Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program
I have thoroughly enjoyed owning and using a this matching set of knives over the past few months. My prior set was simply a hodgepodge of marginal quality blades we've acquired since our marriage 20-odd years ago. I waited to review this set because I wasn't sure how they'd hold up after a few uses given the price, but I've been pleasantly surprised.
They don't hold an edge indefinitely, I've had to sharpen the blades I use most often a couple of times so far. I have used the included sharpener for the longer knives, but use my Furi for the smaller ones, and I prefer the edge it gives me.
This is a great set for someone in their first apartment, or a good inexpensive wedding gift that will be appreciated by a couple that isn't looking for something that is chef quality.
The knives feel good in your hand, and are relatively lightweight without feeling cheap. The scissors are also very nice and work smoothly.
I am also uploading a composite photo of all the individual components included in this set, as the official photo doesn't show much!
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I picked up this knife set along with Ginsu Koden Series 14-Piece Cutlery Set with Black Blockshortly before the holiday season. I used both sets during the holidays and I have to say that the Chicago Cutlery set is a better value for the money. The blades are sharper, there are six more blades in the set and the block is better quality.
To give you a better idea of what you can expect I will breakdown the two sets. Please note, my review is for those consumers looking for a relatively inexpensive set of knives. Neither set is truly "professional quality"; the company's claims that they are should be taken with something less than a grain of salt. If you want/need that grade of knife you are going to pay quite a lot more for a single knife than you are paying for these two sets.
Contents:
Ginsu 14 piece set with 3.5" paring knife, six 4.5" steak knives, 4.5" utility knife, 5" boning knife, 8" slicer, 8" chef's knife and 7" Santoku knife. Scissors and plastic covered wood block.
Chicago Cutlery 20 piece set with 2.75" peeler, 3.5"parer, eight 4.5" steak knives, 4.75" partoku knife, 5" boning knife, 5.5" utility knife, 6,.75"santoku, 7.5" chef's knife, 8" slicer, 9" bread knife, sharpening steel, kitchen shears and hardwood block.
Design:
Ginsu All blades, with the exception of the santoku, are serrated and never need to be sharpened. This is supposed to prevent the tearing of food and eliminate the hassle of keeping the blades in good order. The blade handles are stainless steel and there is a black end piece with the Ginsu logo imbedded in it. The knives fit well in the hand, feel a bit light and are not especially sharp. (There is no comparison between the Ginsu bread knife and the Chicago cutlery one the Ginsu flattens fresh bread and tears the skin of tomatoes, the Chicago Cutlery knife glides through both. The santoku knife in this set is the exception it cuts very well but does need to be maintained. The knife set itself is pleasing to look at and would be a sharp addition to those kitchens with stainless steel appliances.
Chicago Cutlery The non-serrated knives have a tapered edge on the blade for optimal sharpness, they also have the typical hollow ovals seen on most santoku knives to help food release from the knife. The metal tang extends from the tip of the blade to the end and this strengthens the knife and also gives it balance in the hand. The scalloped edge blades have the full tang as well. Both styles have a triple rivet securing the handle to the tang. The handles are black plastic and are formed to fit the hand. The knives slice well, fit nicely in the hand and have a pleasing weight to them. The knife set will look appropriate in most kitchens.
Care:
Ginsu Dishwasher safe*.
Chicago Cutlery Hand washing recommended.
Block:
Ginsu Wood block with black plastic cover.
Chicago Cutlery Hardwood storage block.
Warranty:
Ginsu Limited lifetime warranty.
Chicago Cutlery Full lifetime warranty.
As noted above, I would have no qualms about recommending the Chicago Cutlery set to the typical weekend warrior cook. It is a very good value for the money. The Ginsu set I would recommend only for those who like a bit of flash, very little hassle (with sharpening), a smaller unit and don't mind mediocre performance.
*For purposes of this review I am putting these knives in the dishwasher and seeing how they hold up, so far, so good, if I note etching, water spotting or other undesirable effects I will update. (Side note: years of experience and advice have taught me to keep my sharps out of the dishwasher.)
Buy Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan 20pc Block Set Now
Prepare to laugh. I'm 66, was a workaholic, never cooked, now retired, live in mountains raising and showing dogs. My neighbors are hunters and give me Elk and Venison meat scraps for my dogs that require scraping the meat off the hide. After suffering through 2 seasons of this all-day-long scraping with a knife I probably picked up at the grocery store 20 years ago, I went searching for good knives. I spent a great deal of time searching and reading customer reviews. I finally decided this was the best bang for the buck. I cried the first time I processed these meat scraps....These knives are AMAZING! Next time I pack for fire evacuation, these are going with me!!!!
Read Best Reviews of Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan 20pc Block Set Here
I've had a set of the Chicago Cutlery metropolitans for 10+ years. That set is great. I purchased this set for a friend......wow......what a difference. These knives are no where near balanced, the blades are much thinner, the handles are two pieces of presumably hollow plastic riveted to the tang. Just the chef's knife from my set outweighs three of these cooking knives. I was embarrassed when she opened it, handed me one, and said......."These are nice, are you sure they are the same ones you have?" Well "Chicago Cutlery" and "metropolitan" are embossed on the blade. That's where the similarity ends. So much for trusting in a great product line over time. I am saddened by this. Amazon was great about it though, and took them back with no fuss.
Want Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan 20pc Block Set Discount?
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Chicago Cutlery produces several lines of cutlery and Metropolitan is their budget line. I already knew this so I wasn't expecting fine knives, but these are surprisingly better that I would have thought.
Included in the set is a large, hardwood block, a honing steel, kitchen shears, eight 4.5" steak knives, a 2.75" peeler, a 3.5" parer, a 4.75" Partoku, a 5" boning knife, a 5.5" utility knife, a 6.75" Santoku, a 7.5" chef's knife, an 8" slicer, and a 9" bread knife. (The Partoku is Chicago Cutlery's name for this knife, which is a cross between a paring knife and a Santoku knife.)
The block is large, measuring 6 1/4"W x 12 1/2"H x 12 1/4"D, so it will take up some room on your counter. It's heavy and is one of the nicest components of this set.
The kitchen shears are exceptional! They are truly some of the best I've ever had.
The knives all feature a full tang meaning the blade runs all the way through the middle of the handle, which is attached with 3 rivets. The handles are nicely shaped and have good weight. The handles are a black, polymer material and are well finished.
The blades are stamped, high-carbon stainless steel. (Stamped knives are the most inexpensive to manufacture and unless the steel is of very high quality, they tend to dull quickly.) All of the blades are very lightweight. This may be a plus for folks who have trouble wielding a big, heavy knife. There are no bolsters on these knives, as bolsters are only on forged blades. (A bolster is a thick ridge at the end of the blade where it meets the handle. It is designed to prevent hand slippage and reduce hand fatigue.)
In my use of these knives, I find the steel to be a little soft and so the edge has a tendency to roll. I recommend using the included honing steel every time you use one of your knives. It only takes a couple of seconds and makes a huge difference in performance, especially with inexpensive knives. They arrive quite sharp and take an edge well. I suspect that they will need to be sharpened fairly regularly so I would purchase an AccuSharp Knife Sharpener With Replacement Blades to go with this set. I would also be careful not to put these knives in the dishwasher. The handles could probably take it fine, but the blades would likely suffer for it and might even develop some light rust spots due to the inexpensive materials used.
Chicago Cutlery also warrants their knives for life. It is a well-known brand that has been around for a long time so this warranty is likely to be upheld.
This set is sort of an entry level item, with some nice features. I would say it would be best for someone setting up a household for the first time or for someone outfitting a temporary living arrangement. These knives will not please someone who is used to high quality knives or who does a lot of chopping and cutting on a daily basis, but they are decent enough for starting out and they have a nice assortment.
I give this set 3 stars because the box and the product page claims professional quality knives, which is vague and misleading. If they advertised these knives as a budget or value package, I would enthusiastically give them a 4-star rating because it is quite a nice set if you know that these are not top-quality knives that will last you a lifetime.
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If you are searching for fully forged, qualities knives on a budget, I highly recommend the Mercer Genesis series. I am a bit of a foodie and have used ceramic blades, Wustofs and Henkels in the past. On a functional level, these knives pair right next to those. Used in culinary schools, the blades are of top quality and the knives are well balanced in the hand. Some who I have shown my knives to have objected to the synthetic "soft" handle, but I think they were mostly just mad at the price I paid when they compared these to their much more costly German ones. Are they as pretty as a set of Global knives? No. But they are sharp, durable and won't break the bank. If you are looking for a show set, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you have some cutting to do, these knives should please.
