Kyocera

[Jinmyo]

Hello, John. Thanks for participating.

In the sample of Simple Living you've provided you mention your experience of Kyovera ceramic knives. I have the sexy all-black model. Heh. I agree with your assessment but was left wondering if you ever did get their yoke peeler. It's a wonderful tool. While it lasts. Mine lasted about three weeks.

[John Thorne]

Jeeze, man, what were you peeling? A coconut? No, I haven't bought one yet but I do find that I use the knife more often than I thought I would, although this doesn't necessarily say anything good about Kyocera, just something not very flattering about me. My motto has become: "Don't reach for the knife sharpener, reach for the Kyocera." Does slip through those tomatoes though, doesn't it.

[Jinmyo]

It does indeed.

Also great for slicing duck breast, steaks, sashimi.

As for what I was peeling, actually I found it in the drawer and the kitchen help said they knew nothing about it. I'm getting another though.

Still the heft of a heavy Henckel is where my heart is.

[Pittsburgh]

I have one of the Kyocera yoke peelers, and frankly I never

use it. There's something about it that just doesn't work

with my hand. And the blade seems too loose in the handle

(i.e. has too much play). I much prefer the yoke peelers

from Kuhn-Rikon. I saw recently that Kyocera

now offers a similar handle.

However, using a gift certificate I got for my birthday

I recently bought a Kyocera slicer. Basically a plane that's about

6 inches by three inches with a handle; it has a ceramic

blade in the middle of the plane. The thing is amazing.

I've been using it constantly to create really really thin

slices of vegetables etc. since I got it. The sharpness

of the ceramic blade is a real plus here.

Jeff

[Jinmyo]

Welcome, Jeff. That's great. It would be wonderful if they made a mandoline.

[Dave the Cook]

Welcome, Jeff. That's great. It would be wonderful if they made a mandoline.

The very thought of a Kyocera mandoline makes my fingertips shrivel.

[Jim Dixon]

I just saw an ad for a kyocera slicer...mandoline-like, but with fixed cutting blade...looks like they make a julienne cutter, too.

Just to stay on topic....

John,

Do you have a single knife that you keep coming back to, even after using something new?

thanks

Jim

[John Thorne]

My two essential knives, with which I do over 90% of my kitchen work are a Dexter Chinese cleaver and a Chicago cutlery 6-inch utility knife. As a James Beard award winner, I was given a set of KitchenAid chef's knives. They look terrific, they have my name engraved on them, but they're still resting in the original carton. Happiness is rocking my cleaver on the cutting board, reducing garlic cloves down to their molecular level. By the by, our last book, POT ON THE FIRE, opens with the essay "One Knife, One Pot" that is all about my live with knives. It's one of the few things I've written than I can still bear to read.