Chef Knives Reviews

About 5 years ago I got into cooking stir fry a little bit and found that cutting carrots, onions and many other vegitables was quite a chore with the cheap selection of knives that my kitchen was stocked with. I had to get sometimes near paper thin slices of various ingredients and there was no way even the best knife sold by Target could stack up to the task. I went to a real cookware store and purchased this knife and the 14" sword like knife for starters.

The first slice through an onion I knew where the extra money goes, some of it is for the name, but the rest is all quality. These knives will amaze you with how well they feel with their perfect balance and with a little work, you can get the blade sharp enough to shave with. When I held the 14" knife balanced on a tomato and just pulled, the weight of the knife sliced through it with a clean stroke. The 10" chefs knife I picked up as my 3rd addition and find it excellent for slicing, for dicing I prefer the heavier knife though.

Cut all the coke cans you want with your Ginsu, but leave the real jobs to a real knife.

This 10" chef's knife would impress Crocodile Dundee. It features fine balance and a comfortable handle (like all 4-Star knives) and an incredibly sharp edge. Just be sure to wash and dry by hand.

I have cooked for over ten years professionally. My 10" Henckel Chef's Knife has been my best friend. I have literally used this knife so much that I have a callus all the way across my right hand from standing over a cutting board for 10 plus hours a day. I admit there are other blades that are comparable such as those by Wusthof, but this brand has never failed me. I have 7 other Four Stars and they are all quality through and through. Razor sharp is not an exageration either, after running these blades over a oil stone you can literally shave with them. Touch up the edge on a steel before starting each job through the day and the edge is good for weeks, depending upon usage. Like other reviews I have read, I agree, DO NOT PUT THESE BLADES IN THE DISHWASHER. The finish on the handles starts pealing off if the are put into the dishwasher. Besides they are stainless steel and need only be wiped off with bleach-water and thoroughly scrubbed down at the end of the day or after a really messy job like cutting desserts. With care this blade should last any professional at least 5 years in a high volume shop. One last point I would convey. Take care to not allow this type of hard steel blade to fall or get dropped on a hard surface floor such as the usual kitchen tiles used in most restaurants. Any large blade made from hardened steel is inherently brittle. I have actually seen a 10" Henckel, not mine thank God, break into three pieces when it fell off a counter in one of the restaurants I have worked in.

After reading about these knives at various websites, I was anxiously waiting to receive my own. Undoubtedly, they are a bit more expensive than some other knive sets, but the knives are really great and beautiful!

Before purchasing the set, I only had one puny knive, so buying this was really a god-send. When the knives are in your hands, you can feel that they were constructed well and they are really, really sharp. You can easily cut yourself if you aren't paying attention. I wish that the set came with a holding block, which can be purchased separately. Right now I have them stored in a drawer that is lined with contact paper, which works fine as well.

In short, these are really nice, quality knives. I would highly recommend this product -- I've only had the set for a couple of months, but they have the construction to last through my cooking needs for a long time to come.

I just want to say this is a great set at a good price. Buy also a bread knife (that can be used for tomatoes and other tough-skin-soft-core jobs), a meat fork, a steel, and a nice small block (well, that's a bit challenging) in addition to this set and you have everything you will ever need in terms of cutlery.

This is the best price you're going to find on the only knives you are ever going to need. The very name Henckel's is synonymous with the very highest quality cutlery. These knives are perfectly balanced and feel nice in the hand. They have a good weight to them and that edge is RAZOR sharp. I'm actually sitting here with a Band-Aid wrapped around my finger from just brushing up against one of my knives while doing dishes last night. These are NOT toys! With this set you get the three basic knives that no kitchen should be without and the only three you absolutely MUST have. The paring knife makes quick work of peeling, the utility knife will slice a sandwich in a split second, and that 8-inch chef's knife is going to be your workhorse for chopping, dicing, and slicing. Like most things in life, you're better off investing a little money now for the quality than you will be replacing your knives every couple of years. At least with Amazon, you can take most of the sting out of the pricetag.

The most often used item in my kitchen is the paring knife; and this set has two of the RIGHT sizes. A small one for peeling,trimming, and slightly larger for fine dicing where a chef's knife is too large.

Then you get the shears; a good set of kitchen shears is really helpful; not a day goes by when I don't grab for these to cut a stubborn rubber band on broccoli, a chicken ligament or even snip the top of a vac-pack of coffee.

This plus a chef's knife (8 or 12 inch) and maybe a serrated bread slicing knife are all you will ever need. Expensive? Not really. How many cheap sets have you bought over the last years. I've bought ONE set of good knives and never, ever had to buy them again. And it is a pleasure to use good knives; cheap ones just make me cranky.

I have owned my 12 inch Henckels for about six months now. I am a food and beverage industry professional, and I rely on my knives every day to help me expedite my chores and this knife has been most helpful. It is perfectly balanced, the perfect size for all the various tasks at hand in a professional kitchen, however most home cooks would most likely not benefit from its elongated blade. The only thing that causes me to give this knife a four star instead of five is that it is hard to keep an edge with extended use. I put mine on a steel every day, and with as much use I need out of it, I have to. Overall though it is an excellent knife, and I will use it until it is worn away.

I received a set of these a year ago and I love them! The quality of the blades are unique, light weight and well balanced. I highly recommend them for the holidays or for yourself. I'm convinced and will continue to buy more pieces in the collection.

I would have given this carving set 5 stars if it was not for the box. Perfect knife, nice fork (the fact that the fork fits in a regular knife-block slot is certainly a plus when compared to Wusthof forks).

Anyway, one of the main reasons I bought the set from Amazon was the presentation box. Sadly, like most well designed but poorly made things, this box has the gold and black label which reads "made in China".

It would have been great if we were allowed to post pictures of the products to show the way we received them. Well, the main wood block was loose (I guess it would be to much to ask for quality control in some places) and the velvet was ripped off in a place and scratched in a few others.

I repaired the box (as much as possible) and it looks okish now. Anyway, do not buy the set because of the box - you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Some may have better luck and get a nicer box; as I said, the design is good, just the quality of these things is probably random.