Mercer Genesis Chef’s Knife Evaluation—The Solely Knife You Want

SHOP $42, amazon.com

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This is a tricky admission for me, however I’m, and all the time have been, an enormous Anthony Bourdain fan. It’s robust as a result of, I imply, white man who fancies himself an expert author, the one good traveler, and an above-average house prepare dinner—I’m a statistic, essentially the most annoying man you possibly can speak to. (I’ve even bought the Bourdain self-loathing down.)

My spouse, God bless her, has needed to put up with all of it. We’d journey to Paris, and he or she’d simply need to see the Eiffel Tower, eat with a view of the Arc de Triomphe, however I’d insist we go to some out-of-the-way arrondissement, sit in a restaurant and smoke for hours, then eat at some tiny Moroccan joint. She’s all the time humored it. Once early in our relationship, understanding I wish to prepare dinner and examine knives, she gave me a chef’s knife—I paid her again for it with a penny, as {custom} dictates (to stop unhealthy luck). It was the fallacious kind of knife. Everyone is aware of Bourdain advisable getting a Global G-2 in Kitchen Confidential, and he or she bought me a less expensive Mercer Genesis. I by no means informed her this—even after I was 21 and unbearable, I’ve all the time had manners—nevertheless it did silently eat away at me for a bit.

Seven years later, it seems that as with most issues, I used to be the fool, too connected to what some man stated in his guide. I by no means upgraded from this Mercer Genesis. (Want to finish a relationship? Buy your self one thing that replaces a present they bought you.) And I’m significantly better off for it. I’m not cooking professionally; any knife beneath $150 is functionally interchangeable. And having caught by this Mercer for occurring a decade, I doubt I’ll ever want to exchange it.

It’s Indestructible

What I’ve realized is that the very best factor a instrument will be is difficult to interrupt. I take into consideration this quite a bit with watches. “Tool watches” make up an enormous class of watches with problems which have some type of practical use and a give attention to being rugged sufficient for divers, pilots, racers, and so forth. In collector circles, although, it is the tourbillon and different watches made for the sake of watchmaking that fetch the very best worth, despite the fact that they’re the least practical. If you desire a cruder model of this pondering, the Automat Kalashnikov platform—which means weapons constructed on the AK-47 mannequin—is the most-used firearm of all time as a result of it is onerous to interrupt … plus just a few political decisions from the USSR. But this knife is the equal of a instrument watch or a Kalashnikov. A Mercer Genesis chef’s knife is affordable, rugged, and all the time there if you want it to be.

That means I can go away it soaking in water in a single day. Obviously I attempt not to do that, however typically you prepare dinner, go away the home, and cross out if you get again. It means I can keep away from sharpening it for weeks—as you possibly can see, it hadn’t been sharpened for some time earlier than this photograph shoot—however just a few passes on a whetstone and it is sharp sufficient to shave with. More than something, I’ve realized that is what I would like in a chef’s knife. It’s a instrument, and this one matches my life-style.

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It Teaches You What You Want from a Knife

Which leads me to some extent: It lets you consider what’s essential to you. For most individuals, cash is what’s essential. I may advocate that Global G-2 if you wish to flirt with Japanese knives or a classic Wüsthof for one thing sturdy and German. Both these knives have higher-quality metal and higher ergonomics than my Mercer, however they price $150 and $170, respectively. When Bourdain was writing about Global in 2000, that knife was recurrently beneath $100. In at present’s world, are both of these knives $100 higher than a Mercer? I do not assume so.

You additionally get to see what traits and touches are essential to you. This Mercer has taught me I’m much less curious about Japanese cutlery than I believed I used to be. I’m a brutish American house prepare dinner, and I desire a heavier Western-style knife. I’m going to make use of the facet of my knife to smash garlic and scrape anchovies for a Caesar dressing. When I’m breaking down a fowl, I’d reasonably have a knife with slightly give as a result of I’m popping by way of joints, not making exact cuts. If I labored in a restaurant or butcher store, I’d possibly need one thing completely different, however (that is the wonderful half) I do not.

The metal, a cryptically named x50CrMoV15, is a high-carbon German metal that Wüsthof additionally makes use of in its Classic line. It’s softer and fewer engaging than a laminated Japanese metal and, like I stated, loses an edge fairly fast. But it additionally will get one again rather more simply, and with a Western type, it is the very best knife in the marketplace for studying the best way to sharpen. Speaking of sharpening, it has a bolster, the chunky bit between the blade and deal with the place your index finger sits, that makes it slightly robust to sharpen all the way in which down. I do not adore it, however my spouse prefers that weight distribution for slicing greens. And the rubberized plastic grip, one thing I all the time seemed down on, really may be my favourite function. When I’m slicing and hand-shredding leftover fowl for a post-Thanksgiving gumbo, my fingers get dirty, however that silly plastic grip by no means slips out of my hand. This knife has taught me precisely what it’s that I would like.

SHOP $42, amazon.com

Cheap Knife, Better Life

Would I, a lover of knives, wish to personal a cooler chef’s knife? Sure. But I’d’t purchase some big-box knife set; I’d go discover a man to custom-make me a knife to my actual specs. Until I discover that man, I’ll make do with my dirt-cheap Mercer Genesis. And actually, my life is so significantly better for that. Instead of changing this knife, I’ve gotten a Dutch oven, a brand new skillet, a KitchenSupport stand mixer for my spouse. If I had an out of doors area to talk of, I’d go purchase an offset smoker to enrich my Weber. I’d get a brand new watch earlier than I changed this knife.

And actually, I feel that is what the Bourdain quote that used to carry a lot area in my thoughts was getting at. If a Global G-2 have been cheaper, I’d in all probability let you know to go purchase that. But I bought this knife after I was 21 and my spouse and I’d save up and smuggle alcohol into bars so we may eat out as soon as a month. More than any museum-worthy knife a man posts on Reddit, this Mercer Genesis has proven me what I take into account useful as a house prepare dinner: practicality.

SHOP $42, amazon.com

Photographs by Florence Sullivan