Many people are in the dark about what constitutes the best kitchen knife, and as a result end up buying something that is really not suitable or something that is more generic and poorly built from a supermarket or other discount store. Whilst it is not a specific science - selecting a good kitchen knife - it does have a few points to bear in mind whilst you are researching your next kitchen purchase.
The first thing to consider is the fitness for purpose of the kitchen knife you are trying to find or looking to buy is whether or not it will meet your needs? There is no point buying a meat cleaver if you spend most of your time barelling vegetables, and conversely, there is no point buying a paring knife if you enjoy slicing up potatoes to make gratin or daupanause. Remember that if you are spending a good bit of money on this purchase, the best kitchen knives will last for years to come - so in a way, once you have bought your knife, you are kind of stuck with it!
Whilst many of us will be drawn towards the cheaper price tags of some of the poorer quality kitchen knives, this is very definitely a mistake to be aware of. I have personally used a set of “el cheapo” kitchen knives and have nearly cut a finger off because they flex so much when you try and put any significant amount of pressure on them. Also, I have been in situations where I have seen cheap kitchen knives snap off at the tip of the blade. You would probably be okay to take this back to the store, but it is better not to risk losing a finger, because they can’t be replaced too easily.
It is possible to spend up to USD $200 just for one kitchen knife. Personally, I have never done this and do not imagine I ever well, so it is hard to comment as to whether or not these are worth the money. My instinct is that whilst they will be very, very capable and some of the best kitchen knives in the world, they are not sufficiently better than other high end but more affordable knives.
If you go into any cookware shop and look at their kitchen knife selections, you will see they have some comparatively well priced Hanckel and Wusthorf knives. They will also have some more affordable Kitchen Devil knives tucked away - but probably not in the display cabinet. In the glass display cabinet there will also be some Japanese imported knives that you have never heard of, and with a price tag so astronomical it makes your stomach turn. Well, the good news is that you do not need any - or even one - of these knives to do a good job in the kitchen.
You can pick up a set of three Global or Henckel knives for the same price as one of these more expensive, rare chef’s knives. So don’t get too worried about the price discrepancy - these are the Ferraris of the kitchen knife world
Remember - it doesn’t matter that you are not looking at the most expensive knife on the shelf, but at the same time keep any eye out for those knife sets that try and sell you 18 blades for $20 - they are cheap and nasty, and are really not worth the money because you will be replacing them soon enough.
Good luck in your search, and remember that the shops don’t often have the best price - it is worth taking a look at Amazon US or Amazon UK before jumping in.