Victorinox Forged 7-1/2-Inch Carving Fork
Rachael Ray Dinnerware Little Hoot 20-Piece Flatware Set
This is not expensive stainless, so the price point makes this attractive. You can find less expensive flatware, and also more expensive, so this is moderately priced. But I have questions about the durability of this over time according to my internet research.
Since this is 18/0 stainless flatware, I took a look at the differences between the various types of stainless steel:
18/10:
* Brilliant luster
* Rust-resistant material
* Durable construction
* Easy to maintain
18/0:
* Soft shine
* Zero nickel content
* Economical design
* Subject to staining
18/0 --18 percent chromium and 0 percent nickel
18/8 --18 percent chromium & 8 percent nickel
18/10 --18 percent chromium & 10 percent nickel
Like most flatware, this is made in China, although there is at least one company that advertises that it's flatware is made in the USA.
I wanted my review to be as accurate as I could make it so I have included the problems I found with this set.
On these flatware pieces, owls are not uniform from piece to piece. Some are deeply embedded while others are shallow. On some pieces you can see the pupil of the owl's eyes and on some pieces you can barely even see the outline of the eyes. On some pieces, the owl is actually not completely engraved, with one full side missing, or the design looks smudged in some places.
Also, four pieces had areas that were defective. It looked like tiny dents in the surface.
The finish on some pieces, mostly the bowls of the spoons, looks dull, and more cloudy grey than shiney silver. The handles are nice and shiney though.
The pieces seem a tad larger than usual, but they are strangely lightweight for their size.
There are reports on other websites that this set starts to show rust spots after only three months, even without them being left standing in water.
I put these in the dishwasher, and there were an unusually large number of water spots on them when I took them out. It may be better to simply hand wash and dry these.
I think, considering the reasonable price, that as long as you know this probably won't last forever, you will be pleased with it.
I showed this set to my sister, who is an owl lover and collector, and she was instantly in love with it. She immediately got her own set.
This set is also available in a 70 piece service for 12 that includes some serving pieces.
Rachael Ray Little Hoot Flatware is a winner in terms of originality and popularity. Today this was the top selling flatware set on Amazon, and it most likely will continue to be a top seller. I love the coordinating dishes with the Little Hoot pattern: Rachael Ray Dinnerware Little Hoot 16-Piece Dinnerware Set. Together with this flatware set it creates an adorable table setting.
The price here on Amazon is the same as the lowest price available on other sites, and some lucky people snagged this set at half price for a short while today here. Black Friday is almost here so keep your eye on short term sales to add to your collection of Little Hoot flatware and dinnerware. Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We find the owl pattern fun for use at our mountain cabin where owl and bear patterns fit in nicely.
All pieces of the set look good (shiny, solid, medium size) and handle well (balanced, shaped nicely, and with smooth edges).
These are dishwasher "safe" but came with a recommendation to hand wash if you want to keep the original smooth luster.
We've been putting them through the dishwasher and while they may not keep the "like new" luster, they continue to look good.
Buy Rachael Ray Dinnerware Little Hoot 20-Piece Flatware Set Now
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Of course these were meant to coordinate with the Little Hoot dinnerware collection and so they do! I thought at first the little owl was perhaps a bit too juvenile but I've received several compliments on them and directed people to them online.I use these for my everyday flatware and run them through the dishwasher. So far so good. I tend to use the lemon detergents which can sometimes be a problem with flatware but I've noticed no ill effects.
I did get one spoon where the edge wasn't very smooth and I had to set that one aside for just stirring coffee and such. A little too sharp for eating but overall I'm satisfied with this cute set.
Read Best Reviews of Rachael Ray Dinnerware Little Hoot 20-Piece Flatware Set Here
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program A little on the pricey side but a welcome accompaniment to the Little Hoot collection of plates. The cutlery feels heavy and well made though doesn't hold up quite as well as the Reed & Barton set recently sold at Costco for the same price. As Bernadette pointed out, the owls are not completely uniform across every item in the way they are imprinted. This is a fun casual dining set but definitely not meant to rival formal dining ware if you like the design, it's a good purchase otherwise you will likely find highly quality elsewhere at this price point.Want Rachael Ray Dinnerware Little Hoot 20-Piece Flatware Set Discount?
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Okay, the owls are little different for me, but the silverware has been in and out of the dishwasher several times now and there has been no issues. I like that it feels like a solid piece of utensil and not something lightweight and cheap.LamsonSharp 6-Piece Serrated Steak Knife Set
The packaging is terrible; two pieces of cheap cellophone tape holding the cheesy box together. The cello tape broke and the knives rattled around during shipment causing several nicks and dings on blades and rosewood handles. Most importantly, Lampson does NOT cover any of their serrated knives for the Sharp for Life guarantee. I checked their SFL return form on the Lamson website, and then emailed Lamson to verify that these knives are all you get no resharpening ever.
Five stars for the knives, two stars for the packaging and shipping, zero stars for the false advertising.
Upsate 21 June, 2013. The "Sharp for Life" reference was removed. The packaging is most likely still lousy ask the vendor before you buy (although since it's shipped by Amazon there's probably nothing the manufacturer or vendor (CM) can do about it at this point.Love the knifes. They are medium weight, high quality and best of all, Made in the USA. I also have Wusthoff knives and prefer the Lamson sharp so much that I retire my Wusthoff steak knives.
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knives are great. case is a little funky. could have been better there.but the real question is why did the price go up from $125 when i bought it 2 months ago to over $400 as of this writing.
talk about gouging. good knives but do not buy at this price. look around elsewhere. what a rip off. even $125 for a knife set is above avg pricing.
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Rada Cutlery Super Spreader Knife, Aluminum Handle, Made in USA (Pack of 2 - R113/2)
Red Handled Steak Knife 4 Knives Made in Brazil
Chicago Cutlery Landmark 4-1/2-Inch Partoku Knife, Sheath Packaging
Oxo Softworks 7 Piece Stainless Steel Cutlery Set
When it arrived, aside from the bonus of the worried reactions of my co-workers upon finding someone had sent a box of knives to the library, I was psyched. These knives, although most are labled, "mini" are full kitchen tools. I didn't want giant butcher knives for the teens to use, but am very happy to find these knives are are by no means "mini" either. The Chef's Knife & Bread Knife are each longer than my forearm (including handles), and the "mini" knives all have at least 4-inch blades. I am extremely pleased with the quality of this set, especially as it was only $25!
Oneida Compose 5-Piece Place Setting
Joie Stainless Steel Wavy Knife - (Random Colors) 7-Inch
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Hamilton Beach Chrome Classic Electric Knife with Case
I don't have any "Pros" about this knife
Cons:
1) The 7-1/2 inch blade (the actual length with serrated edges) wasn't long enough to adequately cut through a large turkey.
2) The handle is not designed well. It is heavy and just does not fit well in the hand. I found that as I was cutting, my hand quickly got tired but the way the handle and the "on" button are designed it was very difficult to change my hand position. It would have helped if the on button could be locked to the "on" position.
3) While cutting the turkey the blades kept bending. The knife failed miserably cutting through the joints. The blades are definitely the flimsiest of any of the electric knives I've owned.
The primary reason I purchased the knife was to cut turkeys, oven roaster chickens, etc. I'm sure the knife would do well cutting bread or soft meats such as a salami, but I have STRONG doubts it could handle slicing a hard piece of beef such as a cold cooked brisket (the secondary reason I bought the knife).
I'm going to check on the return policy about getting my money back. This is one of the few purchases from Amazon.com that I've made since Amazon first came online, that I have wanted to return.My fiance and I realized we can save a lot of money if we make our own sandwich meats. We tried before cutting the pieces by hand, but it just didn't work very well. This electric knife is exactly what I expected and we're able to cut slices of an appropriate thickness for sandwiches. It did take a little while to get here, but my patience paid off and it arrived the same night we intended to cook our next roast! It's not even as loud as the electric knife my parents own.
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We actually didn't use this knife as intended. We used it to cut foam cushions to size & then we were able to cover them with ease & of course, then they were an exact measurement & fit making our items look wonderful. Just another way to use an electric knife.Read Best Reviews of Hamilton Beach Chrome Classic Electric Knife with Case Here
This knife makes blanching and putting up sweet corn off the cob with speed and ease! The old method is obsolete!Want Hamilton Beach Chrome Classic Electric Knife with Case Discount?
This electric knife works great. Easily carved up our grilled TriTip and a whole cooked chicken. The knife is sturdily built and is not too noisy when operating.Montana Knife 4-Piece Paring Knife Set with Colored Poly Handles
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Chicago Cutlery Insignia Kitchen Scissors, Blue
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I have three pair of these Chicago Cutlery Insignia Kitchen Scissors, Blue , Red and Black. They are handy for use in the kitchen. Not the sharpest scissors I have used, but work well and fit nicely in the Chicago Cutlery Wood blocks.Read Best Reviews of Chicago Cutlery Insignia Kitchen Scissors, Blue Here
I think I had a brown pair for about 15 years that we used for every thing and everywhere. They cut through chicken bones and all of my other kitchen and garden needs. I love the fact you can take them apart and throw them into the dishwasher. The screwdriver came in handy many times. I miss my old ones and happy I found them here on amazon with the Prime shipping option. Score.Want Chicago Cutlery Insignia Kitchen Scissors, Blue Discount?
This is my second pair like this. Very handy, durable, and does the job! A workhorse in the kitchen (and the rest of the house)Wenger Grand Maitre 8-Inch Filet Knife
MAC brand Santoku Knife w/Bolster (#MSK65)
And this is where the problem liesits blade is VERY thin, and it needs to be handled with care. I baby mineI am ultra-careful about what I use it on, and when it's not in use it stays in a KnifeSafe blade cover. I have two ceramic rods and four different Japanese waterstones I use to keep it sharp. It's not an "all purpose" knife in any way, and I would not recommend it to anyone who is needing such a knife. And this includes professionals and home cooks alike.....anyone who is unable or unwilling to handle it with care. For more general use, I would recommend the Shun santoku with the granton edgeit is a thick, beefy knife that works well for most things. Or, for a more budget-friendly choice, try the Kai Wasabi santokuit's an excellent, inexpensive workhorse.My wife wanted a Santoku knife and after some research, decided on the MAC Santoku knife. Well balanced, light weight (compared to our Henckels series set), and so VERY sharp. It feels like I am using a razor. Slicing through tomatos, chicken, fruits, and the like are EFFORTLESS.
Using my older knives in the house feels awkward and clumsy compared to the Santoku. This knife is highly recommended since it feels great in my hands and does the cutting with minimal effort!
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I got my first MAC knives back in the 70s, thin metal blades with a hole in the tip so they could be hung up on a peg. Those knives kept their razor edge with only an occasional drag along some unglazed pottery for about 10 years, and I'm talking about 10 years of hard use in a vegetarian kitchen.After that, they needed to be professionally sharpened or sharpened on a home electric sharpener with a diamond wheel. I've done this twice in 30 years.
I've since upgraded the original to this one, the Santoku with a granton edge. I can't praise it highly enough. The razor sharp edge glides through everything effortlessly, the balance is perfect for me and the construction is as sturdy as you'd ever want.
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Compared to any other knife in this price class, this is the brand to inspect. I have tried many knives, cheaper and more expensive alike. this brand is priced in a range where we expect to find quality knives. I believe that MAC knives are no nonsense, well made top quality knives that outshine its peers in its price range.MSK-65 is very sharp, superbly balanced. And feels great. It cuts and slices where other knives pull and wedge. The hollow spots release food, even the super thin sliced stuff.
Great comfort. I am big man with large hands and do NOT like the knive handles with "ends." I find it compromises my grip. I don't want a knife maker to tell me where my fingers go. This knife is good with my hands.
Very strong. but thinner and lighter than many of its competitors. I trust this knife to last a very very long time. And it has the japanese edge, which is sharpened at a more acute angle than the standard German/American knife. This is similar to the Shun knivesvery hard steel, very thin sharp edge. But it is not damascus, so it's significantly cheaper.When it comes to cutting vegetables this knife it the best I have ever used. I love it! Just be careful how you store this knife so you don't damage the edge
MAC 4 piece Knife Set #GSP41
I started my quest for a quality kitchen knife about 3 years ago after I noticed that my Henckels Professional S knives were getting dull pretty frequently. My first Henckels was a Pro S 7 inch santoku that I was so pleased with at first that I decided to get a matching Pro S 5 inch santoku, a paring knife, and a very expensive 10 inch chef's knife. And then they started getting dull. My first reaction was to get some whetstones and do some sharpening. I tried a few Japanese stones first and then moved on to some USA made diamond ones before finally settling happily with a Spyderco sharpening system. Long story short, I discovered that sharpening is a chore I'd rather not have to do at all, muchness frequently, so I decided to check into some other brands that I would not have to sharpen as much as my Henckels. Believe me, Henckels Pro S series get dull constantly. It's incredibly frustrating how often you have to find yourself sharpening them. And this was after I spent countless hours researching and finding out everything I needed to know about using whetstones effectively. If you sharpen a Pro S, if you're lucky, you might be able to get through 3 meal preps before noticing that it's not as sharp as it used to be. And yes, I did wash them immediately after every use and store them properly, that that isn't the issue. They are just simply junk knives at a premium price.
As a result, I did a lot of research before deciding to buy a Cutco and a Mac. I know there's a lot of Cutco haters out there who consider Cutco to be like the Bose of the knife world (overpriced for a mediocre product). I heard all the stuff about how they use inferior grade steel and this and that, but I decided to try them because they had a lifetime guarantee, free professional lifetime sharpening, and they were dishwasher safe. I decided to get a Mac because I found a few reviewers online by some people who worked in restaurant kitchens.
I have been happy with the Cutco, but I've been even happier with the Mac knives I've bought. The Cutco vegetable knife has stayed nice and sharp for a year and a half now without any trouble. I love that I can just throw it in the dishwasher which is great when you're entertaining company and don't want to be bothered with washing your knives off by hand right after using them. But two things keep me from grabbing the Cutco most of the time when I'm cooking: it's heavy and the steel blade is a somewhat fat so it does not glide as effortlessly through food as I'd prefer even though it has maintained such a sharp edge. From my experience, Cutco makes a pretty decent knife that they stand behind with a great warranty, so I would not consider them the Bose of kitchen knives; if anything Henckels, with their overpriced, overhyped, and overexposed product, is the Bose of kitchen knives.
I digress. The Mac succeeds where the Cutco left off. Weary of wasting money, I decided to be conservative with trying out a Mac knife for the first time, so I went on google shopping and found Sonoma Cutlery, a retailer that sold single Mac knives at a very reasonable price--much less than a Henckels Pro S or Cutco, and I bought a single Mac Original 4 inch paring knife. The steel is nice and thin, so it's not only light, but also glides effortlessly through food (you'll see what I'm talking about if you try one out and compare it to a thicker steel blade when cutting something like a large onion). I fell in love with it, and decided after a year of use without needing to be sharpened to get a second Mac, so I got an Original series 6.5 inch chef's knife. It's my absolute favorite knife in my block. Mac does not get the exposure it deserves, and it seems that only a few people who are "in the know" (e.g. Gordon Ramsay) have discovered how great Macs are. It really is a shame that big retailers like Bed Bath and Beyond and places like that tend to push hyped, shoddy, overpriced German brands like Henckels when they could instead be selling better quality knives like Mac. I have since sold my used Henckels, and I'm keeping my Cutco and of course these awesome Mac knives. I'm sure that there are several other quality brands out there who make knives that are very good too, but my great experience with these very reasonably priced Macs has made me a loyalist, and my quest for the kitchen knife I've always wanted is finally over. If you've found yourself on a similar quest, save yourself a lot of time and grief and just buy yourself a single Original series Mac chef's knife. You'll be glad you did.
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Excellent set of knives given to my daughter, for her birthday. The set covers all her needs and are everything she hoped when she sent me the link to them. She works with Chefs that advised her Mac knives were a great investment if she is going to be serious about pursuing the culinary arts. She likes the light weight and ease of cutting with this set. She will use a knife bag for transporting them, and the rounded tips make that practical.I just purchased as a wedding present the same 4 knife set that we bought shortly after we were married 44 years ago. This is a great set of knives. They are kept sharp by a few swipes along the back of a plate of china. However, I see they now sell a ceramic shapener that I assume will work just as well. If you want to give a wedding gift that people will thank you for many times over the years, I recommend this set of MAC knives. Each knife is simply perfect.I have a set of these that are at least 30 years old. I use this sharpener on them and it keeps them razor sharp. Fiskars 7861 Axe and Knife Sharpener German steel? These Japanese beauties laugh at German steel. If you want to chop down a tree, grab your Henckels. If you want to cut food in a kitchen these are the way to go.Japanese Professional Knife Sharpening Stone Sharpener
Edit 6/15/09: I am now more familiar and experienced with stones, so I would like to add a few things. First and foremost, I still believe this is a good stone and at the listed price ($25), it's quite a bargain. I only wish they offered one that was a little wider. I've now tried some King waterstones the standard for cheap but good Japanese waterstones. In comparison, this stone does not cut as fast as the kings at the 1000 grit level. The 240 side is fairly aggressive and cuts pretty fast, perhaps faster than king's offerings. Like most coarse stones (a notable exception being the bester 500 grit stone), the 240 side dishes quickly. The 1000 grit side dishes comparably at a more moderate pace. More importantly, I feel like this stone leaves a nicer finish than does a king stone at 1000 grit. As such, I recommend this stone in general, but I recommend it very highly if you are on a limited budget and don't want to buy any higher grit stones to finish on. The coarse side is probably one of the better stones in the 240 range on the market, but it is slowed down just a bit by it's narrowness. Neither stone individually is the best of its kind (though you'd have to leave amazon to find some of the best), but taken together and considering the price, it's a good combo stone that could easily be either your only stone or the first two in your progression.
In either case don't waste money on stones sold by knife companies shun, global, whatever. They charge a huge markup compared to other companies based on brand recognition and people assuming that a company's stone is best for their knives.This whetstone is great for typical knife sharpening maintenance.
It can be used in about 5 10 minutes after being soaked in water. However, it takes about a full day to dry completely.
For dull knives:
One side of the stone is 240 grit, which can be used for aggressive sharpening. The other side is 1000 grit, which can be used after the 240 grit sharpening to perform light sharpening. You can then hone the knife on your steel sharpening rod.
For typical knife sharpening maintenance, you can just use the 1000 grit side, followed by some honing on your steel rod.
Note that this stone will not fix damaged knife blades.
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After neglecting our kitchen knives for too long, I bought this sharpening stone to try to reclaim them from their terrible state. So far so good. It has really helped.However, the absence of instructions in English do make it somewhat challenging since I really don't know what I'm doing.
Also I learned the hard way that rubber gloves are a good idea. As I sharpened my knives small pieces of metal imbedded into my fingers. Not too bad, but a lesson learned.
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Since buying this stone less than a month ago, I've ended up sharpening close to a dozen knives with it. I bought it on vacation, and before I got home to Toronto ended up sharpening a number of knives for my grandparents and relatives, many of which hadn't been sharpened in decades. I definitely appreciate the two different grits-the coarse does a great job of removing any notches from the blade, and the 1000 grit side does a good job of honing the edge.My only complaints are that the stone seems a bit narrow. It would be a bit easier to use were it a little wider, like a King Whetstone. Additionally, it seemed fairly easy to score, and I've carved some of the edges off accidentally with my sloppy form-though I can't compare it to other stones because I've only actually sharpened with this one.
This stone also comes with a rubber holder for the stone that works well to secure the stone on a countertop. That being said, it only works when directly placed on a bare countertop. The first time I used the foot, I spent a half hour cleaning a mess of slurry off my countertop. I've thrown that bit in the garbage. Save yourself the pain, and use a wet rag to secure the stone instead-it'll collect the slurry and save you the wash-up time.
As a heads-up, the "instructions" are purely in Japanese-but it makes little difference because there are a number of great instructional videos readily available on the internet.
Without a doubt, this is a great stone for such a low price. You can't really go wrong.
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You have to learn how to maintain the 20 degree angle, but it does not take long to learn .... Trust your small muscle memory .... And this little unit will sharpen and hone the best of knives. I now just give my knives a swipe or two on each size grit, and my knives are pristine sharp. Well worth the investment to maintain your quality knives!!!Norpro 5113 Grip EZ Peach Wedger and Pitter
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My wife loves this wedger and pitter...she eatsa lot of peaches and this little device makes the
experience much easier and faster. Give it a try.
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This slicer makes eating a peach or nectarine so much easier and cleaner. I used it on nectarines and it worked great!! I would highly recommend this slicer to anyone especially anyone that bakes, cans or freezes. It gives you uniform slices quickly and easily. Easy to use and clean. I am getting a couple more to give as Christmas gifts. Well worth the money.Want Norpro 5113 Grip EZ Peach Wedger and Pitter Discount?
I had been trying to slice peaches by hand to can honeyed-spice peaches. They kept turning to mush and I ended up with peach butter instead.found this item and figured for the price Id give it a try. Today I made up those spiced peaches :)
Arcos 6-Piece Forged Steak Knife Set, 4-Inch
Dexter Russell Sani-Safe 10" Diamond Knife Sharpener w/ Swivel
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Jaccard Supertendermatic 16 Blade Tenderizer
In fact, I had the 45 blade model and never really felt that it could be cleaned properly. The blades are 'stacked' next to each other in three rows. This smaller model has less blades, but it is a single row, and easier to get at. While it may sound like the more blades the better, it really doesn't take much longer to use this model. That, and it's half the price of the 45 blade unit.This product performs exactly as advertised. Basically you place uncooked meat on a cutting board, put the Jaccard on top of the meat and press down. The little blades come down and go through the meat. This version of the Jaccard can prepare a large piece of meat for marination in seconds. I have found that the more holes you make the better and faster the marination process goes. I have used this with pork, chicken and beef with excellent results.
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I bought this for occasional use. I don't do many steaks or other meats that require treatment, but I wanted it around for when I do. I selected one with a single row of knives as (1) easier to clean, and (2) smaller and simpler. The knives are very sharp. The first time a used it on a one-inch thick piece of meat, I had to check to make sure it was doing anything. I felt no resistance at all. So, while the single row of knives requires more strokes, there's little effort required.The single row of knives was easy to clean. It would probably be best not to let meat particles dry between the knives. My only reservation is that the two molded plastic halves of the body don't quite fit together. There is a tiny gap at one top corner. That could, of course catch some water, but it's not a big deal. Except for that, it works well and satisfied.
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Bought this gadget recently, where I first used it on a nice piece of London broil. I made many passes through the meat, and then I marinaded it with a marinade sauce for a couple of hours. Then I put it on my barbeque and cooked it like a regular steak. When the London broil was done, it tasted like a good sirloin. I'm quite impressed with it.What is even more impressive, is that the juices remained in the steak in spite of all the piercings it went through.
I would definitely recommend it to a friendWe love this, & it works great ! No chemical taste, no extra salt, and very easy to clean, provided I do it right away (having read the reviews before I bought it, I just wash it immediately after use, as others have said it was difficult to clean if they let sit until they got around to it no dishwasher here, as we live in an area where water is hard, and softening water wastes a LOT of water... besides, I think handwashing gets things cleaner (at least visibly?)

