The Japanese Knife Brand That's A Favorite Of Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern has spent his life in the kitchen, whether it's his own or someone else's. His dedication to food and food media has earned him several recognitions, including the Emmy and James Beard Awards. Some of his most prominent content focused on travel. A world-traveling chef must know a thing or two about cooking utensils, and he has some recommendations for knives that belong in your kitchen.

"My go-to knives come from Shun," Zimmern wrote in a blog post on his website. "I have an embarrassing amount of them, but for your average person, I think a good chef's knife, paring knife, kitchen shears, and a serrated knife can do just about any job."

Shun is an award-winning cutlery brand dedicated to premier Japanese knife craftsmanship. Other celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay appreciate this brand for its quality, producing blades that are lightweight and durable for all sorts of cooking applications (via The Kitchn). Shun adheres to the traditional way of metalsmithing derived from sword forging in the samurai age, and each of its knives go through a "100 handcrafted step" process.

There are two camps of Japanese knives: "traditional-style" single-bevel blades and "Western-style" double-bevel blades. Shun manufactures both, though Andrew Zimmern's recommendations fall into the double-bevel category. For all-purpose applications, he opts for the Shun Premier Blonde 8-inch Chef's Knife or Shun Cutlery Premier Grey Santoku Knife 7-inch. These kinds of chef-approved knives are worth the splurge because of how versatile and beginner-friendly they are.

Some cleavers may seem a bit intimidating to use, but the ones in Zimmern's kitchen don't fit that profile. The Shun Classic 6.5-inch Nakiri Knife and Shun Classic 7-inch Cleaver have big applications and smaller sizes. The nakiri is a friend to those who cook with a lot of fruits and vegetables for its compactness and ability to peel, slice, mince, and shred. A chuka bocho is suited for larger and tougher fruits and veggies while also being a great choice for breaking down meat and seafood.

The right knife can elevate your dish to new heights, but knives like these can be pretty expensive. Don't worry about buying a whole suite of fancy knives, rather, consider what works best for the meals you love to make. If you're ready to study the blade, take care of it by using a honing steel like Shun's Cutlery Classic 9-inch Combination Honing Steel to realign the shape or whetstone to sharpen the edges.