Don't miss the cut with quality sharp knives in the kitchen

Good-quality sharp knives are an essential part of any kitchen toolkit, to make light work of food preparation - and when it comes to quality, you tend to get what you pay for! So, what makes for a good knife in the kitchen?

Modern kitchens have more gadgets than you can poke a spatula at, but the humble kitchen knife is the tool you'll use the most. Investing in quality knives is essential - good ones, like quality chef knives, may even last the chopping distance for the next generation.Kitchen knives come in various sizes, weights and handle types, but what makes a good quality knife?

Longevity - King of Knives buying manager Darryl Baskin says longevity is one of the first things to look for. "Forged varieties are more likely to last," he explains. "The handle fits into the steel, so there's no gap between it and the blade. This stops the handle coming apart and prevents food or bacteria build-up."

Strength - The second consideration when choosing kitchen knives is the strength of the steel. "Inexpensive steel kitchen knives are made from cheap steel, are pressed rather than forged (creating a gap between the handle and blade) and serrated," Darryl explains. "They're unlikely to 'hold' their edge, and very inexpensive knives can be extremely weak and bend during use."

Balance - According to Darryl, the perfect kitchen knife provides a balance of everything. "When a knife is balanced, it does all the work," he says. "The less balanced it is, the harder you have to work." Darryl's top picks for great chef knives include the European-made Wusthof Trident and the Brasilia, a forged knife made in Brazil from German steel.

Knife block sets

Knife-block sets are a great way to get the essentials for your kitchen, and offer the best value, Darryl reveals. "You might pay $200 for a quality single knife, but only $299 for a five-piece set in the same brand," he says. "Two hundred dollars will buy a nine-piece steel kitchen knives set in Brasilia, which is made with German steel." A nine-piece set will also give you a few extras like shears, a cleaver and sharpening steel.

Another advantage of a block set is that the block is built for knives. "Knives hold their edge better in a block because they're not rubbing edges in a drawer," Darryl explains. "For the same reason, it's wise not to put knives in the dishwasher."

Knife sharpening

Even good-quality chef knives will need occasional sharpening. Electric, diamond-stone and pull-through sharpeners are some of the options. According to Darryl, buying a sharpener is often the best value. "Every house should also have a honing steel to maintain the knife edge," he says.

Choosing a forged steel kitchen knife made from good-quality steel means you'll not only save money in the long term (by avoiding multiple cheap replacements), but you'll be able to do justice to those glossy magazine recipes!

Make sure you get some advice from a kitchenware supplier before choosing sharp knives for your kitchen: