Alton, all of us at Carter Cutlery are so honored to have had your support for almost 25 years. We are proud of our blades that are serving you faithfully. Thank you for how you generously share your hard-earned knowledge with the world. Stay safe and sound! Sincerely, Murray Carter
Hey man, your knife looked beautiful and I'm sure the quality is top notch. Our kitchen closed for the outbreak, but hopefully when we get back to work I can save up some and purchase one of your blades.
A knife is like any other tool- cost and value are not the same thing. A professional mechanic, chef, or photographer will invest in the best, most comfortable, most effective tools. A person who uses a knife for hours at a time, every day, has an entirely different idea of what makes a good knife versus somebody who just need to cut something now and then. But it only takes *anyone about 30 seconds with a high end knife to realize they are worth what they cost.
Lenny: "Geez, Homer, I thought someone with two wives would be happy. " Karl: "Nah, you're thinking of someone with two knives. " Moe: [holding two knives] "I gotta tell you, this is pretty terrific."
If Alton Brown says he doesn't have time to show you his knife collection in the middle of a 9 month lockdown... Well, that actually MIGHT count as a knife problem.
Oh no, what did Shun do to piss you off?! I grew my cooking skills on Good Eats and when I could afford it, Shun was the way I went primarily due to the fit in my hand and the edge they come with and maintain. I am certainly not opposed to other knifes, but my shun collection grows piece by piece as the need arises.
@@earthknight60 Overpriced for what they are; stock removal flat ground 52100 and the handles don't even have decent contour. Plenty of amazing bladesmiths out there that can make you a better knife for the same price point.
So not for nothin’ but showing you’re $2000 knife set during a time when many people can’t even afford $20.00 in food is in poor taste. I like Alton but this was a misstep in my opinion.
Being at my sister's house for any holiday meal is a stressing moment for me when I see the wrong knife being used for the wrong job. Like a chef's knife being used to try and carve a turkey! The second is when I see what once a top notch set of knives I gifted being put into the dishwasher! LOL
YOU created my knife problem!! I began watching Good Eats when it started in season 1. I was still in high school, but you taught me so much about the importance of using a quality tool, not just in the kitchen but in every aspect of life, and the importance of educating yourself of how to properly maintain and care for those tools. Thanks for creating my problem, it came with years of education and respect for tools and their crafts. But OMG amazing knives!!! Yes!!
As would I. It's too bad he didn't mention them because there is a reason he still has their serrated knife. I haven't seen another one with the same type of sharpened edge and it works very well.
They are, my second knife after forschner when i first started working in the kitchen, but switched to shun. If i had to go back to german knives again definitely would be back to henkels.
Awesome video on kitchen knives, Alton.. PS - He really does love knives. There are numerous photos of him at Blade Show in Atlanta buying all manner of sharp pointy things.. :-)
This guy is so likeable. Alton just talks with you, not at you or to you, he is not uppity and does not gloat. He is just a much better person than most. Kudos!
Yeah it's "your fault" that my husband campaigned for a solid YEAR for us to get a Nakiri. It's not a fancy one, it's a kinda mid-range one because we are extremely poor, but he was bound and effing DETERMINED about that knife. Also, when told "you can only take one knife:" Hold up the bone cleaver and say "Make me stick to just one." :P
I got a chef's knife from Joel (Cut Brooklyn) a couple of years ago. it is simply the best knife I ever had, it is a workhorse, and it feels great working with it.
I’m starting to get a “knife problem “ I bought my first personal chef’s knife about 6 months ago , now i got three chefs knives at home , a knife set coming in next week , and i just ordered a Japanese Guyuto Knife two days ago !
NoZenith guyuto is a chefs knife with a japanese style , it’s lighter and a little bit more delicate than stainless steel knifes , and it’s sharper . And honestly i haven’t found a specific knife that i prefer over anything else, so at this stage I’m trying different models from different companies, different styles and different types metals until I land on my favorite,
OMG! I never thought I would see someone as obsessed (in a good and loving way) about knives (of all types) like my husband is! We so much enjoy watching you in the kitchen. And you make cooking look fun. I especially like the video about rice. I’m going to make it your way from now on. Thank you!
I was so hoping it wasn't shun. I remember he made a video of years ago before I actually got my first good knife as a gift from my brother which happened to be a Shun so I was excited.... I feel fractionally lost because that video he did with Shun years ago is what I told my brother about and got him to buy me my first good knives for Christmas.😔
I know we're talking knives here, but I'm still glad to see you also like good coffee! I've had that same (albeit silver) model moccamaster for the past decade or so with 0 complaints.
I got my Moccamaster last year as a Drop.com deal for like $220 (with the round tank, not square). Worth every dime, but I would gladly pay full price for one. It even made the parent's Maxwell House coffee taste good. Okay, so I lied about that. But it was markedly improved.
I am so happy you use Carter Cutlery knives. Stumbled across him many years back on a family trip in Oregon, been watching him since and seeing him grow. Such amazing knives. His neck knife, such a handy tool when camping.
They pissed me off too. I send my knives to them once a year for sharpening and this last time they broke my salmon slicer and said they couldn't replace it because it was discontinued. Says a lot about a company that makes the knives but can't fix them.
That's sad. Although Cutco isn't the best knife in the world, I sent them a 20+ year old Chef's knife with a cracked handle. They sent me a new one. My favorite blade is a no name filet knife that I bought at a bait shop in the 1980s. It's still serving me well for everything from cleaning a fish to slicing a roast.
@@NoZenith It's Shun. AB is the reason i bought them. I still love the knives. Not many companies will sharpen them for free for life like Shun does, but don't get attached to a specific knife. They did give me a credit to buy a new knife for free and I picked up a very nice boning knife. I live on the south end of lake Michigan and I used that salmon knife all year long.
I didn't know that they sharpen for free... I have an Alton's angle that was made before the endorsement. Never been sharpened and is just getting to the point where I feel it's unsafe. My issue is that I have a dozen Shun classics but several of my favorite knives are set aside because they have serious dents in the blade and a few have chips on the cutting edge. Any idea if they repair or replace? All of them were gifts from my dad and I know they all came from Williams and Sonoma.
The only my thing in my kitchen I value more than my knives is my son. He cooks with me (and he’s been watching AB since he was only a couple months old) and he sharpens my knives.
ty! when you was live i musta said show me your knives 20 times, but the chat was flying and you didnt see it. love those cut brookyn knives, would love to see your sharpening stones and your methods on keepin em sharp :)
A great description of the basic knives. The distinction of a great chef is his knowledge of safely using knives to make appropriate cuts and maintaining the knives. My avocation is restoring otherwise great knives that people have discarded.
Alton I noticed yourTechnivorm Mocca Master in the background. The sign of a true coffee aficionado!! Plus I love your knives too! I have a stamped 10 inch Victorinox chef knife with a Rosewood handle. It’s been with me for over 30 years and can handle everything I throw at it!
Chef's knife length is very much a personal preference. A good length to start is equal to your hand from heel to tip of longest finger. Keep them sharp! Dull knives need more pressure and motion to do their job. Knives cut, cleavers chop. Helen Renne has an excellent video on sharpening your knives.
Exactly. I've got a 8 inch, 10 inch and a couple 12-13inch. I like the 8 inch best because you don't need a lot of space. I do have around 25 knives total
Thank you Alton for the 20 years of entertainment and joy that you have given me. I doubt i could ever repay you. Take care and be safe during this horrible pandemic.
My dad bought me some very nice cooking knives over the years and along with the food grade shears my sister gave me, they all hang on a magnetic strip over my counter. I use the 10 inch chef's knife almost to the exclusion of everything else. The food shears get their share of the action and I use the enormous 17 inch chef's knife to cut brownies. The long serrated knife comes out to cut bread and I rarely use the paring knife because I don't eat enough vegetables.
Sherie Vaughn See I love carbon steel as well but I wouldn’t be caught dead with out my hard anodized nonstick pans as well. There are some things good ol’ steel pans just don’t fare as well against.
I don't know if you have one near you, but if you have a restaurant supply store near you, buy pans from there. They're made to take a serious daily beating and last a while. If it can be used in a commercial kitchen, then they can take home use a lot better. Plus they're relatively inexpensive.
This was such an impactful video for my brother and I. Especially how this introduced us to Lamson Cutlery which it turns out was only about a 2 hour car ride away!
"I believe that tools you like to look at, you will also use more" Something I have been battling for so long. I'm very emotional with the things I create with. I will pay a bit more for something I like to look at. Didn't know right away if I was shallow or something
Loving the big cleaver. I have two, one of which was my grandmothers and is around 75 years old. Have got both of them razor sharp, and yeah, the 12" would be good for backing someone out a door.
Victorinox Forschner Fibrox knives, while not ten dollars, are very inexpensive when compared to other brand names thrown around. Their paring knife is just under ten bucks. Victorinox knives are routinely use in "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country." And those people can have whatever they want. They continually rate well in their knife tests as well. They're also ground to a fifteen degree bevel, which means that they cut a lot better than knives ground to the standard American twenty degree bevel.
Knowing that knives are not everyday purchases it is not weird to have a $200 blade especially for a professional. I'd never tell someone they should have that but I will say I like my shun chef's knife way more than my $50 Mercer chef's knife. Moral don't skimp on the chef's knife that one should cost a bit.
One of the best pieces of advice I read from Alton’s book Gear for Your Kitchen was to buy a few select knives you know you’ll use, and to forego the huge butcher block sets. I own four knives: a chef’s knife, utility knife, paring knife, and serrated bread knife. I use each of them frequently, and I’ve never felt that I was missing a knife that I needed.
Is that a Shun bread knife? Also, I wonder where'd Alton heard about Cut Brooklyn? I've always wanted one of his knives. I learned about Cut Brooklyn on Chowhound's obsessives episode. I own a fair amount of knives; Shun, Miyabi, Masamoto, Bob Kramer, Kuma... I suppose I'm a bit of a knife fanatic. I love to sharpen them too using various stones in various grits and strops. Would love to see how Alton get his knives sharpened--if he does them himself or sends them out.
Andy C I’m convinced that’s a Shun handle lol I used to sell them at Williams Sonoma. Very curious to know why his opinion has changed about the company
I would really like to see Alton revise his knife sharpening advice, so many people I know go in a frenzy trying to find a professional knife sharpener.
I did that around the time I started building out my knife roll, and came to realize that a pro sharpening company is *very* not cheap in my area. I bought a stone, learned to do it myself and never looked back. Now (about 20 years on) my coworkers at the restaurant I work at (including my boss) bring me their knives and ask me to sharpen them for them.
The best thing as Jamaican is when the people I love can throw subtle shade. Please don't stop. Good eats was what made me love cooking since 05...more than what my father taught me.. One love, respect. Alton. Make eating great and Cocktail again.... Do something with sardine's in oil
@@KairuHakubi back to the sea from which you plunder, cold black blue pounding bloated carcass floating only to stink and not accept. The cold waters from which you washed up. I wonder
At 0:50 when you said use it as a lever , I was fully expecting LEVERMAN to pop up ... The I remembered oh yeah quarantine.... Even superheroes need to be safe👍 Just came to mind , Oh My God , what about the WAFFLER ??? Has anyone checked in on the WAFFLER... A.B. We need to find the WAFFLER.. He must be safe at all cost😀
But she's one of the reasons I ended up with Shun knives so I'm really curious what they did and if I should continue investing in the company. I really considered buying probably that exact serrated knife
KAI USA seems to have burned a lot of bridges. Alton used to carry/use their Kershaw and Zero Tolerance pocketknives on his shows. Now, even Ken Onion (the knife designer) isn't with KAI anymore. I'm sure Alton Brown was compensated for his endorsements back in the day, but something tells me the company decided it wasn't worth keeping up the contracts despite the fact they're still banking on the reputations of their former representatives. (Japanese knives are overrated nowadays anyhow. The market figured out most of the best tricks from elite designs and incorporated them into mass-produced knives. Even Mercer's student knives cut well now.)
@@JacksonKnives Most high end Japanese knives are high maintenance knives. You have to take much care to ensure they don't rust and their high Rockwell Hardness (60 to 66) makes their edges very chippy. Even a grain of salt could easily chip their edge and now you're having to resharpen your blade.
@@frogfoot198 yeah, I was referring to Shun when I said the market has caught up with Japanese knives. Saying Japanese knives have RC 66 blades is like saying American cars have 900 HP motors. :D Thin grinds and 15° edges are brilliant, even for most amateur chefs; extra-hard tool steel most people can do without.
I was given an absolutely beautiful hand forge Japanese folded steel Nakiri, and for years I used it as a display piece and never actually used it. Then one day I don’t know why I grabbed it off my magnetic knife board and started using it, I fell in love. The Nakiri is now my go to knife for anything I need to cut or chop. This may not be true for all Nakiri but mine holds an incredible edge.
Shuns aren't a bad knife, but they are like the Apple of knives now, overcharging based on their brand name alone. And the VG10s are known for micro chipping, which isn't too bad compared to other knives, but for the price it's bad. When there are better alternatives now.
@@neoasura I’m lucky I got most of my Shuns for less than MSRP. I’ve definitely noticed the micro chipping, the edge is so fine and brittle that it’s does not feel good when your doing a cut that requires you to pivot on the edge. I just picked up a set of Bob Kramer knives so I’ll see how those compare. Also did not pay anywhere near MSRP for them either.
The 7" Santoku I bought in 2009 was $89. Now they are $156. I've had it sharpened by Shun 3 times. The only time it has ever chipped us when the wife used it with improper form (she drags the blade a LOT). It's overdue for another sharpening. They charge $5 to sharpen.
Hehehe, yeah. My one serrated knife is a novelty one I got for $6 that was designed for slicing watermelon. It's got a green handle, red blade with fake seeds painted on it and a red protective sheath with holes in it so you can see the the seeds through it. Large, sharply pointed teeth that look like someone took a hole puncher to the blade edge. But it's beveled on both sides of the blade, very sharp, and makes short work of watermelons, breads, anything I can think to cut. It works WONDERS on tomatoes, no matter how soft or firm. I've had other blades just slide off the tomatoes, even if the teeth on it look like they should have worked. This watermelon knife though, I don't even have to press on the knife to cut through the tomatoes. I can just move the blade back and forth and the knife's own weight sends it through. For everything else, I either used my Washington Forge 9 inch Santoku style chefs knife (About $30) and a little paring knife I got from a box of someones garage sale failures made by some company called "Veriverisharp" lol. And it lives up to it's name, I only sharpen it maybe once a year.
Immediately recognized the Cut Brooklyn by the shape of the handle. I have a chef knife and a utility knife from Joel as well, amazing stuff. Using those knives just gives me pure pleasure.
I bought my knives from Bertarelli Cutlery, a family owned knife retailer, sharpener and restaurant supply store in St Louis, MO. I was tired of my "nice" box set getting dull and chipped. Bertarelli was fantastic! They had two walls of knives and I was a bit overwhelmed. The owner was very patient, asked me about the type of cooking I do, directed me to the types of knives I should start with, encouraged me NOT to stay with one maker and to pick up every knife and move it around as if I was using it. I felt silly at first, but he was very encouraging and after going through a few I started to feel the difference. After I chose my three basic ones, a 6" chef's knife, a pairing knife and a filet knife, I asked him for more help with a couple of special knives. Being half Japanese, I wanted a really nice Japanese knife, so he educated me on those. I went back through the motions of holding and slicing with all he had and chose single bevel chef's knife (that cost as much as all the other knives put together) made by a company that is over 700 years old. Then I asked him if there is one knife that he would recommend that we hadn't discussed. He smiled and asked me if we ate a lot of melon. I told him yes, and he went to the wall and pulled off a 14" machete. He laughed when he saw my face and explained that all the restaurants use one to quickly slice melon and squash. It's one of the cheapest knives they sell, nothing special, even has a plastic handle, but it is my FAVORITE by far. I'm only 5'1" so slicing up a big watermelon or tougher skinned squash had always been a chore, but not anymore. I take one good wack with my machete and I'm a happy home cook.
Ooooh! You didn't have to name them. You've got a secret beef with Shun knives don't you?! I know it will never happen, but now I need to know about it. The WORLD (of culinary and knife nerds) needs to know.
Two things. I want you to know how happy I am to have you entertaining us with your new videos. Also, I want you to use that cleaver on the 15 zombies who disliked this video. No jury will ever convict you. Much love from central PA.
Damn i love this guy. Seen him live in Spokane and Denver and completed (literally) his entire last cookbook. *dude what's with the apple cider fondue typo? Ouch!!!* Alton you're amazing and you changed my life in many ways and thank you and keep doing your thing please. Wow.
Just curious, coming from IKEA, did you have to assemble the handle? Glue the sides on? Everything I've ever bought from IKEA was "ALL assembly required"... :)
IKEA used to sell an 8" chefs knife with a sandwich stainless/VG2 blade, very similar to the entry-level Shun, for $50. Great deal, I love that knife, use it daily. Sadly I don't think they stock that anymore.
It's not a problem as long as you can still give each one the care it deserves. My sharpest knife is one I got from my Grampa that I use as a paring knife. Judging from the handle, it was likely much bigger when he first got it.
Anything that's good for removing big sections of beef, or opening coconuts, is great for perpetrating OR defending a home invasion. Cleaver, machete, 357 Magnum, they all work.
Hey alton. I appreciate the fact u been posting videos during this epidemic. It is nice having some new content to watch. I always been a fan of your original show good eats. U always been my favorite to watch. U make things so interesting and pleasing to watch. Thanks for ur post. Keep doing what ur doing. Ur much appreciated
Alton, all of us at Carter Cutlery are so honored to have had your support for almost 25 years. We are proud of our blades that are serving you faithfully. Thank you for how you generously share your hard-earned knowledge with the world. Stay safe and sound! Sincerely, Murray Carter
a link please?
@@jakethomas4314 just google carter cutlery.
Hey man, your knife looked beautiful and I'm sure the quality is top notch. Our kitchen closed for the outbreak, but hopefully when we get back to work I can save up some and purchase one of your blades.
can I have a free boning or serrated knife?
Looking into getting one of your knives! Cheers 😎🔪
Having a knife problem is not a “problem”. Not having enough knife storage, though. That’s a crisis.
Ryky has entered the chat
@@blacksnow7106 🤣
Oh god I relate to this so hard
Josh Wood this is very very accurate
whats your knife holder besides a knife block??
"Cheap knives have a place. This one, for example, is $60." .....I'm over here with my $5 paring knife
Kinda puts it in to perspective when he says the other knife is "a bit pricey"
/me reading the Consumer Reports knife ratings
1: fancy German set for like $500, 97%
2: Ginsu, $100, 95%
Been like 10 years and they work great.
should I not tell you that chef knife from cut brooklyn is like $700...
@@awmustang i mean, you can look at cutbrooklyn's site, looks like his gyuto was probably about $750
A knife is like any other tool- cost and value are not the same thing. A professional mechanic, chef, or photographer will invest in the best, most comfortable, most effective tools. A person who uses a knife for hours at a time, every day, has an entirely different idea of what makes a good knife versus somebody who just need to cut something now and then. But it only takes *anyone about 30 seconds with a high end knife to realize they are worth what they cost.
Lenny: "Geez, Homer, I thought someone with two wives would be happy.
"
Karl: "Nah, you're thinking of someone with two knives.
"
Moe: [holding two knives] "I gotta tell you, this is pretty terrific."
Frostbyt3z Gaming When this is read with the voices, you can't help but laugh.
Can't help BUT read this in the voices lol
th-cam.com/video/tagnCKatOsg/w-d-xo.html
Hahaha, yeah!
Alton, we NEED to see the whole collection. Come on, man. We have time, you have time... show us.
Yo Mama i cant, its snowing.
Asking a chef to see all his knives is like asking a DnD player to see all their dice.
If Alton Brown says he doesn't have time to show you his knife collection in the middle of a 9 month lockdown... Well, that actually MIGHT count as a knife problem.
@@MauiWowieOwie do you want to see all of my dice?
because i willl show you all of my dice.
Alton Brown in Knives Out: A cut above the rest.
The shear audacity of this title has left me cropped for words.
Name buddy!
he is a knives out character
Harumph. Polanski got by with just one Knife on the Water.
What did shun do to him ☹️
"Not going to say I have a knife problem. But I kinda have a knife problem." I know that feeling.
In the words of keanu Reeves... "Knives. Lots of knives"
My chef’s knife was made for me by a local guy. It, alongside my grandmother’s Griswold pans, are the most important pieces in my kitchen.
Ok now I need the AB/ shun beef details!
That looked like a shun. I wonder what happened? I am currently looking to upgrade my knives and shun was an option.
I second that!
AB/Shun had a collaboration about a decade ago.....I want to know what happened too!!!!
I love my "Alton's Angle" Shun knives!
I was wondering the same thing
AB: “this is not a forging, this is... well we’re not going to get into the metallurgy.”
Me, a metallurgist: 😟😟. 😭😭
Me a welder who's getting into blacksmithing/bladesmithing 😢😢
@@mikeford963 a grinder and paint...😅
@@rhubarbpie2027 Makes some the welders they ain't!!
Me, a blacksmith
Me, a teacher who got bit by the knife bug 🤩🤩🤩
Surviving Edged Weapons: Alton Brown Edition.
There is no surviving Mr. Brown.
SMENS
Slice
Mince
Evaluate
Neutralize
Scan
I never thought I've see a Red Letter Media reference in an Alton Brown video. The internet must be leaking.
Oh that there's a ceremonial chef's knife.
@@keeleye7225 that video predates RLM
Oh no, what did Shun do to piss you off?! I grew my cooking skills on Good Eats and when I could afford it, Shun was the way I went primarily due to the fit in my hand and the edge they come with and maintain. I am certainly not opposed to other knifes, but my shun collection grows piece by piece as the need arises.
As a knifemaker I can appreciate your desire for good knives.
So glad to see LamsonSharp getting some love these days! My favorite knives - been collecting since college - and really nice people to boot.
Thank you for spelling that brand name
I’m so happy you featured “Cut’s” products. Joel is a great guy and does some amazing work. Thanks for showcasing a great local (NY) knife maker!
Just in case anyone was wondering, looks like chef knifes from Cut Brooklyn are around 750$ 😩
Boo thats out of my league
yup, just looked it up.... Ummm I'm out... LOL
A bit less than that depending on where you buy them - $350-$575. Still expensive though.
uncrate.com/cut-brooklyn-knives/
@@earthknight60 Overpriced for what they are; stock removal flat ground 52100 and the handles don't even have decent contour. Plenty of amazing bladesmiths out there that can make you a better knife for the same price point.
So not for nothin’ but showing you’re $2000 knife set during a time when many people can’t even afford $20.00 in food is in poor taste. I like Alton but this was a misstep in my opinion.
A well-kept, well-used set of blades. Thank you for the advice, Alton.
Being at my sister's house for any holiday meal is a stressing moment for me when I see the wrong knife being used for the wrong job. Like a chef's knife being used to try and carve a turkey! The second is when I see what once a top notch set of knives I gifted being put into the dishwasher! LOL
Alton Brown: making me feel better about my love for knives since 2020.
Thank you AB, been watching off and on for years. These short videos are great
4:30 I can see Alton saying to the invader, "That's not a knife. This is a knife."
YOU created my knife problem!! I began watching Good Eats when it started in season 1. I was still in high school, but you taught me so much about the importance of using a quality tool, not just in the kitchen but in every aspect of life, and the importance of educating yourself of how to properly maintain and care for those tools. Thanks for creating my problem, it came with years of education and respect for tools and their crafts.
But OMG amazing knives!!! Yes!!
These videos have honestly been the best content I have watched during the pandemic.
I'm loving these videos lately. Keep it up AB! You're helping to keep us sane in this odd time.
I'd like to know what went down with Shun!
As would I. It's too bad he didn't mention them because there is a reason he still has their serrated knife. I haven't seen another one with the same type of sharpened edge and it works very well.
@@77Brainfreeze the shun bread knives really are great
No santoku? Probably my favorite knife in my block. And you are spot on about shears that come apart. Ours are Henkels and they are wonderful.
Henkels are awesome. It was years of use before my chef's knife needed to be resharpened.
They are, my second knife after forschner when i first started working in the kitchen, but switched to shun. If i had to go back to german knives again definitely would be back to henkels.
Been looking forward to your recent uploads every day. Can we expect a follow up video on how to take care of and sharpen knives?
Alton, you are singlehandedly getting me through this quarantine. God bless.
Awesome video on kitchen knives, Alton..
PS - He really does love knives. There are numerous photos of him at Blade Show in Atlanta buying all manner of sharp pointy things.. :-)
This guy is so likeable. Alton just talks with you, not at you or to you, he is not uppity and does not gloat. He is just a much better person than most. Kudos!
Yeah it's "your fault" that my husband campaigned for a solid YEAR for us to get a Nakiri. It's not a fancy one, it's a kinda mid-range one because we are extremely poor, but he was bound and effing DETERMINED about that knife.
Also, when told "you can only take one knife:" Hold up the bone cleaver and say "Make me stick to just one." :P
I got a chef's knife from Joel (Cut Brooklyn) a couple of years ago. it is simply the best knife I ever had, it is a workhorse, and it feels great working with it.
I’m starting to get a “knife problem “
I bought my first personal chef’s knife about 6 months ago , now i got three chefs knives at home , a knife set coming in next week , and i just ordered a Japanese Guyuto Knife two days ago !
What benefit are you expecting from the guyuto over your chef knife? I was looking at one of those Ryky posted that has a flaw in the blade
NoZenith guyuto is a chefs knife with a japanese style , it’s lighter and a little bit more delicate than stainless steel knifes , and it’s sharper .
And honestly i haven’t found a specific knife that i prefer over anything else, so at this stage I’m trying different models from different companies, different styles and different types metals until I land on my favorite,
Welcome to the knife club. The knives aren't the problem. The storage issue, however, is.
Your Good Eats episode about pickling got me into food science and changed my life. Thanks for all you do!
I feel like he could talk about paint drawing and I would still be fully engaged and entertained.
OMG! I never thought I would see someone as obsessed (in a good and loving way) about knives (of all types) like my husband is! We so much enjoy watching you in the kitchen. And you make cooking look fun. I especially like the video about rice. I’m going to make it your way from now on. Thank you!
"A company that I won't mention" Sorry to hear that partnership went sour, I'd always wondered what happened there.
He’s talking about Shun, right?
Yea, absolutely.
I was so hoping it wasn't shun. I remember he made a video of years ago before I actually got my first good knife as a gift from my brother which happened to be a Shun so I was excited.... I feel fractionally lost because that video he did with Shun years ago is what I told my brother about and got him to buy me my first good knives for Christmas.😔
Anyone know what happened? I love my Shun knives!
100% Shun, but not really. That was a Shun Classic. However, I am pretty sure they and Kershaw are owned by Kai now. Might be issues with Kai
Hey Alton! I watched good eats since I was little. It was one of my favorite cooking shows, thanks for making it!
I know we're talking knives here, but I'm still glad to see you also like good coffee! I've had that same (albeit silver) model moccamaster for the past decade or so with 0 complaints.
I got my Moccamaster last year as a Drop.com deal for like $220 (with the round tank, not square). Worth every dime, but I would gladly pay full price for one. It even made the parent's Maxwell House coffee taste good. Okay, so I lied about that. But it was markedly improved.
I bought a serrated Ginsu knife from the New York Boat Show probably almost thirty years ago and I’m still using it! Great bread knife!
Alton, please keep the knife videos coming! We want to see your collection!
I inherited my grandparents chef and boning knives thirty years ago and they are still top notch. I use the eight inch every day.
I love Alton Brown and his one scarf
silent grey alpaca Is it a scarf or an ascot?
JED DEJ it’s a scarf
I am so happy you use Carter Cutlery knives. Stumbled across him many years back on a family trip in Oregon, been watching him since and seeing him grow. Such amazing knives. His neck knife, such a handy tool when camping.
They pissed me off too. I send my knives to them once a year for sharpening and this last time they broke my salmon slicer and said they couldn't replace it because it was discontinued. Says a lot about a company that makes the knives but can't fix them.
That's sad.
Although Cutco isn't the best knife in the world, I sent them a 20+ year old Chef's knife with a cracked handle. They sent me a new one.
My favorite blade is a no name filet knife that I bought at a bait shop in the 1980s. It's still serving me well for everything from cleaning a fish to slicing a roast.
Can you say the name so I'll avoid them?
NoZenith I think it’s a Shun knife
@@NoZenith It's Shun. AB is the reason i bought them. I still love the knives. Not many companies will sharpen them for free for life like Shun does, but don't get attached to a specific knife. They did give me a credit to buy a new knife for free and I picked up a very nice boning knife. I live on the south end of lake Michigan and I used that salmon knife all year long.
I didn't know that they sharpen for free... I have an Alton's angle that was made before the endorsement. Never been sharpened and is just getting to the point where I feel it's unsafe.
My issue is that I have a dozen Shun classics but several of my favorite knives are set aside because they have serious dents in the blade and a few have chips on the cutting edge. Any idea if they repair or replace? All of them were gifts from my dad and I know they all came from Williams and Sonoma.
AB a man of culture as always!
Magnificent! Finally some one who understands that serration is only good for bread!
The only my thing in my kitchen I value more than my knives is my son. He cooks with me (and he’s been watching AB since he was only a couple months old) and he sharpens my knives.
Alton was my favorite growing up. Just loved his show and I cooked all his recipes as a kid.
That Chef's knife is a beauty. Not that the rest aren't nice as well (specially the nakiri) but that chef's knife made me drool a little.
Thank you. I appreciate both entertainment and information. Makes it (solitary confinement) tolerable.
ty! when you was live i musta said show me your knives 20 times, but the chat was flying and you didnt see it. love those cut brookyn knives, would love to see your sharpening stones and your methods on keepin em sharp :)
A great description of the basic knives. The distinction of a great chef is his knowledge of safely using knives to make appropriate cuts and maintaining the knives. My avocation is restoring otherwise great knives that people have discarded.
I was worried AB would start juggling them at the end
Alton I noticed yourTechnivorm Mocca Master in the background. The sign of a true coffee aficionado!! Plus I love your knives too! I have a stamped 10 inch Victorinox chef knife with a Rosewood handle. It’s been with me for over 30 years and can handle everything I throw at it!
Chef's knife length is very much a personal preference. A good length to start is equal to your hand from heel to tip of longest finger. Keep them sharp! Dull knives need more pressure and motion to do their job. Knives cut, cleavers chop.
Helen Renne has an excellent video on sharpening your knives.
Exactly. I've got a 8 inch, 10 inch and a couple 12-13inch. I like the 8 inch best because you don't need a lot of space. I do have around 25 knives total
an 8” is perfect for cooking at home. a 10 or 12 feels like a sword on a kitchen counter
Thank you Alton for the 20 years of entertainment and joy that you have given me. I doubt i could ever repay you. Take care and be safe during this horrible pandemic.
What happened with you and Kershaw Shun? I bought a set of them per your recommendation back in the early 2000's.
My dad bought me some very nice cooking knives over the years and along with the food grade shears my sister gave me, they all hang on a magnetic strip over my counter. I use the 10 inch chef's knife almost to the exclusion of everything else. The food shears get their share of the action and I use the enormous 17 inch chef's knife to cut brownies. The long serrated knife comes out to cut bread and I rarely use the paring knife because I don't eat enough vegetables.
I want to hear more about his pans lol. I cannot for the life of me find decent pans :(
Check out Vollrath. It’s commercial grade, not overly expensive, and works well
He likes the carbon steel pans.
I've seen him use All-Clad quite frequently.
Sherie Vaughn See I love carbon steel as well but I wouldn’t be caught dead with out my hard anodized nonstick pans as well.
There are some things good ol’ steel pans just don’t fare as well against.
I don't know if you have one near you, but if you have a restaurant supply store near you, buy pans from there. They're made to take a serious daily beating and last a while. If it can be used in a commercial kitchen, then they can take home use a lot better. Plus they're relatively inexpensive.
This was such an impactful video for my brother and I. Especially how this introduced us to Lamson Cutlery which it turns out was only about a 2 hour car ride away!
"I believe that tools you like to look at, you will also use more"
Something I have been battling for so long. I'm very emotional with the things I create with. I will pay a bit more for something I like to look at. Didn't know right away if I was shallow or something
Loving the big cleaver. I have two, one of which was my grandmothers and is around 75 years old. Have got both of them razor sharp, and yeah, the 12" would be good for backing someone out a door.
that smile going away at the very end lmao
I have had a set of Voctorinox knives for ten years. Redwood handle ones. They have served me well for a decade.
"there's a place for cheap knives in your collection"
also: "this is cheap.. like 50 dollars"
me: "cheap it 10 bucks at most"
"Cheap" is relative.
Victorinox Forschner Fibrox knives, while not ten dollars, are very inexpensive when compared to other brand names thrown around. Their paring knife is just under ten bucks. Victorinox knives are routinely use in "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country." And those people can have whatever they want. They continually rate well in their knife tests as well. They're also ground to a fifteen degree bevel, which means that they cut a lot better than knives ground to the standard American twenty degree bevel.
I'm poor asfuck.. But I also blacksmith. so I'm gonna say yes, but actually no, it's cheap but it could be cheaper
He really overpriced that knife, they are going for $25 on Amazon right now.
Knowing that knives are not everyday purchases it is not weird to have a $200 blade especially for a professional. I'd never tell someone they should have that but I will say I like my shun chef's knife way more than my $50 Mercer chef's knife. Moral don't skimp on the chef's knife that one should cost a bit.
One of the best pieces of advice I read from Alton’s book Gear for Your Kitchen was to buy a few select knives you know you’ll use, and to forego the huge butcher block sets. I own four knives: a chef’s knife, utility knife, paring knife, and serrated bread knife. I use each of them frequently, and I’ve never felt that I was missing a knife that I needed.
Is that a Shun bread knife? Also, I wonder where'd Alton heard about Cut Brooklyn? I've always wanted one of his knives. I learned about Cut Brooklyn on Chowhound's obsessives episode. I own a fair amount of knives; Shun, Miyabi, Masamoto, Bob Kramer, Kuma... I suppose I'm a bit of a knife fanatic. I love to sharpen them too using various stones in various grits and strops. Would love to see how Alton get his knives sharpened--if he does them himself or sends them out.
Andy C - Alton truly is a blade geek. He attends knife shows and seeks out makers.
Andy C I’m convinced that’s a Shun handle lol I used to sell them at Williams Sonoma. Very curious to know why his opinion has changed about the company
Alton, thanks for doing these videos right now. I have been a fan for a long time. It is always great to get your fresh take.
Alton! is the serated knife a shun? I know you said you were upset with the company, but does that have to do with the product or the management?
You ought to be in quarantine a few times a year. This content over the last couple of weeks has been priceless.
I would really like to see Alton revise his knife sharpening advice, so many people I know go in a frenzy trying to find a professional knife sharpener.
I did that around the time I started building out my knife roll, and came to realize that a pro sharpening company is *very* not cheap in my area. I bought a stone, learned to do it myself and never looked back. Now (about 20 years on) my coworkers at the restaurant I work at (including my boss) bring me their knives and ask me to sharpen them for them.
The best thing as Jamaican is when the people I love can throw subtle shade.
Please don't stop. Good eats was what made me love cooking since 05...more than what my father taught me..
One love, respect.
Alton. Make eating great and Cocktail again....
Do something with sardine's in oil
did you like Feasting on Waves I wonder? :>
@@KairuHakubi back to the sea from which you plunder, cold black blue pounding bloated carcass floating only to stink and not accept.
The cold waters from which you washed up.
I wonder
@@KairuHakubi no disrespect
I ask a question and get THAT in return, you think i won't feel respected? :D
@@KairuHakubi forgive me it is the quarantine talking...
At 0:50 when you said use it as a lever , I was fully expecting LEVERMAN to pop up ...
The I remembered oh yeah quarantine.... Even superheroes need to be safe👍
Just came to mind , Oh My God , what about the WAFFLER ??? Has anyone checked in on the WAFFLER...
A.B. We need to find the WAFFLER.. He must be safe at all cost😀
Cocoa Carl is probably really feeling it, not being able to sell his wares on the corner
Im *REALLY* enjoying unedited true opinion Alton like how he did that serrated knife manufacturer
But she's one of the reasons I ended up with Shun knives so I'm really curious what they did and if I should continue investing in the company. I really considered buying probably that exact serrated knife
What happened with Shun that made him so mad?
Inquiring minds want to know!
I smell lawsuit.
KAI USA seems to have burned a lot of bridges. Alton used to carry/use their Kershaw and Zero Tolerance pocketknives on his shows.
Now, even Ken Onion (the knife designer) isn't with KAI anymore.
I'm sure Alton Brown was compensated for his endorsements back in the day, but something tells me the company decided it wasn't worth keeping up the contracts despite the fact they're still banking on the reputations of their former representatives.
(Japanese knives are overrated nowadays anyhow. The market figured out most of the best tricks from elite designs and incorporated them into mass-produced knives. Even Mercer's student knives cut well now.)
@@JacksonKnives Most high end Japanese knives are high maintenance knives. You have to take much care to ensure they don't rust and their high Rockwell Hardness (60 to 66) makes their edges very chippy. Even a grain of salt could easily chip their edge and now you're having to resharpen your blade.
@@frogfoot198 yeah, I was referring to Shun when I said the market has caught up with Japanese knives. Saying Japanese knives have RC 66 blades is like saying American cars have 900 HP motors. :D
Thin grinds and 15° edges are brilliant, even for most amateur chefs; extra-hard tool steel most people can do without.
I was given an absolutely beautiful hand forge Japanese folded steel Nakiri, and for years I used it as a display piece and never actually used it. Then one day I don’t know why I grabbed it off my magnetic knife board and started using it, I fell in love. The Nakiri is now my go to knife for anything I need to cut or chop. This may not be true for all Nakiri but mine holds an incredible edge.
No no, I’ve got an entire block of Shun and I like them. Spill the beans Brown, I need to know if I shouldn’t give them any more of my money.
Shuns aren't a bad knife, but they are like the Apple of knives now, overcharging based on their brand name alone. And the VG10s are known for micro chipping, which isn't too bad compared to other knives, but for the price it's bad. When there are better alternatives now.
@@neoasura I’m lucky I got most of my Shuns for less than MSRP. I’ve definitely noticed the micro chipping, the edge is so fine and brittle that it’s does not feel good when your doing a cut that requires you to pivot on the edge. I just picked up a set of Bob Kramer knives so I’ll see how those compare. Also did not pay anywhere near MSRP for them either.
The 7" Santoku I bought in 2009 was $89. Now they are $156. I've had it sharpened by Shun 3 times. The only time it has ever chipped us when the wife used it with improper form (she drags the blade a LOT). It's overdue for another sharpening. They charge $5 to sharpen.
I don't cook, but watching/listening to you is so mesmerizing. Good Eats, ICA, I love it!
Hehehe, yeah. My one serrated knife is a novelty one I got for $6 that was designed for slicing watermelon. It's got a green handle, red blade with fake seeds painted on it and a red protective sheath with holes in it so you can see the the seeds through it. Large, sharply pointed teeth that look like someone took a hole puncher to the blade edge. But it's beveled on both sides of the blade, very sharp, and makes short work of watermelons, breads, anything I can think to cut. It works WONDERS on tomatoes, no matter how soft or firm. I've had other blades just slide off the tomatoes, even if the teeth on it look like they should have worked. This watermelon knife though, I don't even have to press on the knife to cut through the tomatoes. I can just move the blade back and forth and the knife's own weight sends it through.
For everything else, I either used my Washington Forge 9 inch Santoku style chefs knife (About $30) and a little paring knife I got from a box of someones garage sale failures made by some company called "Veriverisharp" lol. And it lives up to it's name, I only sharpen it maybe once a year.
Christopher Morin I have this as well! I love it for squash too
@@sarapoeta1938 You have what? The Watermelon knife? Hehehe
I am absolutely delighted by the conversation of knife knerds. Seriously! I was getting depressed until I found this thread. Thanks!
Immediately recognized the Cut Brooklyn by the shape of the handle. I have a chef knife and a utility knife from Joel as well, amazing stuff. Using those knives just gives me pure pleasure.
3:15 Uh-oh I wonder what the fallout AB had with Shun was
Thanks! Knife cleaver, small utility knife, serrated knife & we have a stainless steel shears just like that, those is what we use the most.
"...also good for home invasion." LMAO
I bought my knives from Bertarelli Cutlery, a family owned knife retailer, sharpener and restaurant supply store in St Louis, MO. I was tired of my "nice" box set getting dull and chipped. Bertarelli was fantastic! They had two walls of knives and I was a bit overwhelmed. The owner was very patient, asked me about the type of cooking I do, directed me to the types of knives I should start with, encouraged me NOT to stay with one maker and to pick up every knife and move it around as if I was using it. I felt silly at first, but he was very encouraging and after going through a few I started to feel the difference. After I chose my three basic ones, a 6" chef's knife, a pairing knife and a filet knife, I asked him for more help with a couple of special knives. Being half Japanese, I wanted a really nice Japanese knife, so he educated me on those. I went back through the motions of holding and slicing with all he had and chose single bevel chef's knife (that cost as much as all the other knives put together) made by a company that is over 700 years old. Then I asked him if there is one knife that he would recommend that we hadn't discussed. He smiled and asked me if we ate a lot of melon. I told him yes, and he went to the wall and pulled off a 14" machete. He laughed when he saw my face and explained that all the restaurants use one to quickly slice melon and squash. It's one of the cheapest knives they sell, nothing special, even has a plastic handle, but it is my FAVORITE by far. I'm only 5'1" so slicing up a big watermelon or tougher skinned squash had always been a chore, but not anymore. I take one good wack with my machete and I'm a happy home cook.
I’d be lost without scissors in my kitchen.
We all know your a knife guy Alton, the fact you've done so much for us your adoring fans that your knifeness is apparent and clear!!!
Alton Brown: "Its really old."
Me, a West Wing fan: "It was made by a Boston Silversmith named Paul Revere."
Kirbyoh , one of my favorite scenes on that show!
@@tomgio1 He gave him the kniiiife 😭
Man it's good to have you back on my screen helping me understand a world of good eats.
Ooooh! You didn't have to name them. You've got a secret beef with Shun knives don't you?! I know it will never happen, but now I need to know about it. The WORLD (of culinary and knife nerds) needs to know.
I've been watching this guy for 20 years he's a real inspiration....
What did shun knives do to piss of Alton?
He realized they aren't the cream of the crop.
A man who loves his knives is surely a man of reason.
Never bring a knife to a gunfight. AB pulls out his bone cleaver "wanna bet"?
Two things. I want you to know how happy I am to have you entertaining us with your new videos. Also, I want you to use that cleaver on the 15 zombies who disliked this video. No jury will ever convict you. Much love from central PA.
“Also good for home invasions” 😂 automatically like the video.
I also like that he never said whether the cleaver is useful in thwarting a home invasion or in committing one.
Damn i love this guy. Seen him live in Spokane and Denver and completed (literally) his entire last cookbook. *dude what's with the apple cider fondue typo? Ouch!!!* Alton you're amazing and you changed my life in many ways and thank you and keep doing your thing please. Wow.
I bought my serrated knife at IKEA. It has served me well for several years.
SkipperJane same here, even though they’re cheap, their knives are actually pretty good for daily use !!
Just curious, coming from IKEA, did you have to assemble the handle? Glue the sides on? Everything I've ever bought from IKEA was "ALL assembly required"... :)
IKEA used to sell an 8" chefs knife with a sandwich stainless/VG2 blade, very similar to the entry-level Shun, for $50. Great deal, I love that knife, use it daily. Sadly I don't think they stock that anymore.
It's not a problem as long as you can still give each one the care it deserves. My sharpest knife is one I got from my Grampa that I use as a paring knife. Judging from the handle, it was likely much bigger when he first got it.
"Also good for home invasion."
So it's good to use when invading homes?
Or pillaging villages by the looks of it. That thing's large.
This just in: Alton Brown advocates for using cleavers to invade people's homes 😱
He probably takes along Scabigail for attack dog duty whilst pillaging.
Anything that's good for removing big sections of beef, or opening coconuts, is great for perpetrating OR defending a home invasion. Cleaver, machete, 357 Magnum, they all work.
I'm pretty sure he meant to say "home defense".
Hey alton. I appreciate the fact u been posting videos during this epidemic. It is nice having some new content to watch. I always been a fan of your original show good eats. U always been my favorite to watch. U make things so interesting and pleasing to watch. Thanks for ur post. Keep doing what ur doing. Ur much appreciated