I even know a chef who only buys inexpensive ceramic knives and replaces them every three months when they get dull. While we loved the handle design and grip, the knives are heavy and not particularly well-balanced, so they wore out our hands after extended use. Our major complaint, though, is the price-to-value ratio on this set.
While the Cuisinart C77TR-15P Triple Riveted Collection 15-Piece Knife Block Set can’t rival some of the super expensive sets for sharpness, it makes up for it in value and design. The chef’s knife has great balance and a comfortable, nicely-shaped handle. It’s well suited for chopping tasks, taking down onions with ease. The 5-inch santoku knife is handy for chopping vegetables or for those with smaller hands. That means that, all said and done, the Cuisinart Classic series chef’s knife is the best blade you can get for under $20.
Partial or semi tang knives are often lightweight and less expensive, but sacrifice durability for these qualities. Knives in the Artisan and Advantage series are partial tang. Cuisinart made a name for themselves starting in 1971, with the introduction of their home use electric food processor.
The chef’s knife is the most versatile tool in our knife block sets, with its broad and sharp blade. It’s perfect for everything from chopping vegetables to slicing herbs. Our utility knives, known as the “sandwich knife,” also make light work out of cutting baguettes. Paring knives, steak knives, and kitchen shears round out the set, allowing you to choose the right tool for the task. Each knife handle is ergonomically designed for firm gripping and accuracy. The Cuisinart Stainless Steel Hollow Handle Set is made entirely of high-carbon stainless steel for a sleeker and more contemporary design.
Its blades are made with over 100 layers of steel over a powder steel core, hardened with a special ice-hardening process, and given a gorgeous Damascus pattern. Overall, Chicago’s bang-to-buck ratio gets our approval, and found itself high in the ranking for the quality it brings to its price. Five Two knives are relatively new to the cutlery market. Five Two is the kitchen essentials line of Food52, launched in 2018. According to the brand, Five Two focuses on innovation that solves common home chef complaints.
Some of the inexpensive sets are great for rental properties or anyone with a budget. Meanwhile, many big name-brand knife sets can get quite pricey, so you’ll want to be sure you’ll actually use each knife to make it worth the cost. For a serious home cook, a five-knife set will typically have useful extras without being overwhelming. Another set we tested, the Victorinox Swiss Classic 5-Piece Kitchen Knife Set , didn’t make the cut for this guide because of its lack of a wide-blade chef’s knife or a storage block. We loved the Made In 3-Piece Knife Set as soon as we unboxed it.
If price isn’t an issue, these ultra-sharp, super-light knives are a perfect choice. They make a great upgrade set and would definitely be on my wedding registry if I had one in the near future. We didn’t observe this, but other reviewers claim the ceramic nonstick coating on these knives are prone to chipping when you sharpen them or run them through the dishwasher. Luckily, washing by hand is easy since not much food sticks to these knives. These knives are eye catching thanks to their bright, cheerful primary colors.
These are budget knives, so expect them to perform accordingly but if you need something for a college dorm or apartment, RV, camping trip or vacation home, these will surely get the job done. Cutlery Set possesses superior high-carbon stainless steel blades for precision and accuracy. Packaged in a 15-piece block set and open stock, these extraordinary knives have tapered ground blades that narrow gradually to an extremely sharp, fine edge. Constructed for perfect stability and control, the knives are designed with an extra-wide forged safety bolster and stainless steel rivets securing the blade to the comfortable handle.
Ergonomic and sharp, Enso is great for cooks that need quality knives to stand up to daily use. If you don’t cook a lot, or your meal prep isn’t very complicated, you can absolutely get away with a three-piece set. We also tested a similar set, the Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set , expecting it to be similar. Unfortunately, their performance fell far short of this set, unbalanced and not as sharp.
We love this brand for its capability to stand up to a variety of uses, from rough chopping, to fine dicing to even carving on-the-bone meats. Wüsthof’s proprietary carbon blades sharpen easily and the half-bolster allows for Cookware Sets both finger protection and easier sharpening. Wüsthof is also produced to be sharper than Zwilling (14 angles vs. 16, per House of Knives). We haven’t even mentioned several other Zwilling collections with slight variations.