Need to buy good knives for the kitchen

Well, I believe in spending money on tools. And a knife is a tool in the kitchen. I am looking for a basic set of knives for cutting vegatables, and some meat. Any brands you can recommend? I was told Cutco was good, but seems like you have to jump through hoops to order.

I am long overdue for a good set of knives..:-D

Thanks.

E

 

I got some Cutco steak knifes and they were very expensive but are very fine knifes. Best knife i ever used. cuts very easy and allways leaves nice clean cuts.

For knifes i highly recamend Cutco even tho ordering is a pain you might be able to pick them up at a store or from a local sales person. I lucked out and it was a door to door salesmen who sold me mine.

 

I picked up a really good set of knives, including the wood block, at my local JC Penney. The brand is "Philippe Richard", and though not fancy by any means, they cut very well... be it tomatoes, frozen chicken, raw fish, or pork sirloin; they cut clean, they cut smooth, and they do everything I ask of them.

They cost me roughly $30 for a full set, including eight steak knives, though I do make a point of taking good care of them.

 

Holy $$$$! I had no idea knives cost this much! Wusthof and Henckels were recomended to me. $100 or more a blade! http://www.cutleryandmore.com/ikon.htm

Ouch! http://www.cutleryandmore.com/henckels.htm

Let me clairify my post. I would like a few knives that are better than say, your basic Walmart set. I am thinking more like $10 to $20 a blade.

Wow. Had no idea. Of course the people I asked are Chefs, so I guess you get what you pay for...

I thought I was going high end looking for a 5 or 6 blade set for $100! PWNED.

E:-D

 

Something like this Mimsy? http://www.orangeonions.com/product...ASE&utm_medium=CPC&utm_content=&utm_campaign=

Now I don't mind spending more for better blades. But dang, just had no idea they cost so much! I am going to stop by the local kitchen type store Monday to see what they have.

I don't cook for a living, I cook to eat, and enjoy food. For over $100 a blade, I expect a sword...:-D

JCP http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/Produc...t.aspx&CmCatId=searchresults&Search1Prod=True

I will spend more, but that is closer to what I want. Thanks Mimsy!

E

 

Hmm, now this looks pretty tempting as well. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...r+the+Home&cName=Cookware,+Bakeware+&+Gadgets

Bout $10 a blade. Is that a good set?

Ooh, Henckels for under $50! http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...Bakeware+&+Gadgets&sName=Cutlery+&+Sharpeners

Me likey!

E

 

Not quite the set I got, but very close to it. Mine lacks the sharpener, but I had one of those already. Other than that, it looks very similar. If you have a JC Penney nearby, I'd recommend going there and checking out the set.

Honestly, if all you want are good tools for cooking, these are going to work out well for you. I use mine to cut fresh bread, filet fish, and to cut up fresh meat for my dehydrator (it makes kick-*** beef jerky!) and for my simple cooking needs, this set of knives has given me very good value for my money. I bought it over a year ago, and I have only had to sharpen the knives once.

 

Oh, very nice! :drool

I would get that set. Though I have no personal experience with the Heckel brand I have friends who have similar knife sets from Henckel and they love them. Besides, at that price, it's really hard to go wrong.

 

Lot's of crap about Cutco and their sales model on Google, I know nothing about their quality. I bought an 8" chef's knife made by Henckels, cost me a bit at $60 but well worth the price, has a nice heft to it, good clearance for your knuckles and doesn't slip much when hands are slimy from chicken. I would also recommend a honing steel at about $15 to keep it honed between sharpenings. Speaking of which, never use those can opener/sharpeners as that will kill your knife. Instead, get a sharpening stone and learn how to use it.

Since you mentioned veggies, you may also want to invest in a good 4" paring knife. As to the rest, you can buy one of those cheap block sets that have serrated knives, at least having a bread knife and one to cut tomatoes etc.

Like you, I agree it is a fine tool and should be treated as such and kept sharp as a sharp knife is much easier to use as opposed to a dull one. Besides, a dull tool just invites accidents as one would have to press hard to do the same work. An added bonus to having a sharp knife is if you do manage to cut yourself, the cut is very clean, less painful and heals much quicker. Keep those fingers tucked under.

Do not ever store the knife along with others in your utensil tray, I hijacked a perfect spot for it in my block.

EDIT: I see Fred has already found Henckels.:-D That's a decent set for the bucks.

 

Cannot agree more. Those can-opener style sharpeners will literally chew up your knives. Do not ever, ever, use those! I cannot state that clearly enough.

 

I went with the Henckle $60 set from Sears. I love to shop from my chair! 13 peice for $60 shipped... Not the best, but I will enjoy them. But I am always looking for kitchen tools, like knives, so post up if you have ideas or suggestions. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...Bakeware+&+Gadgets&sName=Cutlery+&+Sharpeners

E

 

I have 3 stones for knife sharpening. Just need good knives! Will let you folks know how I like them. A 'cutting edge' review maybe! :-D

Thanks for the input!

E

 

LOL and groan at the same time!:-D

 

I like others have suggested bought my kitchen knives one at a time and always bought quality.
one tip given to me by my neighbor who is a professional chef ( he never lets anyone else wash his knives)is to always wash your good knives one at a time in warm water NEVER leave them to soak in HOT water as that de-tempers them.
sharpen them after every use ( i use a steel) and do not store them in your utility draw, invest in a block to protect them.
the Chef's Choice Sharpener that Laura mentioned is expensive but a good investment to keep your knives in razor sharp condition.http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/xsmall2/1229_person_cooking_pancakes.gif

 

Pretty interesting, all of you.
The only thing I would have input, would have been to choose a good quality stainless steel knife (440 surgical grade) but it looks like you made a good choice, Fred.

In my long past single days, I had one good knife.
A 4" Buck Folding Hunter. LOL

 

Ouch!:eek I'll stick to my stones thank you. Anyways, I find sharpening my own a calming and satisfying experience.

 

I suppose it depends on how much you use your knives, as i said i use a steel.

 

I agree, but the steel can only go so far until one needs to regrind the edge. I do mine about every 3 to 6 mths.

 

Got my knives in today! Me likey! Gonna have to put them to use this weekend.:wine

And of course you know the block they sent with the knives has 2 empty slots... Now I have to shop for 2 knives...

 

Laura, that is what I was thinking as soon as I saw the picture... Don't piss off the owner of that blade!:-D

 

I have Cutco knives. I love them. They are expensive, but they are really good. I have had other knives that I have tried to sharpen without much luck. You never sharpen Cutco yourself, they send someone to your house to do it for you. Mine have never needed sharpening. I can't say if there is something just as good at a lower price, there very well could be. But I can say Cutco are great.

 

I love my Henckles! :drool I'm going to take my chef's knife to get sharpened at the mall this week actually. It's due after a year even though I honed it every time before using.

OMG at the Cutco prices! :eek I think I'd rather get a decent set of ceramic knives instead. Made from Zirconia, the second hardest substance known to us.

Here's a nice vid on how they make 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFnT5INymiY

 

...and a better vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFnT5INymiY

 

Just bought wifey a set of Chicago Cutlery Insignia 2 kitchen knives at Boscov's for $89.00 on sale.
I've found favorable reviews for the set and since they retail for $250.00, I couldn't pass them up.
Santa will be dropping them off Xmas eve.