is easier for Japanese cutting methods like thread thin cut or super fine chopping.
Well that makes sense because chef knives were made for European style cooking.
Do you use the 14 cm or the 17 cm long Wüstof Santoku ?
@@mattcookre73 long (regular length)
@@YuliSayuri
Oh, that is a surprise for me .
You mentioned your small hands, so I guessed you would use the smaller one .
I just ordered a Suncraft Senzo Classic Santoku 10 cm for a great price, hope it's doing well. The regular size is 16,7 cm.
@@mattcookre73 I believe handle size is not so different??? Only blade length.
Regular people don’t use a small knife for cooking in Japan. We have a small “kudamono knife for cutting and peeling fruit, but Santoku can handle that fine.
I tried other makers Santoku, but their Santoku had perfect weight and balance for me. Still using it for over 2 decades
I prefer Santoku knives to Chef's knives. I have two different sized Santoku knives and I use them, a paring knife, and a bread knife, and that's it. All the other cooking knives I have sit in the counter top block unused.
As a woman, with tiny hands (and being better than novice, but in no way, trained with a kinfe) i find santoku to be so useful and easy to cut with.
My Wustof Hollow Edge 6” Chefs Knife, and my Wustof Santoku are my best friends in the kitchen
Wüsthof* chef knife
I wish they had given details about each knife they tested. A spreadsheet with information about each of the characteristics she mentioned, such as the blade thickness at its widest part.
"We broke down whole flocks of chickens."
Why do I love that. I'm a monster. 😌
I will drive the bus to Hell..... that's my favorite description, EVER!!!! Bahahaha
.... hey, at least we'll have fun on the ride!
i thought that was pretty funny too
When you broke them down, did you pay for their therapy?
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
😂 I love all of you.
if i was going to buy one it'd be the MAC. it preformed pretty well and i actually really like how it looks
Füri 5" Santoku, under $50. Been using if for a year and it's amazing.
thank you does it cut fish bone like bass and some meat/ chicken bones is it called Furi trisha thats what i found when i googled
Good review. My setup of Henkel & Wusthof (pairing, 7" chefs) & Chinese cleaver are all I've needed for decades. They ride w/ me in the FRONT seat when I travel. Kinda like a cross btwn a bestie & a newborn. NO touching!! ☠🤣
Henckels* knives.
My dad used one that was at our cabin that we rented and he loved it, after using it myself I’m inclined to agree. I wish I could buy one now that I’m out of the house and on my own.
You can rent a knife?
@@Murimz I meant we rented the cabin we stayed at not the mnife
@@maxamillion26093 oh alright haha
Love these legit, impartial reviews..very hard to find! Thank you!
Just a nerd point, disregard the top of the knife- rounded, pointed etc. It's the angle/thickness/sharpness - the bottom edge that matters. The cutting side is what matters.
This was a well-considered review and gives me food for thought. We mainly eat vegetables. Cutting and cooking veges is a pleasant experience (especially where there is just two of us). The feel and look of a knife is an important consideration. This review will help me buy my new knife.
I like the large Santoku blade for scooping up what I just cut.
i didn't know that story but always my eye on santoku. I found it beautiful shape of knife to buy or have it.
Give Cutco a try. American made, sturdy, sharp (and they resharpen for life) and a good grip.
For some reason I really dig the aesthetics of the Santoku Knife. However, being someone who uses a knife for ~6 hours a day I can honestly say there's nothing I've ever done in the kitchen that I'd prefer it over a Chef's Knife.
Have you used a santoku? I am not a professional cook, but I went from exclusively using a 9" chef's knife to using a 7" santoku in my home.
Very nice that they had novices participate.
But then $75 as their cheap choice will be out of the price range of many novices.
Also I can confirm the thickness of the blade makes a surprising difference. I have a santoku about .5mm thicker, and it feels very awkward compared to a thinner santoku.
There is no point comparing 10dollar knife to real knives anyway, if you want ultracheap just use their findings to apply to a cheap one - thin blade, pointier tip and such
@@Boz1211111 "There is no point comparing 10dollar knife to real knives anyway"
Though knives that list at $10 will probably not be worth doing a comparison, a price point of $20-$30 would be different story.
But in general, I disagree. One of my go to knives is a Farberware Santoku that I picked up on sale for $10, though that was probably 20 some years ago. It is well engineered, designed, and manufactured. It is not an "ultracheap" knife.
The only real downside is that the steel is not quite as hard as some pricier models.
As a home cook with no problem sharpening knives, that isn't a problem.
And for reference, I have a Wusthoff santoku that gathers dust, as I prefer the other knife handle. And yes, I got sucked into buying the knife because of Rachel Ray.
Since so many knives are made in China, and the manufacturing costs are so cheap, it is not at all unusual to find very good quality knives for far less than the popular name brands. And a surprising number of name brands have them made in China anyway.
Mind you, if one of those cheaper brands got the recognition of a good rating on AMT, I bet the price would jump a lot.
More food for thought, I could easily pick up a Tojiro VG10 Santoku, for less than $40. And yes it would have a less fancy handle than their DP bolstered. But If I were to poll home users, I believe many of them would go for the cheaper handle, to drop the price.
And then there's the folks that swear by Kiwi knives, that do fall under the $10 price point. I don't consider those directly comparable, but some do.
I do think they did a good comparison, and the selection of knives was reasonable. for people comfortable with that price point. If anything, my primary objection would be that many people I know would refuse to spend $70 on a knife, so ignoring that set of the market does a disservice.
I do agree that they provide information that can aid in shopping for less expensive models. Though far from a comprehensive guide.
With some caveats, like they seemed biased towards a more curved profile, which nearly negates the point of the santoku design.
The Santoku, as originally designed, is is not intended to be used with rocking cuts, it's designed for push cuts.
My personal theory is that many professionally trained western cooks, are trained to use rocking cuts, so are typically going to prefer knives designed for that.
Many home cooks are not trained that way, and push cuts are quite natural for them.
I will add that I don't consider a santoku a replacement for a chef's knife, but rather a complement, so comparing which is "better" seems odd.
We have a Global santoku and it's great.
Following this and some other videos from "Test Kitchen," I got myself the Misono UX10, and what a disappointment it is. I get why they recommend it: if you're a line cook, it's important not to get tired cutting stuff for hours. But I cook at home, and that's rarely an issue. On the other hand, the steel is not as good as some other brands at the same price.
ATK seems to have something against Tojiro knives, probably the best value knives
Huh? In what world are Tojiro value knives? I looked at Tojiro when I bought my last chef's knife. It was double the price of the Victorinox that I bought, that was over a decade ago but still looks to be the case today as well.
Ive had the oxo the one they hated on for 2 years now its been awesome, very sharp and i sharpen all my blades myself when they get dull. And it only cost me $20
I'm curious if you had trouble with the squash. That seems to be their main complaint on the chart, although it's right in the middle for blade thickness. Personally I like a large handle too.
@@ShovelChef I dont eat much squash so couldn't say but no problems with potatoes, onions or tomatoes though, I personally sharpen all my knives so they all work good to about the same level, but I like this knife for the in hand feel is comfortable and the blade profile is nice and it's cheap so I can beat up on it if I wanted to not that i do lol
I can't remember the last time I watched a thorough and complete review that answered all of my questions. Well done ATK!
I've had a JA Henckels santoku for over 10 years and love it. I think one of the issues cooks have with santoku knives is that they expect to cut using a pulling or rocking motion while Japanese cutting techniques often make use of a pushing motion. When I switched my cutting style to pushing, I noticed an inprovement.
No, a santoku is meant to be used with a pulling motion or a vertical chopping motion. Japanese cooks rarely use a pushing motion; they use a pulling motion or a short push followed by a longer pull. See: ua-cam.com/video/xDLGghDU-pI/v-deo.html
Western technique, on the other hand, is to use a pushing motion. See: ua-cam.com/video/pULGA-84RYg/v-deo.html
Japanese saws and knives are meant to cut with a pulling motion.
Love my Wusthof santoku knife!
I just bought my first SANTOKU knife as my former cooks knife broke luckily it's cheap made blade handle saved me from a potentially nasty injury I'm happy with what I paid plus mine has a 20 yr garauntee and yup the blade Is crazily sharp I nearly cut my finger getting it out of packaging
I actually think that everyone should get 1 of these. I bought 1 for a going away party. It Is pretty Sharp.
my 5" Santoku has a very rounded edge. but perfect for dipping and spreading mayo on bread. the only 'feature' that I like about these designs.
Best Santoku knife is from Japan and made in Japan.
My Santoku knife, bought in Japan when visiting Japan.
Chef knife is an classic Gerber made in USA.
I love my wusthof santoku and whilie i have a whole set of fancy wusthof knives, its really the only one I ever use.
I use santoku for vegetables.
They perform well.
No need to go that expensive. I have both: a pricier J.A. Henckels 8” chef’s knife and a $15 Oneida santoku (with full tang). I keep both razor sharp and love both for different tasks. But I actually use the Oneida santoku more.
I enjoyed the brief history behind the knife.
Incredibly informative. Wow. Looking for a narrow spine santoku knife now -- already have my chef's knife! Thank you!!
Believe it or not, my Mercer Culinary $18 santoku from Amazon is the kitchen knife I use most. Crazy sharp, crazy comfortable and crazy inexpensive.
Hey Lisa ❤️ thanks for what y’all do.
Nice review but I still love my Global knife. Had it for years and still perform well. I do have a sharpening tool to maintain it so that helps.
I loved this review. Really wanted to know about the grantons as I always found them to be superfluous. I love atk.
Watching those kitchen newbs slicing onions is a riot!!! :)
Two items:
1. Way too much concern with the handle! Most people buying knives for their kitchen aren’t cutting up “flocks of chickens,” & etc. the knife simply won’t be used enough on a daily basis for it to matter.
2. Most new knives come out of the box sharp, but ANY knife is going to require regular honing & sharpening. This review dealt very little with this. A good edge is key, and I’ll stack my cheap Anolon santoku against anyone’s $179 knife. The secret isn’t in my knife, it’s in my Lansky sharpening kit.
does the sharpening kit matter, or does any good ol kit get the job done?
@@kushagraagrawal7292 My only experience is with the Lansky, but there are a number of other brands, mostly more expensive. The great benefit of this type of kit is that it maintains the proper edge angle, which is difficult to do manually.
it is easy ,... I have a 6" and 9" chefs (Wusthof). 2 Nakiri one 7" Steel (Global) one 6" Ceramic and 2 Santoku one 7" steel (Global) and a 5" ceramic. 2 paring: one each ceramic and steel. Cheese and Bagel /Spreader and one 10" super slicer. OK so about $600 all in but I collected them over time
Is blade sharpness really an issue? Unless you throw your knife away every time it dulls you're going to have to sharpen it at some point. Edge retention is way more important than a knife being factory sharpened or not.
Every time you sharpen a blade you take steel off, shortening the knife's life. And I wouldn't trust a manufacturer who has the nerves to sell me a dull knife. Is there a problem with the quality of steel they use? are they hastening the manufacturing process? A new knife should be sharp.
@@HeyNonyNonymous In the woodworking world, most manufacturers sell their products without a final sharpening. It is understood that the buyer will take a minute to sharpen it. Out of the box keenness is great, but not having it is nothing to worry about.
I think ATK's main focus is not so much on how sharp knives are out-of-the-box but how well they maintain their edge throughout testing. That is a much better indicator of the quality of steel used.
Grantons are of great assistance if you're cutting large potatoes.
The problem with the MAC SK-65 is that it has two different angles on the sides of the edge hence we can't use the recommended electric knife sharpener.
I wish they had given their impression of each knife instead of just saying, "These two are the best."
problem is. they have bought 15 and what you could end up looking at might not even be one of those. All you need to know are the points she makes during the video and "if you wanna buy something good, these two have our name behind them"
There's a whole ranking on their site too. Fourth link in the description.
After playing with a bunch of decent but inexpensive knives I've settled on a gyuto, a nakiri and a standard chef's knife. They all have perfectly good uses but if you just want to cut stuff a chef's knife works just fine.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THESE YEARS???!!! WHERE?!! I HAVE WAITING FOR SO LONG!! :'(
i will error on the side of professional bladesmiths....mr. paul is indeed the authority on sharpening and professionally made knives..i love an low maintenance knife, but i want the best in the business.
I have 5" Calphalon Katana & 7" Wusthof Classic santoku knives and love both of them. Btw... for small jobs (cutting garlic, onion, parsley, dill, veggies, etc) the 5" santoku knife is perfect.
I have a several Wusthof knives and love them all. They may not be the same caliber as the $179 (per knife) knives they tested, but they are great and beat the hell out of the $25 wallmart sets.
I also love Wusthof knives and recommend them highly.
Mac knives are AWESOME!
I wish Shun SG2 steel Santoku was tested. I have it and it easily defeats German steel blades and your entire list. Surprised to see your testing was less comprehensive in the selection of products compared to your other reviews.
i live off santoku's and prefer them to a chefs knife. But that butternut squash section, really killed me. Never have i had an issue of cutting up a butternut squash with a santoku, and i have never seen anyone attempt anything like that with any sort of knife. It was painful to watch
Whenever I have bigger items like butternut squash I use it as an opportunity to bust out the cleaver, for the initial cut or two. Sort of a, put me in coach I'm ready to play, thing.
A good video, but I'd like to know what kind of steel the winners are made of. Also whether chipping of the blade was a problem.
I'm surprised the Shun didn't make it through
shun classics are too thick. their premiums perform better.
because shun knives are decent knives but overall poor value for how much they cost. Shun is more concerned with aesthetics than performance.
I got a set of Shun when I got my place. VG-10 steel are good, but I don't like the D handle, and for its price I felt like I was paying Alton Brown a bit more than getting more for my knife (I don't need ornate pattern-welding sandwiched for appearance). Surprisingly I'm now mostly using a Chinese-styled vegetables knife that costs 20 dollars from an old Thailand brand. Thin spine and profile lets me cut, rectangle blade shape lets me move my food, and touching up the edge is fast and easy.
Excellent review and very informative. Thanks a lot!
I think the position of the tip and the accuracy is completely about individuals comfort.
If you're used to it, lower tip will be more comfortable, and vice versa.
I'd argue that santoku will be more comfortable, especially for someone who never was used to german chef's knife, because the position of the tip is positioned closer to the cutting surface. There are way less adjustment to make, especially when you do not have those muscle memories.
Unless you're a culinary student, I don't think there's any reason to spend $200 on a knife. You can get a Victorinox knife for $30 and not have to worry about damaging it. I've been using the same knives for years and as long as you maintain them, they'll last forever.
Agreed, but the Victorinox it not a santoku knife. And I do believe the Victorinox chef's knife has repeatedly won their recommendation for "best chef's knife," maybe even back to the time when they were made under a different name.
The Victorinox is a boss. I have one of those and a Wustoff Ikon Classic that I use interchangeably. I like the grip on the Ikon a bit more, but I'll grab the Victorinox just as quickly. Both are improvements over the super cheap knife I previously used. It was dangerous. It had a tendency to rotate as I was applying downward pressure and the shape made using a pinch grip impossible. That knife went into the recycle bin.
Yeah, a $30 knife works... but $100 gets you in the "best bang for the buck" range... I have victorinox fibrox... it's a great beater knife, soft steel, doesnt chip, easy to sharpen... but it's not nearly as nice to use as my Yaxell Ran... it holds an edge for weeks instead of minutes, cuts a lot smoother and effortlessly, and just plain feels way better... it's a joy to use in comparison to the basic utility/chore of beater type knives
I notice that all of the knife work was done in a western style chop sa oposed to the Japanese type of cut. This may be why there was no difference felt. Granted, this is how an American home cook trying out these knives would use them, but they are not intended to be rocked or used like a cleaver.
It's an American version of the santoku. They're made to be used like this.
In other words, made for the ignorant and unskilled?
@rats arsed Oh no no no . . . If I was to buy one I'd get mine from Masamoto Tsukiji. Not some half-arsed design made of sub-par material from 'Murica. Those, even when broken in half put these half-breed designs to shame.
@@MrsRen ???
The Misono Hausa profile more like a Gyuto. Quick to dull = softer metal, lower heat treat (common with most western knives or inexpensive Box Store retailer). Rocking technique was never a method I grew up with.
I was given a cheap Santoku which I really enjoyed using at home so I bought a good one for work, Chef funnily enough. I hoped the smaller and less leveraged knife would be easier on my wrist which is knackered after decades of chopping and pan rattling. Faced with a decent sized chopping board and mis en place for 150 I was distinctly underwhelmed despite the quality and sharpness of the blade. Too much effort required with the shorter blade. Poor thing sits in the knife roll while the old faithful Shun classic continues to do the hard yards. Their is a lot to be said for the western chefs knife despite my fascination with Japanese designs. I'm learning how to fillet with a Deba, that's a review I would love to see. Really enjoying these videos, thank you.
wish you included some higher end japanese models, shun hiro sg2, miyabi mizu, tojiro, etc
I think the $180 Misono is a pretty high-end Japanese knife. But frankly, it's really irrelevant considering how I believe the vast majority of people are not going to spend anything close to $100 for a santoku knife, regardless of who makes it.
I would probably never buy a Shun or Miyabi, and the only reason I'd consider a Tojiro is because it's relatively cheaper, but I still wouldn't pay $80 for their gyuto. I actually do own a Tojiro knife, and it is very good, cuts through cardboard like butter, but I only paid $18 for it. My Kai Wasabi Black Chef's knife cost me $20(I got lucky and found it in a local store on clearance), and does everything I need it to do, has for about 5 years now.
But I'm poor and cheap, and I suppose someone with money could spend more, but unless they're a professional chef/sushi chef I doubt they would notice that big of a difference when preparing meals. I mean, a knife is for cutting things, that's all, and any decent one will do the job, whether it costs $10 or $1,000. And a decent knife can be had for about 10 to 15 bucks these days, a more than decent one for 20 - 30.
Miyabi Birchwood is the best..
I have a 12 year old Calphalon Santoku; it's an absolute workhorse. $20-25. Ross.
You need to try the Zwilling Magnadur!!
I liked Sabatier santoku knife. I used different ones, but this one was the most useful for me.
Kai Pure Komachi 2 6.5-Inch Hollow Ground Santoku Knife out performs because of narrow kerf and price is near ten dollars. it has low carbon stainless blade. narrow kerf-oh i already stated that. for 8 inch use cooks knife, another ten bucks. pure komachi 2 knives rock
In my kitchen a small Deba knife is king. So easy to cut thin even slices.
#Global ❤️❤️❤️
Global G-5-7 inch, 18cm Vegetable Knife $124.95
Global GF-35 - 12 inch, 30cm Heavyweight Chef's Knife $204.95
The Global G-5 was purchased almost 6 months ago. It is used daily. Have not done anything to the blade besides hand wash and dry immediately after use. There is zero discernible difference in performance with absolutely no honing or sharpening. I know I will need to sharpen it eventually - at some point, but as long as the blade is performing perfectly, I’m not going to fix what is not broken. Absolutely spectacular cutlery worth every penny spent as a solid kitchen investment. Great tools make kitchen tasks easy as well as safer and more enjoyable.
Listen to Mino Tsuchida and get yourself a Global.
Global is crap compared to many other high quality Japanese knives in the $2-300 dollor range.. for a similar price to a global your better of going with a Shun..
I can see in the video that you have tested the Victorinox Swiss Classic Santoku and are calling it the Victorinox Fibrox Santoku, but the handles on the Fibrox and Swiss Classic lines are very different. You comment on your review that the handle was a point of concern but you don't actually have the Fibrox knife...
Wursthof is my preferred knife