The best value chef’s knife is not the cheapest chefs knife that you’ll need to replace within a year or two. In my opinion, to call something good value should mean it costs what it’s worth and that it is of sufficient quality to justify the price.
Quickfire Summary: If you just want to know what the best value chefs knife is and skip the rest, the answer is the Regalia Chef’s Knife. It’s an amazing piece of equipment and one of the best knives I’ve ever used.
If you want to know more exactly why I recommend this knife before you dive in and spend your hard-earned money on it, then the rest of this page will clarify that.
Regalia: the Best Value Chef’s Knife
The Regalia knife I recommend is an 8-inch thing of beauty, constructed with Damascus Steel. This chef’s knife belongs to the company’s Emperor range; a collection of high-end knives at affordable prices.
What sets the Emperor collection of knives apart is that each knife takes a full 60 days to construct. Furthermore, the steel is rated a whopping 62+ on the Rockwell Hardness scale. If you don’t know what that means, anything over 60 is considered premium territory and points to professional-grade blades.
Aside from being aesthetically a thing of beauty, this blade’s unique patterned design enhances the functionality of the knife. It reduces suction and minimizes drag, which means that food doesn’t stick to the blade when chopping. This is often a big problem in my kitchen, especially when slicing garlic.
The blade comes in at 8 inches long, but the total combined length is 13.25 inches when you factor in the handle. About the handle: it is of professional quality. Composed of garolite, a composite material, it is extremely hard and durable while also being very ‘grippy’.
The blade itself is full-tang, which means that it extends the length of the handle aswell. What this provides to it in practice is much better balance. Without the tang, there is only the handle to counteract the weight of the blade. In summary, this chef’s knife allows for the maximum force, balance, and leverage when cutting, slicing, and dicing.
Out of the box, the Regalia knife is razor-sharp. It’ll slice through pretty much any foodstuff with a minimum of fuss. A whopping 66 layers of steel cladding offer excellent protection against the elements. Don’t expect any rush or corrosion from this knife no matter how long you have it.
All the characteristics I mentioned so far discuss things like construction, sharpness, durability, and design. However, for something to be good value, it just have a price that justifies the investment in it.
At the time of writing, you can buy this kitchen essential for only $109.97. The 97 cents in the price is a bit weird but that’s not the point. The point is that this is incredible value!
Even at double this, which seems to be the standard price, I would still by far and away recommend the Regalia model as my pick for the best value chef’s knife. I have seen inferior knives available for well over $300.
An important point to make specifically in relation to cooking Thai food is that sharp blades are an absolute must. I can’t remember if I spoke about this on my main cookware hub page, but even if I did, it’s worth repeating.
I have travelled all across Thailand and observed hundreds of street vendors. I’ve never seen one of them use a blunt, ineffective knife. That’s why I’m so stoked about this Regalia Emperor blade.
Chef’s Knife Uses
In case you didn’t know or wanted a reminder, the following are some of the main uses for chef’s knives like this Regalia one:
- Mincing
- Dicing
- Chopping vegetables
- Crushing
- Disjointing large cuts of meat
It’s best to think of a chef’s knife as an essential kitchen all-rounder. In fact, if you were to only ever buy one type of knife for your kitchen, the chef’s knife is the one to get.
Conclusion
In summary, this Regalia blade’s sharpness, beautiful design, durability, and price all combine to make it the best value chef’s knife money can buy. To take your value even further, Regalia have been kind enough to offer readers 10% off their first purchase. Just click this link to get your discount.