I say kitchen knife set because many households (including my own) have more than one.
There are many knife sets to choose from as well as cost ranges. While you won’t want to spend more than your budget allows. There are a few things you should look for when searching for your new knife set:
Quality: if you buy a knife set that is of poor quality it won’t last and you’ll be right back where you are now… Searching for a knife set and having to spend more money! No one wants that and there are some quality sets that don’t cost hundreds of dollars. Actually there are a few that are quite inexpensive, so keep reading.
When looking for the quality of a knife set you’ll want to make sure that it is:
1. Full Tang – This just means that the steel in the blade and the steel in the handle are all one piece.
2. Full Forged – This refers to the manner the knife was made. (some are stamped, I do not recommend those, unless you only plan to cut small vegetables). The best quality knives are full forged high carbon stainless steel. Full forged knives will also stay sharp longer than others : -)
3. Warranted – Any quality knife will come with a lifetime warranty.
What will you do with your knives? If you plan to cut a lot of breads or tomatoes you may want a set that has a serrated blade in it. As this will pierce the skin of a tomato or the crust of a bread easier the a standard knife blade. I own only one serrated knife and rarely use it because the sets I own are very sharp and handle even the softest breads and even cheeses. More on that later…
Storage – This is not talk about much when shopping for a knife. But a large set in a wooden block storage holder can take up quite a bit of counter space. Nothing like buying a great new knife set and then not having and counter space to use it. Make sure the set you choose will fit on your counter or possibly look for a set that is store in a case rather than a knife block.
Types of knives – Most sets will contain different knives for different jobs. At a minimum look for a set that has a Chefs or Cooks knife, a Utility knife and a Paring knife. Many will also include Kitchen Shears, a sandwich knife, a bread knife, steak knives and possibly a sharpener.
