Recommendation for Good Quality Knives

I like my Henkels. They are not the high end Henkels, so they were fairly reasonable priced. I also have a couple of Pampered Chef knives that I like. Invest in a good sharpener.

i love our cutco knives, they cost an arm and a leg, but they cut everything and anything

My first Mothers Day gift was a set of good knives by Henckels. I have the professional S set which was around $500.

My daughter just turned 21 and those knives are still perfect and working perfectly. I had 1 break a few years ago because hubby used it in a manner it was not supposed to be used... I told Henckels about it and they still honored the guarantee abd sent me a new knife!

Bed Bath and Beyond carries them and they always have 20% coupons available.

I've heard that Cutco also has great knives.

I've been really happy with my Henckels, but they ain't cheap.

You do not need a set. You do need an 8" chef's knife (I love my Henkel but there are also some nice Wustoffs out there), a paring knife (I have a Henkel but not the same line as the chefs knife) and a bread knife (IMO these are pretty much interchangeable). I also find a Santoku very useful. If you are filleting fish, you need a fish knife otherwise skip this. I also use my cleaver all the time (purchased in Chinatown - no particular brand) but rarely use my 10" chefs knife, never use my 10" carving knife and have never purchased a serrated utility knife. You should go the the store and HANDLE the knife. If the weight feels odd or it doesn't fit right in your hand, it is not the right knife for you, no matter what the salesperson says about it.

I picked up a nice set of KitchenAid knives in a storage block and they are not the BEST knives ever made, but they are light years beyond the "cheap" knives we had been using since we got married. I've been very happy with them and use them regularly. I picked this particular set up at a Tuesday Morning (on sale for like $40), but you can find them regularly in Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond or similar stores for around $80 or so. The kitchen shears are by far what I use the most. And then the smaller Santoku. The set also has 4 steak knives, but we don't use them much as we already had a set of nice steak knives.
This is my set. http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-12-Piece-Pearlized-Stain...

All I can say is to check out Consumer Reports.
I have one or two ceramic knives that I love but although they have their purposes - you can't use them for everything.
I refuse to spend a mint on knives - but bottom of the barrel cheapest isn't great either - so I'd look for something middle of the road, easy to care for, and something I can wash in the dishwasher.

I have a set of Cutco knives and they are indestructible. Sharpening and repairs are free - I've had 2 repairs in probably 20 years, and one of those they probably shouldn't have covered because it was due to improper use. I definitely take care of them properly (using the knife rack rather than throwing them in the drawer) - and one or two that go in the drawer I do put the sleeve over the blade. I think a good paring knife, a chef's knife, a serrated knife and some steak knives are great. I also have a spatula that is great for spreading peanut butter and slicing up a lasagna. There's a cheese knife (larger than what you would use on a cheese platter) that is awesome (cheese doesn't stick to it) and it's easy to make thin slices of cheese and also tomatoes. I didn't acquire them in one sitting due to expense, but they are worth it.

You should consider taking your old knives - if they're worth it - to a professional knife sharpening service - far superior, I think, to trying to do it yourself.

Here's a great article on the 4 basic knives every kitchen needs:

http://www.epicurious.com/archive/kitchenequipment/essent...

Don't fall for the ceramic knives - they're useful for slicing tomatoes but they're not a good all around utility knife.

Watch the videos available online about how to use a knife sharpener - it's a long narrow round tool called a steel. Don't buy one of those machines that you put a knife into and blades churn and supposedly sharpen your knives. Using the steel is not very complicated.

Here's a great video that teaches the basics of knives, from Alton Brown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKgGlpe45T0

More important that brand name is knife construction. You'll want a handle that isn't cheaply attached with weak rivets.

After reading that article and watching Alton's video, you'll be ready to choose a good knife. You'll have to take into account the size of your hands, the kind of cooking you do, etc. And if you're going to get good knives, get a good wooden cutting board - not plastic or glass.

I got a set of pure komachi knives from Costco after buying a set of steak knives from the same maker and being happy with them. I have been pleased with them so far, they hold an edge fairly well and sharpen easily even though they are inexpensive. I also love the bright colors since I display my knives on a magnet on my kitchen wall.

i love my cutcos, but i'm embarrassed at how much i paid for them. i really fell for a charming and persuasive young sales person. she saw me coming!
i got one of my kids a wonderful set of brightly colored knives at costco. they seem to work just as well as my much (much much MUCH) more expensive set.
so i guess i'm the wrong person to respond.
:D khairete
S.

how much cooking do you really do?? If you just put chicken in a skillet? You don't need a set. You need a paring knife and slicing knife.

Cutco is expensive - and great knives. You can't buy them in store.

Henkels and Wustof are great knives - I got them in Germany over 20 years ago. and still going strong. Each knife does something different. And yes, I still bought a set of Cutco knives.

Go to the store - Kohls actually has some good knives - they carry Henckels - and pick up the knives and hold them. You need to find one that fits your hand and is the right weight for you.

http://www.kohls.com/search.jsp?search=kitchen+knives&amp...=

I see that they carry Bobby Flay too - I've worked with them in a friend's kitchen and they are good.

You have to know what you need - if you don't filet things and such?? you really don't need a full set...

Good luck!

I think you need to buy only what you need. If you're not filleting fish regularly you don't need a fillet knife, if you don't slice bread then you may not need a bread knife, although I do use my really long knife bread to slice off the tops of my cakes to level them.

If you need knives that help you cut up a chicken then you need a knife that does well on meat around bones. Slicing veggies? We have a blade with a handle on top and we hold it and slice down.

I get my paring knives from Pampered Chef. The blade is always sharp and I can always find a couple in the knife drawer. If I lose them and can't find them, lost a whole box of kitchen stuff in our last move, then it's only a couple of dollars to replace them.

I think you should go to Walmart or Target or somewhere and buy a few knives that do different things and figure out what you like and don't like about each one. THEN when you have your ideals you go online and look up that knife and see what brands are available and what the reviews are on them. Invest is a good knife sharpener for home.

I don't like buying whole sets because I guarantee that I will use the same 2 or 3 knives and will never touch the others.