Cutlery Set - Need Advice

Oldyote

Oldyote

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My wife and I usually agree not to get each other gifts and Christmas. Then I start feeling bad that she has nothing under the tree and I get her something anyway.

She loves to cook and of the two of us she is really the foodie and I'm just the wanna be bbq guy.

The cutlery "set" we currently have is a mix match of a bunch of knives that have been great tools but I feel it is time for an upgrade and I think she would really like something like that.

I'm looking for advice on a good set that will not break the bank. We have a magnetic mount so I don't need a block, just a good set that will take care of just about any cooking need. I'd also appreciate any advice on sharpeners or sharpening techniques.

Thanks for any advice.
 
From Cook's Illustrated. Seems like a good approach. I also have the BBQ set from Madcow that Groundhog mentioned, that is good too but I use mine just for BBQ. Good luck. :cool:

Instead of wasting money on a set of mediocre knives (half of which you'll never use), you can create your own set of Test Kitchen all stars.
This “all-star” set of test kitchen favorites (all best-in-class winners in past tests) fits neatly into our favorite universal knife block by Bodum, designed to hold any variety of blades securely in its nest of plastic sticks. Best of all, at $334.65, this ideal collection costs less than many prepackaged knife block sets.

Wüsthof Classic 10-inch Bread Knife
This well-balanced knife with deeply tapered serrations handles with exceptional ease and control, even for lefties. Its 10-inch blade saws through the biggest, crustiest loaves just as easily as it delicately slices soft breads, tall sandwiches, and fine-crumbed cakes.
$109.95

Victorinox Fibrox Granton Edge Slicing/Carving Knife
This moderately heavy knife has enough heft and rigidity to make straight cuts, with just enough flexibility to offer control. The thin, tapered, razor-sharp blade is long and wide, allowing it to draw through a large roast in one stroke.
$49.95


Victorinox Fibrox 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: Flexible
With a nonslip grip and a narrow, straight blade, this knife removes the smallest bones (or bits of silverskin) with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced, with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints.
$19.95


Wüsthof Classic 3 1/2-inch Paring Knife
An essential knife for hand-held tasks such as peelingand trimming fruit and vegetables. The short (less than 4 inches, for better agility), straight blade; slimshape; and pointed tip offer precision, and the handle is comfortable.
$39.95

Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef's Knife
This basic, inexpensive blade has consistently bested many competitors over the years—even those costing up to eight times as much. Its sharp, slim blade curves gently at the tip for good rocking motion during chopping, and its comfortable nonslip handle and excellent overall balance make it a kitchen workhorse.
$29.95

Shun Classic Kitchen Shears
Thanks to 9-inch, razor-sharp blades (one with fine microserrations, the other with deep grooves), these shears make breaking down a chicken feel effortless. The large, rubbery handles are comfy, and the blades are symmetrical for both right- and left-handed use. Blades come apart for easy cleanup.
$39.95
 
NeoTrout said:
From Cook's Illustrated. Seems like a good approach. I also have the BBQ set from Madcow that Groundhog mentioned, that is good too but I use mine just for BBQ. Good luck. :cool:

Instead of wasting money on a set of mediocre knives (half of which you'll never use), you can create your own set of Test Kitchen all stars.
This “all-star” set of test kitchen favorites (all best-in-class winners in past tests) fits neatly into our favorite universal knife block by Bodum, designed to hold any variety of blades securely in its nest of plastic sticks. Best of all, at $334.65, this ideal collection costs less than many prepackaged knife block sets.

Wüsthof Classic 10-inch Bread Knife
This well-balanced knife with deeply tapered serrations handles with exceptional ease and control, even for lefties. Its 10-inch blade saws through the biggest, crustiest loaves just as easily as it delicately slices soft breads, tall sandwiches, and fine-crumbed cakes.
$109.95

Victorinox Fibrox Granton Edge Slicing/Carving Knife
This moderately heavy knife has enough heft and rigidity to make straight cuts, with just enough flexibility to offer control. The thin, tapered, razor-sharp blade is long and wide, allowing it to draw through a large roast in one stroke.
$49.95


Victorinox Fibrox 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: Flexible
With a nonslip grip and a narrow, straight blade, this knife removes the smallest bones (or bits of silverskin) with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced, with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints.
$19.95


Wüsthof Classic 3 1/2-inch Paring Knife
An essential knife for hand-held tasks such as peelingand trimming fruit and vegetables. The short (less than 4 inches, for better agility), straight blade; slimshape; and pointed tip offer precision, and the handle is comfortable.
$39.95

Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef's Knife
This basic, inexpensive blade has consistently bested many competitors over the years—even those costing up to eight times as much. Its sharp, slim blade curves gently at the tip for good rocking motion during chopping, and its comfortable nonslip handle and excellent overall balance make it a kitchen workhorse.
$29.95

Shun Classic Kitchen Shears
Thanks to 9-inch, razor-sharp blades (one with fine microserrations, the other with deep grooves), these shears make breaking down a chicken feel effortless. The large, rubbery handles are comfy, and the blades are symmetrical for both right- and left-handed use. Blades come apart for easy cleanup.
$39.95
Click to expand...

I have the 3 Victorinox knives that they recommended and they are fantastic. Not the fanciest looking but they work great for me.
 
First off, I highly recommend against buying a set. Sets are a great way for companies to sell you a bunch of knives you'll never use. I really recommend you buy one or two quality knives and you'll never look back. A chef's knife and a parer should do everything you need. After that you can maybe add a slicer and a bread knife and you should be set.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with Victorinox. They're cheap and great. A lot of people are going to recommend one of the big German battle axle companies (Wusthof, Messermeister, Henkels)... I'm just going to get this out there--I HATE those knives. They're just overpriced for what they are. Get a Victorinox chef's, parer, slicer, bread knife and steel and you're set. These knives will cut as good as any of the German battle axes and cost you significantly less.

I would say get the following in this order.

8" chef's knife (go 10" if you like them a big bigger, 8" is too short for me personally, but if your wife is using the set she'll probably want to keep it at 8")

Amazon.com: Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife: Home & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31N-bn2yuRL.@@AMEPARAM@@31N-bn2yuRL

4" paring

Amazon.com: Victorinox 47508 3-1/4-Inch Paring Knife: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/11Fr%2BHKx-gL.@@AMEPARAM@@11Fr%2BHKx-gL

Honing steel

Amazon.com: Victorinox Sharpening Steel: Home & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21JXaQc8IAL.@@AMEPARAM@@21JXaQc8IAL

Slicer (great for brisket)

Amazon.com: Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife with Fibrox Handle: Home & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411Xx6vzTpL.@@AMEPARAM@@411Xx6vzTpL

Bread knife

Amazon.com: Victorinox Cutlery 8-Inch Wavy Edge Bread Knife, Black Fibrox Handle: Home & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21S1HmltusL.@@AMEPARAM@@21S1HmltusL

Take care of these and they'll last you a long time. If you really want to get high quality knives (which require extra care and advanced sharpening techniques) I can swing you in that direction but that's not always the right decision for a lot of people.
 
We have a "Block Set" by Kitchen Aid. It works fine for us. Got it on sale with a rebate. Cost us around $60-$70. Came with the sharpening steel. It gets them really sharp. Everyone that uses them ends up cutting themselves. They are not used to using a sharp knife. I use the steel almost everytime I use a knife. That way it stays sharp and ready to go. Also have a box of bandaids, just in case.
 
To me, knives are a personal thing. The handle, weight and balance have to be right. That makes it hard to give as a gift. The suggestions from Cook's Illustrated are good ones, but if they don't feel right when in use they are worse than the old knives.
 
Don't know how much you want to spend, but a 6" Wusthoff Chefs knife and a paring knife can be had as a set at Bed Bath and Beyond. You can get a 20% off coupon and be out the door for just over $100. I absolutely love mine. The balance is great and it cuts like-well-a hot knife through butter. May be expensive, but well worth it IMHO. With these 2 they make a great starter set that you can expand on later.
 
As many have said, sets suck. Just make sure the knives you buy are quality. The individual Victorinox knives above are pretty good knives and are very affordable. The benefit of these is that if they are dull after a year or two just throw them out and get some new ones and you're only out maybe $25-$30. I would possibly get the boning and slicing knives from them, but for a chef's knife and paring would only buy Wusthof. I am a professional chef and have been using a Wusthof Santoku for five years and it is still VERY sharp. The key to keeping them sharp is to only cut on appropriate surfaces (wood or plastic cutting boards) and NEVER on plates, glass cutting boards, metal, or counter tops (unless butcher block). Beyond that I use an oval shaped DIAMOND steel to hone/sharpen my knives, with the blade at about a 15-20 degree angle to the steel. Never a sharpening stone. With the diamond steel you'll never need a stone that can potentially wreck your blades. Hope this helped!
 
kyle corn said:
First off, I highly recommend against buying a set. Sets are a great way for companies to sell you a bunch of knives you'll never use. I really recommend you buy one or two quality knives and you'll never look back. A chef's knife and a parer should do everything you need. After that you can maybe add a slicer and a bread knife and you should be set.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with Victorinox. They're cheap and great. A lot of people are going to recommend one of the big German battle axle companies (Wusthof, Messermeister, Henkels)... I'm just going to get this out there--I HATE those knives. They're just overpriced for what they are. Get a Victorinox chef's, parer, slicer, bread knife and steel and you're set. These knives will cut as good as any of the German battle axes and cost you significantly less.

I would say get the following in this order.

8" chef's knife (go 10" if you like them a big bigger, 8" is too short for me personally, but if your wife is using the set she'll probably want to keep it at 8")

Amazon.com: Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife: Home & Garden

4" paring

Amazon.com: Victorinox 47508 3-1/4-Inch Paring Knife: Kitchen & Dining

Honing steel

Amazon.com: Victorinox Sharpening Steel: Home & Garden

Slicer (great for brisket)

Amazon.com: Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife with Fibrox Handle: Home & Garden

Bread knife

Amazon.com: Victorinox Cutlery 8-Inch Wavy Edge Bread Knife, Black Fibrox Handle: Home & Garden

Take care of these and they'll last you a long time. If you really want to get high quality knives (which require extra care and advanced sharpening techniques) I can swing you in that direction but that's not always the right decision for a lot of people.
Click to expand...

I agree with Kyle Corn, Victronix is the way to go and u dont need all the knives a set gives u. I would make one modification to the list above and say get a 9" bread knife. I have an 8" and it is difficult to cut a whole loaf slice at times. Try this one:
Amazon.com: Victorinox Cutlery 9-Inch Wavy Edge Bread Knife, Black Polypropylene Handle: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/217hvRnpdRL.@@AMEPARAM@@217hvRnpdRL
 
Great suggestions. Thank you all for your time on this. Decisions Decisions.
 
P.S.-the big difference between the Victorinox vs. the german "battle axes" as they were called above is a stamped blade vs. a forged blade. That's where your money is going. Forged blades that can hold an edge and can resist corrosion for a much longer time. Hope I don't ruffle any feathers there, I'm just very deffensive of my Wusthofs.:wink:
 
I'll take one of the German battle axes any day of the week. They sharpen better, stay sharp longer, and will handle many years of hard use. I would stay away from the box sets and focus on a good 8-10" chef knife and a paring knife to start with. These by far get the lions share of work in my kitchen. Additional knives can be added as required. A good Wustof, Henkel, Global, or various Oriental knives are worth the extra $ in my opinion. If you can go to a good kitchen or restaurant store and handle them all the better. Each brand will feel different and get the one you like. Buy the best knife you can afford.........once. I chose Henckel Professional S and am extremely happy with them.
 
Soulman1282 said:
As many have said, sets suck. Just make sure the knives you buy are quality. The individual Victorinox knives above are pretty good knives and are very affordable. The benefit of these is that if they are dull after a year or two just throw them out and get some new ones and you're only out maybe $25-$30. I would possibly get the boning and slicing knives from them, but for a chef's knife and paring would only buy Wusthof. I am a professional chef and have been using a Wusthof Santoku for five years and it is still VERY sharp. The key to keeping them sharp is to only cut on appropriate surfaces (wood or plastic cutting boards) and NEVER on plates, glass cutting boards, metal, or counter tops (unless butcher block). Beyond that I use an oval shaped DIAMOND steel to hone/sharpen my knives, with the blade at about a 15-20 degree angle to the steel. Never a sharpening stone. With the diamond steel you'll never need a stone that can potentially wreck your blades. Hope this helped!
Click to expand...

I've been trying to find a deal on Wusthof. Maybe as we get closer to Christmas? I know she would like these. For my wife cooking tools are like woodworking tools for me. I notice that she really only uses a couple out of our current set. I'm not sure if that is just because the rest are really dull or if she just prefers those two.

Dumb question. - You mentioned only cutting on appropriate surfaces. We have a couple of Corian cutting boards. Do you know if these are ok or should I also be shopping for a different board? Also when it comes to Wusthof do they have a "professional series" vs a "home" series or are they all created equal?

thanks again
 
I have a Wusthof I really like, it is an 8" chefs knife. I have any number of paring knives, they are all fine. There is a lot of debate actually, amongst knife guys, about the benefits of forging or reductive knives that are stamped. The Wusthof, and most of the other German knives are not hand forged, they are machine forged, with a two or three step forging cold pressure process that does not actually offer the same benefits of hand forging. But, a hand forged knife is not going to cost you under $500.

I do not like Vistorinox, they just never feel right to me. I do use Dexter Russels, but, they are not a lot better, just a little heavier. Since I prefer a blade heavy knife, I tend to use Japanese carbon steel blades. I also like a 6" chefs, or 6" utility along with the chef and paring knifes.

I would suggest you do not cut on plastic, or Corain, as they are not good for blades. With my good blades, it is either wood or Epicurean boards only. In fact, I love Epicurean boards, light, durable, east to clean, easy to store and pretty attractive. If someone were to hand me a few of those for Christmas I would be very happy.
 
I read up on corian (cause I'd never heard of it) and even though it resists mold and mildew, and is NSF certified food safe, they don't mention using it as a cutting surface. I swear by wood cutting boards. The John Boos Co. in particular. A rock maple cutting board, properly cleaned and oiled, will last you a lifetime. Also recent studies have proven that while plastic start out more hygienic, once they are marred up they hold bacteria in those small fissures and you can never get them out. Wood naturally resists bacteria and when it gets all marred up you simply sand it down and re-oil it. I got my John Boos. cutting board and Wusthof knife as a Christmas gift and don't know how I'd live without them! I forgot to mention that bamboo does not count as a wood cutting board because technically bamboo is a grass, which is fibrous, which eventually wears down and those fibers dull your knife. Wusthof has several lines of cutlery, of varying quality. The best is the "Classic" line the step down is the "Gourmet" line. I would go for the gusto and get the classic because the gourmet has a stamped or "laser cut" blade so I'd be leery. Good luck!
 
Absolutely NEVER use a corian cutting board, unless you're intentionally trying to damage your knives.

Here are my preferences

End grain hard wood
Edge grain hard wood
Sani-tuff
Poly boards
Bamboo

Glass, marble, corian, etc. are not safe cutting board surfaces.

I have a hand made 18x24" maple cutting board made by David at http://theboardsmith.com/ it is a functional work of art.
 
Wow, those are some really nice looking cutting boards. Will have to keep them in mind. Thnx for the link.
 
I have to agree about not getting a set. A good paring knife, and chef or santoku knife is what i use the most. The key to any knife is keeping it sharp!
 
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