Chef Knives Reviews

I own the little 5" chef knife and contend that no good kitchen should bewithout one!My son owns the big 8 piece set of Emeril/Wusthoff knives and they are identical in workmanship with my 5 " one.My"downgrading to "only" 4 stars is due to the lack of a metal ferulewhere the blade meets the handle( this would offset the lack of a bolster that comes only with forged knivesat premium prices. the Emerils do have full tangs rhrough the handle andwill survive manyyears of constant use.Higher prices notwithstanding, forged knives are not necessarily an absolute need in a home kitchen( my 8" Forschner(of Swiss army knives fame is not forged but has survived 30 years of daily use, losing only 3/8 inch of height due to my prequent sharpening on a special 180 grit silicon carbide High speedwheel.I've sharpened thousands of knives proffessionaly and suggest you buy the emeril set plus the little5 inch chef knifeand use thedifference to buy one ofthe CHef choice electric sharpeners.At Amazon's prices, you'llput enjoyement back into your kitchen cutting!and be safer too as even slightly dulled knives are hazardous to your fingers!Note that the steel is German Solingen though the knives are made in China and ifthey'renot as well polished as their Grand Prix brethren, look at the prices! Performance iswhat counts ultimately andthe Emerils deiver that perfectly and they're pretty as a picture too!

wusthof's gourmet line including the emerilware series is one of the best value's on the cutlery market today.. i own this one plus the gourmet santuko and matching asian paring knife in addition to my normal block set and having nothing but praise for these knives.. they are sharp as a razor, keep their edge well and balance well in your hand.. and you can see the quality in the steel, perfect grain throughout without any flaws.. what else can you ask for in a knife.. what lack the sophistication and a bit of balance to the forged series' they make up for in value and function.. perfect for the home chef.. can't recommend them enough

the wusthof "sticker" came off the knives after washing - yes of course on each knife blade it has it stamped on them "both emeril's name and the wusthof logo" but there is a cheapo sticker on the handle - you would think for this about of money they could use something a bit more sturdy/durable then a sticker!!

I have cooked for years, and I always had OK knives. This set is an excellent step up.......they are razor sharp, and have the thickness that gives them good rigidity, as well as a great fit in the hand. I purchased these with the intention of eventually supplimenting the set with other Wusthof forged knives. Highly recommended !!!

These are superb knives. They hold an edge amazingly well, they have a great weight, and they look wonderful. These knives have an edge that lasts through sharpening (with the included steel) and have an extremely rugged design (no blades snapping off of the handle here).

When I got out of college I decided it was time to get a good knife set, the Chicago Cutlery wasn't doing it for me. I got the Emerilware knife set because of the Wusthof name and the great price. This is the best price I have seen for such high quality knives. I call it a starter not because you will replace these knives, but because you will add to the set.

When I first tried this knife I was shocked at how dull it seemed compared to my old Wusthof knife (in fact I nearly cut myself when it slipped off my onion instead of slicing into it like my old knife would have). Thinking perhaps it was dull, I sharpened it (on a Chef's choice 3-stage diamond hone knife sharpener, a product I recommend), but there was no improvment. Then I did a little research and realized that the blade was made from stamped steel, not forged steel (the box it came on didn't mention this fact). Apparently this makes a HUGE difference. I don't know what Wusthof & Emeril were thinking trying to market a low-end stamped knife for mid-end or higher prices ($52 SRP?) -- Wusthof's high-end forged knives are excellent products, well worth the price (as are Henckel's forged knives). Pay the extra and get a forged knife instead.

although crafted in China for price lowering this little marvel is made from Wusthoff's fine Soligen steel. and while itappears flimsy, itis more than strong enough for its intended purpose: cutting meats,poultry, vegetables and fruit into nearly transparent slices. As received it was razor sharp.I tested my little 5" chef knife by slicing a red Globe grape into 50 transparent discs. the only other knivescapable ofthis are the outrageously expensive artisan produced Japanese laminated knives or Wusthoff's(or Henckels) imitations of a Japanese Santoku knife; all would be more versatile and larger, but expect to pay many times the minuscule outlay you'll make for thel;ittle 5" chef knife;
being much wider than utility knives, knuckles will not interfere with yourslicing . edge shaspness is long lived and mine has not needed sharpening in a year of regular use. I simply stroke it a few times on my fine cut steel to realign the cutting edge, althoughI still cannot feel thetelltale burr. When itwill need sharpening, I'll use my3000 grit water/ceramic Japanese stone: the steel good as it is does not justify final honing on my 8000 grit water stone but treated with the 3000 grit this knife will never require professional sharpening)usually on a wet grinder(onlythe most able of pros do not waste steel
to conclude: this diminutive"chef" knife is fine enough to slice fish for sushy and the handle will not absorb water or odors.while on the handle subject : it is perfectlytapered where it meets thesteel and pinching the taper between thumb andforefinger affords you perfect control.
One last admonition: never ever use any fine Kitchen knife on a glass cutting surface: glass is harder than ANY cutlery steel and will dull, even damagedamage your investment