Knife Set Recommendation?
16 Comments
tlc tlc, Level 83
Enthusiast
September 8, 2023

Here's a cooking technique collection. Emjoy! :) Kitchen Technique

Sage Russell, Level 9
Expert
February 12, 2014

Would love to know what you end up with. Unless it's Cutco or a shiny Maboroshi sushi sword... Then keep it to yourself.
~Sage

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Dianne Kendall, Level 1
Enthusiast
February 5, 2014

I have a couple of cutco knives and I LOVE them. The serrated ones are wonderful! The straight edge knives are really sharp and high quality. I will be ordering more soon. Give them a try...get a Cutco representative to give you a demonstration. They have "virtual" on-line teleconference type tutorials as well so you can learn more.

M L, Level 19
Enthusiast
January 22, 2014

Thank you Yumee Jang and Sage Russell for your wonderful tips! I am excited to get in the store and try out some knives. I'll let you both know what I come out with!

Yumee Jang, Level 15
Enthusiast
January 21, 2014

Sage Russell Thanks for your tip!! Your "physco assassin knife grip" reference on Knife Handling Tips was hillarious!

Yumee Jang, Level 15
Enthusiast
January 21, 2014

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🤖 💾 🍕 🌮 🌯 I personally never used a ceramic knife before, but being sharper than steel it can be very useful when slicing through your prep? However I did hear that they do chip when you try to cut through bone or frozen food. If you ever get a chance to test it out let us know what you think!

Sage Russell, Level 9
Expert
January 15, 2014

M L definitley don't skimp on knives, as you know they have more impact on prep time and therefore cooking tuime than any tool in the kitchen. I tend to agree with Yumee Jangs opinions. The most important thing is to geet any candidates in your hands. Knive tastes are very individual. You have a favourite, you just don't know it yet.

My two-cents if you are interested (and if you just want to see what I use in the kitchen, My Food Pilgrimage kit list is here http://foodpilgrimage.com/food-pilgrimage-essential-kit-list/)

1. Skip the "sets" focus on your Chef’s knife
85% of my kitchen tasks involve a 20cm / 9" chef's knife. The other 14% 4" paring knife (or a 6" Global GS-11 flexible utility knife if you're feeling flush). My third knife would be a cheap offset serrated for bread, crumbly things, and squishy things. I heartily recommend taking your knife budget and buying 2 amazing knives, rather than a kitschy wood block full of mediocre mystery knives that will never get used (3-inch, bird-beak fruit sculpting knife??)

2. Thin and light
Thin, light knives glide through food and are easier to control with precision. Heavy knives feel sturdy and satisfying, but trying to slice a brunoise with a thick, heavy blade feels like driving a 1977 Lincoln Towncar through a children's playground.

3. Be honest about sharpening.
If you know you will sharpen frequently (a diamond stone or a rod are my tools), you can invest in softer, thinner, lighter knives that take a sharp edge. If you won’t be sharpening frequently, you’re stuck with harder, heavier steel that holds an edge, but takes ages to hone. (Ooh, and why not watch my knife sharpening Grokker vid here Knife Sharpening )

4. Don’t buy for looks or prestige
Challenging I know, because many knives are a thing of beauty and it’s an easy way to look the part. My most used / favourite knives are my Global G-2 and my Global GS-11. But my super-secret second choice is Ikea’s $15 Gnistra chef’s knife. It balances, sharpens and slices almost identically to my Global. Go figure.

5. Don’t be a knife snob
That being said, here are my knife snob rants: Hate wood handles, they always seem to be damp and smelly. Hate plastic handles (even space-age polymer thermo-plastic) they’re always slippery. Chunky handles give me blisters; I dig knives whose bolster tapers into the blade. Thin Thin Thin, but not to the point of being flexible (unless it’s a boning / filleting / utility knife). Oh and I dislike ceramic knives. They feel rigid, brittle and stiff and tend to be too thick.

But enough about me... Go to a shop, get a few knives in your hands and wave em around. Feel the balance, weight, grip, etc. Buy your Chef’s Knife as if it will be with you for all of your days.
Hope that helps

~Sage

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Lorna Borenstein, Level 88
Enthusiast
January 14, 2014

Thanks so much Mike!

Mike Oxford, Level 1
Enthusiast
January 14, 2014

Lorna Borenstein - We just have the standard kitchen ones like these... http://www.cutco.com/products/thumbnail.jsp?category=20

Lorna Borenstein, Level 88
Enthusiast
January 13, 2014

Mike Oxford is there a particular kind of Cutco knife you love? I think I'll try a few, they sound awesome and I am tired of constantly sharpening mine.

Mike Oxford, Level 1
Enthusiast
January 13, 2014

We have Cutco knives and they're very sharp - as in ... we joke about not using them because they're too sharp. Maybe Yumee got a bad one or something but we've have nothing but good experience with them.

Cutco has free lifetime sharpening as well, though they do charge you for S&H and you have to send them off.

I retired my Heinkels because the Cutco we just toss in the dishwasher and don't worry about them. Had them for years and they're still amazingly sharp so the higher-maintenance Heinkels just stopped getting used. =)

For day-to-day use we've been very very happy with them.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🤖 💾 🍕 🌮 🌯, Level 8
Enthusiast

Yumee Jang, how do you feel about ceramic blades?

Yumee Jang, Level 15
Enthusiast
January 13, 2014

Louis Alley hmmmm, to be really blunt I would say toss them and get an actual knife. This is my take on Cutco knives after using them only once.... I was trying to chop carrots with Cutco chef's knife, first the handle was horrible, a good handle should feel full and sturdy in your hand, Cutco felt very thin and flimsy very plastic. Second the blade was really thick, a thin blade glides through your food, with Cutco I felt like I was forcing the cut with my arms and not my blade. Third it was really dull, in middle of chopping I had to sharpen the knife. I finally tossed the knife and reached for an Ikea knife (this was all at my sister's house by the way) and the Ikea knife worked better!

But this is my opinion, so if you like your knife and it works for you great!

Louis Alley, Level 32
Enthusiast
January 13, 2014

Is it heresy to ask about Cut Co?

Yumee Jang, Level 15
Enthusiast
January 13, 2014

M L Well it all depends on your price range since knife sets can set you back a bit, but here are some recommendations.
Messermeister - This is the knife set I got when I was in culinary school and still works great after 9 years, my 9" chef's knife is my go to knife, it does dull more often than others but sharpening them is not hard, you don't need a wet stone or anything. Bit on the heavy side but I like that.

Global Chef's Knives - This is also a bit pricy. I've used this couple times at other chef's kitchen and have been continuously impressed, very smooth and light. This is for serious choppers.

For the consumer end here are my top favorites:

Zwilling J.A. Henckels - Long lasting sharpness, dishwasher safe, and the handle design is great for beginners.
Chicago Cutlery - Bang for the buck! Great for beginner chef's you can bang this up and the blade will still be great!

These are the 4 I would look out for, I hope this helped!

M L, Level 19
Enthusiast
January 9, 2014

I am moving into a new apartment and have decided to revamp my kitchen tools a bit. My top priority is to get a new knife set. However, I'm not really sure where to start.

Does anyone have any advice for how to search for a new knife set? Or a recommendation for what the average chef might want to purchase?

Thanks everyone!

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