Boska Holland Taste Collection Explore Cheese Set

The knives/cutters were designed by a company that obviously knows cheeses because the three that come with this set cover just about any cheese for both cutting and serving. I've uploaded customer-supplied images to show that these are not tiny knives. The board is 11 1/2" x 3 3/8". The presentation knife is 7" long with 1/2" wide handle making it a common-sized cheese knife. The cheese shaving tool is 6" long with a 1/2" wide handle, and the Dutch cheese knife is 10 1/2" long from end to end with a hefty 3/4" wide handle that provides a good grip. These tools are also razor sharp and hold their edge.

Here is a rundown on the knives/cutters that come with the set. The leftmost one depicted in the photo at the top of the page (at the time of this review) is called a Dutch Cheese Knife. The dual handle design and very sharp blade make this perfect for cutting very hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano. Since I often use that cheese as a table cheese that is eaten in pieces with fruits or accompanying wines that are tannin-rich, having this knife was the reason I purchased this set in the first place. The blade, like the others in the set, is shaped to cut through the harder cheeses without crumbling it, and retains its sharpness. Another plus is the safe design of this particular knife. The two handles allow you to positively control the cut of even the hardest cheese without the blade slipping. Most single-handle knives tend to slip or skew on hard cheeses and have been known to cut more than the cheese. Also, like the rest of the design the handles are well thought out in that they have an ergonomic fit to your hand and are nicely constructed. I am guessing that they are made of mahogany, but could be wrong.

The middle tool in the photo is really a soft cheese shaving tool more than a knife. It works well on semi-soft and soft cheeses like mozzarella and even Gouda (after you have removed the wax coating). Although it was not designed for it I have successfully used it to shave thin slices of ricotta salata for salads. Back to Gouda and other wax covered cheeses: I remove the wax coating from those with a Kitchenaid Classic Euro Peeler, which works perfectly.

A 'presentation' knife rounds out the set. It is so named because the upturned and forked end of the knife allows a host to spear a newly sliced or cut piece of cheese on the tines and present it to a guest. In real life at least in my house I allow the guests to serve themselves. The knife itself like the others in the set is well constructed of stainless steel and wood, retains a sharp blade and has a nice balance. This is more of a general purpose cheese knife that would work on most cheeses, but without the safety features of the Dutch knife for very hard cheeses or the convenience of the shaving tool for very soft ones.

Regarding the cutting board that is included: it's a nice touch that is a convenient accessory for home socializing with wine and cheese, but I rarely use mine. Not that there is anything wrong with it. On the contrary it is as well made as the knives and is attractive. I personally prefer using the boards from my Cook's Corner 3-Piece Bamboo Cutting Board Set, which give me size choices that allow me to present more cheeses on a single board.

A word about the wood. For the handles on the knives and the cutting board I recommend that you prep them by wiping them down with dish detergent and warm water. Do not submerge the board, or place any of the knives or board in a dish washer. Once they have been cleaned and dried, wipe them down with an oil. Some suggest mineral oil, but I prefer olive oil. Use a liberal amount, wiping off excess, then let the board or utensil sit until it has absorbed the remaining thin film of oil.

The knives are NOT dishwasher safe. They are, however, easy to clean (and are sharp so be careful). As for the board, I wipe down mine with an antibacterial dish soap like Dawn Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid in a solution of hot water and after thoroughly drying it I will wipe on a little olive oil.

The Dutch and presentation knives can be easily sharpened with any sharpening steel or tool if they begin to dull. Since I am something of a cheese addict mine have been in fairly constant use for nearly a year and only recently needed to be sharpened.

For the price and quality I personally feel that this is one of the best bargains for a cheese set that will elicit compliments from guests. I use them almost daily and cannot be more pleased.

Just received this set. Uh...

First impression -it's a toy set of toy knifes that comes together with a toy board.

The knifes' handles are almost too tiny to hold it and most definitely are very thin for even a woman's hand.

Secondly -the board came in dark dark color, pretty much the opposite from what's on the picture. I'd say the color is what a dolphin would look like, if you dip the said dolphin in dark brown paint.

Third -the knifes are far from what even a newborn baby would call sharp. I think I can be sure to use the knifes instead of my hammer to nail down nails -that's the grade of sharpness the seller provides for 24 American dollars.

Fourth -the board. It's a quarter of an inch think and weighs nothing. If you give it to a blind homeless person he'd think it's a piece of carton and will try to build a fort with it, so I recommend not to give it to blind homeless people. And I love homeless people with all due respect.

Overall -I can hardly imagine what kind of cheese and, what's most important in this case, what size should the cheese brick be to conveniently use the slicer knife that comes with the set. The slicer itself is less than an inch wide.

I think I'll use the whole set exclusively for cutting down play dough. And with that play dough I'll make another cheese knifes set of proper size, weight and ergonomics. And will make it purple. Love purple.

Buy Boska Holland Taste Collection Explore Cheese Set Now

I don't recommend buying this set. In the second use the cheese knife broke. It is of poor quality and design basically it's a thin piece of wood attached loosely to a short piece of metal. No wonder it broke.

Read Best Reviews of Boska Holland Taste Collection Explore Cheese Set Here

It wasn't as nice of quality as I was expecting. I bought it for my husband as a gift and on the second time using it one of the handles broke off the knife. It was easy to return though.

Want Boska Holland Taste Collection Explore Cheese Set Discount?