casa neuhaus

UPDATE: CONTEST HAS ENDED! Winners will be contacted by email

Have you ever worked with a ceramic knife before?

The ceramic material used to make ceramic knives is so hard that the blades rarely need to be sharpened, so they’re a great option for cooks who are intimidated by knife sharpening or just don’t have the time (and these days who does?)

Well – I’ve got great news! Just in time for the holidays, the amazing folks at the Greenpoint, Brooklyn-based Casa Neuhaus have offered to give away one of their ceramic knives to three readers of Brooklyn Homemaker! Can you believe it? Not one… THREE!

They have three knives to offer; a 3 inch paring knife, a 5 inch utility knife, and a 7 inch chef knife, and three lucky winners will win one of these three styles for free!

I’ve had a chance to use these knives myself, and I have to tell you that they’re amazing. They’re super super sharp and haven’t dulled one iota despite the abuse I put them through in my kitchen. Not only that, but they’re also really lightweight and beautifully designed. They’re gorgeous and modern looking with dark blades and stainless steel handles, and they even come with in their own really attractive gift boxes complete with sheathes that fit snugly over the blades to protect them from damage. Most ceramic knives don’t come with a sheath, but since ceramic can crack or chip if knocked around in a drawer, I think this is one of my favorite features!

If you have ever worked with a ceramic knife before, odds are that you’ve used white ceramic. Casa Neuhaus‘ knives have black ceramic blades made of black zirconium oxide. Unlike white ceramic blade, black zirconium oxide offers even more sharpness and durability than traditional ceramic knives. These knives even come with a three-year sharpness warranty that includes a free sharpening service (if needed)!

And hey, if you don’t win but still want one of these knives, they’re very reasonably priced and available through their webstore.

Want to know more?

Here are the basics, from their website:

WHY CERAMIC?

A ceramic knife is a knife made out of very hard and tough ceramic, often zirconium dioxide (ZrO2); also known as zirconia. These knives are usually produced by dry pressing zirconia powder and firing them through solid-state sintering. The resultant blade is sharpened by grinding the edges with a diamond-dust-coated grinding wheel. Zirconia is 8.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, compared to 7.5 to 8 for hardened steel and 10 for diamond. This very hard edge rarely needs sharpening.

WHAT IS ZIRCONIA?

Zirconia is technically a laboratory manufactured diamond and thats what our knives are, thats why they are so sharp! We even give them a final heat treatment that makes them even stronger than other ceramic knives on the market, hence the dark color.

ANY SPECIAL CARE OR INSTRUCTIONS?

Just follow the following and your knives will last a lifetime:
– Never use them on any kind of bones or frozen stuff. Remember our knives are super sharp and strong but not unbreakable.
– Hand wash them. Don’t put them in the dishwasher. Remember that ceramic doesn’t absorb any taste or smell so just use a wet sponge to clean them.
– Don’t forget to put their cover sheet even if they are in the drying rack.
– Be careful to not drop them on a hard surface. And always use your ceramic knife with a plastic or wooden cutting board.

Contest rules:

Three winners will be chosen, each will win one knife.

Entries will be accepted until, and contest will end on, Monday December 15th, at 6PM EST.

To enter, please follow these links and “like” both Brooklyn Homemaker and Casa Neuhaus on facebook. Then come back and leave the comment “Gimme that knife!” on this post, and tell me what you want to cook with your new knife if you win!

Only one comment per entrant, please. Sorry, but immediate family is excluded. The winning knives can only be shipped within the contiguous United States, so entrants must live or have a mailing address within the lower 48. Winner will be chosen, using a random number generator, from the total number of comments when the contest comes to a close. Winner will be contacted via email for shipping information.