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    Home » General

    How to Buy a Set of Kitchen Knives... Don't!

    Published: Jun 8, 2012 · Modified: Dec 1, 2020 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Most people waste their money on sets of kitchen knives... Why buy one decent item when you can get a whole set of crappy items for the same price?!? People do not shop for knives like they shop for other needed items. Think about it, what if you went to the car dealership and the salesman said, “I can sell you this low mileage Toyota Camry or for the same price I can sell you a three piece package deal that includes a 1987 Ford Tempo for everyday driving, a rusty 4x4 Bronco for off-roading, and a sputtering motorcycle for when you need mileage efficiency!” Would you really be tempted to buy the set?

    As price conscious consumers we are always on the lookout for “value”, however sometimes that costs us. Think about it for a second. What is going to be a higher quality item… a $50 set of 15 knives, a $50 set of 9 knives, or a $50 knife? Assuming you are a savvy shopper, you will get what you pay for. The fewer knives you get for the price the better quality each knife will be.

    Now take a moment to look at the knives in your 15 piece+ set. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you needed a butcher’s clever, or even understand the practical difference between a paring knife and a bird beak paring knife? Unless you took up slaughtering animals as a hobby or are an aspiring serial killer, I doubt you’ve used the clever in the past year. Nor do I suspect you’ve ever angrily declared to your family that dinner is canceled because you can’t find your favorite bird beak paring knife! I would be willing to stake my retirement on the fact that your knife set includes knives you do not regularly use and you’ve paid for knives you don’t need.

    There is nothing more dangerous in the kitchen than a dull knife, nor is there anything more frustrating than trying to cut a tomato with a knife that wields the sharpness of a Buick’s bumper.  The only thing a dull knife consistently cuts well is your fingers. By purchasing knife sets you are wasting your money on items you won’t use and getting lower quality products for the knives you will actually use.

    You would be better served by spending the same amount of money on one good knife. A quality knife will cut easier, be safer to use, hold its edge better, be easier to sharpen, feel better in your hand… not to mention you will take pride in owning a quality item.

    If you are going to own one knife it needs to be a chef’s knife. This is the most versatile weapon in your kitchen and you can use it for every meal. A quality chef’s knife will outperform a cheap clever at butchering, a cheap carver at slicing, and a cheap paring knife at cutting strawberries. Why own several underperforming products when you can own one exceptional item that can be multifunctional?

    Wusthof Ikon Chef Knife - In my opinion, the Best knife in the world.

    I currently own the Wusthof Classic Ikon 8" chef's knife. If my apartment burned down tomorrow, I lost everything and went on government assistance; I would probably collect aluminum cans until I could afford to replace that one knife. It is easily my most valued piece of kitchen equipment. Purchasing that one knife instantly replaced my entire knife collection.

    I can understand if you aren’t a cooking aficionado and don’t want to spend that much money on one knife. I recently purchased a J.A. Henckels santoku knife (Asian chef’s knife) for $35 that is still better than the average knife included in a big box store set. In the end you need to determine what you are comfortable paying and find the best knife in that price range. Once you have your main knife you can always add other quality accessory knives over the years.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. B. Sharpe

      December 15, 2014 at 1:11 pm

      Excellent blog and I completely agree that buying any large set is overkill. Unfortunately, most people discover the reality of cheap knives after years of trial & error, (and missing fingertips!). It's ironic that the same folks who laugh at the Ginsu Knife commercials, eventually end up with similar bargain junk in their own kitchen. I have owned Wustof and inherited Henkels and as an amateur chef, I have decent knife skills and practice proper care and sharpening; so these knives have lasted for about 7 years. However, it wasn't until I tried a friend's Cutco knife that I found a level of quality and construction unsurpassed by my German blades. Her Cutco knives are 40 years old and solid as a rock. I especially like the ergonomics of the handle, their heft and balance. I have a family member who sold Cutco and wanted to stop by for the "one-hour demo", but I politely declined and said I have no use for any pre-packaged set, where the bundle includes knives I'll rarely use. I bought a Chef and Santoku individually, received free lifetime replacement and sharpening for around $200, (about the same as Henkels or Wustof). But I'll never have to buy another and the pleasure of holding such a well-made tool never wears off. I think that perhaps the whole in-home demo sales model puts some people off, (like vacuums or windows!) but you can avoid the pressure and order through any local rep also.

      Reply
      • Fox Valley Foodie

        December 15, 2014 at 1:25 pm

        I also once accidentally sat through a Cutco sales demo in my home and I felt it was a completely dishonest sales tactic and I won't buy their knives because of it. Prior to the gentleman sitting at my table I did not realize he was there to sell knives. From speaking with him on the phone I was under the impression initially that I was helping him out with some sort of college class by letting him show me his demo. The whole smoke and mirrors of it all left a very bad taste in my mouth.

        Reply
        • B.Sharpe

          December 16, 2014 at 3:39 pm

          Sorry to hear of your experience. I know from discussions with our nephew and my sister that the reps are never told to lie, (at least at his office in Elmhurst) and also instructed to follow the script to keep the presentations consistent. I'm sure some reps ignore this advice and try to "spin" their approach, but ultimately find that if a demo host is pissed and doesn't offer referrals, they have essentially wasted their time and don't make any money.
          I hope you do have an opportunity to try the knives again, or I could hook you up with my nephew to order direct if you'd like. I'm actually not biased, as I feel they are better built and balanced than the Germans, or even a pro-chef friend's expensive Sabatier or Misono...OK, maybe not a s cool looking though!
          Ciao, (or chow).

          Reply
    2. japanese recipes

      June 28, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Surfing around digg.com I noticed your web site book-marked as:
      How to Buy a Set of Kitchen Knives

      Reply

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