General Consensus-Electric knife or something like Victorinox?


 
T

Tim Mulvihill

TVWBB Fan
I was just wondering what's favored for cutting briskets/turkey/other?

I just got a Cuisinart electric knife because it was rated high on Amazon. I tried cutting the turkey yesterday and it did not cut very gracefully. It also got bits of turkey between the blades and got gummed up. I ended up using a regular kitchen knife.

So to those of you who have done many briskets/turkeys & whatever else, what do you use?
 
Tim Mulvihill said:
I was just wondering what's favored for cutting briskets/turkey/other?

I just got a Cuisinart electric knife because it was rated high on Amazon. I tried cutting the turkey yesterday and it did not cut very gracefully. It also got bits of turkey between the blades and got gummed up. I ended up using a regular kitchen knife.

So to those of you who have done many briskets/turkeys & whatever else, what do you use?
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I use a 6" boning knife for removing the breast and separating the limbs of a turkey, and digging the meat out of all the nooks and crannies. It's fine for slicing the breast, too.

I use a Wusthof Super Slicer for big cuts like briskets or clods. Kinda pricey, but I love the design. Don't get fooled into thinking that a high price equates to a great knife, though. I rely on Cooks Illustrated for knife reviews, and they've never steered me wrong. They don't always pick the most expensive piece of equipment they review, and they don't buy into the idea that only forged knives are worth owning. There are plenty of good knives out there for $20-30.

I suppose an electric knife may have some place if you're cooking really large cuts and have physical impairments that make it difficult to handle a regular knife. But I think if you're not impaired and you need an electric knife to cut a turkey breast or a brisket, you didn't cook it right. I like simple tools that are easy to clean up, so I tend to stay away from things like electric knives, specialized choppers, and gizmos and gadgets in general.

If I need electricity to cut something, I'll go out to the garage and grab the Sawzall. Thanks to the wisdom I've gathered on this forum, I've never needed it for anything that's come off my WSM's so far - knock on wood.
 
Sounds like the problems you had with the electric knife answered your question. Even if you are slicing a large amount of meat you can do so quickly and efficiently with decent and well sharpened knives once you become proficient. On the other hand, if you're cutting up a lot of timber, a chain saw will usually out perform an axe.:cool:
 
Tim Mulvihill said:
I was just wondering what's favored for cutting briskets/turkey/other?

I just got a Cuisinart electric knife because it was rated high on Amazon. I tried cutting the turkey yesterday and it did not cut very gracefully. It also got bits of turkey between the blades and got gummed up. I ended up using a regular kitchen knife.

So to those of you who have done many briskets/turkeys & whatever else, what do you use?
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Some related info is at this post.

For brisket a 10 inch+ Chef's knife, Carving or Slicing knife.

At a the lower price point Update International Carving Knife is a decent one.

More important is your sharpening and maintenance plan. A $200 Japanese Suji (Slicer) is about as good as a $20 kinife if it is not maintained.

Check out Chad Ward's online info and book.
 
I have a cheap($10) GE electric knife that would gather dust if not for it being in the drawer. A properly sharpened knife is best. I always take my whet stone to my carver before the holidays. Works like a charm!
 
Of the barbecue joints I frequent locally, folks behind the counter at two use electric knives, and at the third they use a slicing knife.
 
I think it depends on what your cutting and how long it has rested. Poultry is a b*tch to slice if it had not rested enough. Beef, even when its still hot cuts easier than foul.
 
I use a Cuisinart electric knife to slice brisket and it works great. I've used it for turkey also. Were you using the thin blades?
 
Phil Perrin said:
I have a cheap($10) GE electric knife that would gather dust if not for it being in the drawer. A properly sharpened knife is best. I always take my whet stone to my carver before the holidays. Works like a charm!
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Ditto what Phil said.
 
Both have their place. The electric shines when you have brisket. ribs that are over cooked. It will slice them without it coming apart because it uses a sawing motion. A sharp knife is always my first choice and I keep them sharp with a Edge Pro knife sharpener.
 
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I like to remove the turkey breast using a regular knife, then slicing it across the grain using an electric knife. It does a perfect job of cutting through that delicate skin without tearing and gives a perfect, clean slice every time. I also use the electric for brisket most of the time.

Regards,
Chris
 
I have a 14" Victorinox and I love it. Its actually my go to for slicing ribs. long straight pulls. very thin and sharp. also works very well on the meats it was intended for. Would buy another if I had to replace it
 
I've never liked electric knives, but I'm the type who gets good quality knives and keeps them sharp. Mostly German (Wustof and Henckels) but also a couple of Spyderco kitchen knives that I don't think they make anymore.

8-10" chefs knife, boning knife, and paring knife will get you a long way. I like the Spyderco sharpener a lot.
 
I've tried a electric knife once. The performance was way below my properly maintained Masahiro knives.
Cleaning the knife was cumbersome.
I also have a full set of Victorinoxes thanks to a father-in-law that imported the knives some years ago. It is impossible to get them as sharp as the Masahiros, but they are very nice and reliable knives.
To keep knives very sharp, you really have tho use a steel on them every time you use them.

For cutting a moose, a lamb or a pig in half along the back bone I use my Borsch "zawsall".
 
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Geir Widar said:
I've tried a electric knife once. The performance was way below my properly maintained Masahiro knives.
Cleaning the knife was cumbersome.
I also have a full set of Victorinoxes thanks to a father-in-law that imported the knives some years ago. It is impossible to get them as sharp as the Masahiros, but they are very nice and reliable knives.
To keep knives very sharp, you really have tho use a steel on them every time you use them.

For cutting a moose, a lamb or a pig in half along the back bone I use my Borsch "zawsall".
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I'm with the Geir and others who prefer a sharp blade to a power tool. I know, real knives are expensive and maintenance takes time, but there is simply no acceptable substitute.

I prefer Japanese steel over German, especially for my slicing knife. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of this one:

http://korin.com/Togiharu-Hammered-Texture-Damascus-Sujihiki?sc=27&category=280059

here she is, slicing one of the most tender pieces of meat I've ever had the pleasure of slicing (72 hr brisket)

IMG_7501.JPG
 
I use an electric knife for carving turkeys -- but only turkeys. So it gets used once a year. An electric knife on a turkey will not tear the skin off when carving. The brand name is Black and Decker, so yes it really is a power tool!

Everything else I use a standard steel knife. The quality of the steel when carving is inmaterial as long as it's razor sharp. Keeping it sharp of course is the trick and the higher the quality the longer it will hold that razor sharp edge. To keep mine sharp I have a sharpening stone system with 3 stones mounted on a shaft. Two of the stones rest in an oil bath, while the third side is flat. Each stone is 12 inches long. This makes for a very quick session when the blades need tuning. I usually sharpen all my knives at once minus the bread knife.
 
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