(Photo: Mitchell Feinberg)

Best Bets
The Japanese Santoku knife is a double-bevel power tool that can mince the mirepoix and sweep it into the pan in one graceful gesture. Thanks to food globalism and Rachael Ray, who’s never seen without hers, Santokus are becoming increasingly popular in America. We asked chef Masayoshi “Masa” Takayama to rank ten of them, and the Shun Classic 6.5-inch knife was his No. 1 pick ($94.98 at Broadway Panhandler, 477 Broome St., nr. Greene St.; 212-966-3434). It’s made by Kai, one of Japan’s oldest knife companies, using the “Damascus technique”—layers of steel painstakingly sharpened to a fearsome edge, leaving a beautiful moiré pattern on the blade. (See also: Chef Masayoshi “Masa” Takayama's Top Ten Santoku Knives)