The non stick surface helps keep foods from clinging to the super sharp stainless steel blades and color coding helps avoid cross contamination during food prep. This set is perfect for everyday use and includes a 8″ Chef’s Knife, 8″ Slicing Knife, 8″ Bread Knife, 7″ Santoku Knife, 6.5″ Utility cuisinart knife Knife and a 3.5″ Paring Knife, each with its own matching blade guard. Improve Your Cooking Prep Skills This cutlery set allows home chefs to hone their culinary skills. Because the knives are crafted from high-carbon stainless steel with a fine edge, they offer precision and ease of use.
If your budget is there, we recommend upgrading to Zwilling. Cuisinart will shine in the majority of kitchens that see an average amount of use. Across its different series — Classic, Graphix, Nitrogen, Artisan, and Advantage — you’ll find different handle and blade upgrades to suit different cooks. The Artisan series for example, incorporates Japanese techniques in blade finishing, while the nitrogen-infused knives in the Nitrogen set make for harder steel that stays sharper longer. The Graphix set is not much different than the Classic set other than its more textured metal handle for better grip.
When looking at the construction of knives, the most important aspect to consider is whether the blade is forged or stamped. The table below provides a brief overview of the different knife collections offered by Henckels and Cuisinart. A major difference between Henckels and Cuisinart is their focus. Henckels is primarily a cutlery brand, while Cuisinart is best-known for its small appliances like food processors and coffee makers. The parent company was founded in Germany in 1731 and is one of the largest manufacturers of kitchen knives, scissors, cookware, and flatware.
So, we can assume this is the angle Cuisinart knives are sharpened to at the factory. Assuming Cuisinart’s manufacturers in China are hardening their blades as much as possible, 55 is still a low rating for a kitchen knife (one of the lowest I’ve seen, and I’ve reviewed dozens of brands). Two of its collections, the Modernist and Graphite collections, boast sleek and modern-looking stainless steel handles, which set them apart. Some cooks may find appeal in the fact that Cutco is, according to Prudent Reviews, one of the few remaining domestic cutlery manufacturers. Just because the brand is produced on American soil doesn’t mean it’s readily available, though.
The knife’s appearance is pleasing, too, with smooth, shiny wooden handles that stand out against the bright steel. We also used the serrated bread knife to slice French rolls for serving with dinner and the small paring knife for cutting fruit, chopping strawberries, and slicing mini cucumbers for a salad. Building on the successful DNA of the Cuisinart Classic series, their Graphix line forgoes a molded plastic handle for a bumpy metal one. As a result, this line offers substantially better grip, even while your hands are wet. That’s combined with the same high carbon stainless steel blades, and offered at the same price as the Classic series. cuisinart knife sets are some of the most affordable knife sets on the market without sacrificing quality.
Yoshihiro is, in our opinion, one of the best choices for home chefs that don’t want to pour hundreds if not thousands of dollars into their knives. Its entry-level blades range from mid-$100 to around $250, with more elevated options for more serious chefs. Yoshihiro boasts “modern stainless metallurgy” in the forging of its blades, leading to the traditional Japanese blade aesthetic without the high maintenance of reactive high-carbon steel. Shun is a popular Japanese knife brand often connected to celebrity chef Bobby Flay (although Flay told Men’s Healthback in 2010, “I’m not married to a particular brand”). This brand has been churning out knives in Seki City, Japan, for just about 20 years, but Seki has been known for forged knives for centuries.
Thanks to individual colors, you will never face cross-contamination when you use these knives. The knives also come with durable blade guards that match the color of the knife and protects them from rust, dents, and scratches. This set doesn’t come with a knife block, but it’s ideal for those in small homes who don’t want to take up extra counter cuisinart knife space. And with protecting blade guards, you’ll feel comfortable putting them in a drawer knowing that you won’t have any accidents. The hammered finish of the Artisan series helps ingredients to slide off of your knife rather than stick to it. That’s because of the small air pockets that are created, making for smoother and easier cuts.
Each criteria will give you greater insight as to the sort of knife you need, and how much you should budget for it. Once more based on the Cuisinart Classic design, the Nitrogen series reimagines the handles for a more ergonomic grip. This is especially evident in the Nitrogen santcoku — a Japanese style knife that greatly benefits from the balance provided by a thicker handle. The Graphix series paring knife is the major standout from this line. That’s because a paring knife requires delicate movements, and even a small slip can lead to nicked fingers. The textured grip from the Graphix series helps keep this paring knife firmly in your grip.
The Global G-835/WS 6-Piece Knife Set with Block is absolutely our pick if you’re looking to upgrade. It doesn’t have every extra piece like a honing steel or shears, but it was absolutely the sharpest set of knives in the group. The chef’s knife feels like an effortless extension of my arm, and the serrated bread knife sliced through the crusty baguette surprisingly easily.
We were surprised at how sharp and precise the edges on these blades were, too. There was very little drag when slicing through both delicate and dense foods. Most German-steel knives are sharpened to a 20-degree edge, but these have a 14-degree cutting edge, giving them the sharpness of a Japanese-style knife with the durability of German steel.