Product Features

The Millennium series includes stainless steel handles and fine-edged blades which happen to be dishwasher-safe, making them more easy to maintain than many high-end cutlery sets. The Stainless Soft Grip series possesses the same attributes found on the Millennium series apart from the issue that hand washing is recommended. The Professional Series includes the same qualities as the other series plus that professional series handles are given three rivets to enhance their durability and strength.

The Classic Series and the Ultraedge Pro Series of the Farberware kitchen knife set apparently require no blade sharpening due to their high-carbon stainless steel blades, which are admittedly the best selling blades for cutlery in the last few years. Throw in their non-slip handles formed from polypropylene, and the package is complete. All you need to remember, it would seem, is which Faberware knife set recommends hand washing rather than dishwasher cleaning.

Advantages

Well, if you might be the kind who never washes knives as you finish, but prefer to put your cutlery into the dishwasher, the Farberware Millenium series would be ideal for you. Remember, though, you should realize that even the purest quality steel will rust after too many exposures to the chemicals which are found in your dishwasher.

Furthermore, some of the Farberware knives are made of high-carbon stainless steel, which has proven to be highly-resistant to corrosion and rust. Although carbon steel is not as easy to sharpen as the more pedestrial stainless steel knives, the advertized “no need for sharpening” advantage implies that it shouldn’t come up.

The Cuisinart blades have been forged, not cold rolled, which results in exceptionally balanced knives that lay light in your hands but heavy on whatever you’re cutting. But naturally, these abilities are present with nearly all forged knives, so there’s nothing there to get excited about.

What’s more, if you are a person who wishes to have identical knives but misplaces them more than usual, you might be pleased to find out that the pieces of any Faberware knife set may be bought from any cookware store in the country. Don’t forget, Farberware is almost everywhere!

Disadvantages

The fairly thin handles of nearly all pieces in a Faberware knife set can be an issue for those with large hands. While the blades perform with relative success most of the time, getting a proper grip on the handles may be a problem, most often when your hands are wet.

The downside of the “no need for sharpening” characteristic, this might apply only to subsequent uses, because you still will have to sharpen these knives directly out of the store. After that, you can simply do the maintenance to maintain these knives as sharp as possible. (For the most part, the “no need for sharpening” feature is merely a marketing tool)

The final decision on a Faberware kitchen knife set: It’s an average set of cutlery which might be purchased at an average price. If you perform more demanding kitchen jobs, you might as well spend more money to acquire professional quality knives. For daily jobs in a home, a Farberware knife set will manage just fine.

Although, before Victorinox became renowned for their Swiss Army knives, Victorinox was an established manufacturer of cutlery. Currently, two brand names are marketed by this cutlery maker: Victorinox and Forschner, both of which are marketed without even mentioning the Swiss Army brand. In this way the Victorinox knife set came to be available to civilian consumers.

Product Features

The Victorinox knives are produced using the forge process and then subsequently ice tempered. Because of this, these knives are uniformly solid and well balanced with a full tang extending all the way through the center of the handle.

The Forschner knives are made with the stamped blade prodedure. These products are additionally made from the same piece of steel from tip to tang, but the knives are less heavy than the Victorinox cutlery, which is ideal for chopping and cutting quickly.

The hilts in a Victorinox knife set most often are available in two colors: black and rosewood. You could find red handles, by the way, but they are regularly restricted to the individual knives that you can add to a set. If you choose to invest in the block set, choose the kind with two extra slots to hold your additional Victorinox knives.

Advantages

Compared to all the sets reviewed, the Victorinox product consistently recieves high marks from both everyday users and the trade publications, including the prestigious Cooks’ Illustrated. For that matter, it rates favorably with its high-end peers including Wusthof and Henckels. A nice set to consider is the Victorinox 8 Pc Knife Block Sets.

First, the wooden block which holds a Victorinox knife set includes lovely grain structure in both dark and light oak. It’s absolutely stable to promote safety and designed to fit in the tightest of places on a  kitchen countertop.

Second, the knives’ cutting aptitude vis-à-vis sharpness, weight and balance are, predictably, the cutting edge in kitchen knives. This superiority can be a result of their relatively thin backs that present just about no wedge effects. Of course, Victorinox crafts especially sharp blades for the Swiss Army knives, so why not anticipate that in their kitchen knives also?

Third, the number of knives in a Victorinox knife set suits either amateur or professional chefs. There are not such a variety of knives that an amateur chef will be intimidated, however you’ll find just enough specialized knives to prevent the professional chef from feeling underwhelmed.

Fourth, the Fibrox handles might be the most convenient ones so far. You could control the knives comfortably regardless of the size of your hands, which is a boon if you have chefs of all ages using your home.

Fifth- and this is essential for decorative issues- the entire set seems quite businesslike. Just imagine how knowledgeable you will feel with these Victorinox knives on your kitchen counter!

Disadvantages

Virtually the only difficulty that you can encounter with a Victorinox knife set is the pricey cost. Some styles go as high a $1,270 for a 17-piece knife collection! Another nice option is the Victorinox 8 Piece Knife Block Set.

Still, while you think about the good points, you might be open to paying a higher price to take advantage of more of the aforementioned advantages. Now, if you might be able to pay for the newest Victorinox digital-age Swiss Army knife, your collection of cutting tools ought to be complete.

General Features

Rachael Ray’s knives are made by Füritechnics, an Australian knife company which additionally has recommendations from other celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson. Following Ray’s suggestion, the knives are lightweight and have slip-resistant handles (in Ray’s words, “super duper grippy”) and ”extreme sharp” blades. And of course, with orange being her ideal color, nearly all the knives are made with orange handles cases, with the notable exception of the all-black steak knife set along with its case.

Addressing the technical matters, Rachel Ray’s cutlery sets are crafted out of a high-quality German stainless steel alloy blade with a polypropylene/synthetic rubber hilt formed into a proprietary reversed-cone shape to increase its “super duper grippyness”. A pair of significant characteristics in the grips of these knives are the anti-microbial compound in the synthetic rubber, and the copper insert which could be shaved to re-establish the knife’s balance following a couple of years of sharpening sessions.

Advantages

Well, as we already explained, the super grippy knife fulfills Ms. Ray’s goals, thanks to the grip’s reverse-wedge shape that offers super-grip management even when your hands are wet. Let’s be honest, you don’t want to work with super sharp knives which may get quickly out of control as soon as they get slick from liquid on your hands, which takes place  constantly every time you are cooking. A great set is the Furi Rachael Ray Gusto Grip Knife Set.

Any Rachael Ray knife set would make a great gift thanks to its striking packaging. What’s more, you could pick either the orange or the black case or the bamboo case. And the orange handles are a pretty bright spot in a dull beige kitchen!

Also, it doesn’t hurt that Rachael Ray touches viewer’s lives during her talk shows. She has personally used and evaluated every knife while on TV and showed the knives to be efficient and enjoyable. That exposure, when coupled with her charisma, encourages fans to buy the products. And that’s influence for you!

Disadvantages

As much as the Rachael Ray knife set produces cutting performance, there are some issues concerning the knives themselves. As a start, the orange handles can be difficult to work with when your décor contains a contrasting palette, or if you really don’t want your kitchen gadgets to visually hop up and welcome your company. Unless you are willing to put up with these very visible accents constantly, you are better off with traditional-colored handles like black or silver.

There are additionally concerns about the danger of the E. coli bacteria on account of the gaping seam which divides the rubber handle and the metal bolster. This, of course, comes from the lack of ease in cleaning properly in such narrow spaces. Well, maybe the anti-microbial components in the polypropylene can take care of that danger, yet the risk may be too great for your sense of security. A nice set to look into is the Furi Rachael Ray Gusto Grip 3 Piece Knife Set.

Generally speaking, the Rachael Ray knife set is ideal for amatuer chefs honing their abilities in their own kitchen. For consumers with commercial uses for knives, switching to higher quality blades may be necessary.

Product Features

According to their website, KitchenAid cutlery is divided into four descriptions: Professional Series, Professional Series Stainless Steel, Cook’s Series and Carousel Sets. The collective attributes of all the knives seem to be the contoured handles for a secure grip and precise cutting as well as the high-carbon stainless steel blades with perfectly sharp edges.

The components of a KitchenAid knife set normally include a chef’s knife, a slicer knife, a santoku knife, a utility knife, a paring knife, steak knives, kitchen shears and sharpening steel, all of which can be stored in a wooden knife box. The knife handles are available in two different materials – rubber and stainless steel.

The knife handles can be purchased in either black or silver, with one style in orange, which blends nicely with any kitchen style. The wood blocks also display KitchenAid’s logo which means you could have a brand-coordinated room if you would like to.

Advantages

A kitchen knife is obviously only as efficient as its ability to chop through kitchen ingredients, and those knives you’ll find in the KitchenAid knife set don’t fail to perform for this purpose. The forged fabrication and the high-carbon stainless steel blades result in top grade knives at a fairly low price. A nice option for you is the Kitchenaid 14 Pc Cutlery Set.

The full tang production method and the triple-riveted stocks produce almost flawless balance and weight. Why not completely perfect? Actually, it wasn’t intended to function as well in a deli or meat market as it would in your home.

One of these knife collections comes with a detachable steak knife block, designed for quick table setting. For more informal events in the vein of a barbecue, you might simply detach the block with its steak knives, locate it next to the other flatware and allow guests to pull out the knives whenever they require them.

Also, the knives in any KitchenAid knife set are arranged in a manner that the steak knives never contact the food prep knives. Consequently, the danger of spreading bacteria can be diminished.

With the amount of knives in a set, you can at least boast that you know how to function in the kitchen even when you don’t know a potato peeler from a set of nail clilppers. Plus, it does look impressive sitting on the countertop.

Disadvantages

Even though this company attests that these knives are dishwasher-safe and can avoid rust and stains, you ought never bet on that recommendation. Even world class knives can rust and stain if exposed to the superheated dishwasher detergents routinely.

Additionally, the sheer variety of the specialized knives might intimidate the novice knife wielder. If that describes you, it’s nearly always better to purchase a few basic knives and then collect more as you decide you need them.

In conclusion, the Kitchenaid 14 Piece Cutlery Set With Steak Knife Block could be a good choice. KitchenAid is not the best quality choice in the knife industry, but with its reasonable price, good ease of use and good looks, it remains a good selection for someone who simply would like to chop some chicken easily.

Product Features

According to their website, KitchenAid cutlery is divided into four categories: Professional Series, Professional Series Stainless Steel, Cook’s Series and Carousel Sets. The common traits of all this company’s knives seem to be the contoured handles for a solid grip and precise cutting in addition to the high-carbon stainless steel blades which have wonderfully sharp edges.

The units of a KitchenAid knife set most often include a chef’s knife, a slicer knife, a santoku knife, a utility knife, a paring knife, steak knives, kitchen shears and sharpening steel, all of which can be secured in a specially designed box. The knife handles are made using two kinds of materials – rubber and stainless steel.

These knife handles are available in either black or silver, with one model in orange, which compliments any kitchen décor. The wood blocks also clearly show KitchenAid’s logo with the result that you might cook your meals in a brand-coordinated room if you would like to.

Advantages

A kitchen knife is naturally only as efficient as its ability to cleave through kitchen ingredients, and these knives which are part of the KitchenAid knife set never let you down for this purpose. The forged manufacturing process and the high-carbon stainless steel components result in restaurant quality knives at a reasonable price. A nice option for you is the Kitchenaid 14 Pc Cutlery Set.

The full tang production method and the triple-riveted grips offer the user practically ideal balance and weight. Why not completely perfect? Unfortunately, it is not designed to function as well in a deli or meat market as it can in your home.

One of KitchenAid’s knife collections includes a snap-on steak knife block, which makes for quick table setting. For more relaxed meals in the vein of a barbecue, you could just detach the block with its steak knives, locate it next to the forks and spoons and allow guests to pull out the knives if they have a use for them.

Also, the knives in this KitchenAid knife set are arranged such that the steak knives never contact the food prep knives. As a result, the danger of spreading bacteria will be lessened.

With the amount of knives in every set, you could at least pretend that you know what you’re doing in your kitchen even in cases where you don’t know a paring knife from a slicer. Also, it does look good when displayed on the countertop.

Disadvantages

Even though the manufacturer attests that the products are dishwasher-proof and can sluff off rust and stains, you should never base your actions on that recommendation. Even world class knives have been known to rust and stain if assaulted by the harsh dishwasher liquids over and over again.

Also, the sheer variety of the specialized knives might intimidate the inexperienced knife wielder. If that describes you, it’s nearly always recommended to purchase two or three pieces and then collect others as you decide you need them.

In conclusion, the Kitchenaid 14 Piece Cutlery Set With Steak Knife Block can be a sensible purchase. These are not the greatest option in the knife industry, although with its comfortable price, good performance and good looks, it’s still a good selection for anyone who only wants to chop some chicken easily.

Product Range

Anolon offers three product lines for knives – Advanced Cutlery, Advanced Bronze Cutlery and Advanced Stainless Steel Cutlery. It appears as if the company thinks that the title, “advanced” will cause the knives to sound better than the products of different manufacturers before anyone has seeing the knives. Notwithstanding the reason for the name, Anolon has 19 knife sets for you to buy, covering the spectrum from the 15-piece sets to the individual knives, and they come with a universal sharpener included for good measure.

For the reason that a knife is only as strong as its blade, Anolon knives use world renowned German steel. The Advanced Collection features carbon steel, the Bronze Collection features high-carbon stainless steel and the Stainless Steel Collection features stainless steel, and this can be bewildering to a consumer who merely would like to purchase knives without being concerned about metallurgy. Having said that, you can distinguish these product lines by the knife handles – black for Advanced, brown for Bronze and silver for Stainless Steel.

Advantages

The Anolon knives are forged, not extruded, and that form of construction produces better density, flexibility and hardness in the blades. Naturally, a harder and more flexible steel blade will be easier and safer to work with, and the blade can also keep its edge longer.

We must admit, Anolon knives are manufactured in China. Yet their quality looks as though it is excellent, especially concerning the sharpness and smoothness of the blades from right out of the shipping container. The price of this brand of knives won’t be a problem either, seeing as you will enjoy exceptional knives that don’t have high prices.

Other convenient benefits of buying the 15-piece sets are; the resilient bamboo knife block complete with slot labels and a spare slot for your other good knife as well as Anolon’s handy knife sharpener. For individual knives, you could take advantage of the protective sheath which is included with every purchase.

All things considered, an Anolon knife collection is a good use for your money, particularly as not a lot of it will be needed.

Disadvantages

There are very few things to be annoyed with with regard to Anolon knives. Nevertheless, those things are worth listing up since you should be able to understand all the issues in advance of spending your good money on any cookware.

To start with, the bamboo blocks can arrive in anything-but-perfect form. There will occasionally be complaints of the slot labels being corroded and the wood itself being black rather than the beautiful brown as seen in the ad photos. On top of that, the rubber handles will sometimes flake off in bits, mainly when you rub them. It may be a result of natural wear and tear, but it will be a moment of annoyance for you.

Additionally, you should sharpen your Anolon knives following every task to keep them in good shape, and Anolon knives are less than dishwasher compatible. If you are the use-toss-replace kind of consumer, the Anolon knives could present a challenge. A great set to consider is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Yet, all things considered, an Anolon knife set is a good cutlery set for your home. It coordinates well with your other kitchen items, it provides knives that keep their cutting surface for a long time, and can be stored safely.

A Kitchen Needs Knives!

If you do much cooking at all, you’ll use not one, but several kinds of knives. Each of these kitchen utensils has a specific function, like chopping, slicing, or filleting food.

All knives, however, have pretty much the same parts.

The Main Part Of The Knife – The Blade

The blade is pretty self-explanatory, being the metal part of the knife used for cutting, from the handle to the tip. It’s the most important part of the knife, and the quality of the blade determines how well the knife cuts. Good quality blades make it much easy to do food preparation for cooking.

A Better Bolster

The bolster is the small part between the blade and the handle, connecting the two together. Obvously, this connection is important so the knive stays all together.

A bolster that does NOT cover the full width of the blade is actually advantageous. That might seem sturdier, but it gets in the way of sharpening the blade. For that reason, it’s preferable that the bolster doesn’t reach clear to the edge of the blade.

The Whole Tang

The tang is an extension of the blade. The tang extends into the middle of the handle, thus giving the knife good balance while providing a way to attach the handle to the knife. A tang also helps strengthen the knife, making it more durable.

Tangs aren’t all the same length. Sometimes one only goes partway into the handle. Higher quality knives are well constructed with a tang that runs the full length of the handle, making it strong and well-balanced.

Getting A Handle

You need a way to safely hold a knife, and that’s the handle. It wraps around the tang and keeps it secure. A knife handle can be made of metal, wood, or one of a variety of plastics.

Being able to easily hold the knife handle is almost as important as it being sturdy. It should fit your hand well considering how much you’ll be using it.

Types of Kitchen Knives

Checking the different parts of the knife for quality gives you an idea what to look for when buying a good knife. However, when it comes to buying a knife, there’s a tremendous variation of types. Some of these include:

· Boning Knife

· Butter Knife

· Cheese Knife

· Chef’s Knife

· Cleaver

· Deli Knife

· Filet Knife

· Frozen Food Knife

· Mincing Knife

· Paring Knife

· Sandwich Knife

· Serrated Knife

· Slicing-Carving Knife

· Steak

· Utility

There are also specialty knives for chestnuts, clams, grapefruits, deveining, lettuce and oysters, plus specialty knives for different types of cuisines such as Japanese and Asian.

With so many different types of knives out there, it’s fortunate you don’t need to buy one of each.

The Bare Essentials of Knives For The Kitchen

While every knife has a use, most people don’t need so many of the more specialized knives. All kitchens should have a few basic types of knives. These are the more versatile knives that can do a number of different types of food preparation.

The Paring Knife

If you don’t have any other knife, you need a paring knife. It has a straight, sharp blade and is on the small side. Paring knives run from about three to five inches long with a thin blade that tapers to a point at the tip.

This little kitchen knife is easy to handle and use. The paring knife is aptly named, as its chiefl use is for paring foods. It’s also good for cutting up small items, coring apples and such, and mincing garlic and other foods. A good paring knife is a basic necessity for every kitchen.

A Knife For A Chef

The Chef’s or Cook’s knife is another versatile knife. Running from about 6 inches to 12 inches long, there are several different sizes of chef’s knives. Chef knives in the smaller sizes are called mini chef’s knives. A smaller handed person will find the mini chef knives work better for them that the larger size. People with regular to large sized hands should use a regular sized chef’s knife, as it will balance well in their hand.

The chef knife picks up where the paring knife leaves off, and can cut bigger vegetables, fruits and meats. Slicing, chopping and mincing foods are handled well with a chef’s knife. The bigger size makes it better suited for the heavy duty work, and making thicker slices than a paring knife.

The Serrated Knife

Instead of a straight edge like the paring and chef knives have, the serrated knife has notches in the blade. It can be anywhere from 5 to 10 inches long. For foods that are soft inside, but hard on the outside, the serrated blade of this knife is the best one to use. A great example is a loaf of homemade bread. Slicing tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables is also a good use of the serrated blade.

Put A Cleaver To Good Use

You could make do with a paring knife, chef’s knife and serrated knife, but there’s one other blade that is highly useful in the kitchen. This knife had a very wide blade which is usually about 6 inches in length.

A cleaver works well for pounding and crushing foods. Of course, it can also be used to chop and shred foods like other knives. Cutting through hard materials such as chicken bones is another good use for this knife.

Not only can a cleaver pulverize meat, but the flat of the blade can be used to crush garlic and other herbs. Most cleavers come with a hole near the end of the blade so it can be hung up somewhere out of the way. This takes care of the problem of the cleaver taking up so much room in one of your kitchen drawers.

Choose Good Quality Knives For The Kitchen

Whatever knives you chose, get the best quality you can. You’ll be using your kitchen knives almost every day, so make food preparation easier by buying good quality knives.

The more you cook, the more you will appreciate using good quality knives, and may wish to expand your selection to include more types. The paring knife, chef’s knife, serrated knife are good for a starter kitchen, however, with the cleaver making a nice addition.

Every kitchen can use a few good knives.