Please help - registering for knives

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Cookingcowboy

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
19
Location
Philadelphia
My soon to be wife and I cook most nights but have used many "hand me down" knives up to this point. On our registry we wanted to list some quality and well needed knives. Can anyone here suggest both knives (type, brand, etc) for preparing food and also good quality steak knives for eating?

It is ideal if they are dishwasher safe but other than that we don't know wnoygh about knives to have preferences. Thank you.
 
Knives are like shoes. You need to try them out before you buy.

Go to Williams Sonoma and hold them and see what fits and feels comfortable in your hand.
 
What she said. Also, dishwasher safe is not a feature of interest for quality knives. Quality knives need to be washed by hand.
 
The most frequently used knives are generally an 8- or 10-inch chef's knife, a 3- or 4-inch paring knife, and a 10- or 12-inch serrated bread knife. Look for forged knives (not stamped) with a full tang (the blade goes all the way to the end of the handle).

Do not put good knives in the dishwasher. The soap and extended exposure to hot water will damage them. Also, get a horizontal knife block or a magnetic bar for storage, depending on your kitchen configuration. These will protect the blades and help maintain the sharp edges.

Wusthof and Henckels are good brands.
 
The most frequently used knives are generally an 8- or 10-inch chef's knife, a 3- or 4-inch paring knife, and a 10- or 12-inch serrated bread knife. Look for forged knives (not stamped) with a full tang (the blade goes all the way to the end of the handle).

Do not put good knives in the dishwasher. The soap and extended exposure to hot water will damage them. Also, get a horizontal knife block or a magnetic bar for storage, depending on your kitchen configuration. These will protect the blades and help maintain the sharp edges.

Wusthof and Henckels are good brands.


Thank you for your help. Do brands like Wusthof and Henckels only make quality blades or must I pay attention to other factors? My knives will never enter another dish washer, thank you for the help! Do you recommend those wooden blocks on the counter as place to slide knives into to store or must it be something metal?
 
I would give the same tips for knives as I did for cookware. What one cook likes, another cook hates, thus many different brands of knives and cook wear. The handle must feel good in my hand not another person's hand. If your really must register for knives, go handle a few quality knives to see which one feel right.
 
Thank you for your help. Do brands like Wusthof and Henckels only make quality blades or must I pay attention to other factors? My knives will never enter another dish washer, thank you for the help! Do you recommend those wooden blocks on the counter as place to slide knives into to store or must it be something metal?

They make high-quality blades and have the full tang I mentioned earlier. They also use strong rivets to hold the blade to the handle. There are other good brands; these are a couple of popular ones. I agree that you and your fiancee should try them out first. You and she might prefer different lengths and weights.

I use a wooden knife block. The knives lay horizontally so the blades don't get dulled from resting on the edges.
 
Wusthof and Henckels make different grades of knives. Some top quality and others not so much. Check out their websites for more info.

A wood block is one way to go. I prefer a magnetic knife strip on the wall as it saves counter space and I don't have much. You can also get a slotted knife storage tray that would fit into a kitchen drawer. Sort of a wood block in a drawer.

Don't just toss all your knives into a drawer and let them rattle around knocking into each other. Bad for the knives and your fingers.
 
Wusthof and Henckels make different grades of knives. Some top quality and others not so much. Check out their websites for more info.

True, which is why I said to get forged and not stamped knives. The stamped ones are cheaper but not as durable and they don't hold an edge as well.

A wood block is one way to go. I prefer a magnetic knife strip on the wall as it saves counter space and I don't have much. You can also get a slotted knife storage tray that would fit into a kitchen drawer. Sort of a wood block in a drawer.

I wish I had space for a magnetic strip, but the cabinets and backsplash get in the way
 
...I wish I had space for a magnetic strip, but the cabinets and backsplash get in the way


When I did a kitchen remodel about 5 years ago, i had the contractor drill through the ceramic tile backsplash and install my magnetic strip for my knives.
 


#2 is a cheaper line from Henckels.

Choosing from these three, I'd go with #1 or #3. I have a set of Henckels Pro 'S'. Similar in quality to the Four Star with a different style handle.
 
#2 is a cheaper line from Henckels.

Choosing from these three, I'd go with #1 or #3. I have a set of Henckels Pro 'S'. Similar in quality to the Four Star with a different style handle.


Thank you for your help. Do you have a preference between #1 and #3 or are they both the same quality exactly and just different brands?
 
Thank you for your help. Do you have a preference between #1 and #3 or are they both the same quality exactly and just different brands?

I believe they are comparable. Go to a cutlery shop and handle the knives. Your wife should as well. Choose the ones that are most comfortable.
 
I have #3 and like them.

But it is pretty imperative that you hold them in your hand before you buy.

For example, Shun and Global knives are top rate but feel very uncomfortable when I use them at other people's houses.
 
I have taken he advice of many here and tested and also selected many individual knives, not getting a full set. The one knife I am having the most trouble with is a bread knife. Can anyone make a suggestion please or multiple suggestions from the knives below?

1) Wusthof Grand Prix II 10' Super Slicer - Bed Bath & Beyond

2) Wusthof Classic 9-Inch Double Serrated Bread Knife - Bed Bath & Beyond

3) Wusthof Classic 9' Bread Knife - Bed Bath & Beyond

and I hope it's okay to ask this querion here too --- can anyone suggest brands or types of steak knives please?

Same answer as before. Whichever one feels good in your hand.
Wusthof makes steak knives too.
 
This knife does not lable itself as a "bread knife", is it still a bread knife without the lable or am I better off selecting #2 or #3 knife listed above? Thank you

Any serrated knife will cut bread. One consideration is the length of the knife compared to the kinds of bread you like to eat. It's helpful if the knife is long enough to easily cut through wide bread loaves, like a boule.
 
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