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Good bang for buck cooking knife set?

S

slackerinabox

Lifer
My wife has always been an aspiring (home) cook and I'm thinking about slowly replacing her crappy discount store gear with higher quality stuff. I figure knives are the best place to start, suggestions?

I don't think she needs a block with 40 pieces she'll never use so I think I'm going to get her a really good chef knife first and build pieces as needed. I'm looking for good bang for buck and not necessarily cheap - $200 max if you need a budget? Figure anything higher and I'd just go for Global or one of the fancy German brands, I'm just a fan of the underdog/lesser known brands.
 
What's wrong with your discount store knifes?

We have those too and have been using them for years and never felt a need to "upgrade" or replace etc

PS. We do all of our own cooking/hardly ever go out to eat.
 
Victorinox Fibrox series.

Chef's Knife, Santoku knife, and a paring knife. doubt you'll need much more than those

oh and also get her and accusharp
 
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Don't need to get a Santoku and a chef's knife. Either of the 2 should be enough for large slicing/chopping needs.

Quality steel doesn't need to get sharpened often. You can use a service once a year if your wife finds the knife getting dull. I thought the hand-me-down chef's knife I got was dull, but after ~1 year of cooking regularly, I realized that I had super crappy knife skills because I suddenly started cutting much more easily.
 
Vdubchaos said:
What's wrong with your discount store knifes?

We have those too and have been using them for years and never felt a need to "upgrade" or replace etc

PS. We do all of our own cooking/hardly ever go out to eat.
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Hell if I'd know, but she'd like to take some cooking classes and the old line I keep hearing is that all chefs #1 kitchen tool is their knife and that they shouldn't skimp on it. I'm not qualified to answer much about flaws, but stuff I notice include rivets in the handle feeling loose and the balance doesn't feel right
 
drnickriviera said:
Victorinox Fibrox series.

Chef's Knife, Santoku knife, and a paring knife. doubt you'll need much more than those

oh and also get her and accusharp
Click to expand...

I've read great things but worry about the price (it's very affordable compared to other well reviewed entry level knives) and forged vs. stamped. Are victorinox knives great for their price or great, regardless of budget?
 
I second the Victorinox recommendation. They're $30/knife compared to $100 or more for the high-end knives you can get....but what you get is a balanced knife with a solid handle. I had never heard of them, but saw them on America's Test Kitchen as the knife to buy. Real chefs don't use JA Henckels knives... I bought a set after we had our Messermeister and Wusthof knives stolen... I just wanted a block set and got a good deal on the Henckles...many had rust spots on them a month after we bought them.
 
freedomsbeat212 said:
Hell if I'd know, but she'd like to take some cooking classes and the old line I keep hearing is that all chefs #1 kitchen tool is their knife and that they shouldn't skimp on it.
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That applies to "chefs"

Cooking at home (even on daily basis) is not really being a chef/working at a restaurant all day

Similar to tools, everyone will tell you that SnapOn is a must.....but most will get away with Craftsman JUST fine.

freedomsbeat212 said:
I'm not qualified to answer much about flaws, but stuff I notice include rivets in the handle feeling loose and the balance doesn't feel right
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Get a set that feels right. Don't go crazy/nuts......

We have a cheapo set and its fine. Heck past 10 years I haven't even sharpened the knifes and they do the trick.

Some here are pointing you in the right direction.....

And some will tell you to sell your balls to get a million dollar set. 🙂
 
Scarpozzi said:
I second the Victorinox recommendation. They're $30/knife compared to $100 or more for the high-end knives you can get....but what you get is a balanced knife with a solid handle. I had never heard of them, but saw them on America's Test Kitchen as the knife to buy. Real chefs don't use JA Henckels knives... I bought a set after we had our Messermeister and Wusthof knives stolen... I just wanted a block set and got a good deal on the Henckles...many had rust spots on them a month after we bought them.
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Jeez, thanks for making this thread so short guys - your comparison was very helpful, Victorinox it is.

Now everyone recommend the fibrox handles, is that really a must? The cherry looks lovely
 
drnickriviera said:
Chef's Knife, Santoku knife, and a paring knife. doubt you'll need much more than those
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This.

As long as you have a good carbon steel knife to go with it, I'm particularly partial to ceramic knives for chopping and paring. You rarely (if ever) have to sharpen them. The only down side is that you can't cut across bone or crush things with them. For standard chopping and slicing, though, they really can't be beat.
 
Scarpozzi said:
I second the Victorinox recommendation. They're $30/knife compared to $100 or more for the high-end knives you can get....but what you get is a balanced knife with a solid handle. I had never heard of them, but saw them on America's Test Kitchen as the knife to buy. Real chefs don't use JA Henckels knives... I bought a set after we had our Messermeister and Wusthof knives stolen... I just wanted a block set and got a good deal on the Henckles...many had rust spots on them a month after we bought them.
Click to expand...

rust spots happen on all knives because they aren't stainless steel. Stainless will chip and break instead of dent slightly, and they're really difficult to sharpen when compared to steel. If you still have the Henckles, a good scrub and a wipe dry should get rid of the rust.
 
jaedaliu said:
Don't need to get a Santoku and a chef's knife. Either of the 2 should be enough for large slicing/chopping needs.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't agree with that. I moved and had to start my kitchen collection over. I only have an santoku now and I miss the chef's knife. A) the Santoku doesn't have a point on the tip. I like to cut around the stem on a bell pepper and pull out the whole core. It's awkward with the santoku and it's blunt nose. B) the Santoku is flat. I find that great for chopping veggies, but when I want to mince garlic, I like to rock the knife. The curved blade of the chef's knife makes that easy.

freedomsbeat212 said:
Jeez, thanks for making this thread so short guys - your comparison was very helpful, Victorinox it is.

Now everyone recommend the fibrox handles, is that really a must? The cherry looks lovely
Click to expand...

I like the fibrox handle. My hands can get wet and I know I have a good grip on the knife.
I cook almost every day. I've had Wusthof. I have zero complaints with the Victorinox
 
I bought a decent Henckles 10" chefs knife from Bed Bath & Beyond for like $40 (20% coupon!) and it was OK until I sharpened it 3 years later (bought a sharpener for like $6 on amazon). Now its frigging amazing. I take care of it and hone it before every use but haven't sharpened it since (about a year now).
 
It's best to get the knives you need, but if you want a set to just have a bit of everything to learn with Overstock and Amazon deals are really good as well as occasionally places like Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, etc.

Also know out of all the 'Name Brands", most of the knives you will find cheap are their off-brands that are nothing like the real ones.
 
Echoing past comments and the majority of knife forums, Victorinox Fibrox is the best bang/buck.

The only extra thing you need is a ceramic honing rod and an Accusharp and you'll be golden for decades.
 
I have a fairly good collection of mid level knives, and the most commonly used ones are the Shun santoku and the Messermeister chef's knife. Both get chosen over Henkels, Wustof, etc.


The Shun is pretty amazing, but I have been told it's very delicate. I have had it for almost a year and it's still extremely sharp. I have shaved my nails on accident more than once.
 
Definitely the Victorinox Fibrox. I have the chef's knife and it is stupid sharp. It's not flashy. The handle is plastic. But it is a great, fantastic tool.

Over the years my idea of cookware has changed drastically. It's 80% about the chef and their skills. Good cookware and tools like a high BTU gas stove, electric oven, sharp knife, and good pots and pans make life a lot easier.

Things like tri-ply and copper and Henckels knives are just for decoration really. Real working chefs do not use expensive things like this, and they're the ones creating the awesome meals.
 
jaedaliu said:
rust spots happen on all knives because they aren't stainless steel. Stainless will chip and break instead of dent slightly, and they're really difficult to sharpen when compared to steel. If you still have the Henckles, a good scrub and a wipe dry should get rid of the rust.
Click to expand...

1. Usually rust spots happen when knives aren't cared for well enough.

2. Stainless is a soft metal. Steel is brittle. Steel will chip way before stainless does. Stainless can be sharpened just as easily, but because of it's soft nature it will not hold an edge through use.

I have Wusthoff and my parents have Henckles. I like both, but was absolutely shocked the last time I used my parents. My dad decided to sharpen them, and now they don't cut worth a damn. He sharpened them by hand.

Pay for professional sharpening. It's worth it. It can make even crappy knives cut well. Do NOT believe all the hype about electric sharpeners. I've used 4 or 5 different brands and none do the job well at all.
 
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