There is a common fallacy that a steak knife is, quite simply, a kitchen knife. This, however, could not be further from the truth. As a professional chef or even an avid steak lover, knowing your cutlery is a very crucial skill. The fundamental question here is, why not just pick up your run of the mill kitchen knife when it works just as well? Here’s your answer.

Why You Need a Quality Steak Knife

The trick behind a good steak isn’t just how well it’s prepared, it’s also about your ability to savor and enjoy every minute of it. Having the proper steak knife makes the cutting process substantially easier, allowing you to cut through even the toughest of steak with the least amount of force.

Let’s put this in perspective. Have you ever tried to cut through a piece of tough beef with a blunt kitchen knife? Chances are everyone in the restaurant saw the meat fly off your plate. This kind of experience probably ruined your entire evening.

As a professional chef, you want your customers to think you know what you’re doing. If you own a restaurant as well, you don’t want people whinging over the fact that they spend most of the time cutting the meat as opposed to enjoying it.

Top-rated steak knives make your customers feel appreciated. The fact that you take your time to ensure they have the best culinary experience shows the ultimate level of respect. The worst frame of mind people in the restaurant business have is that of “a knife is a knife”. It’s not, and the sooner you begin investing in quality steak knives the more people will appreciate your attention to detail.

In addition, you lose absolutely nothing by investing in the best steak knives. If anything, it works more to your advantage.  

How to Identify a Good Steak Knife

As mentioned earlier, a steak knife, a kitchen knife, and a chef’s knife all work on different levels. What is perfect for one kind of cutting job will be completely useless in another. Knowing how to differentiate each kind of knife will make all the difference, and it will your work that much easier.

The first consideration is that steak knives need to be made of tough steel. Your garden variety kitchen knife won’t last quite as long if you use it on hard plates, which is why stainless steel steak knives are preferable. Note that you should be very particular about steering clear of carbon knives. This is mainly because carbon-based knives stain rather quickly, and the constant abuse they take from banging on hard plates makes them blunt.

Another thing you should know is that ceramic knives are very difficult to sharpen, and when you add the fact that they break easily, then this is probably the worst compound you can think of to give people in your restaurant.

The weight of the steak knife is also a very crucial consideration. It shouldn’t be too heavy or too light. It should pretty much feel like an extension of your hand, so you can move it effortlessly across the plate with as little effort as possible.

Is a Good Steak Knife Set Necessary?

You may be thinking that having a decent set of steak knives is an expense that you may not be willing to incur. That’s fair, but what you need to keep in mind is that having a juicy, well-prepared steak is an experience. Every piece of cutlery serves to either accentuate the experience or ruin it altogether.

In restaurants especially, if your customers don’t get the feeling that you take pride in your work and that you respect them enough to detail your cutlery, they won’t take you seriously, regardless of how good the steak is. Unlike in the stone age, where you made do with what you had, you now deserve to enjoy your steak without spending 20 minutes trying to cut into it.

An assortment of top-rated steak knives, coupled with a good variety of accompaniments and beautifully laid out tableware, work together to set a mood. Keep in mind that this is not just a tip for upscale restaurants; even a decent home set of the best kitchen steak knives will make your family enjoy and appreciate this kind of attention to detail.

Bottom Line

Different people have different tastes, and what works for you may not necessarily work for the next person. So ultimately, finding the right steak knife depends solely on your personal preference. So get out there, look through our extensive list of upscale steak knives, hopefully, you will find a set that is to your liking.