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Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 6:18 pm
by Karen/NoCA
on some of her newer shows? It is stainless steel, has a concave swoop on the top of the blade, that curves down to a almost square tip, The cutting edge is convex. It is a perfect chopping knife as far as I can tell, it rocks beautifully and is lovely to look at..

Just learned this is a target knife selling for $18.00, can't be much or can it? Target is a sponsor of her show and she has been using a lot of
Target tools on her show.....

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:43 pm
by Susan B
For $18, I'll try it. :)

Re: Does a.nyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:46 am
by Drew Hall
It's the stainless steel mezzuluna knife. Looks pretty cool for $18

http://www.target.com/p/giada-de-laurentiis-7-stainless-steel-mezzaluna-knife-silver/-/A-14206385

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:44 am
by Fred Sipe
Going to have to give that a go too.

And for those who may not know, these Forschner / Victorinox chef's knives are truly great for the price also:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... %27s+Knife

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:35 am
by Tom Troiano
2 useless comments....

1. for some reason I can't bring myself to buy a knife at Target. Is that silly?
2. I thought a mezzuluna was a curved thingy with two small handles?

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:40 am
by Mike Filigenzi
Fred Sipe wrote:Going to have to give that a go too.

And for those who may not know, these Forschner / Victorinox chef's knives are truly great for the price also:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... %27s+Knife


Danny Johnson is the head butcher at a market near us. He does demonstration "classes" on meat cutting. I watched him break down a whole salmon, several chickens, a whole pig, half a lamb, and a beef quarter, all using nothing but one large Forschner knife and one small Forschner knife. He says he never buys any other brand.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:16 pm
by Karen/NoCA
1. for some reason I can't bring myself to buy a knife at Target. Is that silly?
2. I thought a mezzuluna was a curved thingy with two small handles?


Not silly because that was my first reaction, as well. I love the looks of it and watching Giada use it, it seems to work OK. However, I did notice when she lays it down on the side of her board, it sounded a bit tinny.
A muzzuluna is a curved knife with two handles on each end, that is why I was surprised they were calling this a mezzuluna. Too, some of the other tools she is using are all from Target. Guess, I need to make a trip there. I know a lot of ladies that love that store....I hate big box stores and prefer a locally owned kitchen shop for my kitchen tool shopping, but they are expensive.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:48 pm
by Susan B
And for those who may not know, these Forschner / Victorinox chef's knives are truly great for the price also:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... %27s+Knife


I only wish I'd seen this post yesterday, before I ordered a couple of Wustof knives for our winter house. Those would fit the need nicely and I always have trouble finding a 10' chef. I will try them next or get some of these and pack the others away when we're not here. We expect that our son and friends will use the house when we're back in the Northwest and I hate seeing (or finding) what some people do to good knives: dishwasher, cutting on glass or stone, even using them in place of a screwdriver.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:46 pm
by Tom Troiano
Are there two different lines of the Forschner Victorinox 10 inch chef's knife?

I'm seeing one 10 inch version for over $100 and one for $40.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:58 pm
by Fred Sipe
Tom Troiano wrote:Are there two different lines of the Forschner Victorinox 10 inch chef's knife?

I'm seeing one 10 inch version for over $100 and one for $40.


I'm not familiar with the 'spensive one! I've got a cheapie Forschner bought many years ago that I still use even though I've got a Henckel Chef's knife and a Wusthof Santoku.

The Forschner has more heft to it. I use it for things breaking down roasted chicken.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:23 pm
by Karen/NoCA

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:33 pm
by Tom Troiano
Karen,

I guess our instincts were correct!

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:17 pm
by Jenise
Susan B wrote: and I hate seeing (or finding) what some people do to good knives: dishwasher, cutting on glass or stone, even using them in place of a screwdriver.


We once loaned our house to a culinary-school graduate working executive chef--IOW someone who should know how to take care of knives--who put our knives in the dishwasher, including some that have wooden handles. Not that they told us, but it was instantly apparent the next time I laid eyes on them. HUH?

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:51 pm
by Jeff Grossman
Jenise wrote:We once loaned our house to a culinary-school graduate working executive chef--IOW someone who should know how to take care of knives--who put our knives in the dishwasher, including some that have wooden handles. Not that they told us, but it was instantly apparent the next time I laid eyes on them. HUH?

Just a guess: A man like that will go through knives like normal folk go through paper towels so why fuss over them?

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:52 pm
by Mark Lipton
Jeff Grossman/NYC wrote:
Jenise wrote:We once loaned our house to a culinary-school graduate working executive chef--IOW someone who should know how to take care of knives--who put our knives in the dishwasher, including some that have wooden handles. Not that they told us, but it was instantly apparent the next time I laid eyes on them. HUH?

Just a guess: A man like that will go through knives like normal folk go through paper towels so why fuss over them?


Or it could be a double standard at work: since you're not a professional cook, you clearly must not care about your knives (though one would think that that could be determined easily by inspection of the knives and how they're stored) so NBD to treat them badly. Weird attitude, however one views it.

Mark Lipton

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:00 pm
by Jenise
Mark Lipton wrote:Or it could be a double standard at work: since you're not a professional cook, you clearly must not care about your knives (though one would think that that could be determined easily by inspection of the knives and how they're stored) so NBD to treat them badly. Weird attitude, however one views it.

Mark Lipton


You know what, even though I don't have another explanation to offer I don't think it's that. This guy wasn't someone off the street but a reasonably good friend--and he thought enough of my skills to rope me into doing some "post-grad" type courses at the CIA in Napa with him years ago even though I didn't have the professional pre-req's.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:03 am
by John F
Knife????

Please don't tell me they're not real.

Re: Does anyone know what kind of knife Giada has been using

PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:25 pm
by Jenise
Karen/NoCA wrote:I learned today that this knife has been recalled....it breaks in half near the handle.

http://www.amazon.com/Giada-Laurentiis-Target-Stainless-Mezzaluna/product-reviews/B002XQB5W6/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1


And in all likelihood it didn't hold an edge (or resist corrosion) any better than the Mario Batali knife someone once gave me. It lives in the garage and is used for breaking down cardboard boxes.