Hello everyone, I am shopping for a good quality knife set, any advice? I've been to Bed Bath and Beyond and they have knife sets from $30.00 all the way to $240.00, what are the major differences in them. I noted that J A Henckels and Calphalon brands were the more expensive ones.

Melinda recently discussed this. She said that most people don't need a whole set, but just a few knives/tools whose characteristics cover most things done in the kitchen.

Some suggestions were a chef's knife, a paring knife, a good sharpener (whetstone/sharpening steel or electric Chef's Choice), perhaps a santuko knife, a microplane zester, a boning knife if you debone meat a lot.

Help me out, folks. What other all-purpose knives did Melinda recommend?

Thanks for the info, my work sked doesn't permit me to listen in on Melinda that often anymore. I would suppose that buying individual knives would end up costing more than if you just got the whole set. But, basing on your input, I would assume that knife brand name is NOT an issue here? Thanks again.

Have a rewarding day!!!

I didn't hear Melinda but would agree with that. I'd also add a bread knife and carving knife. I love my santuko knives, and use them more often than the chef's knives.

As for brands, it's best to go to a store and hold the knives in your hand to see which ones feel like the best fit for you. There are so many good quality knives. Mine are Wusthof's "Classic" style...Henckels are excellent, too. I think Melinda has mentioned her knives are Henckels. However, again, feel the knives yourself for comfort before buying.

Oh, and a favorite of mine for paring is the bird's beak knife - curved with the blade inside the curve. It's a lovely tool to score the rind of citrus vertically from pole to pole before peeling.

You can't go wrong with Henckles or Wusthof's. Mine are Wusthof's classic style too. I have an 8" boning knife a 10" chef's knife a paring knife a serrated bread knife and a 8" santuko. That's pretty much all you need. I did get a knife block to store them in. The blades get nicked if you keep them in a drawer unless you sheath them in something. I sharpen mine with crockery sticks. I have a Chef's Choice electric sharpener, but I don't use it very often. It can really grind down the blade. A really good knife is worth it. They get sharper and are safer to use because they are sharper. They make cutting and chopping a joy.

I sincerely appreciate all the excellent advice.

I have a small, serrated Wusthof knife that was lableled "sausage knife" when my husband bought it. The blade is about 5 1/2" long. I love that one, too...great for tomatoes!

By the way. I got my knives at Bed Bath and Beyond. The twenty percent off coupons help. Don't ever throw the BB&B coupons away. I found out this Christmas that they never really expire. They'll take them even if their 6 months old.

They're very good about that. They've also let me use more than one coupon at a time. I think I heard one of the employees tell a customer they're not supposed to take more than 5. I once saw a customer hand over a stack of coupons that had to be an inch thick.

Be careful with Henckels . Many are now made in China and they are of poor quality. They won't hold an edge and will readily rust.

The regular Wusthof are much better than the standard Henckels - the quality is obvious when you handle them.

Knife "Sets" often have knives you will never use and are not always a good bargain.

You should have a good basic "chef's" knife, a paring knife, a slicing knife (long thin blade with some flexibility) and a serrated edge "bread" knife.
if you are into Asian cooking, get a Deba or a Santoku, but these aren't really necessary.

The Forschner Victorinox knives have gotten top scores from Cook's Illustrated/American's Test Kitchen and they are inexpensive.

You can find them at Smart & Final and at Star Restaurant in Van Nuys, if you live near the Valley.
Or you can order them via Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... victorinox
I've had one of these bread/slicing knives for ten years and it is still as sharp as ever and has gone through a lot of crusty artisan bread, not to mention sliced a lot of large hams. I bought it at Smart & Final for $14.00. A real bargain

If you particularly want the more expensive knives, go to a knife shop and see how the handles feel in your hand and how the blades balance with the handle.
Make notes about the ones you like.
Then go online and go to http://www.cutleryandmore.com/cutlery.htm
or http://www.knifemerchant.com/ where these knives are discounted and buy from them.

I have purchased from both vendors and they are very good.

Another bit of information about Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons. I had bought hundreds of dollars worth of bedding about a year ago. When I accumulate several discount coupons, I take my receipt back to the store and they apply the coupons against the prior purchases on that receipt. A sales person told me that I could do this and it has worked great.

A knife I really like is by Messermeister, it is called a "Serrated Utility Knife". Cutting tomatoes is a breeze because of the serration.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/messermei ... ife-p19652

Messermeister also makes a vegetable peeler with serrations on the super sharp blade. Peel ripe tomatoes as easy as a potato - no boiling water needed. Love to use it but have to be careful to not get bitten.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/messermei ... ler-p14767

Chris

Chris, that looks very much like the Wusthof "sausage" knife I mentioned. Very handy.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products ... ity-knife/

I am very partial to my Global 5" vegetable knife. 99% of the time it is the one I use.