I'm interested in hearing recommendations for kitchen cutlery sets. I'm hoping to spend $500 or less for a 15 to 20 piece set.

Can anyone recommend anything at that price point? Thanks!

I'm still using an Old Hickory set from about 20 years ago. Very easy to keep razor sharp but they are carbon steel so maintenance is a must. I just wipe them with mineral oil before putting in the drawer. To this day, the best value in kitchen knives IMO.



For steak knives, I use Victorinox 4 pc. Swiss Classic.

Thank you Pace.

Victorinox makes good kitchen knives. They have several different blocks in that price range. The Grand Maitre set is their higher end knives and it just outside of your budget:

https://www.victorinox.com/en-...-6-pieces/p/7.7243.6

When you by a set, you wind up getting knives you don't really need or want. Determine the brands/models of knives you plan to use (don't be afraid to mix N match), then purchase a block if you plan on keeping your knives on the counter.

Thank you Exodus and 7iron.

I agree with 7iron. I started with, and then used for a few years, just a solid 8" chefs knife. I've added over time but still dont have a block full of knives. This is all customizable to how and what you cook.

My recommendation would be a good sub $150 chefs knife in the 8" variety and maybe add a paring knife to it. Should you need it, a bread knife is nice to have as well.

Before you start spending money I Highly Recommend that you watch this free Chef's knife Skill course:

It will teach you a LOT about how to safely and quickly use knives in the kitchen.

https://www.craftsy.com/class/complete-knife-skills

Net Net advice to start is that 3 knives can do 90% of the work you do in the kitchen.

Start with a good 8" Chefs knife. The 8" Victorinox is recommended by several chefs and is a good one. The $30 Mercer you can get from Amazon is surprisingly good for no more than it costs. Another member here recommended Mercer to me and he's been spot on. Cangshan has some 14c28 blade knives that are very reasonable up to some with higher end steels like ATS-34 that would still fit in you price range for a small set.

https://www.amazon.com/Victori...ps%2C250&sr=8-1&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-...ps%2C195&sr=8-6&th=1

Note that both of these are food service rated for professional use.

Next you need a good paring knife. Everybody makes these. I recommend that you buy one that fits your hand. Some of the Cheapies have thin handles that I don't enjoy much.

https://www.amazon.com/Victori...+%2Caps%2C303&sr=8-1

Last of the starter pack is a good Bread knife. It's NOT just for bread, they work on tough skinned vegetables and lots of other things.

I HIGHLY recommend the Tojiro 270mm Bread knife:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toitkbrkn.html

This knife costs less and works 10 times as well as the Shun that I had to match a set. It's a best seller at ChefKnivestogo which is an excellent place to buy from.

Later on you might want to add a Boning knife or Honesuke and maybe a breaking knife if you want to cut your own steaks.

Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mag...us-v2-candidate_5_21

These look better and don't dull edges with the knifes rattling abound in them.

Sharpening tools is another subject we could get into on another thread if you'd like.

You can save yourself a fortune by watching the videos and only buying what you need. I'm of course too stupid to have done so myself and now have multiple sets of kitchen knives from a full set of hand-hammered Anryu's to Ebony and brass Sabatier's, Shun, Wusthoff etc. Thousands of dollars of knives that I don't actually USE near as much as the $30 Mercer. You actually have to HIDE some of the nicer knives so you Spouse doesn't stick them in a washer or leave a laminated Japanese knife wet and it rusts.

It's nice to have pretty stuff but performance wise you are better off buying knives from Kitchen Supply stores than specialty boutiques. Shun knives are nice but you can get the same VG-10 in knives at IKEA for 1/2 to 1/3rd the price. You pay a lot extra for pretty kitchen knives. (I do still like looking at them though!).

Good luck finding exactly what you want. I hope my long winded post has as least some good ideas for you...............dj

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mag...us-v2-candidate_5_21

These look better and don't dull edges with the knifes rattling abound in them.

I'm pissed that it took me so long to buy one of those. They look so much nicer, keep your edges longer, and take up far less room on the counter.

Agree with pretty much everything else except that I think a boning knife is essential. This Victorinox is around $30 and is crazy sharp (they make one with a wooden handle as well).

quote:

Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these

quote:

Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mag...us-v2-candidate_5_21

These look better and don't dull edges with the knifes rattling abound in them.

I don't see how your knives stored in a knife block can "rattle around in one, unless you strap your block to your waist and walk around wearing it.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:

quote:

Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these

quote:

Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mag...us-v2-candidate_5_21

These look better and don't dull edges with the knifes rattling abound in them.

I don't see how your knives stored in a knife block can "rattle around in one, unless you strap your block to your waist and walk around wearing it.

That’s the great thing about Internet forums. You can consider the advice of highly experienced users or you can mock them. Take your pick and all the best to you………

We've used a knife block for years, doesn't hurt the knives, IMO. I go with being eclectic and buying the knife you'll use. We have everything from cheap paring to custom knives, they all have a purpose.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
Last but not least DO NOT USE a knife block, spend $30 to $50 for a magnetic knife holder like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mag...us-v2-candidate_5_21

These look better and don't dull edges with the knifes rattling abound in them.

I'm pissed that it took me so long to buy one of those. They look so much nicer, keep your edges longer, and take up far less room on the counter.

I'm surprised people don't realize that the blocks dull their knives more quickly, they DO. Maybe it's just thst I sharpen a LOT more peoples knives and so it's easier for me to notice. Most people who bring me knives haven't used a REALLY sharp knife since they bought it. A lot of folks with higher end Japanese knives will store them in their original boxes to protect their fine edges.

I also prefer seeing how CLEAN where my knives are stored is. Someone sticks one dirty knife in the block without you knowing it and you'll NEVER know if that's a clean slot again. Maybe I'm the only person ever to worry about that? LOL

But to each their own. Some people don't take knives or different things as seriously. Some folks never wash their cars, clean their guns or whatever else...................DJ

I saw this set advertised and I thought I might just show it to the original poster because it fits into his original idea better:

https://dalstrong.com/products...vkjwoscn6d3fiwpjxz68

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Dahlstrong but one of the Chef's I've done sharpening for was a big fan of them. I sharpened his favorite and it wasn't bad. I'd say the steel was probably in line with the $30 Mercer - might be the exact same stuff even. That's to say not high end but definitely serviceable.

The Big Acasia knife block isn't my cup of tea for sure but a big wood block full of decent and shiny knives might be just the thing for some people!

For under $400 you could do far worse than this Dahlstrong set.......

I have a medium level Henckels German steel set I assembled from individual knives when I found them on sale. I've been very happy with them, but someday I'd like to move up one level to Zwilling.

I have a friend that is a great home cook and swears his life changed when he found Japanese knives. He is a full on evangelist about it.

quote:

Originally posted by ibanda:
I have a medium level Henckels German steel set I assembled from individual knives when I found them on sale. I've been very happy with them, but someday I'd like to move up one level to Zwilling.

I have a friend that is a great home cook and swears his life changed when he found Japanese knives. He is a full on evangelist about it.

My wife is the cook in the family, and she loves her Zwilling set/with block.

quote:

Originally posted by 7iron:
When you by a set, you wind up getting knives you don't really need or want. Determine the brands/models of knives you plan to use (don't be afraid to mix N match), then purchase a block if you plan on keeping your knives on the counter.

^^^^^ What he said! Best advice.

I'll add on:
- Spend money on a really good 8" chef's knife, the one you will probably use 90% of the time. I like Shun.
- Get an offset bread knife, but don't spend a lot on it.
- Same for a paring knife, they can get misplaced or swept into the trash with peels, etc.
- Carbon steel knives are great, but come with a lot of care and maintenance.
- Rather than a steel, get a diamond knife sharpener.

A 15-20 knife set? Does that include 12 steak knives for a large dinner party?

I use a 6" single bevel deba (made in Japan; yes it can rust) most of the time. I use a 10" sashimi (also Japan and can rust) as well; rarely for sashimi. The brand is one of several that is centuries old and used to make samurai swords; makes knives now using the same techniques. Wife uses a Shun 6" deba style knife (Japan but doesn't rust and is double bevel). We have a Shun paring knife that is used occasionally. And a cheap serrated bread knife. If you buy Shun, don't get the cheaper lines - spend and buy the more premium lines. It's worth it.

That's about it. I do have some European knives (gifts) that rarely get used.

I sharpen my knives with japanese whetstones - about every 2 weeks (could go longer but I like to sharpen them; just takes 5 minutes per knife). I use a Ken Onion Worksharp sharpener for the European knives; I would never use it on my 'good' knives - it takes off way too much metal.

What are you cutting? As suggested above, buy a knife or two based on what you're cutting (style, size, material). Go from there. I would tend to buy knives made in Japan, or Europe, or USA. I would NEVER buy a knife made in chicom regardless of brand for many reasons.

https://youtu.be/yqsW4O8Ejmw?is=z63oaFfNhTeuhnDx


“Like sticking you knife in a sewer pipe!” LOL


Lots of good info here including knife techniques plus Alton is hilarious!

……… I’m ordering a grapefruit spoon……

Another good one on knives from Alton Brown:

https://youtu.be/Oe0u4EMb_qo?si=Enh0a7Ct2JvHRAB1

Now, He's a famous Chef and I'm just DJ but FWIW I have both the Shun Serrated blade and the Tojiro and Mac Serrated blades I got from Chef Knives to go. The Tojiro and Mac are FAR superior in every way to the Shun including being less expensive.

He's right about Murray Carter's blades FOR SURE!

..........DJ