and wanted a set of knives (without steak knives if needed), what set would you get?

12/31/2007 2:34:41 PM

something cheap so i dont feel guilty about putting it into the dishwasher

12/31/2007 2:37:19 PM

I would get a ninja sword and some switchblades.

12/31/2007 2:39:07 PM

^ you appear to be lost...run along: message_section.aspx?section=9

12/31/2007 2:40:28 PM

I'd get on Ebay and buy some Cutco knives.

Easily the sharpest knives i've ever used. I absolutely love mine.

12/31/2007 2:47:30 PM

we just picked up a 2 pc ceramic knife set for christmas. Initially, soooo very sharp and easy to use. It was only ~80, so you can expand it beyond the chef and paring knife.

12/31/2007 3:03:02 PM

I second the Cutco, but good luck finding a lot of decent deals on ebay for what you want

if I could only spend $200 right now...it would be on this

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=11537

[Edited on December 31, 2007 at 3:15 PM. Reason : ]

12/31/2007 3:08:05 PM

Quote :

"something cheap so i dont feel guilty about putting it into the dishwasher "

I'm going to agree with this. I spent about $125 on my Henckels and I never use them because I have to handwash them when I'm done. $50 knives ftw.

12/31/2007 3:21:38 PM

seriously...

how hard is it to wash a fucking knife

12/31/2007 3:47:20 PM

^what he said

12/31/2007 4:07:09 PM

buy a cheap set then get a 190$ worth of condoms

12/31/2007 4:12:59 PM

I teach a unit on garnishing and the lady who taught the class before me spent a buttload on some crummy knives from Belk. They really are worthless to try to do garnishing with.

Speaking of knives, anyone know where I can get some plastic slip on blade covers?

12/31/2007 4:13:53 PM

i'm reading that anthony bourdain book kitchen confidential and he says that people shouldn't get those knife sets, and should instead stick to like 2 or 3 good quality ones, and those are all that you need.

12/31/2007 4:23:20 PM

so quality over quantity...sounds like a plan. whos quality should i buy?

12/31/2007 4:29:04 PM

i can look in the book later (it's not with me)...i'm not sure if you can find what he recommends on the internet. he mentioned the brand in the book i think though.

12/31/2007 4:34:26 PM

cutco is good stuff

12/31/2007 4:35:06 PM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CF99O?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=dealtime-kitchen-20&linkCode=asn

This set has good reviews and I saw it linked from a site that recommended it as good knives for the price. I'd get the set with the 7-inch santoku in the middle of the page for $94.90. I don't really know much about knife brands, but it seems like a relatively decent beginner set.

12/31/2007 4:42:02 PM

If you want to get just a few quality pieces...

Global
Wusthof - Grand Prix II
Henckels - Four Star II



and Cutco (if you can find it brand new...otherwise you'll have to find a sales rep)

12/31/2007 4:52:25 PM

Quote :

"seriously... how hard is it to wash a fucking knife"

Washing several knives per day, every day, for years will really add up. I have better things to do with my time.

How hard is it for knife companies to get with the 20th/21st Century? I mean, tomorrow will be 2008. Almost every house in America has had a dishwasher for the last 30 years. The blades are fine in the dishwasher. The only reason you can't run them in the dishwasher is because they try to make the handles impressive. There is no reason not to use a synthetic or metal handle to create knives that are nearly indestructable and will last a lifetime without having to handwash every one that you use.

Fashion + Function > Fashion By Itself.

[Edited on December 31, 2007 at 4:58 PM. Reason : l]

12/31/2007 4:55:15 PM

so, which is better a regular chef's knife or a santoku--i mean, i know it's a lot about preference, but i'm ok with opinions...

12/31/2007 4:55:32 PM

stay away from anything made in china.
I took some of my good knives (wustoff) to beck's cutlery to have them sharpened.
But I also grabbed a handfull of my cheeper blades as well.
they wouldn't even touch them. inferior steel.

I say for 200 you could get an 8" chef and a pairing knife to start you off on your collection.
then build from there.

12/31/2007 5:50:37 PM

i don't mind starting with a small set, but i'd want to get more than 2 knives for that kind of money

12/31/2007 7:08:37 PM

someone needs to page MetalRed or mawle427

12/31/2007 7:28:34 PM

As before

Wustorf
Henckles
Global
Kyocera makes some good ceramic knives i think...but they can like snap, but will stay sharp longer
(see how they feelin your hand)
Honestly chichago cutlery makes some good inexpensive stuff, the few people i knew going to wake tech for chefery used them because they were durable and inexpensive.

A good steel, proper technique using it, and possibly a shapening stone is almost as important as any knife will dull over time.

Get forged full tang, stamped is usually crap quality.

Cutco is the suck.

12/31/2007 9:23:43 PM

JA Henckles
Wustof
Messermeister "Meridian" (what i use, and my personal favorite)
Solingen
Global

All you really need is an 8" Chef Knife, paring knife, serrated bread knife, honing steel, and maybe a boning knife.

the rest is just fluff knive makers try to sell you in a "Set" to make money

[Edited on December 31, 2007 at 11:20 PM. Reason : ]

12/31/2007 11:19:52 PM

CutCo is complete shit. Do not waste your money on that pyramid/marketing scheme crap.

I like Wusthof but you can do better. I have a 10" Wusthof Classic Chef's knife, the 4" paring knife, the 10" bread knife, a 7" santoku for the wife, and the carving set. The are outstanding knives but I think I am going with MAC or Kershaw/Shun next go round. Global gets great reviews but I just don't like the way it feels. The thinner blades on a Japanese knife are supposedly optimal but they can put you out double what you spend on the well-known German brands.

If I remember correctly, the last time America's Test Kitchen did their knife roundup they picked the Forschner/Victorinox chef's knife because it was adequate and insanely cheap. You can get one for $30 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CF8YO/

All you really need for a knife set is an 8"-10" chef's knife, a 3"-4" paring knife, and a serrated bread knife (I like the drop handle so your knuckles don't get in the way). Depending on what you do in the kitchen a boning knife or filet knife might be an eventual addition. Honestly, there is no need for a 12 piece set.

Here are some decent write-ups:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/129/Chefs-Knives-Rated
http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/wheretobuygourmetfoods/tp/chefknife.htm

If I had $200 I would go with the Victorinox knifes and spend the rest on other kitchen gadgets, like a Cuisinart Mini-Prep, a decent butcher-block (check places like TJ Max and Homegoods for killer deals), and a Unicorn Magnum Plus pepper mill.

1/1/2008 3:00:04 AM

^ i already have a nice block, just need some quality knives to replace some aging ones i have...so that makes sense. thx for the info

1/1/2008 11:31:30 AM

you could spend the $200 and get a really nice hand forged kitchen knife custom made for you

1/1/2008 11:38:53 AM

Cutco is the Bose of Knives.

They're not bad, but horribly overpriced for what they are.

1/1/2008 11:41:41 AM

global brand knives.

comparatively cheap and yet of similar quality of the big dogs. no use spending too much on knives you won't use.

thank the french.

1/1/2008 11:51:28 AM

^
I like that.
Not to change the subject but as the saying goes...."No highs, no lows, just Bose"

1/1/2008 11:51:54 AM

cutco ftw

1/1/2008 11:52:53 AM

Should he buy his own knife sharpener?

1/1/2008 11:59:18 AM

just that sharpening rod thingy. A few swipes before each use.
then I just take them to Beck's like once a year for a pro sharpening. It's just a few bucks per knife.

1/1/2008 12:12:20 PM

Quote :

"Should he buy his own knife sharpener?"

unless you know how to use a bench grinder, i wouldn't bother.

Quote :

"just that sharpening rod thingy. A few swipes before each use."

it's a honing steel. used to straighten out the cutting edge.

http://www.cutlery.com/sharp.shtml

1/1/2008 12:22:30 PM

Quote :

"global brand knives. comparatively cheap and yet of similar quality of the big dogs. no use spending too much on knives you won't use. "

Globals are great knives, but they are anything but cheap


I <3 this


[Edited on January 1, 2008 at 12:41 PM. Reason : ]

1/1/2008 12:39:31 PM

leave it to the germans

1/1/2008 12:53:01 PM

I've got a set of henckel's knives and they need professional sharpening, any recommendations for places to go?

preferably in NW/W Raleigh

1/1/2008 3:04:08 PM

Becks Cutlery is the only place ive used for sharpening...but they're in Apex

1/1/2008 5:31:49 PM

my parents got cutco and theyre sharp, but i havent used them enough to be sold. i have some henkels and theyre pretty sweet though. the only thing im kinda skeptical about with cutco is the serrations, ive never really been a huge fan of serrated blades on all my knives (though my parents do have some not serrated also)

1/1/2008 7:02:12 PM

I LOVE Anthony Bourdain, I hate to admit that I love the Rachel Ray East/West Knife by Furi. It was an unregistered wedding gift. I have little hands and the grip is easy for me to control.

I use that knife, a furi pairing, kitchen sheers and a mezzaluna.

I also recommend the mini prep and a cheap, over the sink chopping block that I randomly received. Target has a "nice" in the drawer wood knife holder.

I second a good quality pepper/salt mill.

[Edited on January 1, 2008 at 8:03 PM. Reason : k]

1/1/2008 8:03:06 PM

I have a set comprised mostly of Solingen knives. I got an 8" wide bladed chef's knife that i have been using for over a year and have not needed to sharpen it yet. I hone it before and after i use it and the edge is still great. They are also pretty cheap compared to lots of other knives. I think the while set i got was ~$215.


Solingen knives are pretty hefty, but i like good weight on my knives. That's the one big thing i dislike about Global knives. They are too light for me. Other than paring and smaller utility knives, i can't stand using them.

I also have a 7" Henckel Santoku that i love as well.

Ceramic knives are great and you never have to sharpen then, but they are very prone to chipping and breaking.

1/1/2008 9:04:55 PM

get summa these:

http://www.cometsupply.com/cp/1_177_258_321/pm/DRICC1/

well, ok that page is just the roll, but plastic-handled restaurant supply knives are great, they're so cheap you can replace them if there is any problem, and they stay sharp just fine.

but if you're looking for knives that will impress people who poke around in your kitchen...

a couple of knives called out on cool tools:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000085.php

and I've been meaning to get another chopper like this one.
http://justknives101.com/detail.aspx?ID=1124


[Edited on January 1, 2008 at 9:15 PM. Reason : ..]

1/1/2008 9:05:02 PM

learn how to sharpen and get yourself some carbon steel cutlery, Old Hickory FTW

1/1/2008 9:18:15 PM

If you want to sharpen get a good 3 sided oil stone, which can get expensive, and learn to use it properly or you will completley fuck up your knives. And remember different types of knives need differnt angles.

1/1/2008 9:55:57 PM

I take my knives to Beck's Cutlery too. They are in the MacGregor Downs area of Cary, near Wasabi.

Beck's Cutlery
107 South Edinburgh Drive
Cary, North Carolina 27511
Phone: 919.460.0203

Oh, and last time I took a 10" chef's knife, a 7" hollow-ground santoku, and a 10" scalloped/serrated bread knife the total was around $7. Serrated blades are a bit more work so cost more.

Use a honing steel every time you use your knife and it should hold its edge longer (I do counts of 5,4,3,2,1 and alternate sides as I go through). I do have a manual knife sharpener that I can use in a pinch.

Big fan of Anthony Bourdain's too. Just got his book, Kitchen Confidential, and Buford's Heat for Christmas.

1/2/2008 1:13:27 AM

I wouldn't buy a set. I'd go out and just get the knives you need / want and a knife block. Don't feel tied down to a set, or even one brand.

1/2/2008 1:24:21 AM

^^The Nasty Bits is also a good read.

[Edited on January 2, 2008 at 1:31 AM. Reason : bourdain]

1/2/2008 1:31:21 AM

Quote :

"If you want to sharpen get a good 3 sided oil stone, which can get expensive, and learn to use it properly or you will completley fuck up your knives. And remember different types of knives need differnt angles"

If you take care of your knives and hone them correctly, you'll probably never need an oil stone.

1/2/2008 2:52:18 AM

I've been using my cutcos for almost 3 years now. They're still just as sharp as the day I got them.

I agree they're expensive though.

I have a full set of steak knives, non-serrated. My old roommate had a set of the newer serrated cutco's, and we loved those too.

1/2/2008 10:39:17 AM