A forged knife is the best choice for quality and durability.

When preparing a fine meal, we think about things like quality ingredients, careful preparation and attractive presentation. But how often do we think of the little things, like the quality of our kitchen knives? Well, any experienced chef will agree that poor quality knives can make cooking far more difficult than it needs to be. So what kinds of things should you look for when shopping for a good knife?

Jessica Parfrey is the Assistant Store Manager at Sur La Table, an upscale kitchen and cooking supply store in Santa Monica, Calif. Here she offers information and insights to help you in your search for the perfect cooking knife:

• Comfort. Parfrey is a firm believer in the advantages of quality knives; she would rather own one really good knife than a whole set of mediocre ones. A buyer's first consideration, she claims, should be comfort. Hold the knife in your hand to judge its balance and weight. Does it seem solid and well-made, or does it feel flimsy and insubstantial?

• Forged. In the old days, Parfrey claims, all knives were drop-forged by craftsman working with hand tools and massive anvils. And while independent knife-makers aren't as common as they once were, the best knives are still made in a similar fashion. Forged knives are heavy, sturdy, and they hold their edges very well.

• Stamped. The second most common way of manufacturing knives is to stamp the blades from sheet metal. This is a less costly technique that yields knives that, while inexpensive, often do not last as long as you might like. You may be able to get a complete set of stamped knives for a very reasonable price, but the quality and durability will definitely be lower than that of forged knives.

For more information on knives, kitchen supplies, and cooking, check out the following websites:

Sur La Table
www.surlatable.com

Cooking.com

Good Housekeeping—Kitchen Knives
magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/consumer/kitchen/articles/0,12873,284516_290172-1,00.html

Chef's
www.chefscatalog.com/index.jhtml