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Even if you have a beautiful gourmet kitchen with top-quality appliances and cookware, your meals will be lacking without the right kind of kitchen knives. A good kitchen knife should be sharp right out of the box, with a deep, stable handle for support. Experts recommend buying kitchen knives made with high-carbon stainless steel because they are easy to care for, yet they are also tough, won’t rust and provide good edge retention.
Experienced chefs usually have an 8-inch chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife at the bare minimum, plus a sharpening steel to keep the edges crisp. This is an excellent place to start if you’re building your collection.
Instead of buying a complete set of a cutlery brand you’re not familiar with, you might start with one or two knives and go from there.
Paudin is an emerging brand of gourmet kitchen knives that you might consider. Their blades are made from Japanese or German high-carbon stainless steel, protecting them from moisture and food residue. Fans of these knives appreciate their elegant design, ergonomic handles and smooth slicing and dicing efficiency. These knives are sold exclusively online, which keeps the prices down for consumers.
Paudin knives can be purchased individually or in sets. You can order a knife block from this company to store your cutlery, or keep knives safe inside cloth bags in your kitchen drawers. Be sure drawers have child locks if you have curious little ones or pets.
Our sister site Don’t Waste Your Money has a team of experts that spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing and researching products to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Here are their top picks for Paudin knives.
PAUDIN 3.5-inch Carbon Kitchen Paring Knife
The Paudin 3.5-inch Carbon Kitchen Paring Knife has a beautiful, waved pattern and a razor-sharp blade for mincing, slicing and dicing food. This exceptional knife provides ultimate precision for kitchen work, and you can also use it for cutting larger pieces of food if need be. Note that this is a smaller knife, so you may want to purchase larger ones as part of your set eventually — or start here if you’re replacing an old set of knives.
PAUDIN Pro Kitchen 8-inch N1 Chef’s Knife
Need something a bit bigger? The Paudin Pro Kitchen 8-inch N1 Chef’s Knife is lightweight and features an anti-slip handle and sharp blade that efficiently cuts up hard and soft food. Its longer length makes it versatile for a variety of jobs in the kitchen as well. Before buying, you should know that this knife’s stopper may be a bit small, which can make the knife slip if you are not careful.
PAUDIN Professional 8-inch Damascus Chef’s Knife
The PAUDIN Professional 8-inch Damascus Chef’s Knife is made from hand-forged premium VG10 high carbon steel in the center, soft stainless steel and HRC59 steel. It is super sharp, rust-resistant and has a glass fiber handle that provides a streamlined, comfortable shape. Like other Paudin knives, this style is only sold online and must be hand-washed after each use.
Paudin Damascus Nakiri Knife 7 Inch
The Paudin Damascus Nakiri 7-inch knife is made of Japanese VG10 stainless steel that boasts a hardness of 60+. This level of hardness is ideal, as it will allow for blade edge retention over the life of the cutlery. The knife’s handle is sturdy while also being lightweight. Thanks to this high-end combination, food preparation is easier on chefs’ hands and wrists. Be sure to hand-wash your knife to keep it in the best shape over time.
How To Care For Paudin Knives
Paudin knives are relatively inexpensive compared to cutlery from other brands, but they are not a low-end product. You can buy a whole sets for around $160 or $250, depending on the size. These sets include both knives and storage blocks.
Remember, since Paudin makes its blades from high-carbon stainless steel, they should not be tossed in the dishwasher. Instead, they should be hand-washed and dried every time you use them. Otherwise, they will not last as long. Be sure to keep your Paudin knives sharpened for best results, and be careful when you use them. Razor-sharp edges cut through food like butter, but they can also cut through your skin.
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