Author Topic: Knife Sets  (Read 7053 times)

Guizmo

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Knife Sets
« on: December 16, 2017, 04:49:44 PM »
Hi all,

We're looking for a knife set that we can sharpen and keep for a long time. Any recommendations? I'm thinking in the $200-$300 range. I've seen Cutco recommended but wow, seems pricey!

LDoon

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2017, 05:47:23 PM »
A full knife set rarely gets fully used.  I have a 21-piece set and probably use 5 of them.  A la carte would be my suggestion.  Get a nice steak knife set, a paring knife, a chef knife and a boning knife.  The brand of steak knifes is irrelevant, just find something that you like.  For the actual knifes, spend money on good ones because they get used all the time.  I use Victorinox.  Good quality and easily sharpened but not overly expensive. 

If you don't care about price, Wusthof is great (and priced accordingly). 

Acorns

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2017, 10:01:28 PM »
I have had almost this exact knife set for almost 15 years and I am very happy with it http://www.zwillingonline.com/35065700.html. It's at a great price right now and I actually just sent it to someone as a gift. The thing with knives is, whatever brand you go with, get them professionally sharpened every year or so (depending on how often you use them). No matter how high quality the knife is, if it is dull it is dangerous to use!

libertarian4321

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2017, 04:55:33 AM »
Bought a set of Ginsu on HSN in 1999 or so, for about $25.

Still work great.

Note:  these knives cut meat, etc.  They have ZERO snob appeal.  If you are looking for snob appeal, there are plenty of companies wlling to sell you a single knife for 10 times the cost of what I paid for the set.

libertarian4321

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2017, 04:56:25 AM »
Bought a set of Ginsu on HSN in 1999 or so, for about $25.

Still work great.

Note:  these knives cut meat, etc.  They have ZERO snob appeal.  If you are looking for snob appeal, there are plenty of companies wlling to sell you a single knife for 10 times the cost of what I paid for the entire set.

jac941

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2017, 07:17:32 AM »
Buy the knifes you need a la cart — we have a set and never use most of them. All we regularly use are the bread knife, chefs knife, paring knife, and kitchen shears.

As far as brands .. we have Henckle and Wustolf which are fine but I don’t think worth the cost (they were gifts). The best value knife we have was $6 at a restaurant supply store 15 years ago. Ugly thing with a plastic handle and no name brand, but it holds a blade well and cuts better than the fancy knives we have.

justplucky

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2017, 01:03:54 PM »
I third buying them a la carte, or at least a small set (like three basic knives) with some supplements. The main knives I use are:

- Chef's knife (I own a Wusthof and a Victronix)
- Paring knife (I own two Victronix)
- Bread knife (I own a Victronix)

I have another knife that is a slicer from a Victronix set, but I don't use it as frequently.

I also own an electric knife for cutting large roasts, hams, etc. I am considering investing in a set of steak knives, but I've been able to manage without them so far.

Victronix was very highly rated by America's Test Kitchen, and is a fraction of the price of Wusthof, Messermeister, and other high-end knife manufacturers.


Acastus

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2018, 08:21:55 AM »
I bought a set of Henckel's 20 years ago for about $200. We use them every day. They are all still going strong, except for maybe the paring knife. Get the nice ones, not the cheaper serrated ones.

GizmoTX

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2018, 02:02:58 PM »
Henckels 4 Star for us, over 20 years ago & used every day. Get a French knife, 6" or 8",  & a paring knife to start, open stock (Amazon). We now have both sizes of French knives, serrated bread knife, serrated tomato knife, boning knife, & carving knife. It's important to keep them either in a block (horizontal storage or upside down if vertical to protect the cutting edge), secured on a magnetic strip, or in drawer inserts. Use a knife sharpener like the Chantry before every use, & professionally sharpen (hone) the knives annually.

letired

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2018, 09:33:54 PM »
I don't have any long term comments, but my roommate and her knives moved out recently, so I bought myself this set: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro3pcset.html

It's the right price point for me right now, and in a few more months, I'll get stones and learn to sharpen.  Should keep me going for a few years!

lthenderson

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2018, 08:07:34 AM »
More importantly than the brand of knives you buy is how you plan to keep them sharp. After buying all kinds of sharpeners over the years, I finally saw this reviewed and bought one.

https://www.amazon.com/ChefsChoice-120-EdgeSelect-Sharpener-100-percent/dp/B00004S1B8/

It sharpens knives easily and repeatedly. The last part is very important because with many of the other types of sharpeners I could get knives sharp some of the time but not all of the time.

After buying this sharpener, I started sharpening all the knives in my kitchen from the fancy expensive ones to the cheap ones that we inherited somehow. The sharpener makes them all razor sharp and a pleasure to cut with. The difference between the expensive fancy knives and the cheap ones has more to do with the comfort and balance of holding the knife rather than the edge it keeps. So my advice is to buy knives that are comfortable to hold in your hand, regardless of brand name, and then get a quality sharpener to keep them razor sharp.

Hibernaculum

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2018, 12:11:15 PM »
It is useful to think of your cutting as a system, a system that includes not only the knives, but also how you sharpen them and what you cut on.

Knives. I agree with the others who have posted that you don't need a set, just a few good knives: chef's knife (and/or Chinese slicer-cleaver), smaller knife (something from 90-150mm blade length or possibly both if you do a lot of in-hand cutting), maybe a boning knife, maybe a bread knife. If you keep your knives sharp, you won't need a serrated "tomato" knife. The big German brands all use the same stainless steel. It is rather soft as steels go. Durable but doesn't hold an edge for a particularly long time. The Victorinox Swiss-made knives use the same steel, so that's one good way to go.

Victorinox chef:
https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B000638D32

Victorinox paring:
https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Paring-Knife-Straight-Spear/dp/B0019WXPQY

I'm a big fan of Chinese-style knives. They look like a Western cleaver used for bones, but in fact, they're thinner and great for everything BUT bones. Here's a good one (carbon steel, so will need wiping down after use, but takes a wicked edge):
http://wokshop.stores.yahoo.net/vegcleav.html

Bread knife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6

Sharpening. There are all sorts of gizmos that attempt to do what a good hand-sharpening will do. Generally, they will sort of hack a ragged edge onto the knife, but they remove too much steel, and don't allow you to thin when the time comes for that to be needed. Using a sharpening stone has a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get it, you'll be able to put a very fine edge on your knives whenever you want, in just a few minutes. You'll also realize that "factory sharp" is not as sharp as a knife can be, but rather more of a starting point. Here's a really nice combination waterstone, costs a little over $50 not including shipping:
http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_405_583_585&products_id=2055

And here's a good video channel to help you learn how to use it:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpgJbCAVxzDHKaKYeuGYyOA

Cutting Board. Finally, make sure you're cutting on wood rather than (shudder) glass or stone. Even bamboo isn't great, because the glue that is used to hold all the little pieces is pretty hard. All these harder surfaces will dull your knives very quickly. Edge-grain or (even better but pricey) end-grain wood will allow your edges to last longer. Something like this would give you a nice large cutting surface, if you have the space in your kitchen:
https://www.amazon.com/Michigan-Maple-Block-AGA02418-Cutting/dp/B0040EDQRG/

You can pick up mineral oil from your local drugstore to keep the board from drying out.

For meats and whatnot, you can use the same board, sanitizing with a dilute bleach solution, or just use a plastic board and run that through the dishwasher.

Add in steak knives:
https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Classic-6-Piece-2-Inch-Serrated/dp/B005LRYQ2A

and add in a boning knife from your local restaurant supply store for something under $20, and you're right at $300, assuming $20 for shipping for the stone from Japan.

Plugging Along

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2018, 03:38:41 PM »
Hi all,

We're looking for a knife set that we can sharpen and keep for a long time. Any recommendations? I'm thinking in the $200-$300 range. I've seen Cutco recommended but wow, seems pricey!

I have to say, I love my cutco knives.   They are pricey but work it.   I have had mine for almost 17 years now, and they have lasted.   They cut better, stay shape, and their warrenty is second to none.   I had broken two knives (both my fault).   They fixed or in my case replaced them.   Twice I s not them in for sharpening and it was just shipping.   I think I go to it free because I ended up buying an additional knife.

I starred with a smaller set  bu now i have almot all of them. I cook a lot so a good set of knives is important to me.

wawot1

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2018, 09:17:32 PM »
Check out restaurant supply stores in the area - you can get some really good deals.  Guess who their customers are?  People who are chopping / cutting all day every day for a living.  They sell practical knives without all the marketing smoke and mirrors.

JLee

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2018, 09:23:11 PM »
I have a Victorinox chef's knife, bread knife, and paring knife.  I haven't felt a need for anything else and they take quite a lovely edge.

Reddleman

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2018, 04:23:19 PM »
Definitely agree on the 3 knife, high quality set.  You will probably never have to buy another set.  It's worth the ~$200.  If you cook every day, the amortized cost is pennies.

If anything, I'd suggest actually holding the knives before purchasing though.  Henkels, Wusthof, etc. are all good and can last a lifetime.  The difference is mostly in how they handle.  They are all shaped slightly differently and you will probably prefer one over the others. 

We ended up with Lamson- german steel but honed and made in the USA.  They just seemed to fit my hands better and I loved the wood and rivet look too.   We've had them 15 years now and they're still one of the best purchases ever.

matchewed

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2018, 04:28:18 PM »
Victorinox makes incredible knives for very little money.

dragoncar

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Re: Knife S
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2018, 02:42:46 AM »
I third buying them a la carte, or at least a small set (like three basic knives) with some supplements. The main knives I use are:

- Chef's knife (I own a Wusthof and a Victronix)
- Paring knife (I own two Victronix)
- Bread knife (I own a Victronix)

I have another knife that is a slicer from a Victronix set, but I don't use it as frequently.

I also own an electric knife for cutting large roasts, hams, etc. I am considering investing in a set of steak knives, but I've been able to manage without them so far.

Victronix was very highly rated by America's Test Kitchen, and is a fraction of the price of Wusthof, Messermeister, and other high-end knife manufacturers.

Wow are you me?  I find that I use the Victorinox more because it’s he “cheaper” knife but that means I need to sharpen it more.  Iirc it uses a Japanese angle.  My wustof is reserved for when I really need a sharp knife but I like using it more but that could be because I use it less

If I could do it over again I’d just get a few victorinox as needed

Blindsquirrel

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #18 on: February 04, 2018, 10:46:17 AM »
   If you want to go a cheaper route, get ceramic knives from ebay or Amazon, they are amazingly sharp. Have only been using them for a couple years but they were only $25 for five of them and they have held up fine so far.

Eucalyptus

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2018, 07:38:10 PM »
I've cut down to just the One Knife after living in Japan. There, lots of families tend to just have one good knife for kitchen use; a Santoku.


A Santoku is a chef's knife that is a bit shorter. Because it is a bit shorter and lighter than a full chef's, its quite good for fine things including using the point. If you have one knife, you will know its feel and balance intimately, and as such you will also become more capable with it. Your muscle memory evolves to it. The same is said for things like cricket bats, hockey sticks, rifles, cameras and lenses, etc. You become expert. I only have one knife to sharpen, one to clean. Its very easy to clean such a good knife between jobs while cooking (just put under running tap for a few seconds and wipe with your dishcloth). As you don't even put the knife down, or think about which knife to use next, and have a simplified kitchen with less decisions, you move faster. The knife is always clean, kept clean and dry, and doesn't end up in a pile of dirty knives for hours waiting to be cleaned (this is how knives go bad...).


As its one knife you can spend some money. I got a Global brand fluted Santoku. I had thought that I would miss a bread knife, but it turns out that with the flutes, as long as I keep it sharp (I do, with a recommended ceramic water sharpener), its great at cutting bread! If I made my own bread that I had to slice, perhaps i would buy a dedicated bread knife, but cheap bread knives usually last forever and do a fine job.


As others have said, good quality knives, sharpened properly, last forever. I sharpen once a week usually, which is plenty.


I also have some steak knives that I got second hand from my grandfathers house. Cheap steak knives are just fine. Get some second hand from somewhere.


If I had more money at the time when I bought the Santoku, I might have bought a fancier one. When my daughter grows up and moves out, I might give her my Santoku and buy another nicer one. Or just buy her the nice one; she'll inherit it anyway. This Dalstrong Santoku is utterly gorgeous. Turn heads when people come to your house, and explain your Santoku minimalist moustachian philosophy!


I think going to a single knife like this, is also a great way to introduce moustachian style minimalism into your life, or at least help it develop.

geekette

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2018, 08:02:08 PM »
I have some 30+ year old Chicago Cutlery knives which are great, but don't buy new ones (they were US made, but now they're made of poor quality Chinese steel).  You can get vintage ones pretty cheap on ebay though!

StealthFundip

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #21 on: February 13, 2018, 09:57:12 AM »
I've cut down to just the One Knife after living in Japan. There, lots of families tend to just have one good knife for kitchen use; a Santoku.


A Santoku is a chef's knife that is a bit shorter. Because it is a bit shorter and lighter than a full chef's, its quite good for fine things including using the point. If you have one knife, you will know its feel and balance intimately, and as such you will also become more capable with it. Your muscle memory evolves to it. The same is said for things like cricket bats, hockey sticks, rifles, cameras and lenses, etc. You become expert. I only have one knife to sharpen, one to clean. Its very easy to clean such a good knife between jobs while cooking (just put under running tap for a few seconds and wipe with your dishcloth). As you don't even put the knife down, or think about which knife to use next, and have a simplified kitchen with less decisions, you move faster. The knife is always clean, kept clean and dry, and doesn't end up in a pile of dirty knives for hours waiting to be cleaned (this is how knives go bad...).

This reminds me of a quote I've heard, "Beware the man with only one weapon, for he likely knows how to use it."

I have to +1 the single knife ideology, when I moved out of my parent's house I suddenly heard from all my friends and acquaintances about all the "kitchen essentials" I had to acquire.  My parents gifted me a cheap set of walmart pots, which died before my year long lease was up! I saw the prices for the knife block sets, knowing I might use 3 or 4 knives of the 30+ included, and bought myself a 5" $15 ceramic chef knife instead. 

I love it, I grew up using dull crappy knives and this ceramic one expanded my horizons by light years!  I could finally cut tomatoes, bread, chicken bones, 3/4" rebar, ANYTHING!! It's the only kitchen item I own that makes me feel fulfilled besides my huge cutting board I made in high school woodshop.  It's my knife, it's been with me through thousands of meals, and I know every aspect of it like the back of my hand.  All of that for only $15! What an investment!!**

I've never heard of the Santoku knives, but I'll definitely look at getting one if I ever need a replacement.  However, a part of me wants to get a ceramic paring knife.  The chef knife isn't as precise as I'd like it to be sometimes but I've lived without it for over 2 months now - maybe once I get some more income I can splurge for a 2 knife life.





**I'm sure Eucalyptus would agree, but if you go to a One Knife Life®, you'd better get a knife that's worthy.  Trying this out with the $1.49 Walmart discount bin knife will NOT work out well.

JLee

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #22 on: February 13, 2018, 03:42:48 PM »
I've cut down to just the One Knife after living in Japan. There, lots of families tend to just have one good knife for kitchen use; a Santoku.


A Santoku is a chef's knife that is a bit shorter. Because it is a bit shorter and lighter than a full chef's, its quite good for fine things including using the point. If you have one knife, you will know its feel and balance intimately, and as such you will also become more capable with it. Your muscle memory evolves to it. The same is said for things like cricket bats, hockey sticks, rifles, cameras and lenses, etc. You become expert. I only have one knife to sharpen, one to clean. Its very easy to clean such a good knife between jobs while cooking (just put under running tap for a few seconds and wipe with your dishcloth). As you don't even put the knife down, or think about which knife to use next, and have a simplified kitchen with less decisions, you move faster. The knife is always clean, kept clean and dry, and doesn't end up in a pile of dirty knives for hours waiting to be cleaned (this is how knives go bad...).

This reminds me of a quote I've heard, "Beware the man with only one weapon, for he likely knows how to use it."

I have to +1 the single knife ideology, when I moved out of my parent's house I suddenly heard from all my friends and acquaintances about all the "kitchen essentials" I had to acquire.  My parents gifted me a cheap set of walmart pots, which died before my year long lease was up! I saw the prices for the knife block sets, knowing I might use 3 or 4 knives of the 30+ included, and bought myself a 5" $15 ceramic chef knife instead. 

I love it, I grew up using dull crappy knives and this ceramic one expanded my horizons by light years!  I could finally cut tomatoes, bread, chicken bones, 3/4" rebar, ANYTHING!! It's the only kitchen item I own that makes me feel fulfilled besides my huge cutting board I made in high school woodshop.  It's my knife, it's been with me through thousands of meals, and I know every aspect of it like the back of my hand.  All of that for only $15! What an investment!!**

I've never heard of the Santoku knives, but I'll definitely look at getting one if I ever need a replacement.  However, a part of me wants to get a ceramic paring knife.  The chef knife isn't as precise as I'd like it to be sometimes but I've lived without it for over 2 months now - maybe once I get some more income I can splurge for a 2 knife life.





**I'm sure Eucalyptus would agree, but if you go to a One Knife Life®, you'd better get a knife that's worthy.  Trying this out with the $1.49 Walmart discount bin knife will NOT work out well.

I love my Victorinox paring knife.  They're $7.  That + a chef's knife is all I've really needed.

A single knife wouldn't work too well for me -- coring apple quarters would be problematic with a large knife.

Mrs. Rocker

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #23 on: February 13, 2018, 05:51:21 PM »
Love Cutco knives. My favorite and most used knife is the 6 3/4" petite carver. Also use the paring and steak knives. I've had them for 10+ years and they have kept their sharpness perfectly. Well worth the $$.

Eucalyptus

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #24 on: February 14, 2018, 05:38:40 AM »
I've cut down to just the One Knife after living in Japan. There, lots of families tend to just have one good knife for kitchen use; a Santoku.


A Santoku is a chef's knife that is a bit shorter. Because it is a bit shorter and lighter than a full chef's, its quite good for fine things including using the point. If you have one knife, you will know its feel and balance intimately, and as such you will also become more capable with it. Your muscle memory evolves to it. The same is said for things like cricket bats, hockey sticks, rifles, cameras and lenses, etc. You become expert. I only have one knife to sharpen, one to clean. Its very easy to clean such a good knife between jobs while cooking (just put under running tap for a few seconds and wipe with your dishcloth). As you don't even put the knife down, or think about which knife to use next, and have a simplified kitchen with less decisions, you move faster. The knife is always clean, kept clean and dry, and doesn't end up in a pile of dirty knives for hours waiting to be cleaned (this is how knives go bad...).

This reminds me of a quote I've heard, "Beware the man with only one weapon, for he likely knows how to use it."

I have to +1 the single knife ideology, when I moved out of my parent's house I suddenly heard from all my friends and acquaintances about all the "kitchen essentials" I had to acquire.  My parents gifted me a cheap set of walmart pots, which died before my year long lease was up! I saw the prices for the knife block sets, knowing I might use 3 or 4 knives of the 30+ included, and bought myself a 5" $15 ceramic chef knife instead. 

I love it, I grew up using dull crappy knives and this ceramic one expanded my horizons by light years!  I could finally cut tomatoes, bread, chicken bones, 3/4" rebar, ANYTHING!! It's the only kitchen item I own that makes me feel fulfilled besides my huge cutting board I made in high school woodshop.  It's my knife, it's been with me through thousands of meals, and I know every aspect of it like the back of my hand.  All of that for only $15! What an investment!!**

I've never heard of the Santoku knives, but I'll definitely look at getting one if I ever need a replacement.  However, a part of me wants to get a ceramic paring knife.  The chef knife isn't as precise as I'd like it to be sometimes but I've lived without it for over 2 months now - maybe once I get some more income I can splurge for a 2 knife life.





**I'm sure Eucalyptus would agree, but if you go to a One Knife Life®, you'd better get a knife that's worthy.  Trying this out with the $1.49 Walmart discount bin knife will NOT work out well.


Yep totally agree. If you go one knife life then don't by that discount bin knife. There are lots of very decent Santokus on Amazon that are still cheaper than both the Global one, and the sexy one I linked above (even by the same brand). And of course a good sharpener. But you don't have to spend the earth. You'll probably spend much less than you would on a Wiltshire/Staysharp set of kitchen knives. Which are garbage in comparison.


Yep, apple coring would be a challenge with the Santoku. But. Zen Eucalyptus-sensei asks; "Why core hole, when you just make two piece apple and eat same same, @JLee -san?"

I think a key part of minimalism sometimes is thinking outside of the box to achieve either the same result, or, what is in the end the same result. It encourages lateral thinking. You replace material objects with the power of your mind. Often this means a better result on the task at hand, and, free's up opportunities to make gains elsewhere in life. Minimalism is also a balance. The law of diminishing returns still applies. If you a really need that paring knife, I won't judge ;-p

Saskatchewstachian

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #25 on: February 14, 2018, 06:29:16 AM »
I've cut down to just the One Knife after living in Japan. There, lots of families tend to just have one good knife for kitchen use; a Santoku.


A Santoku is a chef's knife that is a bit shorter. Because it is a bit shorter and lighter than a full chef's, its quite good for fine things including using the point. If you have one knife, you will know its feel and balance intimately, and as such you will also become more capable with it. Your muscle memory evolves to it. The same is said for things like cricket bats, hockey sticks, rifles, cameras and lenses, etc. You become expert. I only have one knife to sharpen, one to clean. Its very easy to clean such a good knife between jobs while cooking (just put under running tap for a few seconds and wipe with your dishcloth). As you don't even put the knife down, or think about which knife to use next, and have a simplified kitchen with less decisions, you move faster. The knife is always clean, kept clean and dry, and doesn't end up in a pile of dirty knives for hours waiting to be cleaned (this is how knives go bad...).


I was surprised by how far down I had read to find this. I 100% agree that a Santoku knife knife should be in the repertoire. I have a beautiful chef's knife, pairing knife, etc that I all got as gifts but I still love my cheap Ikea Santoku type knife that I got when I started university. Due to being a cheap knife it takes a little more care to keep the blade from dulling to quickly but the knife itself is great for almost any kitchen job.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #26 on: February 16, 2018, 04:29:27 PM »
I sold Cutco Knives...we were all young once. I made some money, I just didn't have the heart of a high pressure salesperson. I got a free knife for being top in the month, it wasn't all bad I guess.

If you're going to buy cutco, not making a recommendation here, buy it from ebay. As soon as you get it, send it to the factory for sharpening (free). You'll end up with knives that function and look new, at a fraction of the price.
https://www.cutco.com/customer/sharpening.jsp#sm.00017vseo0cfte7mrnc15gptdziy4

I still have my knives I got as the demo set...that's the other way of getting them cheap. Get a job with them, get the knives, Quit.

I'm not convinced they're any better than Henckels or a lot of other brands. The bigger problem most customers had was cutting on poor surfaces, the Cutco cutting board (regular plastic) kept the knives lasting longer just because it was knife friendly. If you use it regularly, it keeps all knives lasting longer.

Knife care is far more important than the brand you buy.

dragoncar

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2018, 01:34:40 AM »
I sold Cutco Knives...we were all young once. I made some money, I just didn't have the heart of a high pressure salesperson. I got a free knife for being top in the month, it wasn't all bad I guess.

If you're going to buy cutco, not making a recommendation here, buy it from ebay. As soon as you get it, send it to the factory for sharpening (free). You'll end up with knives that function and look new, at a fraction of the price.
https://www.cutco.com/customer/sharpening.jsp#sm.00017vseo0cfte7mrnc15gptdziy4

I still have my knives I got as the demo set...that's the other way of getting them cheap. Get a job with them, get the knives, Quit.

I'm not convinced they're any better than Henckels or a lot of other brands. The bigger problem most customers had was cutting on poor surfaces, the Cutco cutting board (regular plastic) kept the knives lasting longer just because it was knife friendly. If you use it regularly, it keeps all knives lasting longer.

Knife care is far more important than the brand you buy.

I was gonna say... free sharpening could make even crappy knives a pretty good deal.  But damn those cutcos are expensive.  I didn’t even pay that much for my forged set

blue-sakura

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #28 on: March 12, 2018, 09:26:05 PM »
I have bought a lot of knives over the years, I like Wusthof the most.  I've tried Henkels, no names, and many others, but Wusthof is the best to me in terms of quality, ability to stay sharp and keep a good edge, and balance/weight. I highly recommend just buying the basic ones and your own knife block and building as you go. See what you need before you buy a whole set you may not use, or before you overspend.  Critical knives for me: small paring knife, 1-2 Santoku knives, bread knife, and a set of steak knives.

JLee

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Re: Knife Sets
« Reply #29 on: March 14, 2018, 04:23:14 PM »
I have bought a lot of knives over the years, I like Wusthof the most.  I've tried Henkels, no names, and many others, but Wusthof is the best to me in terms of quality, ability to stay sharp and keep a good edge, and balance/weight. I highly recommend just buying the basic ones and your own knife block and building as you go. See what you need before you buy a whole set you may not use, or before you overspend.  Critical knives for me: small paring knife, 1-2 Santoku knives, bread knife, and a set of steak knives.

I used to use steak knives often and then switched to cooking steak/chicken/etc via sous vide and now I use (serrated) butter knives (the $8 flatware sets from Ikea) instead. They work surprisingly well!