Ceramic Knives - Can We Convert You?

Ever watch 'KCTS Cook's' some weekend when it was pouring rain and there was nothing else on tv? In other states it's 'PBS Cook's' - usually an all-day telethon fundraiser where the Public Broadcasting System would bring in local chefs to prepare fabulous recipes from our favorite local dining establishments. Before The Food Network, PBS was the only place I could watch an entire afternoon of cooking shows and be mesmerized at how quickly and fluidly they chopped veggies and herbs. Or learn what the difference was between sauteing and braising. It's where I fell in love with cooking and a cutie-pie chef named Ming Tsai. He and Kathy Casey were my favorite! But what I loved the most, and still listen for today, was the sound of the knives on the cutting boards as they chopped their way through the ingredients.

Well now that I'm in the "cooking industry" I have learned a lot more about the real lives of chefs and the tools they use - even those knives that make the magical sounds as they are slicing against the cutting board. I found out that it's a new phenomenon (well, new to me) called Ceramic Knives. Ever heard of them? Ever wondered why some people rave about them? Well, I did so I did some research and tested them out and now I'm a true believer... here's why.

Advanced Ceramic, which is what the Kyocera knife blades are made of, are second only to diamonds in hardness! Remember the old movies where they'd scratch a mirror with a diamond to see if it was real or not? Well, these blades are almost as hard which means they will last a very long time, a lot longer than your typical stainless knife. Not only are they strong but they stay sharp at least 10 times longer than any other knife! This may sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo to most of us ladies, but when the men in my life, 2 of which are Boeing Engineers, heard this, they were really excited to test the knives themselves. Quite impressive to me to see 2 engineers get excited about a cooking tool! HA!

I bought a set for my Mother-in-Law to try out and she is now a believer! She is a phenomenal cook, in fact I've learned a lot of recipes from her over the years, so I wanted to get her a set of really good knives. She is a changed woman, in fact this is what she told me just this morning: "The (ceramic) knife you got me is great, I never use any of the other knives anymore!"

I love mine so much and preached the love of the ceramic so often lately, that I now have orders from my entire family! My uncle wants a Chef's Knife, my Dad is getting a set: Santoku, Chefs and Paring and I'm even buying them as a wedding gift for a family member.

So, have I convinced you yet? What if I tell you that Kyocera is solely used by Ming Tsai of "East Meets West" fame (swoon)? Or that Kyocera will fix or replace a knife that ever breaks? Or that they offer free sharpening for the lifetime of the knife? And for us ladies, they offer a very affordable line called "Revolution" that comes in all of our favorite colors! Of course I had to have the green!

Try out a ceramic knife and see for yourself. I bet you'll convert and love the magical sound of the ceramic blade cutting on your cutting board just like I did!