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An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives
Why are most of us so woefully uninformed about our kitchen knives? We are intimidated by our knives when they are sharp, annoyed by them when they are dull, and quietly ashamed that we don't know how to use them with any competence. For a species that has been using knives for nearly as long as we have been walking upright, that's a serious problem. An Edge in the Kitchen is the solution, an intelligent and delightful debunking of the mysteries of kitchen knives once and for all. If you can stack blocks, you can cut restaurant-quality diced vegetables. If you can fold a paper airplane, you can sharpen your knives better than many professionals. Veteran cook Chad Ward provides an in-depth guide to the most important tool in the kitchen, including how to choose the best kitchen knives in your price range, practical tutorials on knife skills, a step-by-step section on sharpening, and more——all illustrated with beautiful photographs throughout. Along the way you will discover what a cow sword is, and why you might want one; why chefs are abandoning their heavy knives in droves; and why the Pinch and the Claw, strange as they may sound, are in fact the best way to make precision vegetable cuts with speed and style. An Edge in the Kitchen is the one and only guide to the most important tool in the kitchen.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2008
118 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 28, 2015
Apparently this is the only book you need to read to fully grasp proper knife maintenance. While I agree with that, it won't hurt to watch a few videos on YouTube as well. Demonstrating sharpening techniques via photographs is not the easiest way to learn. The author has several videos up demonstrating the various techniques.
This book is thorough, boosts confidence and is written in a humorous voice, which I enjoyed. It really does tell you everything you need to know about how to buy, use and maintain your kitchen knives at home. Recommended for anyone who wants to keep their knives in good order.
This book is thorough, boosts confidence and is written in a humorous voice, which I enjoyed. It really does tell you everything you need to know about how to buy, use and maintain your kitchen knives at home. Recommended for anyone who wants to keep their knives in good order.
October 17, 2008
Okay, I will make this simple. You need to read this book. Unless you hire your own chef to cook all of your meals, or you just eat out all the time, you need to know how to use and take care of your knives. And most importantly, you need to know how to buy a knife without spending a fortune.
Chad Ward spells it all out for you, and he does so in a surprisingly easy to read manner. I can't recommend this book enough.
Chad Ward spells it all out for you, and he does so in a surprisingly easy to read manner. I can't recommend this book enough.
February 5, 2017
This is a 250 page book mostly about how to sharpen kitchen knives. If you are interested in that topic - this contains all the information you could need.
July 14, 2023
strangely a highly polarizing book
I'll say that all the negatives and positives about it
is pretty close to the truth
---
You’ll be hard pressed to find as succinct and complete a collection of wisdom on the topic as this masterful volume from cook and writer Ward. He covers nearly everything...giving cooks all the information they need....This book is as indispensable as the tools themselves.
Publishers Weekly
Chad Ward...has written a handsome volume on knives and everything you might want to know about them, and about using them....It’s not only filled with good info put together with a good design, the writing is lively as well.
Michael Ruhlman
A definitive guide for buying knives....An Edge in the Kitchen covers everything you need to know and more.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper
---
For my money, just study the selections in the newest Wusthof knife blocks
and just pick whatever handle, you can afford and get 2-5 of them
[most anything in the Classic, or the Ikon line (plastic or wood handles) are fantastic]
[I think the only rule there is is how nice it feels in your hands, and just pick all your energies into picking what knives you want]
---
Maybe the ideal could be this set of three knives
Class A selection
3.5-inch Paring knife
7-inch Santoku knife
[or 8-inch Chef's knife, if you really really, don't like the Santoku]
[don't get any 'actual' Japanese knives unless you're an expert sharpener]
9-inch Double-Serrated Bread knife
[if you love sourdough or italian crusty bread, the shark teeth like double serrations are ideal]
[if you get a single-serrated bread knife, it'll be good for cake, tomatoes and salami]
---
Class B selections
5-inch Serrated Utility knife
[the best for slicing tomatoes or cutting hard salami, and cutting a sandwich in half]
6-inch Utility knife
[basically the slim 1950s 1960s plain ole knife before anyone used French chef knives]
6-inch Chef’s knife or 7-inch Nakiri knife
[ideally I think the best pair is the 6-inch small chef knife with a large 8-inch chef knife]
[you can do one for large vegetables and one for small vegetables]
[I think the 6-inch chef's knife is probably the best one you could use for onions]
[The European-style Nakiri is a good vegetable knife, like a half-height chinese vegetable cleaver]
---
Lastly, Class C selections
6-inch Straight Meat Fork
2.75-inch Peeling knife
---
Additional knives for barbecuing
8-inch Flexible Fillet knife
[for slicing extra-thin unfrozen beef for philly cheesesteaks]
[most will freeze the meat to get it thin, but frozen meat is brutal on any knife]
[or you like cutting salmon or do bbq]
---
and the rest for Barbeque
5-inch Boning knife
7-inch Butcher knife [machete-style]
8-inch Carving knife
12-inch Salmon slicer
---
---
If you do buy a set of knives in a set, try to get a set with 8 knives or less, because the big sets contain a lot you might not need or use]
[and it's best to get just a few super-high quality knives, than a bucketful of okay knives]
---
In summary, for a basic set of three knives
9-inch Bread knife
7-inch Santoku [easier to handle] or 8-inch Chef's knife
3.5-inch Paring knife
Jacques Pepin's rule was to get three knives, roughly 4-6-8 inches to cover all the bases]
but then again, he overs over 300 knives (!)
---
---
compact summary
Class A
a. 3.5-inch Paring knife
b1. 7-inch Santoku knife [or]
b2. 8-inch Chef's knife
c. 9-inch Double-Serrated Bread knife
Class B
a. 5-inch Serrated Utility knife
b. 6-inch Utility knife
c1. 6-inch Chef’s knife [or]
c2. 7-inch Nakiri knife
Class C
a. 2.75-inch Peeling knife
b. 6-inch Straight Meat Fork [helps with bbq or any carving]
Class D
Additional knives for bbq fanatics
5-inch Boning knife
7-inch Butcher knife [machete-style]
8-inch Flexible Fillet knife
8-inch Carving knife
12-inch Salmon slicer
I'll say that all the negatives and positives about it
is pretty close to the truth
---
You’ll be hard pressed to find as succinct and complete a collection of wisdom on the topic as this masterful volume from cook and writer Ward. He covers nearly everything...giving cooks all the information they need....This book is as indispensable as the tools themselves.
Publishers Weekly
Chad Ward...has written a handsome volume on knives and everything you might want to know about them, and about using them....It’s not only filled with good info put together with a good design, the writing is lively as well.
Michael Ruhlman
A definitive guide for buying knives....An Edge in the Kitchen covers everything you need to know and more.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper
---
For my money, just study the selections in the newest Wusthof knife blocks
and just pick whatever handle, you can afford and get 2-5 of them
[most anything in the Classic, or the Ikon line (plastic or wood handles) are fantastic]
[I think the only rule there is is how nice it feels in your hands, and just pick all your energies into picking what knives you want]
---
Maybe the ideal could be this set of three knives
Class A selection
3.5-inch Paring knife
7-inch Santoku knife
[or 8-inch Chef's knife, if you really really, don't like the Santoku]
[don't get any 'actual' Japanese knives unless you're an expert sharpener]
9-inch Double-Serrated Bread knife
[if you love sourdough or italian crusty bread, the shark teeth like double serrations are ideal]
[if you get a single-serrated bread knife, it'll be good for cake, tomatoes and salami]
---
Class B selections
5-inch Serrated Utility knife
[the best for slicing tomatoes or cutting hard salami, and cutting a sandwich in half]
6-inch Utility knife
[basically the slim 1950s 1960s plain ole knife before anyone used French chef knives]
6-inch Chef’s knife or 7-inch Nakiri knife
[ideally I think the best pair is the 6-inch small chef knife with a large 8-inch chef knife]
[you can do one for large vegetables and one for small vegetables]
[I think the 6-inch chef's knife is probably the best one you could use for onions]
[The European-style Nakiri is a good vegetable knife, like a half-height chinese vegetable cleaver]
---
Lastly, Class C selections
6-inch Straight Meat Fork
2.75-inch Peeling knife
---
Additional knives for barbecuing
8-inch Flexible Fillet knife
[for slicing extra-thin unfrozen beef for philly cheesesteaks]
[most will freeze the meat to get it thin, but frozen meat is brutal on any knife]
[or you like cutting salmon or do bbq]
---
and the rest for Barbeque
5-inch Boning knife
7-inch Butcher knife [machete-style]
8-inch Carving knife
12-inch Salmon slicer
---
---
If you do buy a set of knives in a set, try to get a set with 8 knives or less, because the big sets contain a lot you might not need or use]
[and it's best to get just a few super-high quality knives, than a bucketful of okay knives]
---
In summary, for a basic set of three knives
9-inch Bread knife
7-inch Santoku [easier to handle] or 8-inch Chef's knife
3.5-inch Paring knife
Jacques Pepin's rule was to get three knives, roughly 4-6-8 inches to cover all the bases]
but then again, he overs over 300 knives (!)
---
---
compact summary
Class A
a. 3.5-inch Paring knife
b1. 7-inch Santoku knife [or]
b2. 8-inch Chef's knife
c. 9-inch Double-Serrated Bread knife
Class B
a. 5-inch Serrated Utility knife
b. 6-inch Utility knife
c1. 6-inch Chef’s knife [or]
c2. 7-inch Nakiri knife
Class C
a. 2.75-inch Peeling knife
b. 6-inch Straight Meat Fork [helps with bbq or any carving]
Class D
Additional knives for bbq fanatics
5-inch Boning knife
7-inch Butcher knife [machete-style]
8-inch Flexible Fillet knife
8-inch Carving knife
12-inch Salmon slicer
October 7, 2018
I just want a book to give me reasonable options for kitchen knives. This book did well in some ways - I am glad to know that my previous believe that an all purpose Chef Knife and a smaller knife (paring) are two fundamentals that will get you 90% there. And they made some solid recommendations and even explained some good metallurgical science that wasn't too in the weeds. But where it fell down was: 1. Recommending a few specific brands of cutting boards and 2. Sharpening recommendations - like they explained it (and a you-tube supplement for me will be mandatory) but they never really recommended anything that tied to other recommendations made for knives. Like, hey...remember that range of knives we recommended back in Chapter 2? Here are the best cutting boards and sharpeners that might match up to those choices.
Nonetheless, I feel like I have more confidence to go by a good option (brand and type) of a chef knife and paring knife, plus I feel OK that my bread knife might not be stellar but since it cuts bread well, it is good enough and save the money for the sharpener...when I figure out what that should be.
Nonetheless, I feel like I have more confidence to go by a good option (brand and type) of a chef knife and paring knife, plus I feel OK that my bread knife might not be stellar but since it cuts bread well, it is good enough and save the money for the sharpener...when I figure out what that should be.
February 20, 2018
This is one delightful book about knives. What a delight, and thoroughly practical and actionable to boot. Your first set of knives for under $100, or the sky is the limit with custom knives or anything in between. The book is written with a keen practical understanding of what knives are for and the pros and cons of different designs, plus with a lot of humor. It is a delight to read.
The longer I am into my whole foods plant-based cooking routine, the more I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and collecting good knives is part of the fun. I restored my old-line Sabatier knives, and a set of old MAC knives, and then I've been making strategic additions. Lately it's been a discovery journey on Japanese knives.
This book puts it all together. It turns out it is almost equally fun how you could put together a competent set of starter knives and sharpeners, as it is to relish the prowess of some of the finest knives around and learn how to put them to good use.
How do you know your knife is sharp? You can cut up an onion without crying, and you can successfully cut up a ripe tomato without crushing it. All this stuff is very hands-on and practical.
The longer I am into my whole foods plant-based cooking routine, the more I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and collecting good knives is part of the fun. I restored my old-line Sabatier knives, and a set of old MAC knives, and then I've been making strategic additions. Lately it's been a discovery journey on Japanese knives.
This book puts it all together. It turns out it is almost equally fun how you could put together a competent set of starter knives and sharpeners, as it is to relish the prowess of some of the finest knives around and learn how to put them to good use.
How do you know your knife is sharp? You can cut up an onion without crying, and you can successfully cut up a ripe tomato without crushing it. All this stuff is very hands-on and practical.
July 13, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to take such a deep dive into something I knew so little about. The humor made the subject so much lighter and more assimilable... loved it! I had hoped that by the time I finished the book, I would be in "let me at it!" mode. However, I ended up a little confused. I think I needed just a little more guidance about which knife sharpening tools I need. Like a knife maintenance tool version of the "which knife to buy" chapter, which really laid things out very clearly. Anyway, it is fun and worthwhile reading.
July 30, 2020
Very interesting and informative book. My only complaint is that he gets very repetitive. He will describe certain parts in the knife sharpening section time and time again, but I will chalk that up to an ad nauseum approach to driving technique home, and hopefully not just reason to make the book just a few pages thicker.
August 25, 2020
It rare to read a book that imparts a lot of previously unknown information about an important but overlooked facet of life but more importantly changes your behavior. I have always appreciated knives (of all sorts) but Chad does a great job of covering the kitchen variety. Very readable and worthwhile.
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August 26, 20245/11 boo, but thanks for teaching me to keep my knives dull.
September 24, 2009
Chad Ward has written a very readable book on knives, and I was certainly interested in learning more on the topic. The tone is entertaining, the photos are nice, and the detail on sharpening knives is very good.
There's a lot of repetition in the book, which is probably helpful for using it as a reference book when you're only reading a chapter or two here and there, but read cover to cover I found myself skimming over bits that had previously been elaborated. The shocking! knife! myths! assume that the reader is incredibly naive - is there anyone left in the world who thinks that having 15 different kinds of mediocre knives is better than one good chef's knife?
The main lack, I felt, was in the chopping section. The color photographs in the middle of the book are pretty, but anyone who's ever stepped foot in a kitchen isn't going to actually learn much from it. I was hoping for information on how to effectively cut with Japanese style knives and elaboration on the difference between those and rocking motions of European knives, but it simply isn't in the book; readers interested in this will learn more watching Yan's 3 minute intro to vegetable chopping with Chinese cleavers (it's on the youtubes). I don't need to be told that throwing away all the rounded parts of the vegetables is going to make them easier to cut into cubes, thanks.
Still, I'm being very critical here because I had such high hopes. There's a lot of great information here and I did learn a lot - the section on metallurgy is short but good, and I would love to see it expanded in a future edition. For those who haven't bought knives yet, the section on what to buy for any budget looks like good advice and shows readers how to shop for the best they can get with what they can spend. Really, this is a good book, and there are a lot of people who would probably learn a bunch from it. Every person who ever thought it was a good idea to buy a knife at the grocery store/walmart/hardware stores/etc. should probably be forced at gunpoint to read it. Unfortunately, I can't imagine the target audience, people who know nothing about kitchen knives, going out and buying and reading a book on them.
There's a lot of repetition in the book, which is probably helpful for using it as a reference book when you're only reading a chapter or two here and there, but read cover to cover I found myself skimming over bits that had previously been elaborated. The shocking! knife! myths! assume that the reader is incredibly naive - is there anyone left in the world who thinks that having 15 different kinds of mediocre knives is better than one good chef's knife?
The main lack, I felt, was in the chopping section. The color photographs in the middle of the book are pretty, but anyone who's ever stepped foot in a kitchen isn't going to actually learn much from it. I was hoping for information on how to effectively cut with Japanese style knives and elaboration on the difference between those and rocking motions of European knives, but it simply isn't in the book; readers interested in this will learn more watching Yan's 3 minute intro to vegetable chopping with Chinese cleavers (it's on the youtubes). I don't need to be told that throwing away all the rounded parts of the vegetables is going to make them easier to cut into cubes, thanks.
Still, I'm being very critical here because I had such high hopes. There's a lot of great information here and I did learn a lot - the section on metallurgy is short but good, and I would love to see it expanded in a future edition. For those who haven't bought knives yet, the section on what to buy for any budget looks like good advice and shows readers how to shop for the best they can get with what they can spend. Really, this is a good book, and there are a lot of people who would probably learn a bunch from it. Every person who ever thought it was a good idea to buy a knife at the grocery store/walmart/hardware stores/etc. should probably be forced at gunpoint to read it. Unfortunately, I can't imagine the target audience, people who know nothing about kitchen knives, going out and buying and reading a book on them.
January 11, 2011
If you're interested in knives, I'd recommend purchasing this book. The book is roughly divided into thirds - purchasing knives, knife skills, and sharpening knives. All three sections were equally exhaustive, which is why I suggest purchasing the book: it would be hard to absorb all the details in one read-through. The first section on purchasing knives has information on what to look for in knives and where to find them. Ward asserts that traditional markers of quality in knives don't need to carry the same cachet today. For example, full tangs and forged knives are historically "higher quality," but with modern manufacturing methods, other types of knives might be just as good and cheaper. The second section provides "exercises" for using your knife. I wish this section had been longer and less recipe-focused. The final section, on sharpening, was just as exhaustive as the first section, and full of photos illustrating proper sharpening techniques. I found this section the most intimidating, but Ward does provide plenty of tips and shortcuts to demystify the various methods of sharpening.
March 18, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed reading An Edge in the Kitchen and have learned a lot that has helped improve my technique, feel more confident, improved the edge of my knives, the quality of food preparation and the balance of my bank account! Loved the playful but very informative and instructional content. Covers everything from metallurgy, choosing a knife, using it and sharpening it including the Pinch, Claw and a variety of cuts such as julienne and brunoise which I all use in my everyday cooking. Based on the guidance in Chad's book I've also invested in a ceramic honing rod and a Japanese-made Chinese cleaver which I love but wouldn't have known what I wanted or what to buy without this book.
January 20, 2013
This is an excellent resource for learning more about how to buy, use, and maintain knives and cutting boards. I had a fair amount of knowledge in this area already but I still learned a huge amount of immediately useful stuff from this read. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who spends a decent amount of time in the kitchen and wants to get the most out of their knives.
Unfortunately this book is marred by terrible typography and layout design, and it repeats some bits here and there verbatim from other parts of the book and from the author's popular knives post on EGullet. That said, it's worth putting up with the terribly justified text for the great, information-dense content.
Unfortunately this book is marred by terrible typography and layout design, and it repeats some bits here and there verbatim from other parts of the book and from the author's popular knives post on EGullet. That said, it's worth putting up with the terribly justified text for the great, information-dense content.
January 30, 2018
This was a fun read for me as I am a foodie and a "knife nerd", it dispelled some old myths such as full tang is the only knife you should have and it also confirmed much of what I already knew like good knives and glass cutting boards should never meet :)!
I like the humorous tone and the organized way the information is presented. Above all it will enable the consumer to make well informed knife, cutting board and storage purchasing decisions. I admit I skimmed over the knife sharpening chapters, I don't have the time or desire to sharpen my own knives and I have access to local knife sharpeners so I prefer to support their businesses and just use my knives for fun prep work.
I like the humorous tone and the organized way the information is presented. Above all it will enable the consumer to make well informed knife, cutting board and storage purchasing decisions. I admit I skimmed over the knife sharpening chapters, I don't have the time or desire to sharpen my own knives and I have access to local knife sharpeners so I prefer to support their businesses and just use my knives for fun prep work.
October 12, 2011
A very good book on knives, though repetitive in a few parts, it covered some history of dining culture, metallurgy, sharpening techniques and food preparation in a captivating way. Before the book was done I had pulled out my primary chef's knife for another sharpening and with Chad Ward's instructions made some distinct improvements on the first try.
The book could have benefited from slightly tighter editing around the main points, and perhaps the tone drifts towards that of an internet scold occasionally, but I found a lot of good information in it, in a well told form.
The book could have benefited from slightly tighter editing around the main points, and perhaps the tone drifts towards that of an internet scold occasionally, but I found a lot of good information in it, in a well told form.
June 18, 2015
I think anyone who cooks should read this book. The obsession with kitchen knives always leads to misinformation. What's good? What's bad? When price seems to be the only thing that makes sense between a good knife and a bad knife, then perhaps it's time to learn a thing or two before going out and just buying the most expensive one. Great book, informs the user, so they don't have to rely on marketing to purchase a knife.
January 4, 2014
Great overview of knives, knife use, and knife maintenance. Ward writes with flare that is easy to follow and enjoyable to read. He makes the topic of sharpening and upkeep approachable and non-intimidating, which is a difficult task in my mind. This will be an excellent reference book for years and years.
October 11, 2018
If you are new to kitchen knives or experienced in kitchen cutlery, read this book. I have found it to be very informative. Although there are some things suggested (ie, knife guides and some gadget techniques ) which I have found useless in my many years of knife sharpening skills, this book is still good as a reference manual.
August 23, 2020
Comprehensive!
Great and simple write up. It allowed me to learn almost all of the kitchen knives essentials. While online forums are also informative or even have wiki guides, many expect the reader is an expert, or not all the information you're looking for are in one place. This book has it all in one place and teaches you step by step.
Great and simple write up. It allowed me to learn almost all of the kitchen knives essentials. While online forums are also informative or even have wiki guides, many expect the reader is an expert, or not all the information you're looking for are in one place. This book has it all in one place and teaches you step by step.
January 13, 2024
Amazing book for mastery of kitchen knife use: what to buy, how to use it, how to keep it razor sharp. A must-read for dominion over your kitchen, everyone should read it.
The only thing missing was a summarized shortened list of steps for sharpening at the end. It got a little confusing on the kindle of how to go from A-Z. But it's all in there somewhere.
The only thing missing was a summarized shortened list of steps for sharpening at the end. It got a little confusing on the kindle of how to go from A-Z. But it's all in there somewhere.
September 9, 2009
If you're interested in kitchen knives I imagine this is the best book around to teach you about them. If you're not interested in the purchasing, care and maintenance of said knives I'd wager you would find this book epically useless.
December 29, 2010
Seems quite comprehensive and friendly. Lots on knife selection and use. Very thorough on sharpening--read the section on making a compound bevel, or the ones on sandpaper and leather hones. It is a little weak on steel composition though it goes deep enough to make you want more.
December 29, 2010
review Seems quite comprehensive and friendly. Lots on knife selection and use. Very thorough on sharpening--read the section on making a compound bevel, or the ones on sandpaper and leather hones. It is a little weak on steel composition though it goes deep enough to make you want more.
September 7, 2011
I found this book extremely enlightening and useful. A little repetitive at times, but overall, a delightful read and well worth the time. I've written a much longer review on my cooking site: Click here to read it.
December 5, 2012
The best resource I've found for understanding how to select, sharpen, and otherwise care for kitchen knives. I didn't think the middle section about kitchen knife skills (slicing, dicing, etc.) was as strong, but I also didn't need as much help in that area.
July 6, 2014
This is a great book to teach you everything you need to know about using kitchen knives. Lots to know-some of which I did not-about safety. Facts about the types of steel to choose from. Blade shapes. Handle materials. this book is a big help for anyone it the kitchen.
January 19, 2009
awesome
January 2, 2009
Skimmed some, read some and I was very impressed by all of it.
March 29, 2009
An excellent reference for kitchen knives.
Which reminds me, I really should get my knife sharpened.
Which reminds me, I really should get my knife sharpened.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews