Did you get the roast cut using the knife you used? If so, then tell who ever is chastising you to leave you alone or have them cut it for you. Ridiculous. You deserve to be treated with respect.

My suggestion: get a sharpener and keep all your knives sharp. It makes cutting anything so much easier no matter which knife you use.

Yes: sharp knives are much safer to use.

I managed to get the enrire roast cut into ”stew chunks.” I cut it across the grain into 1.5” strips strips Then I cut the strips every 1.5 inch.

For a couple tough bits I had to tear it apart with my bare hands - like a cave woman! 😊 (I was wearing disposable gloves.)

a 'real' cave woman would have used her teeth ... lol

So true. I’m old, but I have strong teeth. I may try that idea for the shock factor the next time I have trouble cutting or trimming raw beef.

HeeHee!

I would have used the same knife. It is the right size and weight for the job. Sharp is better. Toss out the critic in the kitchen though.

I would have used whatever knife I felt like that day, as long as it was sharp. Usually it's my midsize multipurpose that I got from Ikea (yes, really), but sometimes it's my Zwilling boning knife. On occasion I use my longer Zwilling knife, if I need longer cuts. They're all sharpened after every cleaning. Curses to anyone who chose to criticize such an unimportant thing, and I'd bar them from my kitchen.

How was the stew?

Isn't the word for those who sit on the sidelines and criticize 'kibbitzer'?

Definitely get a good knife sharpener ☺

My chef's knife gets used more than any other, except my favorite paring knife. You like it, you use it and send the critic to another room.

I have an OXO electric sharpener that I dearly love. It handles all my knives, and once sharpened I can just hone the knife and keep it sharp. It's a bit noisy, but then, so am I!

You use the knife you are comfortable using. No real reason not to use your 8" chef if that is the tool you are familiar with. I tend to use santoku knives for most of my kitchen work. I also use a bunch of other blades depending on what I'm doing. I would never criticize someone for using whatever tool is comfortable.

But yeah, get your blades sharpened. Or sharpen yourself. A dull blade can be ineffective at best, and dangerous at worst.

Amen to whatever knife you use...keep it sharp. I buy Stew Meat from Chuck for

stew and Veggie soup...it comes cut up in pieces...but a bit larger than I want, so

I recut them to size with my Seratated knife. Actually, I grab that knife for lots

of things. Love the easy 'sawing motion' and clean cuts. I like the longer blade, too.

Works great for slicing turkey, etc., too.

I cut up short ribs of beef for stew. Not as tough and fatty as what they sell as stew meat and usually the same price.

We do not call those who criticize from the sidelines "kibbizers" but I can't use that language here.

Sweetbetsy, hahaha yes!

I would have handed the knife to whomever was chastising you and say "here you go, have at it."

Ditto sephia. "Thanks for volunteering. Here, you do it."

Who has a knife sharpener to recommend? I see a Chef's Choice electric gizmo with diamond sharpeners for $138. Rave reviews...but $138 for the reluctant cook? I don't want ceramic type sharpening wheels. I'm no good with a sharpening rod either. Whatcha got for me?

I agree with use whatever knife you are comfortable with and does the job for you. Why would anyone else care which knife you use? Sounds like someone has too much time on their hands. Or maybe they were just trying to tease you?

Rusty

I have one like this I got from Aldi. My favorite chef's knife came from Aldi as well, and this keeps it and my other knives nice and sharp. I use my chef's knife for most tasks - cutting raw meats too.

I've had both for years now, and they're holding up quite well.

I have the Chef's Choice knife sharpener but I'm sure I didn't pay close to that much for it. My model is years old.

It really does work, but to get it out, sit down, protect my table top or counter from the black dust that forms, sharpen all my knives - takes more than an hour. I've procrastinated and am overdue.

Yesterday I diced raw chicken thighs to brown for soup using the last sharp knife (other than my tomato knife) in my knife drawer. A santoku that DH knows to leave alone. He doesn't use the tomato knife because he doesn't understand it with its serrated edge and forked tip ;)

I found myself looking at sale knives online...I really must sharpen what I have.

Best sharpening of all? Take them to the saw shop and pay to have them professionally sharpened. Inconvenient to have them gone, but they are lovely and efficient when returned.

I have one of these

and it cost about $40. I previous had a different brand that looked very similar, at about the same price, and worked very well.....I gave it to my sister because they didn't have one, and I hated helping in the kitchen at their house. I use it after I clean my knives, every time, so they're always freshly sharpened when I remove them from block.

Well, I would of ripped out my sharpening steel, stropped it a few times, and then flipped the handle from cutting to stabbing. No matter what knife it was. Then said, you have a problem?

Good one, sweetbetsy!!!👍🏻

I used to store my knives in a wooden knife block but inserted them sharp side up so as not to keep dragging the sharpened edge on the wood. Some knife blocks store knives sideways...better idea.

I now use a magnetized strip on the wall.

Who ever told you that you should not use it does not understand what a "chef's" knife is and lacks the sense god gave a goose. I have the more expensive sharpener but it is such a hassle to get out then find a place to put it where it is comfortable to draw the blade through that I look at it. Say to myself "it can wait" then use a hand held sharpener similar to what is shown above but costs perhaps $15 from BB&B. While it could be placed on the counter I hold the knife in one hand and draw it over the blade. It is a little coarse so knife blades become smaller over time than the higher priced ones.

“Some knife blocks store knives sideways...better idea.”

Elizabeth, my block stores them sidways except for the steak knives. I store them with the sharp side up to keep space between the blades and wood. It‘s worked nicely for a long time.

I use Japanese forged knives that have a 15° angle, as opposed to the 20° angle of German knives. They are extremely sharp and therefore more dangerous than dull knives - I know from having cut myself with them. You can easily get a very deep cut from an extremely sharp knife.

I use whet stones to sharpen my knives, which is a bit time consuming but gives better results.

Gosh - my little sharpener wasn't even $10, IIRC.

I have several whetstones and know how to use them, but haven't in a very long while.

I looked long for a knife block that I liked and didn't store knives vertically against the wood. I ended up with a curved magnetic block, so the sizes aren't restricted by the size of any slot.

I too keep my Asian style knives at 15° sharp and use them constantly. However, I do not let my grandchildren use them. As much as they like to cook and do so at home, no-one has taught the any knife skills. They do not hold the uncut foods properly to avoid an accident mis-step with a knife. One girl wears something like a chain-mail glove for protection. I saw one grandchild trying to cut a large raw carrot with a steak knife because "big knives are dangerous" OY!

So I am left wondering what knife you were supposed to use?

I do tend to use my 8" chef for most major raw meat cutting. I have a Sabatier-not one of the cheapo Sabatiers but one of the high end ones . Its a brand used by multiple not necessarily equal companies. I have other lengths but seldom use them. I hone with one of those sharpener like above but sharpen with stones.

Don't the sharpeners with the white ceramic parts need those parts replaced often?

Thanks for the information about the rigamarole of using the electric type I mentioned. I wouldn't be doing that either! I'm not able to go looking, so if anyone has a good idea of something I could just order from Amazon...please point me to it. Thank you.

chisue...This Steel is very easy to use. Or This....it is not electric....3 step knife sharpener.

" Don't the sharpeners with the white ceramic parts need those parts replaced often? "

I'm sure they need replacing eventually, but I don't know if it qualifies as "often".......I've had mine for 2 or 3 years, and it still sharpens well. I guess it depends on whether you are a home cook for 2, or a caterer using it all day, every day.

For a while, I tried using a sharpening steel, because I figured it was more authentic and would do a better job - but getting the correct angle was a pain in the patoot, so I'd rather do 80% as good a job every time, than miss the angle and do a lousy job more than half the time. If you had both European and Japanese knives, which have different angled edges, then a steel makes more sense.

What I sharpen with depends. I have a honing steel that I use sometimes on most of my blades. I have a spring jaw coarse sharpener and a two grit ceramic pocket sharpener that I use if I feel I need a quick brush up of a couple wider angle blades. I also use a stone set on all my blades when I feel they need a good sharpening. Except serrated blades, I don't try sharpening those, lol.

I store my blades in a drawer. They all have their own guards or sheaths for storage. And I have the drawer lined with non-slip mat so they don't get jumbled around. Blade equipment lives in the drawer next to it.

I’d have used the chef’s knife too, after giving it a touch up with the steel. I can’t stand dull knives.

One thing I really don’t understand is the popularity of steak knives. Unless the diner has some kind of issue with his/her hand strength, if a steak can’t be easily cut with a regular table knife, it’s too tough to eat IMO.

nicole -- Many thanks. I've ordered the non-electric. For $10, who wouldn't give it a try? You are a *peach*!