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Looking for a nice (affordable) set of knives

adk

adk

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 11, 2005
1,937
21
Stuck in the middle with you
I was making gumbo the other day and realized that it would be nice to have a set of knives that actually chopped vegetables instead of just mashing them into the cutting board. Can anybody recommend a nice set of knives that won't break the bank? Obviously if money wasn't an issue I'd have already bought a nice set of Wusthofs, but I'm looking to spend a little less. Any ideas?
 
adk said:
I was making gumbo the other day and realized that it would be nice to have a set of knives that actually chopped vegetables instead of just mashing them into the cutting board. Can anybody recommend a nice set of knives that won't break the bank? Obviously if money wasn't an issue I'd have already bought a nice set of Wusthofs, but I'm looking to spend a little less. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Think Forschner. They make great knives at even better prices.

Don't forget you'll also need to invest in a honing steel, and a knife sharpener to keep any knife in proper condition.
 
I've enjoyed my Calphalon Classic knives. I don't have a whole set, but my chef's knife and paring knife have lasted me for many years. I bought them when I was working in a commercial kitchen and the chef's there were surprised by their quality. To me they are pretty indistinguishable from the Wusthof classic series.
 
adk said:
Obviously if money wasn't an issue I'd have already bought a nice set of Wusthofs, but I'm looking to spend a little less. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Or don't get a set. Start with 1 or 2. Get an 8" chef's knife, which will be pretty versatile. And a paring knife after that. What do you need the whole set for right now?
 
What kind of budget are you talking about? If pressed, I would suggest buying a good chef's knife and good paring knife, and slowly build up a set as needed. The manufacturers love to push the idea of buying an 11-knife set in a block, when the reality is you probably don't need most of those. I'd rather have 3 good knives (I'd add a serrated knife for bread) than a huge set.
 
gauchogolfer said:
I'd rather have 3 good knives (I'd add a serrated knife for bread) than a huge set.
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Yeah, I agree. I'd much rather have 3 good ones that some giant crazy set (what is that weird pointy one anyway?). I'd actually say you'd be better off getting two identical small ones, two identical large ones and a bread knife than a big set (get two of each that suits your style of cooking). It's not as if they're hard to wash, you can usually just wipe one unless you've been hacking up a chicken or similar. ;)
 
Global knives are great and not too much,
I get them from a kitchen supplier here and they range from $25-50 each,

Victorinox makes some nice 3 or 5 knife sets.
as well as nice individual blades.

I recently tried "kitchen company" brand knives and I am impresse how well they perform for such a dirt cheap knife - under $5.
 
List of knives to get in the order you should get them (my opinion only):
8" chef's knife (I actually have a 9" that I prefer, but they are hard to come by)
Honing steel
Knife block w/ as many slots as you can get
Knife sharpener - or find a place that can sharpen for you, but do it regularly.
10" serrated knife AKA a bread knife.
3" or 4" paring knife (I have both sizes, and like both)
6" Santoku knife (I reach for this way more often than I would have thought. I use it for probably 40% of my cutting)
Quality kitchen shears capable of cutting up a chicken
Set of steak knives (at least 4)
Fillet or boning knife - if you do much meat prep
10" carving knife
5" serrated knife AKA tomato knife
Carving fork
Cleaver if you do much work with bone-in meats
 
mactastic said:
List of knives to get in the order you should get them (my opinion only):
8" chef's knife (I actually have a 9" that I prefer, but they are hard to come by)
Click to expand...

<Paul Hogan Voice> That's not a knife :p

I've got a chef's knife I bought in Thiers, France that's 12". :cool:


*derails thread into the gutter*
 
Leareth said:
Global knives are great and not too much,
I get them from a kitchen supplier here and they range from $25-50 each,

Victorinox makes some nice 3 or 5 knife sets.
as well as nice individual blades.

I recently tried "kitchen company" brand knives and I am impresse how well they perform for such a dirt cheap knife - under $5.
Click to expand...
IIRC, Victorinox and Forschner are related closely.

gauchogolfer said:
<Paul Hogan Voice> That's not a knife :p

I've got a chef's knife I bought in Thiers, France that's 12". :cool:


*derails thread into the gutter*
Click to expand...
Lol... 12" is too much for me. That's like working with a shortsword.
 
We're building a set of Calphalon Katanas...very happy with them so far.

Oh, and this is the best knife block ever.
(Thank you, YouKnowWhoYouAre!) ;)
 
gauchogolfer said:
<Paul Hogan Voice> That's not a knife :p

I've got a chef's knife I bought in Thiers, France that's 12". :cool:


*derails thread into the gutter*
Click to expand...

Hijack noted and appreciated. ;) Nice thread, good advice. Yes, a 9” chef’s knife, paring knife (office, as it is called here), large bread knife (also good for slicing large meats) and fillet knife is a good starting set. The block is essential because you should never, ever throw your knives in a drawer with other stuff. I’ll ruin their edges. The honing steel is essential too and you must learn how to use it, it takes some practice. My knives are from Henckels, the ‘Zwilling’ brand. I also have a meat cleaver and various other sized knives, accumulated over the years. See them as an investment and PLEASE don’t buy a TV set.
 
To clarify, I guess I don't absolutely need a set, but I do want a chef's knife, a bread knife, a paring knife and a steel and it seems that it may be more economical to buy a block set and also get some useless knife thrown in there.
 
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