Is there a consensus or near consensus in this forum on what is the
"best value" in knife sets (with a wooden block)? I am ready to ditch
my old cheap set but not quite ready for those costing several hundred
dollars.

"Newbie" > wrote in message
...
> Is there a consensus or near consensus in this forum on what is the
> "best value" in knife sets (with a wooden block)? I am ready to ditch
> my old cheap set but not quite ready for those costing several hundred
> dollars.

The best choice in knife sets is no knife set. They may seem like a good
deal but you end up paying for knives you won't use. Better to buy a few
better quality knives of the shapes and sizes you know you will use.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

I don't know if there's a general consensus, but Forschner comes up
quite frequently when discussing midrange knives. I have a set that
I'm quite happy with, and prices are reasonable-- a 10" chef's knife
can be had for under $25, for example, and paring knives are under
$5.

I tend to prefer buying open stock, but there's an 8 piece set available
for around $150.

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
|
http://www.gammon.com/ | "Oh great. We suck equally.
Check out www.tribe.net! | Next stop: world domination!"

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>The best choice in knife sets is no knife set.

Here here. I have a Chef's knife, a bread knife, a paring knife, and a
small japanese cleaver I use lots. I have a bunch of other junky knives
that I never even think about. The chef's I bought on sale at a
restaurant supply store and I can sharpen it in seconds.

The cleaver is most useful. It just "feels" right in my hand and I can
chop veggies, separate joints, or slice meat.

Don't fall for the advertisements. One of my former employees was a
culinary student with a fancy satchel full for knives she paid like $500
for. You'd think she was a diamond merchant.

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 21:15:12 GMT, "Vox Humana" > wrote:

> You might take a
>look at this site. It has a wide selection of quality knives: www.pcd.com
>They put out a nice print catalog. You might want to sign-up for it.

Yeah -- they've got a really nice Lamson white pearl handled santoku, originally
$83.00, on sale right now for $82.99. (no joke)

http://tinyurl.com/2u9zq

They do offer good service, in my experience, but their prices are fairly high,
especially compared to other Web sources.

-- Larry

In article >, Newbie > wrote:

>If you buy knives a la carte where and how do you store them?

I have a magnetic knife bar on the wall above my sink. My knives
take up precisely zero counter space, and they're always right in
front of me when I need them.

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
|
http://www.gammon.com/ | "Oh great. We suck equally.
Check out www.tribe.net! | Next stop: world domination!"

"Newbie" > wrote in message

> I was thinking why I wanted a set in the first place. The reason is my
> cramped counter space and a compact wooden block would keep
> everything organized and accessible. If you buy knives a la carte
> where and how do you store them?
>
> I could of course buy a seperate block but then everytime I buy a knife
> I would have to worry if it would in one of the available slots or not.

There are some generic blocks that will accommodate most any knife. Or you
can use a magnetic bar. I have one on the side of my cabinet by the sink.

Buy knives that you are comfortable with, feel good in your hand, have a
sensible price. You may want to mix brands to get what you want.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

Just Another Alias > wrote:

> Go to Bed Bath Beyond and buy a block, or consider a drawer rack.

For reasons peculiar my kitchen (it is a rented apartment and I can't
make any real changes) I have to get a block.

Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
knives in the knife block?

I am asking this because when I bought my cheapo set, it came with
steak knives. While we needed a knife all the time, these were mere
decoration most of the time. Of course sometimes we need them,
but I am not sure if they need to be sitting out all the time.

What is your solution.

Newbie > wrote:

> Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
> knives in the knife block?
>
> I am asking this because when I bought my cheapo set, it came with
> steak knives. While we needed a knife all the time, these were mere
> decoration most of the time. Of course sometimes we need them,
> but I am not sure if they need to be sitting out all the time.

I see no disadvantage to having such slots, except that a block
incorpprating them will be bigger and thus more expensive.

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>If you buy knives a la carte
>where and how do you store them?

In a plastic box in the top drawer. Sellers want you to think they're
showpieces, but they're not. They're tools.

>I could of course buy a seperate block but then everytime I buy a knife
>I would have to worry if it would in one of the available slots or not.

Give this a thought. Buy TWO good knives. (Look for restaurant supply
in the Yellow Pages. Just walk in a look.) Only two. One big knife,
One little knife. Live with them for one month or so. Learn to sharpen
them. You will be surprised at how much you DON'T need a block full of
knives. Spend the leftover money on food.

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>I am asking this because when I bought my cheapo set, it came with
>steak knives. While we needed a knife all the time, these were mere
>decoration most of the time. Of course sometimes we need them,
>but I am not sure if they need to be sitting out all the time.

They DO take up a lot of counter space, get dusty and are generally
un-attractive.

I'm guessing, but you're prolly in your early twenties. By the time
you're thirty, you'll have used your oak knife block in the fireplace.

I understand you don't have a lot of space in your apartment, so don't
buy a lot of "kitchen stuff" that usually doesn't get used anyway.

Others are saying the same thing I am. One or two knives will get the
vast majority of uthe usage.

Petey the Wonder Dog > wrote:

> I understand you don't have a lot of space in your apartment, so don't
> buy a lot of "kitchen stuff" that usually doesn't get used anyway.

A few knives don't really take up all that room, but I can't reserve a
whole drawyer for them and I also don't want them colliding with other
stuff, which could be bad for the knife as well as the other stuff.

I don't see just the right spot for the magnetic holder either. I live
in a rented apartment and the landlady has towel holders and like
installed over the sink where I would have liked the knife holder.

My attraction to a block is easy access as well as protection.

> Others are saying the same thing I am. One or two knives will get the
> vast majority of uthe usage.

Yes I do agree. We mostly use 4", 8" and a bread knife. And the big
butcher one for fresh pineapples which we cut often.

Newbie > wrote:

-snip-
>Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
>knives in the knife block?

I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
on my counter for 30 years.]
>
>I am asking this because when I bought my cheapo set, it came with
>steak knives. While we needed a knife all the time, these were mere
>decoration most of the time. Of course sometimes we need them,
>but I am not sure if they need to be sitting out all the time.

If they aren't sitting out they are in a drawer & should still be
protected. Unfortunately I've recently acquired some new steak
knives that don't fit in my steak-knife slots. I might end up
making a new block for them-- that I'll probably keep on the counter
where they're handy. I find folks use them for more than cutting
their steaks.

Jim

"Petey the Wonder Dog" > wrote in message
>
> Give this a thought. Buy TWO good knives. (Look for restaurant supply
> in the Yellow Pages. Just walk in a look.) Only two. One big knife,
> One little knife. Live with them for one month or so. Learn to sharpen
> them. You will be surprised at how much you DON'T need a block full of
> knives. Spend the leftover money on food.

How true. Over the years I've accumulated a bunch of knives. I'd say that
90% of my use is one big one (8" chef's) and one small (paring) one.
Can't remember the last time I've used a couple of others.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"Jim Elbrecht" > wrote in message
...
> Newbie > wrote:
>
> -snip-
> >Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
> >knives in the knife block?
>
> I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
> on my counter for 30 years.]
>

Same here. I think this is one of those issues that doesn't have one
correct answer. You should use the storage method that works for you in
your particular situation. I have a relatively small kitchen with very few
drawers. I already have a Rosle rail on my backsplash for my most used
tools so putting up a magnetic knife holder wasn't possible. The knife
block was the best option for me and I do have a block with steak knives. I
like having the steak knives handy and there is no drawer space for them
anyway. You do have to occasionally wipe down the block but I don't do this
any more often than I wash down the cabinets. It isn't a big chore in my
opinion. There are a number of good ways to store knives.

"Newbie" > wrote in message
...
> Is there a consensus or near consensus in this forum on what is the
> "best value" in knife sets (with a wooden block)? I am ready to ditch
> my old cheap set but not quite ready for those costing several hundred
> dollars.

I bought the Henkels 5 star starter block set. Added the Sintaku, serated,
and craving fork over time. I'm quite happy with them all. If budget doesn't
work I'd tell you to invest in a good chefs knife or sintaku, and fill in
around it.

"Jim Elbrecht" > wrote in message
...
> Newbie > wrote:
>
> >Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
> >knives in the knife block?
>
> I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
> on my counter for 30 years.]


Same here, at 57. I've got the big Wusthof block with the eight steak knife
slots. We take full advantage of this block since there are two of us who cook,
and we prefer different knives.

(I won't mention the second block sitting right next to it -- that's gotta go.
Eventually. If we ever empty it. And stop buying new knives....)

-- Larry

"pltrgyst" > wrote in message
...
> "Jim Elbrecht" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Newbie > wrote:
> >
> > >Do you (I mean all of you reading this) like to have slots for "steak"
> > >knives in the knife block?
> >
> > I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
> > on my counter for 30 years.]
>
>
> Same here, at 57. I've got the big Wusthof block with the eight steak
knife
> slots. We take full advantage of this block since there are two of us who
cook,
> and we prefer different knives.
>
> (I won't mention the second block sitting right next to it -- that's gotta
go.
> Eventually. If we ever empty it. And stop buying new knives....)
>
> -- Larry
>

I'll disagree - a knife block is for cooking knives, not eating knives.
Having the steak knives there too means thay will collect dust and grease
and will get in the way. I prefer having them in a drawer.


--
Peter Aitken (who also has too many knives, but not really!)

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>> I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
>> on my counter for 30 years.]
>>
>Same here. I think this is one of those issues that doesn't have one
>correct answer.

Okay Jim and Vox, I stand semi-corrected. We all have our own tastes.

Potato tomato let's call the whole thing off.

"Petey the Wonder Dog" > wrote in message
...
> Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
> >> I do. [and contrary to Petey's prediction-- I'm 53 & have had a block
> >> on my counter for 30 years.]
> >>
> >Same here. I think this is one of those issues that doesn't have one
> >correct answer.
>
> Okay Jim and Vox, I stand semi-corrected. We all have our own tastes.
>

I would rather have a dedicated cutlery drawer all fitter out for knives but
that isn't possible in my kitchen. So, the block is the only reasonable way
to store the knives.

On Sat, 01 May 2004 16:24:34 GMT, "Peter Aitken" > wrote:

>I'll disagree - a knife block is for cooking knives, not eating knives.
>Having the steak knives there too means thay will collect dust and grease
>and will get in the way. I prefer having them in a drawer.

I actually would too, but we don't have any spare drawer space. And our steak
knives are fairly expensive Laguioles, with good edges, which would require
protection (and thus still more space) in a drawer. Since the block has eight
slots, and I don't have eight parers, it seems logical to keep them there.

Also, my knives don't accumulate grease, since they're not very close to the
cooking area, and each steak knife is use at least once a week, so dust is no
problem. YMMV, of course.

-- Larry

I think the best deal in knives is the 10 piece Grand Chef set by Sabatier.
These are heavy weight great quality French knives about the same, or a notch
below in quality as the German Wusthof or Henkel forged knives. I asked about
them a while ago, and have several of them. I've seen the set recently at
Amazon for only $99 with a nice block, but it's back up now to $269. Could be
had for $79 before with the $20 GC they were offering for a $99 purchase. Keep
checking as they keep changing their prices. I think the Calphalon Contemporary
knives are also nice. They retail for about $99 for a 6 piece set with block.

"Sheellah" > wrote in message
...
> I think the best deal in knives is the 10 piece Grand Chef set by
Sabatier.
> These are heavy weight great quality French knives about the same, or a
notch
> below in quality as the German Wusthof or Henkel forged knives. I asked
about
> them a while ago, and have several of them. I've seen the set recently at
> Amazon for only $99 with a nice block, but it's back up now to $269. Could
be
> had for $79 before with the $20 GC they were offering for a $99 purchase.
Keep
> checking as they keep changing their prices. I think the Calphalon
Contemporary
> knives are also nice. They retail for about $99 for a 6 piece set with
block.


I have seen that set at Tuesday Morning for about $30. They are a close out
place that sells deeply discounted goods. In addition to the sets, they had
open stock on Sabatier knives.

Vox Humana > wrote:

> I have seen that set at Tuesday Morning for about $30. They are a close
> out place that sells deeply discounted goods. In addition to the sets,
> they had open stock on Sabatier knives.

Does anybody know of any deeply discounted cutlery outlets in Chicago
area?

There's lots of good advice here! I like a block (and lots of empty blocks
are selling on Ebay) because my drawer space is pretty much gone, and the
block fits into an otherwise useless corner. Regarding magnetic holders: I
have a truly GREAT one glued ("Goo" -something in the brand name) to the
side of my refrigerator--another wasted spot--that holds knives REALLY WELL.
There are many magnetic holders on the market that don't have the pulling
power to hold really dangerous things (i.e., knives) in place. Test
magnetic holders thoroughly at the store with store-knives!

I actually keep other things on the magetic rack: spatulas, spoons, tongs,
etc., all with stainless-stell handles and teflon-safe business-ends. The
highest grade of stainless isn't magnetic enough to use on a magnetic rack,
so I always test before I buy another goodie. The lower grade of stainless
holds to magnets still looks fine and often comes with a brushed look, like
aluminum.

--Ray


"Newbie" > wrote in message
...
> Hello Vox Humana and Petey,
>
> I was thinking why I wanted a set in the first place. The reason is my
> cramped counter space and a compact wooden block would keep
> everything organized and accessible. If you buy knives a la carte
> where and how do you store them?
>
> I could of course buy a seperate block but then everytime I buy a knife
> I would have to worry if it would in one of the available slots or not.
>
> Sorry if I sound confused, but I truly am a newbie.

The Sabatier ProSteel set at the link below is a much inferior set to the
Sabatier Grand Chef, and is junk. Like Wusthof, and Henkels, they make several
grades of knives. The Sabatier Grand Chef, is at the top of their line, and
competes with the higher end German knives.

<< $25 he
http://www.smartbargains.com/prod.as...rodid=30102306
75&ev=0&s=CA1&evn= >>

<< >I have seen that set at Tuesday Morning for about $30. They are a close
out
>place that sells deeply discounted goods. In addition to the sets, they had
>open stock on Sabatier knives. >>