I’ve mentioned before that people send me free stuff — samples of food, items like butter bells, cookbooks. For the first time, I got something I was truly curious about: ceramic knives. I know about good knives — I wrote about how to choose them for USA Weekend — you can see the article here; the tips are still timely and helpful. But I’ve always been a steel girl and wondered what — aside from how pretty they are — was the appeal of a knife that could break if you drop it and can’t stand up to a really tough skinned vegetable (think winter squash)?
Then The Edge of Belgravia gave me the chance to test out their latest product, a series of five knives (paring, slicer, chef, santoku and utility, ranging in price from $54 to $93 each) made with zirconium oxide ceramic blades sintered at 1400°C. The maker says this creates a blade “almost as durable as a diamond”. It’s supposed to stay sharp for years, without sharpening — indeed, you aren’t supposed to use sharpening devices made for steel blades. Despite all this greatness, the manufacturer still suggests not dropping it (like that won’t happen in my kitchen; good thing I don’t have stone floors yet), or using it on bones, frozen food, or really hard vegetables. Other experts note you should always use a cutting board — and not a glass one — when using ceramic knives.
So how did it work? Splendid. I must say I’m not a huge fan of hard plastic handles. I like to know the tang goes all the way through the knife. And it was strange slicing a cucumber and an avocado — there is more resistance in the ceramic blade than with a steel one. The latter feels slippery in comparison. But I liked that. I felt I had more control.
They are attractive and not prohibitively expensive. They may not be the kind of knives that are handed down from generation to generation like a really good steel blade, but it would make a great graduation or wedding gift for someone.
What do you think of ceramic knives? If you’ve used them, do you find them superior for some tasks but still rely on steel for others?
