Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Knife Set with Block

I got this as a wedding gift, and I was amazed at how much of a difference it makes in the kitchen! Good knives make cooking such an enjoyable experience, and Wusthof is well-known to be one of the best out there. The 8-piece set is perfect for people who want to start with a good set and build up on it. Of course I use the chef's knife the most, but I also use the bread knife and paring knife a lot too. I think a santoku knife would be a nice addition to this set, and perhaps steak knives would be wonderful to fill in the 6 slots on the bottom of the block, but in terms of practicality, I never feel like I need more than what I already have (but this is coming from a person who is a beginner in the kitchen). I have been using my knives for about 1 1/2 years now, and the knives are still as sharp as they were when we first bought it. I'm sure we will have to sharpen them eventually, but with good care I expect these to last a very long time.

I'm no professional chef, but I've been doing a lot of cooking and learning about cooking the last few years. I started out with some Farberware knives. Those were just a waste of money. They inset the blade into the plastic handle and several times when I was cutting through vegetables the blade broke out of the handle and came flying up back at me. That's why you need a full tang, meaning the blade runs the entire length of the handle. The Farberware knives were not much more than sharpened sheet metal stuck in cheap plastic. I then moved up to a few Chicago Cutlery knives. They are no longer made in Chicago. And while they do cut good, they are still made out of a thick stamped out and sharpented sheet metal. Then I got a Caphalon set. That's when I finally got a good set. When you get a good balanced knife you'll know it. It feels like you could just chuck them across the room like a knife thrower. The Caphalon's have a great ergonomic handle are made of good steel and are well balanced. They are no sheet metal knife. I also like how they label the end of the knives so they are easy to find. The Caphalon's have the most ergonomic handle of any knife I've tried. They just conform to your hand. My complaint with them would be that I don't like the harsh cerrations on the steak knives. My drying towel catches up in them everytime I go to clean them. The Wusthof steak knives don't have the cerrations, making them easier to clean and making a nicer cut through the meat. I also think the Wusthof knives have two other advantages. The steel seems slightly better. And they are lighter. The blades are a little thinner than the Caphalon knives but that works to their advantage allowing for a lighter knife and for bending on the only the knives that need to bend a little. Wusthof just seems to put a little more thought into its design. I love the design of the kitchen shears. The are designed to easily come apart, making them much easier to clean. The Wusthof knives seem to be made better than the Henckel's, but both are good. And I like how the Wusthof design seems to be consistent. Henckel's has so many various designs of the same knife that I'd be scared if I went to buy a replacement knife if I lose a knife that I couldn't get that design any longer. I think with Wusthof, I could buy a knife 10 years later and it'd match perfectly with my Classic set.

My grades:

Farberware: F (don't waste your money)

Chicago Cutlery: C (good knives, but they are made out of a softer sheet metal type steel, they dull quickly)

Caphalon: B+ (great knives, if you want a great nice at a lower price these are great, I just hate the cerrations on the steak knives though)

Henckel's: A(not built quite as well as the Wusthof's and are not as ergonomic as Caphalon)

Wusthof: A (if the handle was a little more ergonomic I'd give it an A+)

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The knife block itself has room for many other knives, and 6 steak knives. The knives themselves are extremely well made. The black handles with metal rivets are definitely a classic/elegant look, and the knives are incredibly sharp. Heavy and sturdy, these knives also hold their edge very well. My favorite knife is the 6" utility knife, because it's not too big, it can be used by men and woman alike (the 8" chef's knife may be a bit big for smaller women), and it's thin enough to get into smaller areas. The smaller 2 knives are greater for vegetable prep.

Definitely don't put these in the dishwasher. And make sure if you buy steakknives, to put them in EDGE UP... as the edge will wear down if you keep sliding the edge along the wood by putting them in edge down.

I already threw all my other knives out. Very happy!

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Worth the price.... I use every knife in this set at least once a week. Just make sure not to clean your knives with the scrubby side of a sponge. I made that mistake and now have fine scratch lines on the blades.

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Bought a set of these very knives 25 years ago and have never been disappointed. At that time, we had a problem with one knife, which was immediately replaced at no charge. Three years ago we bought a set of Chicago Cutlery knives as a gift for our daughter. It quickly became apparent that they were mediocre knives that quickly dulled and performed poorly. They were an embarrasment for us. We bought this set as a replacement. The contrast is remarkable. These are truly classic, top quality, high performing knives.

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