Lisa McManus answers all your questions from the Gear Heads episode about knife care equipment.
Watch the original episode about knife care:
Buy our winning chef’s knife:
Buy our winning electric knife sharpener:
Buy our winning manual knife sharpener:
Buy our winning honing rod:
Follow Lisa on Instagram:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
46 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Please please do a review on petty knives/utility knives
Is it just my connection or did this video turn into a podcast midway?
My knife block stores the knifes horizontal “ — “ instead of vertical “ l “. Is that okay?
McManus should either shut up about knives or learn about them.
1) Restaurant chefs do not routinely sharpen their knives before every shift or even on a weekly or monthly basis. I worked in restaurants professionally for decades and had my knives sharpened, I never did it myself, roughly every six months. Considering how much I used them compared to how much I use them now as a home cook that would mean every 4 or 5 YEARS as a home cook. Home sharpeners are a waste of money unless you abuse your knives.
2) What restaurant chefs did a lot was hone their knives. I hone before I use my knife every single time.
3) Honing is not equivalent to the final stage of sharpening! Honing is straightening out the edge which has been bent over. It removes no metal, or very little metal. The final stage of sharpening removes metal.
4) If you don't have a lot of money get a honing rod. You can get one for a lot less than a sharpening gizmo. If you treat your knives well by the time your knives need sharpening the money you have saved by not buying it will be enough to take them to a pro to have it done properly or if the knives are really cheap just buying new knives.
Official “um” count 75.
We love lisa
Haha! The Ken Onion is a "guy thing" I think.
Omg, I never thought to mount if vertically in the sink/ window cutout. I have a couple of 18 inch magnets!
The video image from about 5:20 to 11:17 froze on the same image, while the audio was fine. not sure if it was me or what? Very much liked the discussion of a very important issue.
Lisa, at 08:15. If had the Trizor and just discovered the little doorway under it!
So amazing 💖💕💕♥️💛💚💗💜💝💙👌
Unfortunately, she does not mention high quality, expensive knives made of Damascus steel and Japanese VG10 steel. Those knives should not be honed on a rod or sharpened in any electric or manual home sharpener, or you will ruin both the knife and the sharpener. Considering that some Japanese steel knives can cost well over $300, that can be a very expensive proposition. Such knives should be sharpened on a whetstone, by hand.
While these knives are incredible tools, they are not for everyone and anyone who feels they require too much care or just doesn't want to invest in a whetstone and the time it takes to learn how to use it properly, should just stick to everyday stainless steel knives that are relatively cheap, easy to care for and more than good enough for everyday use at home.
Thank you for this additional information.
Thanks Lisa! Great information! Hadn't even thought of thrifting for a sharper or a knife
I think this would make more sense after watching how to sharpen.
I get asked a lot by my friends what things they should have in their kitchen if they are new to cooking. I have a relatively short list of essentials that I encourage people to buy the best quality that they can buy of those things, then a list of things they will use often but that it's fine to compromise on them, and then a list of things that are nice to have but acquire them as you can afford them. I would love to see each of your lists and how they compare.
Honing: Edge forward, or trailing? From the usual description of 'straightening the edge', dragging the edge would seem to be better, but the usual description of the process is to push the edge down the steel, so….
Ceramic blades: yes or no?
i trust lisa mcmanus with my eyes closed! please follow her on instagram!
If you are on a budget one option is to focus on getting good quality, long lasting essentials first. When considering the cost of a fully setup kitchen it can seem overwhelming, but start with what you NEED and grow from there.
video frozen from 5:22 to 11:17
Just don't buy expensive knives the best one as tested by ATC is the $40 victorinox 8" chefs knife
I feel I never need to sharpen unless I have either been deboning with that knife, or cutting cured meats, or (interestingly enough) cut a lot of tomatoes or peppers. On the other hand, if you do those things, expect to have to hone your blades at the very least, but most likely sharpen them soon.
Lisa! Our expert in the field and wizard in the kitchen!
I enjoyed this. I love how you also agree, a knife is a tool. Light Scratches shouldn't matter as long as the work they produce is the best the tool can do. I've worked with so many chefs and their expensive knifes they baby to heck and back.
My video froze. Don't be too concerned with complainers… They are getting waaaay more benefit that what they are paying (zero dollars). 💖🌞🌵😷
Took some time to make sure my knives never went in the sink or the dishwasher but now here they sit sink-side … waiting for me to clean them
Lisa you are so beautiful.
I would love to meet you..
I have the Ken Onion knife sharpener and found a leather belt for it, you can shave with all my knives but I have some Henkels
My mom always told me: "She always bought the best she could, because she wasn't rich enough to buy it twice." If you need to save for a few months, then save up for the best.
Very informative; but, I still would like to know how do you sharpen serrated knives?
Since I'm a woodwork that uses a lot on hand tool, sharpening is simply one necessary part of my hobby. I sharpen my knives with a diamond combo stone medium/fine and fine and finish with a ultra fine water stone. There is a learning curve but there are a lot of primers on YT (by Bob Kramer and Korin knife shop, for NYC residents Korin teaches classes). Like cutting, vegetables, you learn the feedback that hand sharpening gives you.
I am awaiting delivery of my sharpener. 25% off was too good to pass up.
Lisa! My fav!
I found the winning chef choice sharpener at a yard sale for $5.00
The pull through sharpeners in the thumbnail are making me nervous
I have a fluctuating income. I actually want to know what's the best I could buy with my money for those downturns. Please don't be afraid to give us the "best at all costs", though if it's insane, 1-2 bang for the buck picks are also very helpful
This is great stuff. I today, bought the Mac MSK-65 santoku knife from Mac knives, bought it locally and is the Pro version of this knife and it replaces a cheapie Santoku I bought last year to try out. Like the knife type very much, but the handle, not so much, after all, bought it locally at my grocery store for $8 and was part of the kitchenware line from All Recipes.
I do have 2 chef's knives, one an older Gerber (sadly, no longer make kitchen knives) that I've had I think just over 30 years, and my late mothers Chicago wooden handled knife. The Gerber is 8", the Chicago is 6". I know the Mac was your top pick, as it was also Serious Eats as well. $150 at Uwajimaya's in Renton Washington. Now to replace my not so great sharpener and am looking at the manual Chef's Choice myself.
Agree, if you really want a decent knife, best to save up and buy. You can get very decently made knives for as little as $50-$60, particularly from Japan, but also Chinese made ones, though they tend to be not as good as from Japan. Heck, even Mac makes a ceramic hone for $25. Almost bought one, but thought I'd look locally before springing for the one at uwajimaya for that price.
I thought about a small knife block for my drawer for the Santoku and my cleaver, but the cleaver needs to lie on its side as it's too tall for the drawer, so knife edge guards are also on the list to get.
Love your videos, Lisa. So helpful.
The manual Chef's Choice 4643 sharpener has slots for both 15 and 20 degrees plus a 3rd slot for honing. The link above goes to the 463 that is 15 degrees only. I purchased the 4643 since I have a grab-bag of 20 degree knives but may go for a 15 degree knife at some point. It certainly beats what I got from my not-so-skilled use of a sharpening stone and honing rod.
The effort in these videos is much appreciated, even simple topics like knife care are thoroughly explored.
This video froze half way thru…very annoying
Half the vid is frozen lol
I want to know why KitchenAid mixers planetary gears are so easy to destroy Three mixers and I gave up and bought a Viking
I think there is a video problem starting at 5:19
What is hone
Omg I need this!! Very excited to watch!