J.A. Henckels Couteau Series 10-piece Forged Knife Set

These knives have a number of features that set them above the cheap knives that most people accumulate in their early years of independence. They are made of good steel, so they hold an edge well. They cover the gamut of needs, from bread slicing to meat carving to full on chopping. They have a large bolster, which helps the balance and heft of the knives. For the price, they are a very good purchase for anyone who is furnishing their first solo kitchen. The only thing about the set I really don't like is that the chef's knife isn't quite tall enough for good chopping. When looking for chef's knives, one should check so see if they can perform the orbital chopping movement without their knuckles coming close to the cutting board. The 8" chef in this set will barely pass this test for a medium-sized handed person.

I received these as a gift from my BF for Christmas. Let me tell you, I did not KNOW that I was torturing myself with such awful knives until I used these! I've had them for a year now and they've held their edge thus far. They are really easy to clean (NEVER put your knives in the dishwasher, they will dull!), and I dry them completely before putting them back in the knife block. Ready some reviews on Costco about rust problems, but I haven't had any yet. Take good care of these knives and they will be good to you!

Only a few cons:

I rarely use the vegetable knife or the carving knife

My knuckles come really close to the cutting board when using the chef's knife (my hands are small-medium sized). Therefore I prefer using the Santoku for most tasks.

Great value, you will love these knives!

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