Qué cuchillo comprar:
Consejos sobre qué considerar cuando se compra un cuchillo

Los cuchillos de hoja forjada están hechos de una sola pieza de metal, por lo que hay una transición sin interrupciones desde la hoja hasta el mango con una sección abultada, llamada virola. Los cuchillos estampados se cortan de una lámina de acero y el mango del cuchillo se acopla por separado. Tanto los cuchillos estampados como los forjados tienen sus propias ventajas únicas, entonces es prácticamente un asunto de preferencia personal.

La hoja forjada de un cuchillo Victorinox contiene más carbono, lo que hace que el acero sea más duro y ayuda a que la hoja permanezca afilada por más tiempo. Dado que se forja de una sola pieza, es más difícil que tu mano se deslice desde el mango a la hoja. Además, los cuchillos forjados suelen ser más pesados, lo que les da equilibrio y peso excelentes en la mano. Y un bello estilo expresa su excelente calidad. Un buen cuchillo para chef forjado es prestigioso, inspirador. Refleja la alegría que sienten las personas que aman cocinar con las herramientas indicadas.

Las hojas forjadas pueden mantenerse afiladas por más tiempo, pero también son más difíciles de afilar, pues deben afilarse con una herramienta de esmerilado de diamante o cerámica. Esto se debe a que la herramienta tiene que ser más dura que la hoja que esmerila.

Nuestra innovadora hoja estampada es más ligera que una forjada. Lo cual hace que sea más fácil trabajar con estos tipos de cuchillos durante períodos más prolongados. Son amables con las muñecas y manos, por lo que no es sorpresa que los chefs profesionales los amen. Y porque el acero tiene un nivel de dureza levemente inferior, son fáciles de volver a afilar. Cuando se consideran los años de trabajo diario en una cocina, estas hojas ofrecen el mejor valor por su dinero.

At Victorinox, we offer a choice of handles on our kitchen knives and utensils. Broadly speaking, the basic choice comes down to synthetic or wood. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?

Knives with synthetic handles are dishwasher safe, making them easy to clean. They also tend to be lighter, so they’re easier to use over longer periods of time. We offer a variety of synthetic handles – from the joyful colors of the Swiss Modern collection made from Polypropylen Copolymere (PPC), to the Swiss Classic collection with its highly durable handles made of Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE). Our Grand Maître collection now comes with Polyoxymethylen (POM) handles that feel extra-smooth.

Wood-handled knives should never go in the dishwasher; the heat and chemicals cause the wood to get too hot, dry out or even crack. But a wooden handle has a warm, natural grip that feels good in your hand, so it’s worth washing the knife manually and using a conventional cooking oil like linseed oil to keep it refreshed and looking like new. For fans of forged knives, we offer the superb Grand Maître knives with modified maple handles. The Wood Collection also has handles in modified maple for stamped knives. The Swiss Modern collection provides it all: walnut handles with both an ergonomic handle and an eye-catching modern design.

There is one caveat: as knife experts, we don’t really recommend putting your knives in the dishwasher, at least not the larger ones. See our tips on how to clean your knife for more information on this topic.

In the end, your choice of handle material boils down to what feels best in your hand.

Simply put, there is no right or wrong answer here. Your choice should again be the one that’s the most comfortable for you to hold. So whether it’s the refined feel of the Grand Maître knives, the durable comfort of the Swiss Classic collection or the ergonomic design look and feel of Swiss Modern, we recommend you go to the nearest Victorinox store and try out each knife before making your decision. We always test a variety of curves and contours that fit all different kinds of hands. So big or small, fine or strong, there’s something for everyone.

Confused as to why we offer two types of steak knives? The answer is simple: the straight edge is designed to cut smoothly and cleanly through the meat, without tearing or ripping. This is the blade preferred by meat connoisseurs and is ideal for perfectly tender meat. The wavy edge blades are ideal if you need to cut through meat that might be tougher. This particular edge also makes the knife a great all-rounder – it’s ideal for cutting pizza, pies or pastries, too.

You might also ask yourself the same question for our Santoku knives. Why offer the same knife with both a fluted edge and a straight edge? We prefer the fluted edge because the flutes let air between food and blade, making what you’re cutting less likely to stick to the blade. Which makes chopping smoother, faster and more efficient. And then there are some cooks who love the straighter Japanese shape of the Santoku blade, but find the flutes don’t make a difference for their own particular style of chopping or slicing.

If you are a heavy user of your knives and need to sharpen them a lot, the straight edge would be a better choice. If you sharpen so much that you get down to the flutes of the fluted edge blade, it will eventually interfere with your slicing edge. But this will probably only happen to professional chefs using the blade over a number of years.

Overall, we tend to recommend the fluted edge. We also have carving knives with a fluted edge because it makes the meat less likely to stick to the blade.

We often offer the same blade in different lengths – so which should you choose? Our filleting knife comes in both 16 and 20cm versions. The rule of thumb is that the blade should be approximately 5cm bigger than the fish you are filleting. It’s a bit more complex for our carving knives, because we provide anything from 15 to 25cm blade-length. Smaller blades will give you versatility and agility, but if you’re going to be slicing larger items like watermelon or pumpkins, then the bigger the blade the better. Having the necessary length ensures less risk of slipping or getting stuck, and less risk of injury.

Our carving knives also come in two widths – normal or extra-wide. The extra-wide is ideal if you are carving large joints of meat like roast beef or turkey, because it lends the blade more precision and power for smoother slices.

Our pro tip: you should also match the blade length to that of your cutting board. If you use one that’s too small, it’s harder to cut through large fruit, vegetables, meat or even bread in one slice. That’s not only more work: you may also risk injuring yourself.