I bought my set of Wusthof Classics with my first paycheck out of law school eighteen years ago and I still have them, use them and have always been happy with them -- i sharpen them occasionally with the rotary sharpener (I know this is not the way the true experts do it, but it's fine for me), and I've never run them through the DW (safety and preservation of the handles). They cut beautifully, have excellent balance, and make it a joy to develop good knife skills.

You have a beautiful new kitchen. You deserve excellent kitchen tools. Some kitchen stores (Chef's Central, Williams-Sonoma) will have clinics where you can test out the knives. I'd try that before committing to a particular brand or particular knife.

Global. The best. period.

(You have the correct view of knives. Sets are unnecessary and you know what you need in terms of sizes)

There's tons of discussion at this forum

Here is a link that might be useful: cookware

Cooks Illustrated always has comprehensive reviews of cooking tools, including knives. Their website is very informative!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooks Illustrated

I love my Wustof knives, but something you should keep in mind is that knives feel different to different people. You'll want to visit a store where you can hold the knives and try them out before committing to them. You need a good brand that fits YOUR hand just right.

The cookware forum is good place to get input on choosing knives. It can be a little slow, but the advice is good.

Don't overlook Forschner (Victorinox) - Cook's Illustrated recommends them a lot. My hands down favorite knife is my 8" Forschner chefs. I have a 6" Henckels but really prefer the Forschner - light weight, but still good heft, & it maintains its sharpness better than anything else I have! My 3" paring knife is Henckels, & that one I love as well, but I held a lot of paring knives to check out the feel before deciding on that one.

I've had my Wusthof bread knife for more years than I can remember & it's still perfect - occasional use on that one, since I don't bake bread a lot.

& I'm one of the odd ones out because I don't use a santoku, but I keep thinking I would like one.

Another vote for Global and Shun. I love my Globals for their lightness and absolute sharpness. The shuns are the bone crushers!! Go to a good store the Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table to test out the different models of knives to see how you like the feel. No need for sets either. Most people don't need more than three or four knives. A paring knife, large chef or Santuko knife and a medium sized knife for mostly everything else like veggies and fruit. A bread knife is a necessity for some people and not for others. After buying the basics, over time you can add other fun pieces.

Good luck!

Wusthof Classic here. But I agree with everyone else. You've got to hold each knife and see how it feels in YOUR hand--the only way to pick a knife. All of my knives are Wusthof, but I bought them all separately as I felt I needed them. I've got an 8" chef's knife, a really long ham slicer with kullens (the little dimples that prevent the knife from sticking to foods), a serrated bread knife, two 5" utility knives, and a paring knife.

Have you tried using a larger chef's knife? I thought the 6" was just right for my hand, but then I took a knife skills class at a local cookware shop and, once I learned how to use it properly, found that the 8" chef knife was so much easier to use and handled larger and thicker foods so much better. I gave my 6" chef's knife away.

I love our Lamsonsharp knives---Made in Massachusetts (nice factory store in Shelburne Falls off of Route 2.)

I've used expensive knives, but in my own kitchen my favorite is an 8" chef's knife made by Rada, and I think it's quite inexpensive. It sharpens easily, stays sharp, and is the right weight for me. They may even sell them at Wal-Mart; they are made in the U.S.A. I also have a Rada bread knife and ham knife.

I also like my Ikea paring knife.

As everyone says, avoid the sets and pick and choose what you want. For the price/value, It's hard to beat Forschner (Victorinox). These are very often used by chef's in restaurants because they're both high quality and very affordable (really expensive knives can have a tendency to dissappear, depending upon where you work). At my home, I use Forshner paring, boning and bread knives. Consider a MAC Santoku (Top rated in cooks Illustrated and I love mine). For a higher end Chef's knife I like German made Messermeisters. Happy holidays!

I have had the Henckels four star for about 10 years and I really like those. When I bought them Consumer reports was rating them #1, but more importantly so were Mom and my grandmother. :) Since then CS has redone the ratings as new knives have come out or been improved and these are the top 5:

1. Henckels Twin select
2. Wusthof Trident
3. Henckels Twin Professional S
4. Wusthof Culinar
5. Henckels Four Star
6. Tramontina Professional (least expensive by far.) I won't list them all.

Maybe Chefkiev will chime in, too.

Sue

Oops, sorry, I meant chefkev. His ID does look a little like Chicken Kiev, though, doesn't it? And I am hungry. :)

Sue

sue_ct - I have a Henckel's four star 12" chef's knife and fish fillet knife. I like them both very much. I've used a friend's Wusthof knives and while I like them, I think they're way overpriced. As others have said though, selecting a knife is a very personal thing. Some like a knife with more heft, others like a thinner more lightweight blade (like a MAC). A lot depends upon the shape of your hand and what feels most comfortable for you.

My favorite knife by far, the one I reach for at least 90% of the time, is a very inexpensive carbon steel 8'' x 3.5'' Chinese vegetable cleaver. Fast & easy to sharpen, takes a great edge & holds it well. Was much easier for me to master than a chef's knife (never really managed that), and is great for scooping up the cut veggies or meat to transfer to bowl or pot. I paid 4 bucks for mine at a rummage sale but can be readily found in Asian food stores for less than $20.

I have a combination of Henckels and Wusthof. My husband got me a ceramic chef's knife for Mother's Day which cuts like a dream - paper thin slices of meat, but I find that I move a little slower when I use it because I'm afraid of breakage. When time is of the essence, I tend to just reach for my Henckels chef's knife or santoku.

My mom uses Cutco and she bought me a set about 4 years ago. I really like them and they come with free lifetime sharpening. I have no idea how much they cost but I think they are on the high-end. I put mine in the dishwasher sometimes but mostly I just rinse and wipe down. I use them all the time. I have a set of 5 and I use the Chefs knife several times a day.

Maydl makes a good point. Take a knife skills class at a local store or cooking school. They are fairly inexpensive and really help you appreciate your knives. It also helps in making decisions about what knives to purchase.

Good luck!

Blue-

Thanks for asking this question!

I have now spent the entire morning online looking at knives, digressed to Craigslist, and am now probably going to be buying a set of sewing cabinets (don't ask how that happened)- but really, think I have hit upon what to buy DH for Christmas! Then DD can inherit our present ones- or they can go downstairs for the future B & B.

I am intrigued by the ceramic knives- would they slice tomatoes better than a 'normal' steel knife? I had to look at what we have. We received the Victorinox for a wedding gift (over 30 years ago) and they've gone into the DW thousands of times. DH broke the tip off the chef knife trying to chop ice out of our old freezer compartment (tells you how long we've had them), so it got replaced by a Cutco chef's knife.

raehelen - A ceramic knife will probably slice tomatoes better than a "normal steel" knife although I think my super-thin MAC granton edge santoku knife could give it a run for it's money. Serrated edge knives are also very good for slicing tomatoes. I won't buy a ceramic knife because I think I would probably cry when I broke it.

I'm a big Wusthoff fan, and cutleryandmore.com is having a clearance sale on the Wusthoff Grand Prix knifes. I've been buying them up for christmas gifts. You can get a large chef's knife for around $50.00. They have sets on clearance as well as the individual knifes. I also like the Shun santuko, but nothing beats my Wusthoff Grand Prix chef knife, bread knife and paring knifes, those are the ones I use all the time.

Wusthoff is what I have and had been using until my DH ( a fine knife collector) bought 3 Murray Carter knives (Carter Cutlery) for me. These knives are the best around. He is a Japanese trained knife maker and has moved back to the states to raise his family and practice his trade.

If you are at all interested I can get you more info. He has a couple of different price points, but his high end is not for the faint of heart. They are very expensive but you will never want to use another knife.
We have given a few as gifts and everyone agrees, there is nothing like these beautiful hand forged knives.

Knives in the kitchen are subjected to constant use. However, they come in all shapes and sizes, each with a different function. To work efficiently in your kitchen you must know which knife to use for what purpose. As a beginning, we usually need to get a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. As time goes on, and our needs grow and become more refined, we add others to our collection.

Quality kitchen knives are sharp, solid and well-balanced. Once you have them, you'll find them a joy to use. Select the best ones you can afford. Two of the top brands are the German-made J.A. Henckels and Wusthof knives.

A good idea is to consider the possibilities for a kitchen knife set because knives bought in sets are often cheaper than those purchased individually. The set may include the knives described above plus a wood block for storing and steel for honing, which is very important.

Here are two links that I think will be useful for you:
- Kitchen Knives Review
- Kitchen Knife Sets: How To Select The Best One For Your Needs

I went through this searching process a few months back, and got the advice several times about actually holding and using, if possible, the type of knife you are considering, because "feel" is key.

I ended up with the Wusthof Culinar and have vowed to care for them properly, because these should still be in use until I am done with kitchen duty permanently. That includes hand washing only-no exceptions. My husband thinks that is crazy. He says that's recommended because so many knives have wooden handles, but since these are entirely stainless, handle and all, the dishwasher should be just fine. Any opinion on who is right? (I have not relented.)

susanilz5 - Nice site - Those are some pretty stellar deals. You've had good experiences ordering from them?

We have the Henckles Twin Cusine, which is the newest Henckles knife. We were debating about these and the Wustoff, but I found these most comfortable (I have tendinitis & was very fussy about how they felt.). My mother has the original Henckes Four Star and about 15 yrs old and work great. We brought a set of steak knives and 1 set consisting of a paring knife (4", I think) 5" cheif knife, bread knife and 2 others w/ a block, were not cheap about $300 I think, but waited a long time & worth it.

My fave is my Shun chef's.

Important to try before purchase.

If you have a great sharpening/grinding shop nearby, visit those folks and get their input.

In my opinion, Wusthof knives are amazing. We have gotten most of ours (I'm embarrassed to tell you how many I now own), from WS. I saw some at Tuesday Morning but they were made in China and extremely flimsy, so I caution anyone who thinks they're getting good knives at TM to really compare what they have with WS.

Good luck.

I have several Henckels Twin Professional S. I don't think you can buy knives just based on advice, you need to try them out. The Henckels twin didn't fit my hand right, for example.

I love my Wusthof knives. I've had other brands, and none can compare. I think I could cook just about anything with my Santoku, my paring knife, and my bread knife! (Although I have many others, these are the three I reach for constantly.)

I am a firm believer in putting the money in my true kitchen tools... my cookware (All-Clad) and my knives.

I bought a book about knives after a rather disappointing class in knife skills at my local cooking shop/school. I haven't actually read it yet, but DH has and has become even more obsessed with his sharpening skills than before! So, I have to suggest the following: An Edge In The Kitchen - The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives by Chad Ward.

Over the years, we have loved our old and rust-prone high-carbon Sabatiers and a big steel Chinese knife mentioned above by ci lantro. But, lately, the knife I always reach for is the Victorinox Santoku. I bought it to try the blade style and I really like it. Turns out, a lighter knife is easier to use (for me) for many prep tasks.

In that skills class I took, I was able to test-drive Globals, Ken Onion Shuns and Wusthoffs. The later was by far the most comfortable in my hand.

Does anyone have any experience with the Ken Onion or other knives with the funky curved handles? Are they more comfortable or just gimmicky?

In my past life when I worked for a cooking magazine, I had to do knife research. An excellent source of info and knives is The Knife Merchant. The owner's name is John Borg and he's a fountain of info. If you call and talk to him, he'll answer all of your questions very honestly. -- For my part, I'm getting Messermeister or Lamson Sharp when I'm in the market for new knives again.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Knife Merchant

I noticed "Cutco" was mentioned...our neighbor sells them...are they worth the $$$$ or are others better?

chefkev,

I order from cutlery and more all the time. Great service and quick delivery. You can't beat the prices on some of the knifes, I buy them for gifts.

bluekitobsessed - Cook's Illustrated recommended the Ken Onion chef's knife and had this to say about it:

This "flashy looking" knife won points for its "extreme sharpness." A pronounced curve aided the rocking motion. Most testers found it "really comfy," but tester with largest hands complained about the "ergonomic bump" on the handle. Food didn't stick to the blade.

I tested it and did not find it personally comfortable, but you might.

buehl - Take a pass on the Cutco knives. Get a Forshner/Victorianox which is a better knife for less money. Or, if you want to spend more and get an even better knife, go for one of the many other excellent recommendations in this thread. I would choose any of the following over Cutco: Messermeister, Wusthoff, Henckell's (four star, twin professional or twin select), MAC or Shun. I'm not personally familiar with Murray Carter or Global so I can't compare them, although I do have friends who really like the Globals.

I think the best advice you've received so far has been for you to test the feel and weight of the different knives in your hand. I've had Henkel's for years and when our set got lost in moving, I replaced them with the same but at a far better price than I first paid for them. I was able to get a 10 piece set that included a block that also held steak knives for $150 on Ebay. They were the Pro "S" set and retailed for no less than $395 everywhere I looked online and went for as much as $525 at select sites. I did get lucky in the fact that the block contained knives that I had already previously owned and wanted to replace so I wasn't stuck with ones I don't use on a regular basis.

These are definitely lifetime quality knives and I don't think I would ever had to replace my other set if it hadn't been lost and yet they were over 20 years old and used on a regular basis.

Good luck, hope you find what works well for you!

Thanks ChefKev! I will definitely pass on the Cutco! I'll look into the ones you mentioned. Right now I'm "fighting" my DH on this issue b/c his parents bought us a "block of knives" two Christmases ago and he can't see spending money on new ones now...and he's afraid his parents will be offended. But, the knives are, well not quite pieces of junk, but close! They're one of those "great deal for little money" sets you see advertised on TV.