Who knows about cutlery?!
Who knows about cutlery?
I want to buy my husband a set of knives for his birthday (he likes to chop and cook). What brand of knives with a maximum price of $200.00 (or a little more) would be a good investment--meaning they are quality made and will last a long time in addition to actually cutting very good?
Answers:
I am a huge fan of the better Henckels knives...they are absolutely wonderful!
The biggest thing that keeps a knife lasting a long time is hand washing and using a honing steel every time you use it.
That said, there are things to look for in good knives. Make sure the metal part of the blade is continued all the way through the handle, not just attached to it. Be sure the handle looks like it's made to fit a hand (in other words no square handles).
Most good manufacturers have a lifetime guarantee on knives. This varies by breakage, dullness, etc, but look at the warranty on the package. I'm sorry I can't give you specific brand. My favorites are from KitchenAid and JA Hinkel. $200 is a small price for a great set, so I wish you luck!
Henckels knives are great, and there are others. Be sure to get full-tang knives with riveted grips, and stay away from stainless. Carbon steel holds an incredible edge, and stainless can't touch it for keenness and general utility. NEVER put a good knife in the dishwasher!
Chefs Catalog has some nice sets in that price range, I'm a Wusthof man myself, have a look:
http://www.chefscatalog.com/home.aspx?so...
Click shop, cutlery,cutlery sets
Shun knives are very nice. One good knife would be better than an average set. Also hear good things about ceramic knives but have not tried them yet.
I know it's your husband's birthday, but if you could try to get him to a kitchen supply store and have him try out some knives. The knife should feel comfortable in your hand, sure the blade can be sharp as you want but if your hand slips or gets fatigued your in for a nasty accident. Also, your husband may find out he likes a stamped blade which is of lesser quality but lighter and some are razor sharp. Forged blades heavier are more expensive and require greater care but will last you a life time with proper care. I have used the Wusthof Classic series for years, they take and keep an incredible edge for a long time, just hone it on a regular basis. But the comfort and fit is purely on a one on one level, they fit and work for "me," not with everybody. I like Global's blades but the handle is too small for me. If you or you husband should decide to go with Wusthof I recommend getting a 8 or 10 inch chef knife, 3 1/2 or 4 inch paring, and maybe a 5 or 7 inch santoku. Again, holding and possibly using the knife at the store will reveal what knife to buy. He will be able to do just about anything with these three knives. Stay away from ceramic (mpento, if your reading, don't even waste your money, I saw a demonstration where the knife was supposed to fall from a counter top and not get damaged...well it broke in half, it seems there nice if you have to cut a tomato before your boss who came to dinner and need some strange way of impressing him or her lol.) Also as mpento said, Shun is a very good knife.
I personally use Wusthoff, but many of the brands out there are quite good (Chicago Cutlery, Henkel, Global, etc...). You want something that feels good and comfortable in your hand, so you may want to give a gift certificate or take him with you to a store where he can feel the knives in his hand.
A knife block with 8+ knives looks nice, but you may want to buy in pieces. You will find 3 knives get 99% of use - a chefs knife, perhaps 10" long (you can find them from about 8" to 12", I prefer 10"), a paring knife and a serated (bread) knife. I occasionally use a boning or filey knife, but that's only professionally, not at home, as anything I get at the store is already fabricated. Also, scissors. You may find a good deal where the whole block set is a good deal, about the same as those 4 pieces individually, but other than that "buying in bulk" deal, more is not really better.
If you want to buy a set, Calphalon Contemporary makes a 14 piece set that is outstanding for machine made knives. They look great, are sturdy, and have a lifetime warrantee. If you would rather buy super gourmet, spend $200 starting your husband a collection by buying 2 knives and a honing steel from a hand-made collection such as wusthoff or henckel's. Start with an 8" chef knife or a 7" santoku, as well as a utility or parer. Hit the Bed Bath and Beyond in your area, they have a good selection and will open the case so you can hold the pieces. They will answer any questions as well. They even let me use my coupon even though my coupon stated no henckel's or wusthoff!
I would say any knives like Kikuichi or Kershaw or Wusthof make good quality knives for reasonable prices. Search around online, a place called mortys knives has a stunning selection. They have awesome stuff. Good luck on finding something for your husband!!! :) Hope I helped!
Hi Anita
you can always trust the Ceramic Knives by Kyocera.
This Knives are really nice, and i can guarantee a great cut.
The prices goes from $60.00 to $269.00 Dlls. And they have a great line of products, such as Double Edge Slicer Mandoline, Ceramic Peeler. And the best of all they don't, rust, stain, taste, smell. They're perfectly balance and are lightweight. Definitely this knives are the best option.
I used to work for Cutco. They have great knives. I still have mine and use them often. They are guaranteed for life, and are made differently than any other knives. My grandmother still has hers from the early 1950's or 60's. They are super easy to get serviced if that ever arrises. Which it almost never does, but everything is free. I would advise checking them out. You won't be disappointed!
may I recommend this a perfect gift for your husband ?
http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/sta...
this set is also made for lefties, as Japanese knives have different blade from western offerings.
please go to www.watanabeblade.com (english version) and look at the sets this gentleman offers, they are all made by hand and his workmanship is simply the best. they are extremely sharp, beautifully balanced and a joy to use. some blades are laminated steel, the same technique used in making samurai swords, his family is famous for their work. his cutlery will last you your lifetime. I used them all including ceramics and custom made pieces (I am not a stranger to $2000 sushi knives and hand-balanced $1500 chef's knives), nothing compares to his work, it is also unconditionally guaranteed.
please read descriptions as each blade has a different purpose. A good santoku and deba or yanagi will be the way to start. his prices are ridiculously low for the quality offered. You can actually buy a kitchen set (all hand made) for $200. His single pieces are more expensive but worth every penny. he also signs each knife he makes his family was making swords/cutlery for hundreds of years.
http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/ind...
he is also a gentleman in the best meaning of the word, a true artist who takes pride in waht he does.
If your husband is the cook ,I think he would want to buy his own set of knives.This would be a personal preference.(I also heard that giving knives as a gift is bad luck)...but i am not superstitious.Are You?