Cutlery... recommend me some.

[SunnyD]

Trying to find my wife a gift for xmas so she can make me sammiches. She would like a decent set of cutlery, I would like something that won't break the bank.

Personally, we both despise serrated knives, especially steak knives.

School me ATOT...

 

[BurnItDwn]

I've got a secondhand set of Chicago cutlery that my mom gave me about 6 or 7 years ago. She had them for probably 15 or so years before that. They all work great still, however, the steak knives are serrated....

I don't know if they make non serrated, but if they do, I'd expect it to be high quality and made to last.

 

[alkemyst]

Cutlery depends on budget and how many knifes you want to pick up.

For most a couple great knifes outweigh the megablocks.

I picked up a very good Sabatier set on close out a few years ago, it's about time to sharpen them. I rarely use 2 or 3 of the knives, we did add a santoku (hojo as my wife calls it)...that's her main knife.

Everyone and there brother has one now and most would be better off with a good 'butcher' knife instead.

Overstock is usually good, you can go through reviews on there and other sites.

 

[Kirby]

 

[Moonbeam]

I would help you but I hate people who despise serrated knives and are worried about money. If you don't cut French bread, or even eat it, and don't so so with a serrated knife or a bread cutting machine, you're nuts in my opinion. What you will want are ceramic knives and the Japanese brands that have samurai sword steel with the wavy lines. They aren't two expensive if amortized over several lifetimes.

But you might try commercial restaurant knives as a compromise between value and effectiveness.

 

[SunnyD]

I wonder how well that would slice tomatoes...

 

[SunnyD]

I would help you but I hate people who despise serrated knives and are worried about money. If you don't cut French bread, or even eat it, and don't so so with a serrated knife or a bread cutting machine, you're nuts in my opinion. What you will want are ceramic knives and the Japanese brands that have samurai sword steel with the wavy lines. They aren't two expensive if amortized over several lifetimes.

But you might try commercial restaurant knives as a compromise between value and effectiveness.

I have a bread knife specifically for bread (and it works wonders on very ripe tomatoes). For just about everything else, if I wanted a chainsaw, I'd use a chainsaw, but I don't - I want a knife.

 

[Moonbeam]

I have a bread knife specifically for bread (and it works wonders on very ripe tomatoes). For just about everything else, if I wanted a chainsaw, I'd use a chainsaw, but I don't - I want a knife.

http://www.basequipment.com/Professional-Kitchen-Knives-s/8.htm

 

[shiner]

I have some Shun, some Wüsthof and some Zwilling J.A. Henckels.....they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I find myself using the Wüsthof more than any of the others.

 

[lxskllr]

Cutlery depends on budget and how many knifes you want to pick up.

For most a couple great knifes outweigh the megablocks.

I picked up a very good Sabatier set on close out a few years ago, it's about time to sharpen them. I rarely use 2 or 3 of the knives, we did add a santoku (hojo as my wife calls it)...that's her main knife.

Everyone and there brother has one now and most would be better off with a good 'butcher' knife instead.

Overstock is usually good, you can go through reviews on there and other sites.

I second the few good knives theme. I like German steel where possible, and these are what I use regularly.

Japanese chef knife
Ulu
Paring knife
Chinese chef
Serrated bread knife

I can do everything I need with this set.

 

[NetWareHead]

I bought myself a cheap pair of walmart knives that look great in a knife block in my kitchen. If the knife feels good in your hands, and has a good balance, then run with that. My walmart knives cost me $50 and are easy to sharpen, make sure you get a steel.

Here is where you make a huge difference and save a TON of money. Once or twice a year, take your knives to a professional knife sharpening service, one that restaurants use. I paid $2 a knife. When the knives come back, they will be so sharp that you can even shave with them (not recommended!).

 

[phoenix79]

http://japanesechefsknife.com/KAGAYAKIVG-10.html

Get either the gyuto (japanese name for western style chefs knife) or santoku for a general purpose knife. Get the petty (paring knife) for smaller jobs. Then buy any steak knives you like. You will RARELY if ever use anything other than the general purpose knife and paring knife. The knife sets that people buy have way more than you'll ever need. Get good knives of the type that you will need, and you won't be wasting money on knives you don't need

 

[CrackRabbit]

I have a set of Henckel's Twin Pro-S. Very very nice knives.
The Wusthof Classic and Ikon series are good as well, easy to find and somewhat less expensive.

 

[SunnyD]

I second the few good knives theme. I like German steel where possible, and these are what I use regularly.

Japanese chef knife
Ulu
Paring knife
Chinese chef
Serrated bread knife

I can do everything I need with this set.

Thing is that can easily end up more expensive than a block when it's all said and done.

 

[phoenix79]

But with the cheaper block set, there are knives that you will never use but still cost money. If you're paying $300 for a set of knives vs $300 for a couple good single knives, which do you think would be higher quality? The ones I linked to above are a good starter line of knives, but that company sells WAY more expensive knives if you want to spend more money.

 

[qliveur]

Inb4 someone starts trying to peddle Cutco.

Also, I agree with getting a couple of good knives instead of a whole set, most of which you'll never use. Go with Henkels or Wusthoff.

 

[jmagg]

And a magnetic, wall mounted knife rack to round out the deal. No lost counter space, beats the hell out of a block.

 

[ussfletcher]

http://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-4827-14-...1829429&sr=8-2

Best knives I have ever used. They are sharp and will cut through anything easily. We have had a couple really expensive knives in the house before and these blow them all away. You can even use the steak knives to slice and dice better than many of the expensive straight edge knives. They have a nice full tang blade, and they are all stainless steel and easy to clean. Best of all, they are super cheap. They are still just as sharp now as they were when I bought them last Christmas too.

Edit: Also, the Amazon reviews are very positive.

 

[SunnyD]

http://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-4827-14-...1829429&sr=8-2

Best knives I have ever used. They are sharp and will cut through anything easily. We have had a couple really expensive knives in the house before and these blow them all away. You can even use the steak knives to slice and dice better than many of the expensive straight edge knives. They have a nice full tang blade, and they are all stainless steel and easy to clean. Best of all, they are super cheap.

Serrated edges. I'll pass, thanks.

 

[Pandamonium]

I just bought a Shun Classic 11-pc set from Bed Bath and Beyond. The website lists it at $570, the B&M store listed at $463. YMMV. With a 20% coupon and 8.75% tax, I paid $403 OTD. No steak knives included, but these knives were the best I've used.

I did a bunch of research, and if aesthetics aren't a concern for you and you want the most bang for your buck, look into Forschner. I was using these before and they are pretty good. I've been treating mine like hell, which is why I bought the Shuns (Use the Forschners for butchering whole chickens, Shuns for everything else.) I can't speak much for other German brands because I like the concept of cladded Japanese knives better.

Globals might be slightly cheaper than Shun classics, but maybe by 5% or so. The aesthetics/ergonomics are a love/hate kind of thing, and the cutting metal is comparable to Shun Classic. These are knives you can try out in a store to get a feel for them. Shun also sells other higher end lines. Elites use a harder steel that's able to take and maintain a sharper edge for longer, and Pro/Pro2 uses classic-level steel with a single bevel.

If you want that level of sharpness for a lower price, you'll have to order blindly from something like www.japanesechefsknife.com or other vendors. Tojiro, I believe, is one of the best bang for your buck japanese style manufacturers. Their DP line is what you'd want to consider.

There's pretty good reading about cutlery on www.cookingforengineers.com

 

[PottedMeat]

Victorinox Forschner Series:

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-475.../dp/B000638D32

Cheap and good. I'd get 1 Chefs, 1 Paring, 1 bread knife, and a honing steel.

 

[ussfletcher]

Serrated edges. I'll pass, thanks.

They are like macro-serrations, more like waves. But to each their own.

 

[phoenix79]

And a magnetic, wall mounted knife rack to round out the deal. No lost counter space, beats the hell out of a block.

Even better:
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-8001-U...1829940&sr=8-1

 

[Gibsons]

http://www.csnstores.com/asp/superbrowse.asp?clid=916&caid=&sku=SUH1120&refid=FR49-SUH1120

 

[silverpig]

http://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-4827-14-...1829429&sr=8-2

Best knives I have ever used. They are sharp and will cut through anything easily. We have had a couple really expensive knives in the house before and these blow them all away. You can even use the steak knives to slice and dice better than many of the expensive straight edge knives. They have a nice full tang blade, and they are all stainless steel and easy to clean. Best of all, they are super cheap. They are still just as sharp now as they were when I bought them last Christmas too.

Edit: Also, the Amazon reviews are very positive.

Check out the second picture in the description...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-me...e=UTF8&index=0