Chef Knives Reviews

I just love, Love, LOVE these knives! This set is worth every single penny you spend. Even for being the "medium-end" line of Wusthof knives, they far exceed other "higher-end" brands. If you can't afford the premier-end products of Wusthof, such as the Classic line, do not hesitate to go for these. I've had mine for a few years now, and with the proper care they cut just like the day I bought them. Since I've gotten mine, my brother, mom, and grandfather have all joined my obsession of Wusthof knives and won't use any others!

I only have the 8 inch chef knife, the paring knife and the steel. The chef knife cuts a lot better than my old knife and stays sharp for a much longer time. I used other knives before and I had to sharpen them almost after every use.

The Wusthof chef knife slices raw meat and tomatoes beautifully. I'm very pleased with the product. The only draw back is the price. But Amazon.com offers an extremely good deal. The whole set $$$ costs even less than the amount I paid for my set of 3.

I bought these knives and I love them. They are a joy to use. Top quality. Check the model #8243 on the Wusthof web site and you'll see they are the real deal. I got them on Amazon when the price was at $239.99. What a steal!

I read once that the best is the cheapest and I find that to be certainly true. These are the best knives ever! They will last a lifetime and save you a lifetime's worth of constantly buying one 20 dollar knife after another. The knives I use time and time again are probably the chef's knife (which I used to find intimidating but no longer) and the 5.5 inch sandwich knife. I love the sharpness, the feel and the weight. It makes cooking and prepping so much faster and easier. I chose the GrandPrix over the traditional styled Classic because of the way the rounded handles felt in my hands and the textured grip makes for never having to stop to dry my hands in between kitchen prep duties. After you have been dicing and slicing for more than 15 minutes, the GP handle doesn't give me the cramped hand feeling that the traditional handles give me. Some people say that the handles easily get scratches but I have had mine for 3 years and don't notice any but I always handwash mine (wonder if that makes a difference) and besides, I consider them tools and workhorses not decoration. I think they say you're supposed to sharpen high quality knives each time before you use them. Yeah right! I never sharpen my knives because they can keep the edge sharp for so long plus I'm plain lazy. My husband does that for me once every 3 months and I notice the difference. But even "dulled" after 3 months with no sharpening, I haven't met a slab of meat or veggie my knives couldn't make quick work out of.

I own the 8 piece classic set; which came with the following: an 8"Chefs,Carving,& Bread knife; 4 1/2" utility, 3 1/2 inch paring, sharpening steel, take apart shears, a well made deluxe oak block which also has room for 6 steak knifes. I also purchased 4 Classic Mignon steak knifes, a Santoku knife, a serrated tomato knife & that still left room for 2 extra knifes.
These are the best investment I ever made in a set of kitchen knifes. They are very well balanced and cut like a dream & hold an extremely sharp edge! I put most of my other kitchen knifes into retirement except for an electric knife on holidays when visiting, and a few special ones. A lifetime guarantee comes with each Wusthof plus I consider it a lifetime investment unless you happen to lose one.
Once you use a Wusthof for a short while, you will appreciate what a well made knife is! (Rated #1 by Consumer Reports magazine.)

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Classic line is the more conservative counterpart to the Grand Prix line. The only difference, however, is the handle style. I personally prefer the Grand Prix, but this is an issue of personal preference. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This set includes an 8 inch chef's knife, a 3 ½ inch paring knife, a 6 inch sandwich knife, 8 inch bread, a 5 inch salami, a 2 ¾ inch trimming knife, a sharpening steel, and an oak block

The 8 inch chef's knife is a great knife. Wusthof offers four sizes of chef's knives in the Classic version, 5, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 6 inch is a bit small for bigger jobs, but the 10 inch is too big for most jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), this is the one I would recommend.

As for the 3 ½ inch paring knife, this knife falls into the category of overkill for me. Most cooks will get by just fine with the 4 ½ inch utility knife. There is really no notable difference in size for the vast majority of applications between the 3 ½ inch paring knife and the 4 ½ inch utility knife. I prefer the 4 ½ inch utility knife, but the 3 ½ inch paring knife will do the trick.

I have found very few uses for the 6 inch sandwich or 5 inch salami knives. I prefer the larger size of the chef's knife or the smaller 4 ½ inch utility knife. These knives are just the wrong width and length for most tasks, and falls into the overkill department, except when part of a set.

The 3 ¾ inch trimming knife, however, is a good length for small tasks, like trimming fat from cuts of meat.

The bread knife, is a great knife. Many people think tomatoes are the hardest food items to clearly cut. I think bread is much more difficult; but this knife makes the task seem easy. However, I prefer the 9 inch knife over the 8 inch included in this set.

When it comes to sharpening steels, I have found very little difference between Henckels and Wusthof. As long as you buy a high end steel, you really won't go wrong. Therefore, I shop for this item on price, and Henckels has a price advantage. However as the steel comes with the set, you won't go wrong with this steel.

This set is a good deal as far as price. However, keep in mind you really only get 7 knives. Adding the set of steak knives (which I consider a luxury, and not a necessity), will fill the remainder of the block.

Finally, I would recommend you compare this set with the 10 piece couple's set, listed as ASIN: B00005MGKD. That set replaces provides a second chef's knife, a longer bread knife, and deletes the 2 ¾ inch trimming knife. It is more expensive, so compare your needs, and see my review of the other set.

These knives are excellent in their construction, balance and appearance. This comprehensive set includes 7 knives and I cannot imagine a cooking task that it could not handle...even experienced chefs are likely to use only 3 or 4 of the knives on a regular basis and amateurs could probably fufill 80% of their cooking needs with just the chef's knife. These knives are extremely steady and easy to use even for delicate tasks and they are quite comfortable even when cooking for an extended period of time. After using Wusthof and Henckels knives I think Wusthof knives are slightly better constructed and have a better edge but both manufacturers offer a quality product and Henckels are a bit cheaper. Since however, you won't buy knives like these too many times in your life, I think it is worth it to spend a bit more and go for the Wusthof knives.

The only drawback to the set is that an accompanying set of 6 Wusthof Classic Steak Knives are very expensive...but like the knives in this set, the steak knives are top quality and so I guess you get what you pay for.

I could not be more happy with this set.

The Wuthof Classic is probobly the last set of knives you ever have to buy. I used to own many different types of knives and knives sets, but unfortunatly they were made of poor quality steel. I had to sharpen them all the time. With my new knives it is a totally new experience. Don't worry about the price. These knives cost much more than a chip set of knives, but they will last forever.

This is not a review for the current Wusthof 10' chef's, but for an older model. I have a wood handled 10" chef's knife. The wood is a black wood with deep red grain, and has no cracks. The tang is of a different shape then the current model, less curved along the heal of the blade. It looks more akin to the Henckels. The metal is the same percentages as the current, so this review should still be helpful. This knife is from the 60's and is still being used. They last forever. A 10" knife may seem big at first, but after a couple of days using it, the weight and length actually speed things up in the kitchen. I dont use my 8" much anymore. The steel sharpens up with a bit of effort, but does not noticably dull for several weeks. i have stopped using a steele and now just use an extra fine diamond hone every once in a while.

While hefting a cook's knife with a 10-inch blade can take a bit of practice, I recommend this size for everyone except those who have small hands. I started collecting Wüsthof-Trident Classic knives for home use twenty years ago, and this 10-inch Cook's Knife was my first purchase from this excellent line. I like the look and feel of traditional, triple-riveted, full tang high-carbon steel cutlery, which is why I have chosen the Classic line. (A comparable line would be J.A. Henckels Pro-S.) I use a honing steel on it often, and sharpen it myself with a Chef's Choice 3-Stage Diamond Hone Professional Sharpener. Also, I have always hand-washed and dried it. After lots of use, it still holds a keen edge.

Yes, the price of a Wusthof Classic is intimidating, and yes, you will feel buyer's remorse...until you use it for the first time. Even for the casual cook, the difference between a Wusthof and even a middlin' fair brand must be experienced to be appreciated. I bought one for my father (who never gets excited about ANY present, ever) for Christmas; and he hasn't stopped thanking me yet. That in itself made it well worth the price.

This is a great knife, which I happen to think is well balanced and offers a lot of stability.
It is however a very large knife which some might find unwieldy or too heavy. It is significantly bigger than the standard Classic 10" chef's knife.
More importantly, because of the knifes height (width), the blade itself is very wide and would not fit in any standard knife block I could find. In the end I bought the super knife block from Williams-Sonoma and took a router to widen the cleaver slot.

wustoff classic is premium! Any task requiring a knife is fulfilled....as a professional caterer/chef I can tell you that you can make no better selection...for the work place or in your own home. They are brilliant.

I purchased a Wusthof Classic 8 piece set with a deluxe oak block,plus a santoku knife and a serrated tomato knife. Inside in the set were three 8" knifes, a Chefs, a bread,& a carving. Also a 4 1/2" utility, a 3 1/2" parer, shears, and a sharpening
steel. All fit nicely in the block plus room for 6 steak knifes.
I chose the classic style over the Grand Prix due to I felt the balance was better, the full tang is stronger, and alot better looking knife.(my personal preference).
I was looking for a high quality knife set and when Consumer Reports rated it #1, plus seeing alot of cooks on the food channel using Wusthof, my mind was made up. These knives are very well made, cut like a dream,& extremely well balanced.
There are cheaper knifes, but this is a life time investment.
You get what you pay for! I recommend trying both styles before buying if you can. The Grand Prix , in my opinion, had a bigger
handle and felt different than the Classic style.

that these knives are wonderful. Tell him too, that if he guts the buck, we'll cut it up with our new Wusthof set. Truly remarkable tools. I have a Buster too, but he is 12, not much easier, eh? and does not belive a thing I say! But now, maybe he will see the light.

At first it was hard to convince my husband, Buster, that we should invest almost all of his weekly take-home pay in a knife set. The price IS a little steep, but these are Quality knives with a Capital Q. I expect to be using them until I am 95 years old, they are that durable and well-made. The knives came safely packaged and each one is a work of art, worthy of being displayed on your kitchen wall rather than stuck into a wood block. But the wood block that came with the knives is also beautiful on the countertop. I have protected mine with a crocheted 'knife-holder kozy'. So far I have used all the knives personally except for the sausage knife. You do have to be careful as these knives truly are 'razor honed', but if you do cut yourself it heals without much of a scar, as they are SO sharp and make such a clean slice. When deer season rolls around and Buster bags a deer, I will be able to try the sausage knife, as we always have some venison sausage made up. If you want a beautiful work-of-art type of kitchen utensil in your house, then save up and purchase this terrific item.

I give it 3 stars because I'm completely neutral. Funny. What's so avantgarde about it? Why is it called Avantgarde? Maybe that's just the company name...

nice knife set...

the Wusthoff Avantgarde line and their"gourmet line plus the Emeril branded gourmet line are crafted in S.E Asia but fortunately from German made stainless steel( Solingen)Since they are not forged, and lack thefamiliar bolsters, these knives are on the lightweightside favoring cooks who have smaller or weaker hands. Whilethey reallywon't do well forchopping , they excell in delicate slicing paperthin segments, where the much heavier forged knives suffer because feel is missing. Treat them more gently and they'll last a lifetime, maintain their edge with true excellence. I suggest to supplement this set with one good, heavy forged 8" chef knife, a bargain being the Calphalon one, whichis the heaviest 8' chef, i've ever used ( as heavy as some 12 inch monsters from Henckels or the Wusthoff"trident"German made forged knives.it is actually heavier than my Japanese made cleaver!It is an incredible bargain, made in china from German steel produced by AB Dick, (the finest Solingen steel produced).the Amazon price is amazing, less than many junk knives in discountstores!Do not hesitate on the avantgarde orthe Calphalon; Of course if money is no object, go with the fabulous Japanese Global brand orthe aussie "Furi" Line (watch a solid grand vanish!)Not expensive enough? Go with Kyocera's Zirconia ceramic knives or find a sourcefor Japanese laminated knives - a set of either will cost you as much as a fancy bedroom set by Thomasville or the like. . .