As a recovering "pro chef" who spends most of my time in the kitchen nowadays in a much more community facing role I have come to appreciate that what one considers a "real" knife depends a lot on your perspective.
One of the small business owners, a baker, that works out of the commissary kitchen is very impressed that I teach young students with "real knives". It took me a second to figure out what they mean. They meant that the knives were made of steel and they are deathly afraid of metal knives. I told her, "they are all real knives." I like that as part of my job I get to shepherd people along on their life knife journey.
Step 1. Someone with knife phobia. Or severe Parkinson's. Or a severe metal allergy or something. I'm going to get some cold hard steel in that baker's hands someday. Even if it's just a nice bread knife. These are what she uses:
Step 2. Kids (18 and under) and folks just getting into cooking
Step 3. I have a blind prep cook. They work for me but get paid by a nonprofit that connects folks with disabilities with job opportunities. Cuts all my potatoes, mirepoix, fruit cups, soup prep, etc. These are the knives she uses. Really very common type stuff in the industry. And what I train people on until they can handle Japanese style stuff without breaking it or hurting themselves.
Step 4. The main tools for my line cooks once they are trained up. You really can't beat the performance and reliability of factory Japanese stuff at any cost.
Step 5. What I use at home.
One of the small business owners, a baker, that works out of the commissary kitchen is very impressed that I teach young students with "real knives". It took me a second to figure out what they mean. They meant that the knives were made of steel and they are deathly afraid of metal knives. I told her, "they are all real knives." I like that as part of my job I get to shepherd people along on their life knife journey.
Step 1. Someone with knife phobia. Or severe Parkinson's. Or a severe metal allergy or something. I'm going to get some cold hard steel in that baker's hands someday. Even if it's just a nice bread knife. These are what she uses:
Step 2. Kids (18 and under) and folks just getting into cooking
Step 3. I have a blind prep cook. They work for me but get paid by a nonprofit that connects folks with disabilities with job opportunities. Cuts all my potatoes, mirepoix, fruit cups, soup prep, etc. These are the knives she uses. Really very common type stuff in the industry. And what I train people on until they can handle Japanese style stuff without breaking it or hurting themselves.
Step 4. The main tools for my line cooks once they are trained up. You really can't beat the performance and reliability of factory Japanese stuff at any cost.
Step 5. What I use at home.
