For someone who likes to cook, there is arguably no greater feeling than making a smooth-as-butter cut into a poor, innocent vegetable. I personally live for it, but as much as I love that feeling, it’s been increasingly tough to come by. My knives, I’m sad to say, are dull. Like, C-SPAN dull.
Two Shun knives—polished Japanese steel—have gradually fallen into a state of neglect-induced impotence under my watch, and I’m the only one to blame. I need to sharpen them—not a quick tango with the honing steel; we’re talking whetstone territory. The thing is, I’m hesitant to venture there. Not only will I almost certainly scratch the sh*t out of the beautifully crafted steel, but I’m also not certain I have the skill to sharpen them correctly in the first place. I could bring them to a professional, sure, but the only thing I love more than slicing vegetables is not doing the 40,000 chores I’ve been meaning to get done for years. Who’s got the time? Or the patience? That’s rhetorical—if you do, I don’t want to hear about it. So, what’s a knife-loving procrastinator like me to do? There’s only one solution: I must go ultrasonic. 3.5 Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 The C-200 ultrasonic chef's knife is more than just a gimmick, but will only be noticeable with certain cuts and food items. Pros Can slice razor thin Takes less force to cut certain food items Nice steel, ultrasonic or not Cons Ultrasonic feature isn't noticeable on everything you cut A bit bulkier than your average knife Not a kitchen gadget most people really need Pricey at $400 Gotta go fast Obviously, I could get my knives sharpened, but this is Gizmodo, and where’s the fun in a whetstone when you can just swap your old-fashioned steel for something newfangled like Seattle Ultrasonics’ $399 C-200 ultrasonic 8-inch chef’s knife? This is a gadget, I’m happy to say, that’s as ridiculous as it sounds.
