Santoku knives are an ancient Japanese design for chopping and slicing vegetables.
I have been using a Chicago Cutlery brand Santoku-style knife with a five inch blade in my home kitchen for the past two weeks. Chicago Cutlery has a long history and good reputation for making utilitarian knives at a great price. I paid $12 for this one at the local grocery store.This knife has a stainless steel blade, bolster and tang in one piece for strength, durability and easy care.
Note: At work in a commercial restaurant kitchen my knives are in constant use, all day and every day, and I prefer a more premium knife by J. A, Henkels. For my home kitchen use I find less expensive knives get the job done just fine.
Santoku knives have thinner blades than chef’s knives which make them weigh less and have a potentially sharper cutting edge. The Santoku’s blade is also taller than a chef’s knife, making it capable of scooping more food off a cutting board. Santoku knives have a Granton edge(dimples) rather than the flat sides of a chef knives, which helps to keep food such as potato slices from sticking to the knife blade. The edge of a Santoku knife has less of a curve than a chef knife and is designed for a forward-and-down motions rather than a rocking motion.
This 5-inch Santoku kitchen knife by Chicago Cutlery is doing a fine job for me so far, to the extent that I am considering buying another to take to work. The fit and finish are above average for any knife in this price range and it has a nicely styled handle. There are no gap, cracks or crevices to trap food particles and bacteria. It is comfortable in the hand and easy to clean. I have used it to cut, slice and dice beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, ginger and turmeric root, apples and pears and lots of fresh herbs. I have not yet had to sharpen the blade after two weeks.
I prefer this style of knife for cutting and slicing larger and harder vegetables such as beets and potatoes. I prefer a traditional chef’s knife for most dicing and mincing. A mid size Santoku is a good compromise between the two for most common home kitchen cutting tasks.
I would definitely recommend this knife as a good value for anyone who cooks regularly. It will do what a good knife should without breaking the bank and should outlast most cooks.