Chef Knives Reviews

Well, I must tell you, I totally adore this knife! It is my best friend in the kitchen and I use it pretty much for every kind of food except bread cutting. I could not afford to buy the whole set and decided that if I could have one knife that cuts just about everything I would be a happy gal. I am totally satisfied with this knife and recommend it highly.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels "Pro S" cutlery is by far the most advanced on the planet. Hand-crafted in Solingen, Germany since the early 1700's. The blade is high-carbon steel, ice-hardended by Henckel's proprietary FrioDur process. The blade is then laser-honed to tolerances of less than one-thousandth of an inch. The black acrylic (?) molded handle is permanently bonded to the full tang (which is fully visible all the way around) then riveted. Not only does this create a virtually indestructible knife, it is also quite attractive. The handle is perfectly suited to how the knife should be held...even a novice can effectively use them as if by second nature. The weight is just right - not so light you can't control it, but also not so heavy that you can't work quickly. All in all, the tool feels like an extension of your own hand. The blade has a nice curve, suited to many cutting applications like dicing, slicing, chopping, etc. Cleanup is a breeze, thanks to the highly-polished blade.

Henckels may seem a bit pricy to someone who has never experienced the pleasure of their use; however, you will soon see that they quality of the craftsmanship is well worth it to pay a little extra. To sweeten the pot, they are unconditionally guaranteed for life; if you can manage to break one (and congrats if you succeed...quite impossible) they replace it. If you keep the blade properly sharpened (Sharpening Steel . . .))they last. You'll want to keep them in a block or get one of those nifty magnetic strips - throwing them in a drawer exposes their precision edge to damage.

Compared to Wusthoff, I'd say these rank a little higher. Design is more attractive, more solid feel, better reputation.

All I can say, in summation, is watch your fingers...these knives bite!

This is the perfect knife to use for just about anything. It has perfect weight and balance, and makes life in the kitchen a whole lot easier (and more fun.) Even for a casual cook, it is worth the cost.

I've been in the market for a mid-sized knife for a while now. My 10-inch chef's knife is too clumsy for some tasks, and my paring knives are too small. Enter the Henckels 6-inch utility blade.

The first thing I noticed was the wood handle -- I much prefer wood to the newer rubbery handles. Also, the heavy back-weighting made it feel quite steady in my hand: I liked the balance. The blade itself is sturdy, shaped like a small version of a chef's knife. And -boy!- is it sharp! This makes trimming small cuts of meat and vegetables very easy. I highly recommend this knife.

This knife is very versitle and extremely well made. It has perfect balance and is razor sharp. Prep work is a joyous experience with it. It stays sharp under heavy use for quite sometime. To maintain its edge, I only have to pass it a few times on each side against a sharpening rod. Its high carbon quality steel blade lends itself perfectly to honing a razor sharp edge that lasts for a long time compared to a stainless steel blade. If you purchase this high quality knife, it's imperative that you have a means to sharpen it to maintain its perfection.

You can spend a lot more on a knife, but you won't buy any better performance where it counts, in the kitchen. Made of sharpenable stainless with a synthetic handle that will never loosen or break apart, this knife has a nice heft and a good edge and should last most home chefs a lifetime. Give it a few strokes with the steel every time you use it and the edge will last for years without needing to see a sharpening stone.

If your cutlery drawer is full of various inexpensive supermarket blades, "miracle" knives and the like, throw them all out and buy one decent blade like this, and you may be amazed how versatile a simple, quality knife can be.

I recently purchased this knife and am overjoyed with the performance. If you don't have a well balanced professional knife you can't imagine how nice it is to work with one. I went to the local restaurant supply stores and handled several brands and sizes to see what felt best. The Henckels Pro S 8" was the best. The 10" seemed top heavy but I'm sure someone else may feel different. The blade holds an incredible edge as well. I steel the blade before each use to keep the edge in the best cutting condition.

We live on our boat and don't leave the Cuisinart on the galley counter. I found that there is little reason to break out the Cuisinart unless I have a large amount of food to process. The 8 inch Pro S has stayed sharp and in the year I have owned it have only used the honing steel to keep the knife in perfect condition. Use a plastic or wood cutting board and use the steel and enjoy this fine knife. I plan to buy the six inch model soon.
Al

I upgraded to this knife from a chef's knife included in a $25 knife set, and I've been very happy with it. It's very sharp, and nicely balanced / weighted. When I opened it, it was so sharp that it sliced my dish-sponge to ribbons as I was washing it for the first time. Definately a good sign in my book. I don't do a ton of heavy chopping, but for moderate, ordinary kitchen tasks - chopping potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, the accassional carrot, celery, raw or cooked meat - it gets the job done easily. In my opinon, if you don't have a ton of money to spend on a knife, this is a great all purpose tool. I reach for it anytime I need to cut anything. Not the absolute best out there, but for the budding gourmet on a budget, I highly recommend it.

What makes the Wide Chef's Knife different is the sharp slope from the tip to the bolster -- and that's also what makes it work so well for chopping or mincing veggies.

Hold the tip down on the chopping block with one finger, and quickly rock the handle up and down. Before you know it, your onions, garlic, parsely, whatever, are as finely chopped as you could want them.

Even better, the weight is balanced slightly forward of your grip, so the knife naturally moves right into the job. Less effort, less time, less hassle.

Great knife.

I am a chef and I own 11 Henckels Pro S knives and this knife is one of the most utilized knives in my bag. It is great for all uses. I can walk all over the kitchen and just use this one knife. I used to use as many as four different knives for one task, now all I need is my 6" chefs knife
I love it.

This is a very nice set of knives. I love them. They are very high quality. In case you don't know it, one of the key things to look at when determining the quality of the knife is the way the blade connect to the handle. In the case of a cheap knife, if you flex the blade you will likely see a gap between the blade and the handle. This is evidence of how flimsy the knife is, and how flimsy it can be when you are cutting something. The Henckels Pro S knives, on the other hand, are very solid. The blade itself actually forms an integral part of the handle. Notice how the silver line extends up the handle in the picture? This is a continuation of the blade up into the handle, and this makes for very solid construction. The attachment of the black portion is amazingly smooth and very comfortable. And it is very hard to even get the blade to flex. The whole knife is very solid feeling and fun to use. The sissors are great too. They are so sharp and sturdy, and easy to find since they are always stored right there on the face of the block. The biggest knife is great for cutting meets and vegetables. The bread knife is great is great for slicing french bread or bagels. The paring knife is for cutting up fruits. It is really a neat set. I've had a set of these for over 3 years. I hardly ever sharpen them and when I do it is mainly just for kicks because they don't really even need it much. I also HIGHLY recommend the matching steak knifes. We bought a dozen or so of them (I think they come in sets of 4). These are so much better than my old cheapy knives, and I know that they will probably last a lifetime. This is one of my favorite purchase ever. We even bought a set for my inlaws, replacing the set of knifes they had used for years. It is such a thrill to have a nice, high quality set of knives.

If you are already thinking about buying at this product and willing to read through all the reviews - you should just buy it! No one else has anything less than perfect to say about this one!

* They are extremely sharp and solid, should be able to satisfy the most discriminating chefs.

* This is a very complete set of knives, and should get you started on just about anything. There are couple extra slots in the block, just in case if you have extra knives.

* Sure, there are better knives out there (not many, though) However, be prepare to pay a pretty penny. In terms of value/dollar, you can't beat this one.

* It's a personal preference - but I don't really like the shape of the handle for the 4 stars set. They feel kind of awkward when I hold them in my hands.

* With normal care and use, these knives will last you for 10 years and beyond - which beats the cheap supermarket knives one has to replace every 6 month. It's a good investment for the long run.

I bought this knife and block set as a Christmas gift for my wife. She loves it. Our only disappointment was that the block was a different style than that shown on Amazon or, for that matter, on the box it arrived in. The picture showed a block with six slots for steak knives. The block we got is the one now shown in the Amazon add. Apparently Henckel made a change in their set about the same time I ordered it. We can live with the substitution though as the knive set is now selling for $50 more than what I paid for it in December 03. I would have bought the set regardless of the block design but the steak knive slots was a nice feature that appealed to me. The knives are well crafted, have a great feel, extremely sharp and we love them. There were two extra slots in the block that accomodated another Henckel knife we already owned and one other. We also love the selection of knives, especially the paring knife and small serrated knife. Some other reviewers have mentioned scratches or uneven sharpening but we've not noticed either of these conditions.