It’s time for our next edition of That Helpful Dad’s Editor’s Choice Awards! Today’s category is Best Cooking Product and the winner is DALSTRONG KNIVES. In this article I’ll tell you why I chose Dalstrong Knives and tell you who my runner-up products were as well.
About the Editor: Hi, I’m Mike, That Helpful Dad. As noted in my Trust Guarantee, when you see a product mentioned on my site, please know that these are products that I personally use and enjoy (many of them are ones I use every single day). I’m sharing them with you because they make a positive difference in my life and I’m hoping they will help YOU live a better life too! Additionally, Editor’s Choice Award winners are not necessarily newly released products, however they are on our list today because we firmly believe these particular products are the BEST products in their class and so long as they remain the best we will continue to recognize them for their efforts.
Best Cooking Product 2020 – Dalstrong Knives
Why did it win?
I’ve been in the market for some good knives for years but could never pull the trigger (mostly because the sets I always liked are so darn expensive). My friends and I have been watching the Dalstrong knives for a few years and after some research (and a great sale from Dalstrong), I decided to pull the trigger – buying the Dalstrong Knife Block Set u see in the pic along with a couple other knives (see below).
First impressions?
Wow – Dalstrong Knives are incredible – sharp, durable, high quality, and great in appearance.
Although I always tell my readers I’m just an Average Joe, I sure do feel like a chef when I’m using a Dalstrong knife!
Dalstrong Knives – What to Buy First
Dalstrong makes A LOT of knives – if you shop on Amazon, you will quickly discover that they may well make most knives on the planet! They seem to have a knife and style for every taste.
If you’re just a regular guy like me and not a pro chef, and you just want a good set of knives, then I highly recommend the Dalstrong Knife Block Set because it pretty much has everything you need from a kitchen knife perspective. That includes a set of SIX Steak Knives that have a great weight/feel in your hand and include granton edges for smooth slicing through any meat on your plate. On top of that the knife block itself is a work of art and looks fantastic in your kitchen!
If you don’t need a full set, you can get any of the knives individually or pick up a just a set of streak knives (they really are amazing!)
Other Dalstrong knives I recommend include:
- The 6″ Shogun Filet Knife,
- The incredibly useful 3″ Bird’s Beak Paring Knife,
- The 4.5″ Mini Cleaver (great for cheese tray party displays),
- The 6″ Shogun Chef’s Knife (my #1 favorite all-time knife!),
- And if you wanna be like Salt Bae pick up a 10″ Butcher’s Breaking Cimitar!
Mini Cleaver 
Bird’s Peak 
6″ Chef Knife 
Cimitar 
Boning Knife Steak Knives
Another quick tip: go for the German Steel Gladiator Series for your everyday kitchen use since they are more durable. Save the out of this world appearance Japanese Versions (Shogun, Phantom, and Omega) for your special occasion knives like this DALSTRONG Carving Knife & Fork Set.
Dalstrong makes more than just knives…
Other useful cooking tools that Dalstrong makes and which I love are…
- The teakwood cutting board is a work of art;
- I love their Chef’s aprons too – my Dalstrong Camo apron is my go-to apron when cooking outdoors.
- If you travel a bit, check out their handy knife rolls.
Whatever you choose from Dalstrong, I’m betting you’ll love it – I know my friends and I have all been very satisfied.
Best Cooking Products 2020 – Runner Up’s
Runner Up: AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
I’ve written about the Aeropress many times before but the fact is that I still use this little gadget every day to make myself the best cup of coffee in the universe – it’s the best because, with the Aeropress I control the intensity of the flavor. I usually like it pretty bold and Aeropress allows me to do just that. Read more about Aeropress here or Shop Aeropress on Amazon – it’s the best value you’ll ever get in a coffee maker!
Quick Tip: if you do get an Aeropress, be sure to pick up an electric tea kettle (I recommend this inexpensive but high quality model from Epica) as well as a coffee grinder (although you could go with a popular hand grinder like the JavaPress, I like to keep it simple and use the inexpensive but high quality Epica Coffee & Spice Grinder).
Honorable Mention: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Cookbook
If you read my blog, you know how much I love Samin Nosrat’s SFAH cookbook. You will learn so much as a home cook by reading this book. Here’s a list of her recommended kitchen essentials too.
What to Read Next?
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- Understanding ChatGPT vs GPT-4 vs DALL-E – When do you use which one?
- 10 Tips for using ChatGPT + a detailed example of how a student can use ChatGPT for school projects.