HOME: SHARP AS A... TILE?

For foodies, stainless-steel knives have lost their edge. Today's urbane cutlery is made of industrial-strength ceramics. The advantage: the material is stronger than steel, stays sharp up to 10 times longer and won't turn fruits and vegetables brown. The downside: the knives have to be professionally sharpened. For the best quality and selection, try Kyocera (kyocera advancedceramics.com). Its three-inch scissors (below left) are supersharp and should last a lifetime. The five-inch slicing knife with a stained wood and rivet handle (below right) is ideal for everyday use. The Summit Collection (YTCSummit.com) also has excellent quality and style. The five-inch utility knife in black ($100) has an ergonomic handle and is super-lightweight to reduce fatigue. The six-inch chef's knife ($112.50) melts through meat and poultry like buttah. URI Eagle Ceramic knives (urieagle.com) are less expensive than the competition, with cheaper-looking and poorly proportioned plastic handles. Yet the ceramic blades are sharp and nearly as good as the more expensive cutlery. A six-inch chef's knife is $69.99 at target.com.

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