I don't know what they'd cost as a set there, but most of my knives are Wusthof Classic knives, and I really like those. I'm sure they come as a set.
Knife set recommendations?
- Thread starter popeye85
- Start date
zuludog
Veteran
Alright, here are some comments in no particular order, which I hope will be helpful and not confuse you too much
Knives are measured by the length of the blade only; the handle is extra
So, for example, an 8" knife has a blade length of 8", but the total overall length will be about 13"
Imperial or Metric? Both may be used, but Metric is becoming more common
As mentioned, I don't recommend getting a set
One of my hobbies is leatherwork, and I have a friend who does small scale sculpture, and it's the same with those - a set will have things you don't want, and you will find you need things it doesn't have
Many sets are aimed at students & trainee chefs, who will be expected to cover most aspects of cookery. Thus they will have things like a boning knife and a fish filleting knife
Unless you intend doing serious meat or fish preparation, you'll probably never use them
More advanced sets might include things like a turning - paring knife or a dough knife, which are similarly a waste of money for most people
A cleaver is only needed if you're chopping bones or large vegetables
A slicer or carving knife is only needed if you're carving large joints of meat
Consider getting a small set of about 2 or 3 of the most common knives, and others as individuals. Then you can add more in the future if you wish
Cost is as good a guide to quality as any
Don't be afraid of the suppliers - after all, they know their stock, and it is in their interests to help you. So phone them up and ask their advice
Whether you buy a set or individual knives, you should be able to feel and handle them before you buy
For example, Global are excellent knives, but I don't like them
That said, if you do buy unseen, the classic western or Sabatier style handle suits most people
Search YouTube for choosing chef's knifes, and similar headings; then you will see the sorts ot things that are available, and suggested
Get a decent chopping board that's plenty big enough; wood or plastic, definitely not glass!
Students usually buy a set in a roll or a case so they can carry them to & from home, work, & college
If you want a set and will only use them at home, consider a knife block set. But it takes up space on your bench, and adds to the cost
I use a magnetic knife rack on the wall
You can manage with two knives, and I think the eight you were thinking of is a bit excessive, so somewhere in between is most likely
Besides knives, there are a couple of related items you might need, so here is my shopping list -
A Y peeler; make sure you get a Y peeler and not a julienne cutter
Kitchen scissors
A sharpening steel
A 3 or 4" peeling knife
A 4 to 5" chef's knife
A 6" chef's knife
An 8" chef's knife
You can get 10" chef's knives but they're only really necessary if you intend cutting things like large cabbages or watermelons
A bread knife, but you can manage with your chef's knife
A 6" or 8" santoku knife is useful. The traditional Japanese knife handle is straight & plain, but most knife makers now have a santoku in their range, so you can get them with shaped/moulded western style handles
Have a look at these suppliers -
www.nisbets.co.uk
www.mychefknives.co.uk
www.kitchenknives.co.uk
And these makes - Procook; Sabatier; Wusthoff; Henkels/Zwilling; Gustaf Emil Ern, but there are many others
Knives are measured by the length of the blade only; the handle is extra
So, for example, an 8" knife has a blade length of 8", but the total overall length will be about 13"
Imperial or Metric? Both may be used, but Metric is becoming more common
As mentioned, I don't recommend getting a set
One of my hobbies is leatherwork, and I have a friend who does small scale sculpture, and it's the same with those - a set will have things you don't want, and you will find you need things it doesn't have
Many sets are aimed at students & trainee chefs, who will be expected to cover most aspects of cookery. Thus they will have things like a boning knife and a fish filleting knife
Unless you intend doing serious meat or fish preparation, you'll probably never use them
More advanced sets might include things like a turning - paring knife or a dough knife, which are similarly a waste of money for most people
A cleaver is only needed if you're chopping bones or large vegetables
A slicer or carving knife is only needed if you're carving large joints of meat
Consider getting a small set of about 2 or 3 of the most common knives, and others as individuals. Then you can add more in the future if you wish
Cost is as good a guide to quality as any
Don't be afraid of the suppliers - after all, they know their stock, and it is in their interests to help you. So phone them up and ask their advice
Whether you buy a set or individual knives, you should be able to feel and handle them before you buy
For example, Global are excellent knives, but I don't like them
That said, if you do buy unseen, the classic western or Sabatier style handle suits most people
Search YouTube for choosing chef's knifes, and similar headings; then you will see the sorts ot things that are available, and suggested
Get a decent chopping board that's plenty big enough; wood or plastic, definitely not glass!
Students usually buy a set in a roll or a case so they can carry them to & from home, work, & college
If you want a set and will only use them at home, consider a knife block set. But it takes up space on your bench, and adds to the cost
I use a magnetic knife rack on the wall
You can manage with two knives, and I think the eight you were thinking of is a bit excessive, so somewhere in between is most likely
Besides knives, there are a couple of related items you might need, so here is my shopping list -
A Y peeler; make sure you get a Y peeler and not a julienne cutter
Kitchen scissors
A sharpening steel
A 3 or 4" peeling knife
A 4 to 5" chef's knife
A 6" chef's knife
An 8" chef's knife
You can get 10" chef's knives but they're only really necessary if you intend cutting things like large cabbages or watermelons
A bread knife, but you can manage with your chef's knife
A 6" or 8" santoku knife is useful. The traditional Japanese knife handle is straight & plain, but most knife makers now have a santoku in their range, so you can get them with shaped/moulded western style handles
Have a look at these suppliers -
www.nisbets.co.uk
www.mychefknives.co.uk
www.kitchenknives.co.uk
And these makes - Procook; Sabatier; Wusthoff; Henkels/Zwilling; Gustaf Emil Ern, but there are many others
Last edited:
zuludog
Veteran
Here's another idea for you -
Wusthof make excellent knives, and even their lower priced models will be good
They make the same shaped/profiled knives with similar handles in a top of the range model, and a lower priced model -
Grand Prix 11 and Silverpoint
Classic and Gourmet
Your large chef's knife will be the one you use most, so consider getting an 8" / 20 to 24cm knife from one of their top models, like Classic or Grand Prix 11, and the rest from their lower priced equivalent
I like Grand Prix 11, and I must admit that I haven't used Silverpoint or Gourmet, but Wusthoff don't make rubbish!
Silverpoint is a very similar shape to GP11, and I may well get them in future
I haven't done the maths, but I reckon you should just be able to get a large GP11 or Classic plus the others within your budget
Get a shopping list together and phone around the suppliers to see if they would give you extra discount on a large order; or they might throw in a Y peeler or something
Wusthof make excellent knives, and even their lower priced models will be good
They make the same shaped/profiled knives with similar handles in a top of the range model, and a lower priced model -
Grand Prix 11 and Silverpoint
Classic and Gourmet
Your large chef's knife will be the one you use most, so consider getting an 8" / 20 to 24cm knife from one of their top models, like Classic or Grand Prix 11, and the rest from their lower priced equivalent
I like Grand Prix 11, and I must admit that I haven't used Silverpoint or Gourmet, but Wusthoff don't make rubbish!
Silverpoint is a very similar shape to GP11, and I may well get them in future
I haven't done the maths, but I reckon you should just be able to get a large GP11 or Classic plus the others within your budget
Get a shopping list together and phone around the suppliers to see if they would give you extra discount on a large order; or they might throw in a Y peeler or something
Last edited:
zuludog
Veteran
Yes, it's me again, sorry about that!
I've had chance to sleep on the idea, and have come up with the same recommendation as Morning Glory -- Procook
I have a Procook knife; it is well made and handles nicely, and I can get it razor sharp
They do a range of knives, individually or sets, which often miss out the more specialised types that many people would not use, and attractive knife blocks
They are aimed at the home cook, which I think is just what you're looking for
You can choose your budget; X30, X50, X80, Elite, and so on
It would be easy to add additional knives as you wish
They often have offers - spend so much, and get a free knife, or sharpener, etc
www.procook.co.uk
They sell Y peelers, chopping boards, and most other kitchen type things as well
EDIT - I've just had a browse round their website, and it does seem that a knife block adds quite a lot to the price
You could get something like a set of 5 knives plus a couple of individual knives or a pair of santoku and a magnetic knife rack for the same price or less -- and I prefer a magnetic rack anyway
They also have knife sets on magnetic racks - just Search their website and try not to get lost!
I've had chance to sleep on the idea, and have come up with the same recommendation as Morning Glory -- Procook
I have a Procook knife; it is well made and handles nicely, and I can get it razor sharp
They do a range of knives, individually or sets, which often miss out the more specialised types that many people would not use, and attractive knife blocks
They are aimed at the home cook, which I think is just what you're looking for
You can choose your budget; X30, X50, X80, Elite, and so on
It would be easy to add additional knives as you wish
They often have offers - spend so much, and get a free knife, or sharpener, etc
www.procook.co.uk
They sell Y peelers, chopping boards, and most other kitchen type things as well
EDIT - I've just had a browse round their website, and it does seem that a knife block adds quite a lot to the price
You could get something like a set of 5 knives plus a couple of individual knives or a pair of santoku and a magnetic knife rack for the same price or less -- and I prefer a magnetic rack anyway
They also have knife sets on magnetic racks - just Search their website and try not to get lost!
Last edited:
popeye85
Senior Member
bryan123
Active Member
Go ala carte. I have a Victorinox chef's and paring knife and a Pampered Chef bread knife. Those are all I need 96% of the time. I collect pocket knives so I sharpen them with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. I found an inexpensive (very) block at a yardsale!
CookieMonster
Über Member
___if___ you know which/what knives you will use, going ala-cart from the start is a good idea.
however, one must "do the math"
it is exceedingly common that x knives sold as a "set" are less expensive than X-n knives bought individually.
e.g. - you buy the set, you throw away the not-needed bits....
chef style in 6" and 8" sizes covers most of it. a 10" covers the really big "hack'em-up stuff"
same with less width "slicers" - 8" and 10" cover the world need.
a santoku style is one not often included in sets. it has a longer "flat" length to the blade and is one of my 'most used' knives. the longer flat length is extremely useful in veg prep.
my collection is all Wuesthoff Classic - forged blades with composite handles - DYI sharpened - started in 1986 and still going strong. one handle cracked, was replaced no-questions-asked, no receipt required; return-for-exam postage required. I am a fan.... ymmy.
however, one must "do the math"
it is exceedingly common that x knives sold as a "set" are less expensive than X-n knives bought individually.
e.g. - you buy the set, you throw away the not-needed bits....
chef style in 6" and 8" sizes covers most of it. a 10" covers the really big "hack'em-up stuff"
same with less width "slicers" - 8" and 10" cover the world need.
a santoku style is one not often included in sets. it has a longer "flat" length to the blade and is one of my 'most used' knives. the longer flat length is extremely useful in veg prep.
my collection is all Wuesthoff Classic - forged blades with composite handles - DYI sharpened - started in 1986 and still going strong. one handle cracked, was replaced no-questions-asked, no receipt required; return-for-exam postage required. I am a fan.... ymmy.