Knife Block Reviews

This is a fantasic set! Excellent weight, forged stainless steel. This is the perfect set for yourself, the experienced chef, or as a gift. The etched ends provide easy identification of tools in the knife block. It would have been great for Calphalon to provide the other 3 knives that would best complete fill the knife block as 3 slots are empty since the 6 bonus steak knives do not fit within. Perhaps they were giving the buyer an opportunity to select the completer knives. My suggestion: the tomato/bagel knife, the bird's beak, and a boning knife.

These knives live up to their description. They are first rate, high quality knives with a substantial casting and good sharpness out of box. I really like the contemporary handles with the knife description on the end of the handle. They are quite comfortable and have an excellent balance. They seem like they'll last a lifetime despite the lack of rivets on this style handle.
Only the steak knives are a bit of a disappointment- thus the four stars. Although they are also full tang construction they lack the bolster and just feel a bit lighter duty than the rest of the set. Nevertheless, even your toughest steaks will still cut like butter with these knives. I guess this is what really counts anyway.

I just bought my first set of Calphalon Contemporary cutlery and wow what a difference between this set and some other sets I've owned. The edges are incredibly sharp and the labeling concept is truly an ingenious idea. Not to mention the overall design of the product is fantastic. Design, balance, comfort, and a lifetime warranty for half the cost, how can you go wrong? I've owned lesser sets of cutlery before that have cost me far more money. I'm sold on Calphalon's latest line of cutlery and I know I'll never buy any other brand again.

I just received these knives today.

I have a set of Henckels "International" Pro knives which I bought at Costco for about $150. The Henckels went dull very quickly. I looked at the blade, "Made in Spain". OK, now I know better -- only buy steel made in Japan or Germany.

So, I bought these Calphalon's based on the great reviews and the German steel in the advertisement here on Amazon.

Here's the revelation -- upon examining these knives, they are clearly stamped, "Made in CHINA. German Steel"

I'm not sure if I should feel good about these or not. Time will tell, but I wanted to stay away from products made in China and thought that I was getting a German product.

Having used them today, I can say that despite being made in China, they are very balanced and have an excellent weight to them. I found my hand subconciously and very naturally gripping around the neck of the handle, bolster, and blade and using the weight of the blade to chop down, something like how I'd use a cleaver.

I'm waiting to see how the German steel holds up on these Chinese knives, but so far so good. Minus 1 star for the misleading origin of these.

I've had this set for 6 months now, and am extremely happy with it. They are far superior to the less expensive Henckels and Wüsthof sets. I wouldn't go as far a saying they are the same quality as the top of the line Henckels and Wüsthof sets, but they are very close and cost a LOT less. No problems with rust or discoloration (the maids even ran the chef's and paring knives through the dishwasher by mistake). The stamped steak knives are not the best,(I have the forged steak knives as well)but they work good for everyday tasks. All in all, you can't go wrong with this set.

Friedrich Dick knives are a staple in culinary schools. Their blades have a higher carbon content than most, which makes them a bit harder and capable of holding an edge longer. (Friedrich Dick knives are also sold under the name Calphalon Professional Cutlery). Perhaps this is why the gentleman had a problem with rust. These knives are slighly more prone to rust than some others. All the good qualities described in the other reviews here are true, and with a little more care you get a superior set of knives at an excellent price/performance ratio bettered only by the Farberware Pro Forged set which are 85-90% of the quality for half, or less, the price.

I was expecting calphalon quality, but these knives just don't feel like they are quality knives.

Picked up this set for $79 at Amazon and did not expect too much. However this is not a cheap set of knifes. They are real sharp, solidly build and slice with professional authority. I had never known that a Chef's knife could slice vegetables so fast! If you do not want to spend $$$ on German steel (China made anyway, just like this set) and do not want a cheap knife set that is a waste of money after all, then consider this set. I think you will not be disappointed. For more extensive reviews please also check epinions.com.

These feel very good in the hand. The set has the perfect number of items to have on the counter top for almost all my usual, and some extraordinary, food preparation needs.

I have used this set for seven summers of cooking at summer language villages, and have never been disappointed. These are good knives; the blade is of great quality and keeps its edge for longer than you might expect. I have seen these knives get a lot of hard wear from the workers in my kitchen, and have had to use them in the same manner myself. They hold up excellently and are dependable for big food prep needs. Now I just need to get a set for my home. As with anything, you need to know your tools and keep them in repair (with sharpening on regular basis, etc.)

Even though I am a fan of the Calphalon cutlery line (I really think they beat the pants off of the German competition), this block leaves a lot to be desired. The block that came with my 15 piece set was pretty nice, and I ordered this block to house the additional knives that I bought. It appears to be the same design, but the quality control is awfull. Several glue joints were split open when I recieved the block, and the finish was not quite up to par. Given the low cost, I chose to glue and clamp the block into submission, rather than to send it back, but you might be better off buying a more expensive block to start with.

I've had this knife block for 5 months now and it shows absolutely no signs of falling apart. Calphalon must have improved the quality of their blocks or the other writer just got a bad one.

Mine is as good looking now as the day it came into my kitchen. I wiped it down (one time) with mineral oil--as I do with all my wooden kitchen products--and remains fully functional and I can find absolutely no signs that it will be any less 10 years from now.

After all, you don't use it for anything but knife storage, so how could it deteriorate?

Of late, Calphalon has tried to extend their market by putting their good name on flatware, baking equipment, and most recently, knives. Calphalon made thier name by making one of the finest lines of anodized pans in the world - so one would assume their other products would be equally good.

I have purchased three sets of these knives, including a full block set, and I find them to be good, albiet heavy, general purpose knives of a VERY hard stainless steel.

I buy them as gifts for my up-and-coming chef friends because they are well priced and well made. They are not, however, truely fine knives.

Their particular type of stainless - which is not listed on the blade as is the case with most fine knives - is challanging to sharpen to a true beveled edge and does not stay sharp as long as my WMF knives.

They are heavier than many other forged knives and made of thicker metal which is fine for most uses, but they do sacrifice some flex.

One interesting note is that while the advertising on these knives proclaims "German Stainless", the stickers that are all over the box and knives say "Made in China". Perhaps the metal is shipped there...

Overall, I would say that they are perfect for the light duty serious cook. They'd make a nice gift for the just-out-of-college-and-I-want-good-knives kid. They wash well, they cut well (professionally sharpen them first - they arrive dull), and they are really well priced.

For the price, good knives....

The previous reviewer said these knives arrive dull. My thumb disagrees. Sliced very cleanly through it! In spite of my wound I really like these knives. I thought they were well balanced and had a nice edge on them. I have only Chicago Cutlery and Cutco to compare them to. Calphalon Cutlery beats them both by a long shot. Probably ought to professionally sharpen them once a year and use the sharpening steel before each use.