1. Where are Chef'sChoice® 10X® knives manufactured?Chef'sChoice knives are manufactured by EdgeCraft in the United States. This is one of the factors that makes this cutlery unique. Until recently, virtually all quality forged knives were imported from manufacturers in Germany, France, Italy, and Brazil.
2. Is Chef'sChoice cutlery fully forged?
Yes. Some well-known high-end imported brands weld stamped knife parts (i.e., blade, bolster, and tang) together, which produce an inferior quality knife. Properly forged knives take a sharper longer-lasting edge than stamped knives and are more durable and better balanced than stamped knives. Chef'sChoice cutlery is fully forged from a single bar of ultra-high carbon stainless metal alloy -- the strongest knife construction. Chef'sChoice cutlery is manufactured with molded-on handles, which allows each type of knife (chef's, boning, paring, etc.) to be optimally balanced for its particular function.
3. Why is Chef'sChoice cutlery a significant breakthrough?
The ability of Chef'sChoice knives to retain a sharp edge up to ten times longer (hence the "10X") than any European and domestic brands addresses one of the chief frustrations of the knife user -- the need to frequently interrupt the cutting process to resharpen a dull knife. Another significant achievement is that Chef'sChoice knives are two- to three-times sharper (at time of sale) than competitive Solingen (European) and domestic brands. A sharper knife is a safer knife and is certainly more effective and more pleasurable to use. We at EdgeCraft believe that these technological improvements represent the most important advance in gourmet cutlery in over 300 years.
4. Why is Chef'sChoice cutlery the most important advance in 300 years?
Three hundred years ago the technology to produce the type of knives generally considered standard kitchen cutlery was developed in Europe. The most significant advance since then was the introduction of stainless steel. Until the introduction of Chef'sChoice cutlery, there were only modest improvements to gourmet cutlery. Chef'sChoice cutlery is made from a unique alloy: Trizor® steel. Trizor steel has 100 percent higher carbon content and up to ten times more of certain key elements than any other quality kitchen cutlery in the world. The result is a stronger and tougher steel that is more resilient. Only Trizor steel guarantees and ultra sharp edge that lasts up to ten times longer than any European or domestic cutlery brand.
5. How does the edge retention of Chef'sChoice cutlery compare with ceramic knives?
Tests performed in EdgeCraft's laboratories demonstrated that Chef'sChoice cutlery edges are more durable than ceramic knife edges, which are inherently brittle by nature and prone to fail by chipping. Unlike Chef'sChoice Trizor cutlery, ceramic knives cannot be sharpened by any available conventional methods.
6. Is it difficult to resharpen Chef'sChoice cutlery?
Absolutely not! The special stainless steel alloy used in Chef'sChoice cutlery was developed to meet a combination of performance specifications. This alloy is strong and tough so it starts out sharper and holds its sharpness longer, but it is also easy to sharpen using conventional methods (such as stones, sharpening steels, crock sticks) or any of the Chef'sChoice manual or electric knife sharpeners.
7. Do "never-need-sharpening" knives really stay sharp forever?
Most so-called "never-need-sharpening" knives are serrated. They are really saws. They can be useful for cutting some types of food (such as French bread) but are considered inferior for other cutting needs because they do not cut smoothly and precisely. "Never-need-sharpening" knives don't compare to fine gourmet cutlery. Serrated knives do dull. The teeth become misaligned and worn and produce ragged cuts. In fact, one of the questions asked most frequently during demonstrations of the Chef'sChoice Diamond Hone® knife sharpener is "Can the Chef'sChoice sharpener sharpen my never-need-sharpening knife?" The answer is yes! Chef'sChoice sharpeners (manual or electric) readily sharpen the tips of the saw teeth. Another type of so-called "never-need-sharpening" knife is made by spraying a metallic coating (such as tungsten carbide) onto one side of the edge of a stamped or forged blade. Tests show that this metal coating is very brittle and chips off during use -- after only a few weeks in a commercial kitchen (depending on how often the knife is used). The edge becomes jagged -- and cuts unevenly. Since resharpening such blades is not recommended by their manufacturers, the knife must be returned to the manufacturer for refurbishing.
8. What is the composition of the metal alloy used in Chef'sChoice cutlery?
The specific formula of the steel alloy used in Chef'sChoice cutlery is proprietary. However, it contains much higher levels of carbon and stainless alloys than the popular European or domestic brands. It is important to understand that the alloy itself is only part of the reason for the outstanding performance of Chef'sChoice knives. EdgeCraft research scientists have also developed special aerospace metallurgical processing and forging technologies that, with the alloy's unique composition, produce a knife of incredible strength, toughness and durability.
9. What is the advantage of a molded-on handle?
Other leading cutlery brands secure the knife handle with rivets or glue. This can leave sizable cracks and crevices where bacteria can propagate, contaminating food the knife touches. There is also greater potential for the handle to come off. The Chef'sChoice knife handle is formed by molding molten polymer over the full-length forged tang. This seals out areas where bacteria can grow. In addition, a molded-on handle will never come off. It is much more durable than a pre-molded handled shoved onto the tang. A molded-on handle also allows each knife to be balanced for its specific function by shaping the forging with more or less metal in the tang to balance the knife over the working fingers. The boning knife should be weighted toward the handle to give the user greater control as the tip of the knife can be hidden by the meat or poultry being de-boned. A chef's knife, on the other hand, is weighted toward the bolster of the blade. A molded-on handle can conform to differently shaped tangs.
10. Is Chef'sChoice cutlery dishwasher safe?
EdgeCraft recommends that Chef'sChoice knives be washed by hand in hot soapy water separately from other utensils and flatware. Dry each knife carefully and completely to avoid water spots and then return it to a safe storage place. Always dry blades from the handle toward the tip to minimize the possibility of injury. Quality stainless knives should not routinely be washed in the dishwasher. First, there's substantial opportunity for personal injury, especially when reaching in to remove knives at the end of the cleaning cycle. In addition, blades can be stained by deposits of minerals, foods, or iron, or by direct contact with silverware. Always place silver and silver plated flatware on a separate rack from stainless cutlery. The handles of Chef'sChoice knives are dishwasher proof, but shouldn't be placed on the lower rack near the heating coil.
11. What are the most frequently used gourmet knives?
Chefs generally agree there are four basic knives that can handle virtually any commercial kitchen cutting job. They are: (1) the chef's knife, (2) the six-inch boning knife or the six-inch utility knife, (3) the carver/slicer and (4) the 3.5-inch paring knife. EdgeCraft offers these and other popular sizes and will continue to expand the Chef'sChoice cutlery line as our customers' requirements grow.
12. Why are Chef'sChoice® knives expensive?
For a chef, cutlery is an essential tool used daily. Chef'sChoice cutlery owes its outstanding performance to a new and wholly unique alloy that is more expensive and much more costly to forge and process. Its manufacture depends on many more steps than conventional cutlery. It takes over 100 steps to produce a quality forged knife. EdgeCraft created this novel alloy and processing to optimize cutting comfort, edge durability and sharpness and to increase cutting control and pleasure. Each knife is handcrafted and fully forged. The price of Chef'sChoice knives includes the skilled labor and fine materials required to produce the world's best cutlery. Properly cared for, Chef'sChoice cutlery will deliver a lifetime of enjoyable use. In terms of value, we believe Chef'sChoice knives are the best anyone can buy.
13. How can I purchase Chef'sChoice Trizor 10X Cutlery?
Trizor 10X cutlery is available from leading department, cookware and specialty stores as well as mail order and online catalogs. For specific retailers, please call customer service at 800-342-3255. If you prefer to order Chef'sChoice products online, please see our list of online retailers.
