This knife from Gordon Ramsay approved brand HexClad can't be duped – trust me, I've tried it

I'm a sucker for splurging on a shiny new kitchen knife. As any keen home cook will know, you can immediately notice the difference when you chop something for the first time with a new blade – the one you were using before simply seems diminished in comparison.

That's exactly the experience I had with my new favourite chef's knife, the HexClad Damascus Steel 18cm Santoku Knife (£89 at HexClad). With its gorgeous forest green handle and robust design (made from an incredible 67 layers of Japanese forged steel), it's not left my hand in the last few weeks I've been using it in my kitchen.

The only downside? It's seriously pricey, as is the best knife set it belongs to (that's the HexClad Essential 6 Piece Japanese Damascus Knife Set for £359, for reference). But if you're looking to splurge on serious quality for your kitchen, this is why I can recommend them.

There's another point I can add to the list of things I wish I known before I bought my HexClad pans – that their knives might be the best of the lot. Yep, if you're in the market for a new knife, I can't rate the Japanese Santoku shape high enough.

This particular one from HexClad has a shorter blade than a chef's knife (which can be more daunting to get started with) and the wide plate is ideal for gathering up ingredients to put straight into your pan or in the bin.

Buying a Japanese-style knife can be confusing (which is why I made a cheat sheet to demystify the whole process) but the bottom line is, this type of knife is a real all-rounder.

A Santoku is also my go-to because it feels very balanced and lightweight in the hand and somewhat safer than other types of knives thanks to the lack of point (which makes it a sheepsfoot blade, technically).

Using it to cut through even tougher vegetables is like cutting through butter, and I've not yet stopped marvelling at the sheer beauty of the design. The jade-coloured handle has such a great feel to it and added a touch of luxury that my kitchen has never seen the like of before.

The entire Damascus line has the same green trim on the handle, with the set offering a 20cm Chef's Knife, 20cm Serrated Bread Knife, 13cm Utility Knife and 9 cm Paring Knife, alongside my favoured Santoku.

I'm not the only one impressed, either – the listing for the set currently has over 600 five-star reviews from others who have invested.

Have you checked out HexClad's other kitchen offerings? Let us know if you have a particular favourite from the brand in the comments.