Good (but not screamingly expensive) knife recommendations needed

Cafe Society
1

For Christmas, my mom has decided to buy my boyfriend some decent kitchen knives. This is because the knives he has ARE REALLY GODDAMN CRAPPY AND :: ahem :: not very good. :slight_smile: He has a cheap block with lightweight cheap serrated edge knives (think “this is almost, but not quite, infomercial quality”). You can’t even dice an onion (you can sort of get small chunky pieces), that’s how bad these knives are.

So anyway, she wants to get good quality but not just ONE knife. Obviously, she’d rather get 2 or 3 good knives instead of a cheaper, crappier set with tons of them*. The price limit is around $75 or so (ballpark).

This is the first set she’s liked decently. I agree with her that they look pretty decent. The paring knife/chef’s knife combo is a good one, too, since that’ll cover a lot of basic knife needs.

What does everyone think of those, or does anyone have any better recommendations?

  • or the ubiquitous “comes with five bazillion steak knives”. I don’t need five bazillion steak knives, darnit.
2

Wusthof is a pretty good brand, though they probably have different quality levels within the line. I’m certain that they’d be a major improvement over what he’s currently using.

One of my nephews bought a set of Wusthof knives for his wife a while back. About 6 cooking knoves and a set of six steak knives, all in a block. They are not bad at all. Don’t know which model within the Wusthof line they are though.

If you’re looking for a storage device, when I was at BB&B I noticed a knife block that consisted of a wooden shell filled with plastic filiments. You just slide the knife between the filiments and it’s held securely. No need to figure out which slot is for which knife.

I have knives from various manufacturers. My favorites are the three I have made by Global. I’m pretty sure they are out of your price range though.

3

A somewhat esoteric yet very important question — does he like to cook? Not can he cook, but does he like cooking?

If he can cook, in that he throws together a range of dishes and chops accordingly, the pressure is off a bit. Wusthof, Henckels[sup]*[/sup] et al have a huge range of quality but are pretty much all going to start off much better than Faberware — and will be much better than what he has now.

If he likes to cook, you’ll make him muuuuccchhhhh happier if you involve him. While you sacrifice surprise, he’ll end up with a knife that works much better for him than choosing one based only on quality of the steel, handle, etc. That is, there’s a lot to be said for personal preferences for balance, heft, and overall feel. A knife that’s merely above average that fits his preferences will serve him much better than a high-end blade. I guess what I’m saying is that these are tools, not just sharp objects.

To see what I mean, go to Linens n Things or Bed Bath — or better yet, find a good kitchen supply house (skipping over the Williams and Overpricedia) and ask to handle a few knives to get a feeling. You’ll get a sense of how a small change in weight distribution totally changes how they react in your hand.

Oh, as for blocks, unless he’s absolutely meticulous in the kitchen (and even if he is) I’d stay away from crumb and debris collecting blocks. Unless there’s a new style out there that’s easy to clean, all they do is collect gunk and breed bacteria. From what I understand, health codes bar them from restaurants (in NYC). If he has the room, throw in a magnetic strip.

I don’t think I did, but I’m sorry if I stepped on anyone’s toes.
[sup]*I know many brands come with lifetime warranties, but Henckels just stood up for theirs. The wooden handle on a ten to fifteen year old amateur (i.e., one little chef dude, not two) chef’s knife developed a crack. Sent it in, and within a few weeks a brand new knife arrived.[/sup]

4

No, it’s not really an esoteric question, **Rhythmdvl **. :slight_smile: If he’s a cooking afficianado and uses knives a lot, he’d be annoyed at knives that have the wrong balance for his hand, or whatnot. I understand that.

I guess I’d put it this way: he doesn’t mind cooking and likes learning new things, but I’m the one who likes cooking (and baking). We’re not married yet, but the plans are in the works (and I’m over there a lot) so I’ll be using them, too. Individual ergonomics aside, he generally defers to me in all things cooking, since I’ve basically showed him most of what he knows. :slight_smile:

He sees cooking as more of a means to an end and cooks so that he doesn’t have shitty boxed food day in and day out. I see cooking as “oooh let’s try this flavor combination”/“let’s make gnocci from scratch!”/“let’s see if this random idea works out”. I know that if we went to a store and had him handle knives, he’d end up looking overwhelmed and saying that just about all of them feel “fine” (or all “good” or all “okay”).
And I know Wusthof is generally highly regarded (and that they have several lines of varying quality). That’s why I thought the link seemed pretty decent (looking at the blades, the base, etc.). I just know there are other cooking buffs here, and wanted input and advice.

5

I love, absolutely love my Wusthof knives. My advice to you is to buy an 8" chef’s knife–I’ve got a paring knife and sandwich knife, too, but I use that 8" knife for very nearly everything. I really appreciate excellent quality tools, and that knife just fits in my hand.

6

That set looks like a good one. I wouldn’t buy any more than that until he has a chance to see how they fit his hand. Then, if he likes them, more can be obtained. But it would be a waste to spend the money on a set of knives that he won’t use, no matter how good they are.

This is my go-to knife for just about everything. He may prefer this style to a regular chefs knife. I know I do.

7

The magnetic strip storage idea is a good one if there’s a convenient wall to hang it on. Our kitchen is set up so that most of our work is done at an island, so there’s no way to use a magnetic strip. :frowning: There’s a big drawer at the island and I have a nice draw divider with a slot for each of my knives. There’s about 15 slots and they are all filled up. When ever I want to buy a new or different knife my wife says I can’t because therte are no empty slots. :dubious:

I do remove the organizer from time to time for a good cleaning. :slight_smile:

8

zweisamkeit, As he’s currently using knives that appear to be one step up from the notorious ‘Ginzu’, i don’t really think that he is really going to turn his nose up at anything that your mother deems worthy. With the budget as stated, i’d recommend a trip to Overstock to see what’s available. I bought an inexpensive set of Chicago Cutlery for my aunt a few years ago and she promised to include me in her will; not that i really want that velvet Elvis painting, but i do appreciate the gesture. The only problem with buying the casual gourmet a really fine set of knives (Wusthof, Henkels, etc.) is that Soligen steel is more difficult to sharpen than the steel used in lesser quality knives. Sure, it will stay sharper longer, but if it seems too much af a hassle, he may just forego the sharpening altogether and you’ll end up with a fine set of knives that perform like the set he has now.

Keep in mind also that even though a knife might be made of stainless steel, there are different grades and some will actually rust. It is therefore best to clean knives after each use; which, by all rights should be done by hand as throwing them in the dishwasher with other utensils will ding the cutting edges.

Really, for his needs and experience level, a decent set of knives with a couple of passes over the steel before each use should suit him (and you) fine.

9

Awesome — it sounds like either you ‘get’ it, or you just didn’t want me to sound like a pretentious twit. Simply wonderful!

As for which knives, I think NajaNivea is spot on — an 8” chef is essential. Don’t forget the steel (not a sharpener, but a steel). Following that, I’d go for the paring knife and then a good serrated bread knife. Those — to me — are the three essentials, the three that will typically get the most use. From there a lot depends on what gets cooked. Boning knife? Fillet knife? Pastry knife? (Ok, just kidding on the last one, but you did say you baked, didn’t you?)

10

As a “starter” Henckels’ “Classic” line is quite good. About half of our knives are the Classic series and the other half are their Professional-S.

Yes, you can tell a difference between the two, but for someone used to Ginsus or other wretched things with serrated edges, the Classics will be a **huge ** improvement.

If you buy them from BBBeyond on one of their ubiquitous 20% off coupons, the three piece Classic starter set is only $80.

11

I got this MAC santoku about a year ago, and I love love love it. It eats up most of your $75, but aside from my bread knife I can’t remember when I used anything else.

12

We have a set of Cutco knives, but we didn’t pay for most of it. They’re damn nice knives but I don’t like the marketing tactics. Go to eBay for better prices and no junior college dropouts in your kitchen making you saw through rope.

Their best knife is the Trimmer. It has the “Double-D” edge, which is truly great. Really. Combine it with a good santoku from above, maybe a paring knife, and he’s set.

13

Another one for giving the love to Wusthof. SpouseO has been buying me Wusthof knives for a bit now (mine are the Classic line) and I love 'em. I’d never go back. And if there’s a nice cooking store in your area, they might have sharpening services - mine does. It’s a really great idea for a gift, and Wusthofs are great.

14

We are gradually replacing the Cutco knives I have been using since college with Henckels. But that Trimmer was, and still is, my favorite kitchen knife. It now resides in the drawer, shunned by the Henckels, but still in use after all these years.

15

I’m happy with these, and that’s a heckuva price.

16

My first knives were Chicago Cutlery, but they were such a pain to keep sharp that I finally got rid of them and went to Henckel.

17

In your price range… I’m partial to Boker Tree Brand Knives because they have high quality standards at reasonable prices. Although I have no experience with their Kitchen Cutlery, I don’t feel uncomfortable recommending this Boker Arbolito Knife Set.

You can also find other Boker cutlery as well as many quality brands at http://www.kitchenknives.com/

It should give you some ideas, and they have decent prices there, as well.

18

Just to add, because the link that I gave offers no description. The Boker set is a four blade set with a 4" Steak/Paring Knife, a 5" Utility Knife, a 7" Cook’s Knife, an 8" French Cooks Knife, and it has a sharpening steel.

Just to let you know, they are made according to German standards and quality control in Boker’s Buenos Aires plant.

They have quality products, no matter where they are made. I figure it’s a helluva deal.

19

The MAC Knife MTH-80 Mighty Chef (8 1/2"). Regarded as possibly the best chef’s knife available. It’s a little pricey at about 100.00, but you can shop and get a little better deal. I know you said you wanted to stay away from just a single knife, but a great chef’s knife really is better than just a set of decent ones.

Tip: If he is the kind of person that cuts his food on anything other than a cutting board (like a plate or other unforgiving surface) or if he doesn’t wash his knives by hand, then don’t buy him a top of the line or even a good knife. Shoot for decent. He’d just ruin a good knife.

20

440 stainless