Kitchen Knife Set Preferences and Opinions sought here

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am looking to replace over time my crapped out cheap set of “Tristar” serrated knife block set which we bought on the cheap when we got married 6 years ago.

I have been looking at reviews on Amazon and by using Google to search for other reviews. Kind of narrowed the range to Henkels or Wustoff knives sets- probably a starter 6-7 piece set.

Looking to spend in the $150-250 range to start and buy more loose stock as needed (so a good size block is a need). I am not a “hard core” cook, but I do cook enough that the crappy knives are really starting to get on my nerves.

I would like to hear your opinion on what to get, and your personal experiences doing this. I do not mind paying for true quality that will last, as I would like to start cooking even more.

Are their better deals then those on Amazon of comparable safety to order from?

Currently, the Wustoff Grand Prix line seems to be the favorite in my research, but I am open to other options.

So cooks, foodies, gear lovers and those in the know- what do you think I should do?

Thanks in advance!

2

Wow that’s a nice knife set you’re looking to buy …

We got a set of Cutco knives for our wedding almost 7 years ago and these knives are incredible.

http://www.cutco.com/jsp/home.jsp

And I’ve been kinda drooling over these knives to replace my block with but can’t justify that kinda cash for knives.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/bettystore/asp/sProduct.asp?GMISID=61&SID=2&CID=8324&PGID=8095&GID=&PID=56160

Dunno if that helps at all :slight_smile:

3

My parents have a set of Wushoff’s, an older line that I don’t think they make anymore, that are quite nice. I’m very happy with my set of Globals- I find they stay sharper, longer than the Wusthoffs, and the design, being much more contemporary, goes much better in my kitchen.

And I love the heck out of my Kyocera ceramic black-blade santoku knife. Sharpest thing in the world. Just don’t forget, and try to chop a bone with it, or it can shatter.

4

The Wusthof knives are good. I got a set of Sheffields for roughly the same amount. Here is my advice: Do not bargain shop for knives. You will regret it. If possible, try to handle the knives in some way before buying. Different brands have different handle shapes and balances. A comfortable knife is better than an uncomfortable one.

Other things to look for: A thick bolster that goes the entire length of the handle. Good, thick backs on the blades. Flat-sided, not “hollow” blades.

Now, as for knife care: Get a shotgun and blast anyone who puts good knives in a dishwasher. The gene pool will be greatly improved.

These days, oiling knives after every use is not necessary for most better knives. The steels are far less prone to rusting than they used to be.

Use the steel before every use of the knife. It does not sharpen the knife but it does keep it in better condition.

Do not cut with the knife onto a plate or other hard surface. The edge will be damaged.

If you have not been taught the right way to sharpen a knife, take them to a professional every six months or so.

5

I made the mistake of buying a mid-line set of Sabatier knives last year. Now I want to upgrade, and usually just use the 6" Henkel’s chef’s knife I’ve had for a few years. If I had to do it again, I’d carefully choose a nice, large block, a good 6" chef’s knife, paring knife, and maybe a utility knife and sharpening steel. Bread and steak knives don’t have to be top-class to do the job, so those are lower priority, IMO. I agree on handling whatever you buy, to make sure it’s nicely machined and weighted properly. The larger chef’s knife in my set has visible waves in the blade that don’t inspire a lot of faith in the quality. Henkel’s and Wustof’s are sort of the industry standard, so I’d start looking there.

6

I use Henkels. If you want my opinion, start out with just an 8" cook’s knife and a 4" utility knife - and buy the best you can reasonably afford. They’re gonna look a little lonely by themselves in a block, but it’s a purchase you won’t regret. Buy more when you you can both afford and really need a new one. And even if you do sharpen your own knives, getting them professionally done once a year will make will make a big difference.

7

I agree with the first reply- buy Cutco. I’ve had my set for 20 years now and they are still a sharp as razors- the ones with their double-D edge have never been sharpened, and the straight edge ones sharpen up nicely with just 3 or 4 strokes.

8

I have a set of Wusthof Tridents (I’m not sure if they make them anymore), and I love 'em. The Chef’s knife is the most comfortable knife I’ve ever held (to me, anyway). And it’s nice and heavy. I think those things are tough enough to survive a nuclear (or nucular, if that’s your style) explosion. And they keep an edge very well, just don’t neglect to use your honing steel.

9

Wustof! Definately worth the price. If you have to buy 1 a year until you can build your set. It’s worth it!

And compare the Grand Prix and the Classic line. I lke the classic better, but my friend who has small hands like the feel of the Grand Prix better. The knives are the same - only the “grips” are different.

10

Wusthof Wusthof Wusthof!
(I’m partial and have nattered on about them before :slight_smile: )

I have large hands, so the 8" chefs’ knife works great. My mom, OTOH, uses a 6" because she has itty bitty hands.
Other than a chefs’ knive, invest in an 8" slicer, a serrated bread knife, a straight paring knife, and (my favorite, but now ‘misplaced’) boning style paring knife or utility knife.

You should be able to get a block w/ 5 knives and kitchen shears in the $180-$225 range, depending on where you shop.

And I agree, the Grand Prix is a very comfortable line, but I prefer the original black.

11

Wusthof Grand Prix knives are the most comfortable knives I have ever used. I am actively searching Ebay and will most likely buiy a 7 piece set of them sometime this month. I have a 3.5 paring knife and a 26cm slicing knife schinkenmesser. I bought them along with three other GP knives when I was in Germany October2001 but only those two made it through the baggage thieves:(

Thy feel great, the balance is superb, I can’t think of a single negative about them.

Oh yeah, the handles are really stable even in wet conditions.

12

Dogface advised that if possible you should try the knife in your hand before buying it. I agree with this.

Some of my knives are Henckels and some are Wusthof, and they have a definite difference in feel to them. The Henckels are heavy and solid in my hand…good balance. The Wusthof feels light and more like an extension of my hand.

IMO Wusthof makes the best paring knife. It is joy to use.

You’re going to love your new knives-makes cooking much more enjoyable

13

Another enthusiastic vote for Global knives. I bought my 3 on sale as a set: 8" chefs knife, 4" paring knife, and 3" paring knife. (Got them through Cooking.com, IIRC.) To be honest, I mostly use the chefs knife, w/ the 4" paring knife sometimes.

I really love 'em. They hold an edge beautifully, feel light but solid in hand and are easy to keep clean. They’re all metal; no wood wrapping on the handles. The handles are never slippery, even w/ wet/gunky hands. I have a couple of wood handled knives and like 'em, but they collect gunk in the tiny joins between the wood and metal. (::koff:: blood from meat, f’rinstance.) The Globals solve that problem and do a great job to boot.

Besides, they look really cool.

Veb

14

Another vote for Wusthof.
I have the classic, but they are all great knives.
Once you know what you want, check around the net. I have gotten some real deals on Wusthof from different places.

15

Another vote for Wusthof.
I have the classic, but they are all great knives.
Once you know what you want, check around the net. I have gotten some real deals on Wusthof from different places.

16

Yet another vote for Wusthof Classic. I have built my collection over about 5 years. Every time I try to work in someone elses’ kitchen, I am disapointed that I don’t have ‘my’ knives.

I have also read that Professional Chefs prefer Global. Someday I might try them.

17

Wustof

18

Get yourself a set of knives from Ontario Knife Works / Old Hickory.

http://www.knifepro.com/list.asp?Action=Search&Keyword=Old+Hickory&CtgID=

http://www.theknifestore.com/oldhickory.html

http://www.cumberlandknives.com/Old-Hickory.htm

Unless you want to spend entire days every month slowly and painstakingly sharpening your Wusthofs or Henkels to their ultimate sharpest, these will actually be sharper for you as a result of being easier to sharpen to an almost frighteningly sharp edge.

19

Wusthof.

Classic.

They make cooking enjoyable. Because we did a lot of cooking together, an old girlfriend bought herself a set of ‘laser’ knives with the combination serrated and straight edges. She saw me grimace when I noticed them on her counter. That Christmas, she bought me a Wusthof 10" chef’s knife. I left at her house for a week and she enjoyed using it so much that she went out and bought herself one as well. Another girlfriend of mine claimed she did not like to prepare food. When she used my knives she suddenly exclaimed, “Wow, this makes it fun to cook!”

As Dogface and others mentioned. Look for a full tang where the metal runs the entire length of the knife. Handles should have three rivets and the blade should have flat sides. And never, ever put them in a dishwasher.

For fun, I bought a Sabatier 10" slicer, Sabatier carving fork and a one of their 10" chef’s blades as well. These are intended for my knife roll that I carry to parties and picnics. They perform well but they are not of the same quality as Wusthof. However, on sale I spent $120.[sup]00[/sup] for $340.[sup]00[/sup] worth of cutlery so I am happy.

Some other points:

NEVER allow your blades to come into contact with other knives or metal objects of any sort. This means no tossing them into a drawer. This means always returning them to their wooden knife block. This means never using a magnetic knife rack.

NEVER use a glass or plastic cutting board. Glass is harder than steel and will blunt your blades posthaste. Plastic cutting boards actually promote the growth of bacteria. When the knife cuts into the plastic, it drives food particles into the slash. The flexible plastic then “heals,” closing up over the food particles and permitting them to rot. Wood cutting boards are antiseptic by nature. Wood contains naturally occuring lignins that trees use to fight infection and invading fungi. Wood will not damage your blades and is a heckuva lot more attractive than plastic.

NEVER leave Mayonnaise on a blade for any prolonged period of time. Eggs contain hydrogen sulfide that converts into sulfuric acid which corrodes metal. The same goes for onions as well. Avoid cleaning your knives with Scotchbrite or steel wool that can scratch their blades. Clean your knives under warm running water immediately after using them.

NEVER leave a blade in a sink or (especially) underwater. Reaching into a sudsy sink and finding a sharp blade is more than unpleasant. Leaving a blade submerged will also drive water in between the tang and handles promoting deterioration of the knife’s construction.

NEVER try to catch a falling knife. Quickly step away and permit it to land wherever it falls.

NEVER heat a knife, this will remove the blade’s temper and destroy its ability to hold an edge.

NEVER work with a dull blade. A sharp knife is the safest knife. It will cut when you want it to. Every single time I have ever injured myself with a knife it has been due to a dull blade. A blunt edge forces you to hack and repeat your cuts. This is the path to injury.

DO learn to use a steel and regularly apply your knives to it. This prolongs their life and improves their performance.

SCENE: Berryessa flea market.

Zenster: How much for this?

Seller: $7.[sup]00[/sup]

Zenster: Sold!

[Takes home mint condition $70.[sup]00[/sup] Wusthof Trident meat cleaver]
SCENE: Another visit to the Berryessa flea market.

Zenster: How much for this?

Seller: $5.[sup]00[/sup]

Zenster: Sold!

[Takes home mint condition $60.[sup]00[/sup] Wusthof Trident twin blade lunette]

20

I agree with everyone else either Henkels or Wustoff, and it is worth the initial investment.

If you are looking to hold knives before purchase, they carry both of these lines at Bed, Bath and Beyond, if there is one in your area. I hate to whore for them since I no longer work there, but the 20% off coupons help a lot when trying to buy a larger item which normally does not go on sale. I am not as familiar with Linens n’ Things, but they carry very similar products as well.