Calling all the kitchen knives aficionado

[Waldo Frey]

After we let two friends showcased their Cutco demos in our house this summer, my wife is thinking about getting a set of knives. Cutco is a bit of pricey and this guy had blasted Cutco in a lengthy discussion. (He was promptly rebutted by the Cutco salespersons). A set like this runs about $500 while a Wusthof set or a Henckels run less than $200.

Then I came upon this long review about different Chef's knives. The writer gave very low marks to Cutco as well.

So what are your opinions?

[Guest Raidne]

Ha, as I have several friends who used to sell Cutco in college, we have a few around.

The scissors are amazing. Awesome. Best kitchen shears ever. Really. It's so great that you can take them apart and slap them back together so they really get clean and they have great cutting power. The bread knives are okay.

The chef's knife, IMO, is worthless. It's just too light. I guess a whole set of Cutco would be okay if it was, like, $100.

I have the chef's knife and I never use it. Ever. I even have a pretty cheap Calphalon knife that I prefer over it, and another reasonably priced Calphalon Contemporary Santoku knife that I kind of want to marry. I'd have to imagine a Wusthof or Henckels would be even better - god knows the filet knife I have - by far my most expensive piece of cutlery - has attained god-like status in my household.

So, if you do a lot of chopping and it's not news to you that knives shouldn't go in the dishwasher, get a henckels or wusthof set (note there are many different levels of quality within those brands, also). If not being able to throw your knives in the dishwasher is appalling to you, get Cutco.

ETA: Also, that spreader thingamajig - WTF are you going to use that for? Look! It's a cheese spreader! AH I'M BLEEEEEDING!!!!

[MercenaryChef]

When I get home I willproperly weigh in on this topic that I am so passionate about...

Stay tuned, true believers!

[Yagathai]

I would not use Cutco if you paid me. I'm a Shun guy myself, but you can't really go wrong with Henckels.

[Arbor Gold]

...and it's not news to you that knives shouldn't go in the dishwasher...

Goddammit.

[BigFatCoward]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kasumi-Knives-Titanium-Santoku-japanese/dp/B000O2GDUU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1283987310&sr=8-2

i like this knife, it glows blue when orcs come near.

never heard of the brand you are talking about but i asked this general question a while ago and the general consensus is you usually get what you pay for.

[MercenaryChef]

knives. knives. knives. knives!

first i will site a idol of mine and likely the greatest american chef of all time, thomas keller. he writes in his 'ad hoc' book that a cook needs only the following: a ten inch chef's knife, a twelve inch slicer, a paring knife and a serrated knife. now i must say i think the man speaks the truth.

i own no less than $2,000 in knives myself. most of them see little use. the ones i use day in and out at work are my slicer to dispatch fish, large cuts of meat and carving duties, my chef's knife for basic line work, veggies, etc, my santuko for killing herbs, shallots, garlic and other delecate ingredients needing speed, finesse and sharpness, and my paring knife which i have had for almost ten years and is still sharp as can be.

it was with these knives only i butchered a 180 pound pig.

personally i think too many home cooks get tricked by assholes at cutco and the like that they need a fucking block of knives to get through their lives. i say total bullshit. as documented above i work with only four knives. on occasion i bring out a global boning knife or a bread knife but by in large i do very well with but a few knives. i break down whole pigs and julienne 100 pounds of onions at a go. as a home cook you will not need anything more extraneous than i have.

do not buy cutco unless you are looking to spend a lot of useless money and are not serious about knives. yes. i will be that forward! i am doing it for your own good.

a serrated knife, even the micro serrations of the cutco may seem like a good idea, but they are not for good food. a serrated edge only tears the food product.

do you need a thousand dollars in knives? nope.

you do need a knife that feels good in your hand, has a good edge that you take care of properly, and is within your needs bases on usage.

chances are you do not know how to sharpen a knife properly. find someone who does. i am a professional and i happily send my knives across the country to a man who loves my knives like his own and sends them back to me shiny and razor fucking sharp! but, also get a ceramic steel. it will change your life. your knives will love it. use it before and after you use you knife, use it also in the middle of long prep projects. to provide persepective i steel my knife no less than fifty times a day. it does not sharpen, it preserves and edge. we want that.

buy japanese. i grew into a cook using german and french knives. i have great nostalgia for my henckel four star and sabatier knives of my youth, but the japanese brands are generally sharper, nicer and at a better price.

if someone is looking at spending $500 for a set of cutco they could get five or so great japanese knives that would last them a lifetime for the same price.

[Yagathai]

I use my Shun santoku for a lot of what I used to use a traditional chef's knife for -- someone once told me that it was silver at all things, gold at none, and they may be right, but that suits me just fine.

When I need to do larger volumes like a big ol' bucket of mirepoix or something I'll sometimes go back to the chef's knife or the chinese chef's knife (which is NOT the same as a chinese cleaver, though many people make that mistake) since they're faster, but since I'm not a professional line cook or anything and I rarely cook for more than two to four people at a time, it never really comes into play.

I don't cook enough whole fish to need a 12" slicer, so I don't have one of those -- I use a paring knife or chef's knife for fish work and while it's not ideal, it doesn't come up enough to be a problem. I also keep a heavy cleaver around for breaking down poultry or pork shoulders or shellfish or what have you.

And yeah, the handling takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm a fan of Japanese over German as well -- barely, and it's not like I'd spit on a high-end Henckels if someone gave me one as a present.

[Shryke]

knives. knives. knives. knives!

first i will site a idol of mine and likely the greatest american chef of all time, thomas keller. he writes in his 'ad hoc' book that a cook needs only the following: a ten inch chef's knife, a twelve inch slicer, a paring knife and a serrated knife. now i must say i think the man speaks the truth.

i own no less than $2,000 in knives myself. most of them see little use. the ones i use day in and out at work are my slicer to dispatch fish, large cuts of meat and carving duties, my chef's knife for basic line work, veggies, etc, my santuko for killing herbs, shallots, garlic and other delecate ingredients needing speed, finesse and sharpness, and my paring knife which i have had for almost ten years and is still sharp as can be.

it was with these knives only i butchered a 180 pound pig.

personally i think too many home cooks get tricked by assholes at cutco and the like that they need a fucking block of knives to get through their lives. i say total bullshit. as documented above i work with only four knives. on occasion i bring out a global boning knife or a bread knife but by in large i do very well with but a few knives. i break down whole pigs and julienne 100 pounds of onions at a go. as a home cook you will not need anything more extraneous than i have.

do not buy cutco unless you are looking to spend a lot of useless money and are not serious about knives. yes. i will be that forward! i am doing it for your own good.

a serrated knife, even the micro serrations of the cutco may seem like a good idea, but they are not for good food. a serrated edge only tears the food product.

do you need a thousand dollars in knives? nope.

you do need a knife that feels good in your hand, has a good edge that you take care of properly, and is within your needs bases on usage.

chances are you do not know how to sharpen a knife properly. find someone who does. i am a professional and i happily send my knives across the country to a man who loves my knives like his own and sends them back to me shiny and razor fucking sharp! but, also get a ceramic steel. it will change your life. your knives will love it. use it before and after you use you knife, use it also in the middle of long prep projects. to provide persepective i steel my knife no less than fifty times a day. it does not sharpen, it preserves and edge. we want that.

buy japanese. i grew into a cook using german and french knives. i have great nostalgia for my henckel four star and sabatier knives of my youth, but the japanese brands are generally sharper, nicer and at a better price.

if someone is looking at spending $500 for a set of cutco they could get five or so great japanese knives that would last them a lifetime for the same price.

But can any of your knives chop a shoe in half?

[MercenaryChef]

But can any of your knives chop a shoe in half?

yep! and the foot within!

yagathai!:

shun i am torn on. they are sharp out of the box. very sharp in fact. however of the 100+ i have seen in restaurant use have not maintained a strong factory edge. the only really sharp ones have been tailored by the cooks and chefs who used them. also i have seen a number of the 10 inch chef's knives from shun bend at the tip too easily. they may be the perfect blade for a home cook. that i would not try to argue. but on the pro end of things they do not stand up well.

[Minaku]

Chef, I need a santoku knife and you are not helping me any. At all.

*loves on her Global*

ETA: The Chinese chefs who do EVERYTHING with their cleavers amaze me. They break down animals with these knives. Then with the same knife they go and peel a freaking daikon into translucent strips. And then while you're agog they julienne like, a potato or something so you can have shoestring fries. For kicks.

[Yagathai]

shun i am torn on. they are sharp out of the box. very sharp in fact. however of the 100+ i have seen in restaurant use have not maintained a strong factory edge. the only really sharp ones have been tailored by the cooks and chefs who used them. also i have seen a number of the 10 inch chef's knives from shun bend at the tip too easily. they may be the perfect blade for a home cook. that i would not try to argue. but on the pro end of things they do not stand up well.

Well, they have several different lines of differing quality.

I'll agree with you about the weak tips, though. It's a flaw in the line.

[MercenaryChef]

Chef, I need a santoku knife and you are not helping me any. At all.

*loves on her Global*

ETA: The Chinese chefs who do EVERYTHING with their cleavers amaze me. They break down animals with these knives. Then with the same knife they go and peel a freaking daikon into translucent strips. And then while you're agog they julienne like, a potato or something so you can have shoestring fries. For kicks.

have i not already in the past told you to buy mac santoku? it is a great knife. i got one for my wife as a early in our relationship courtship gift. it has a nice handle, light feel and is sharp as could be. i use it almost exclusively for home food prep despite my bag full of knives. buy it. you will love it. ignore the price. it will last a lifetime.

yaga:

a problem i had with shun is they had their base line, pimped the hell out of them and then decided to release their pro series. you mean you were not pimping to the pro market in the beginning? it was only after we saw your tips snap, your blades bend, your 'damascus' steel wear away to plain stainless because of prolonged use you decided to gift the professionals with professional quality knife and then at only 50% more? fuck off, shun.

[MercenaryChef]

Chef-san,

Can you tell me where you send your knives to be sharpened, please? I have a set of Wusthof that haven't been sharpened professionally in...ah, 14 years. (blush)

http://www.seattleknifesharpening.com/

this man has sharpened my knives for a number of years. he is worth every single penny, this i swear.

[Deaf Dick]

Like Raidne, I've got a Calphalon Contemporary Santoku that I really like. So much so that I bought a 6" Slicer, 3.5" Parer, and 8" Chef of the same line at a later date. They are reasonably priced and I think the're fine for home use, as long as they are sharpened from time to time and not put into the dishwasher. I'm not even much of a home cook, but these things make chopping vegetables and such so much easier that I'm surprised I didn't buy them sooner. I'd also agree with Merc, in that one could easily get by with just 3 knives, a Chefs (or Santoku), slicer, and parer. I really didn't need to get the Chefs after I bought the Santoku, but I liked its heavier weight.

[Lord of Oop North]

I have nothing to add but agreement with Chef (whom I worship). Cutco is a waste of money. You don't need a huge fucking block of knives. My mother has some Cutco All-in-One ten-billion piece knife set and it is garbage. The knives are awful, and you will never ever use half of them.

I have four knives from Wuesthof - a cook's knife, a paring knife, a slicer and a bread knife - and these fill my needs more than adequately. I use them each and every day, but only in a cook-for-myself-at-home / frequent dinner party / catering family event environment. I've been considering getting a santuko because of chef's constant recommendations, but have not as of yet.

Ironically, my mother (who also cooks a lot) only ever uses her chef's knife, slicer, paring knife and bread knife ... sounds familiar yet?

Oh, and Chef, you are my hero. Truly, a God among men.

[litechick]

I have been using the same set of Target steak knives for chopping vegetables all my adult life. I'm interested in upgrading but I can't see spending more that $40 and since I know nothing I'm afraid I'll spend my money and still have a crappy knife. Maybe I'll but a new set of Target steak knives. :)

[MercenaryChef]

Like Raidne, I've got a Calphalon Contemporary Santoku that I really like. So much so that I bought a 6" Slicer, 3.5" Parer, and 8" Chef of the same line at a later date. They are reasonably priced and I think the're fine for home use, as long as they are sharpened from time to time and not put into the dishwasher. I'm not even much of a home cook, but these things make chopping vegetables and such so much easier that I'm surprised I didn't buy them sooner.

as a home cook who cooks rarely, i say knock yourself out with this as your knife choice!

I have nothing to add but agreement with Chef (whom I worship).

Oh, and Chef, you are my hero. Truly, a God among men.

you speak the truth, i may well be a god! but, in all reality i am awed and taken by your admiration for what i do. thank you, fine sir!

I have been using the same set of Target steak knives for chopping vegetables all my adult life. I'm interested in upgrading but I can't see spending more that $40 and since I know nothing I'm afraid I'll spend my money and still have a crappy knife. Maybe I'll but a new set of Target steak knives. :)

enjoy hacking veggies into shame with your 'steak' knives. if it works for you, go for it. however, i will never come over for dinner. but, to put it all in perspective, as a lighting expert (which you are) and i insisted on filming a documentary or a concert with nothing more than a flashlight or a string of christmas lights and insisted it worked perfectly i would trust you would rip my ass up for it!

[Waldo Frey]

i got one for my wife as a early in our relationship courtship gift. it has a nice handle,...

"Hi dear, I have a gift for you!"

..."Oh, is it a beautiful rose?"

"No. Guess again."

..."Oh, is it a radiant ring?"

"Not quite. But this thing has a nice handle and it is in my pants."

[MercenaryChef]

i got one for my wife as a early in our relationship courtship gift. it has a nice handle,...

"Hi dear, I have a gift for you!"

..."Oh, is it a beautiful rose?"

"No. Guess again."

..."Oh, is it a radiant ring?"

"Not quite. But this thing has a nice handle and it is in my pants."

why must you mock such a loving gesture? what woman would not like a razor sharp knife?