Cutlery sets?

[Jaxom]

As I've been going through house looking for stuff that is either junk and needs to tossed out, sold in estate sale or worthy/nessary to keep once I get moved, I've gone through the kitchen. After years of dealing with my mother's no named, poorly taken care of cutlery, I'm ready to make a break out and find a good set to replace them with once I get settlled elsewhere.

The problem I seem to be running into is either what's out there is junk...(ginsu's come to mind) or you need to take out mortgage to buy just one knife! Isn't there some middle ground out there?

 

[big brown horse]

My best "sharp" butchering and cutting up knife came from the grocery store. I think it was $3.99. It is made by oxo.

I also have a small "kitchen aid" set that I got from Tuesday Morning for about $29. It comes with 4 knives and a cute block to hold them in. They have been THE BEST SET OF KNIVES!!! I use them every single day.

I keep everything nice and sharp and never put them in the dishwasher.

 

[sufficientforme]

I have a Cutco set, they sharpen them for free. They have gotten constant use for the last 14 years and still look brand new. I also have a few Wustof brand knives, they are supposed to be a better knife but I would just say they are better than average but I am not bragging about them to anyone that's for sure. I have a few from my grandparents estate and they still work great with sharpening, I watch for good quality used knives but it seems most hang on to them.

 

[Henrietta23]

Mine has been put together over the years. None of it matches but it all works for me. I bought a "kapoosh" to hold it all.
http://www.amazon.com/Kapoosh-Unive...1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1277429243&sr=8-1
Sorry, not much help!

 

[patandchickens]

First, you don't need a cutlery "set", you should be FINE with just one or at most two good knives (a regular sized one and a paring knife - the latter is optional). To this you *could* add a thin-and-narrow-bladed filet knife if you do a lot of delicate boning-out of meat and fish, and/or you *could* add a heavy meat cleaver if you are one of the about 0.05% of the population who cooks bone-in cuts in small pieces... but really, just one good normal knife, and maybe an adequate-quality paring knife, is all a person needs.

To get that one good normal-sized knife, the most budget-friendly thing is to ask around. There are an awful lot of unused knives out there that people are happy to find homes for if only they knew who wanted them Also keep an eye on thrift stores. While IME the majority of knives that come into thrift stores are just plain junk, I have also seen some pretty good ones there.

You *could* just go and plunk down $200 for a good knife at a store. If you're only buying one, and there's really not much reason for more, that's not *so* bad. Frankly though the functional difference between a Good cooking knife and an average-walmart-quality one is small enough that I think the most budget-friendly and sensible thing is to just make do with the latter until and unless one of the former happens to 'fall into your lap' so to speak.

The biggest difference is keeping things properly sharpened. Whatever you have, learn how to sharpen it (preferably *properly*, not with a little gizmo) and care for it well and don't do dumb things that put nicks and dents and chips in it or break off the point

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[hwillm1977]

I have one nice Santoku knife that I use for almost everything, and a paring knife. I do actually have the whole block with 8 different knives but really those are the only two that ever come out. Mine aren't high quality (they are kitchenaid and I think the set with 8 knives and 8 steak knives was $100), but they've been great knives for the 4 years I've been using them. I love them and if I haven't, by some miracle, gotten fancy knives I would definitely replace them with the same knives.

 

[Jaxom]

Oh yes, caring for knives is most important. Problem in my family was "mom always knew best". Rather frustrating when I once caught her attempting to cut a loaf of bread with my filet knives! As I commented on her use of my knife that had a specific use, I cringed as I heard the blade smack into the formica counter top!

I had thought that keeing my filet knives was "safe" if I stored them with the rest of our cutlery. Evidently no. So as soon as she finnhsed make her sandwich, I cleaned the knife, placed it back in it's sheeth, and then removed it and the smaller one I had and put them back with the rest of my fishing gear.

Mind you this is the same woman that I had bought not only a bread machine, but also a bread slicer and knife combo! Ugh mom's ya love 'em but some times...

Sharpening wise, I was in scouts for 15 years. They tought us how to sharpen everything from a small pocket knife all the way up to full sized axes. About the only thing I'd have an issue with are serated knives and one of my favorite kitchen tools, kitchen sheers!

I can see where every one's coming from, to a degree. I love to cook. I think that's one of the reasons my fiance get along so well. Her mother doesn't know how to cook well, so I've been teaching her how. Since I actually enjoy watching cooking shows I can see the why's and where fores to having specific knives to do a certian job. Not that another knife couldn't do the same job. Prime example, just about everyone I've asked, including on here says having a good 6-7" sharp standard kitchen knife is a must. Same could be said about a good pering knife as well.

Where I start straying from need to wanting is when it comes to things like cleavers. One for veggies and one for meat. I've been a fisherman for nearly 40 years now. Just reciently I started small game hunting and have brough home several rabbits. While attempting to dress and prep these for cooking is when I realized what I'm working with now, just doesn't cut it...(pun intended). And before all those that know and only use a small hunting knife or such to prep bunnies for the cook pot, I'm away that this can be done. But I must refer back to some of the cooking shows I've watched and seeing how much easier things can be done using a cleaver to do some of this work.

I guess the best advice is what most have said, must pick up one knife at a time as budge/need present themselves. Concidering wood working is one of my other hobbies, I could always make myself my own kapoosh.

side bar: I have two of those plastic cutting boards. One large and one medium one. The large one I could put a full sized turkey on, the medium one perhaps a chicken. These boards are junk. Bought them when I worked for The Pampered Chef. They scrach if you look a them. They stain even eaiser. I've tried cleaning them with 409, bleach, and so on, and I still can't get the greyness out of the boards. My biggest fear is that there's mold growing in those scractches I mentioned. What's the deal on cutting boards? Is there better quality nylon type board? Or is hardwood better?

Jax

 

[patandchickens]

Priorities is the thing. If one has extra money burning a hole in one's pocket, sure, it is fine to have specialty knives.

But honestly IME cultivating good technique (cutting in the right place in the right way) and keeping regular-ol-cheap knives in good shape is honestly just about as useful as dropping hundreds of dollars on a fancy knife, and leaves you those hundreds of dollars to spend on something perhaps more worthwhile.

If you want a cleaver you can cut thru bones with, e.g. for 2"-long pieces of bone-in chicken, you can get a very serviceable one at Chinatown stores for like $15. And a walmart-or-thrift-store filet knife works just fine too. You will still be just as good a cook as you'd be with expensive knives (You do realize that the entire purpose of the Food Network is to SELL YOU THINGS, that is, to get you to buy more stuff from food-related industries...? )

A good quality hardwood cutting board, well cared for, will last for many many years. And if the surface gets rougher than you care for (although it *shouldn't*, unless you're doing something weird with all those knives <g>) you can just plane and refinish it.

The plastic boards are ok too, they just don't last as long and can't be repaired the way hardwood can, and are arguably a bit less hygeinic, especially if they are real scratched up and you put a lot of unrinsed supermarket-bought meat on them.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[~gd]

Oh yes, caring for knives is most important. Problem in my family was "mom always knew best". Rather frustrating when I once caught her attempting to cut a loaf of bread with my filet knives! As I commented on her use of my knife that had a specific use, I cringed as I heard the blade smack into the formica counter top!

I had thought that keeing my filet knives was "safe" if I stored them with the rest of our cutlery. Evidently no. So as soon as she finnhsed make her sandwich, I cleaned the knife, placed it back in it's sheeth, and then removed it and the smaller one I had and put them back with the rest of my fishing gear.

Mind you this is the same woman that I had bought not only a bread machine, but also a bread slicer and knife combo! Ugh mom's ya love 'em but some times...

Sharpening wise, I was in scouts for 15 years. They tought us how to sharpen everything from a small pocket knife all the way up to full sized axes. About the only thing I'd have an issue with are serated knives and one of my favorite kitchen tools, kitchen sheers!

I can see where every one's coming from, to a degree. I love to cook. I think that's one of the reasons my fiance get along so well. Her mother doesn't know how to cook well, so I've been teaching her how. Since I actually enjoy watching cooking shows I can see the why's and where fores to having specific knives to do a certian job. Not that another knife couldn't do the same job. Prime example, just about everyone I've asked, including on here says having a good 6-7" sharp standard kitchen knife is a must. Same could be said about a good pering knife as well.

Where I start straying from need to wanting is when it comes to things like cleavers. One for veggies and one for meat. I've been a fisherman for nearly 40 years now. Just reciently I started small game hunting and have brough home several rabbits. While attempting to dress and prep these for cooking is when I realized what I'm working with now, just doesn't cut it...(pun intended). And before all those that know and only use a small hunting knife or such to prep bunnies for the cook pot, I'm away that this can be done. But I must refer back to some of the cooking shows I've watched and seeing how much easier things can be done using a cleaver to do some of this work.

I guess the best advice is what most have said, must pick up one knife at a time as budge/need present themselves. Concidering wood working is one of my other hobbies, I could always make myself my own kapoosh.

side bar: I have two of those plastic cutting boards. One large and one medium one. The large one I could put a full sized turkey on, the medium one perhaps a chicken. These boards are junk. Bought them when I worked for The Pampered Chef. They scrach if you look a them. They stain even eaiser. I've tried cleaning them with 409, bleach, and so on, and I still can't get the greyness out of the boards. My biggest fear is that there's mold growing in those scractches I mentioned. What's the deal on cutting boards? Is there better quality nylon type board? Or is hardwood better?

Jax

Jax how thick are those plastic cutting boards? if they are in the 1/2 inch thick range they can be resurfaced to clean them up. Are you a woodworker? The best tool is known as a hand scraper( not to be confused with paint scraper) it is a simple steel plate thin enough to bow with your thumbs. This tool takes a certain amount of skill to sharpen and use and I would not recomend it unless you have used one before. Next best tool would be a low angle plane set to remove the very minimun with each stroke. Cheapest but not fast is sandpaper. buy a assorted package of black wet or dry paper with grits that go down to 400 grit. start with the course material using water and work down to the finest grit washing after each grit. Thes are the same tools and methods that I would use on a wooden cutting board.
Board care is important, clean, sanitize (I use bleach) rinse, dry completly(slows down mold) and store so your cutting surface is protected.

 

[Jaxom]

Okay, I hear what you all are saying. Anyone care to comment on the brand Chicago Cutlery? My local grocery store carries a basic 3 piece set, that includes a 3" paring, 6" kitchen and a 8" shidoku <sp> knife. Price is fair at less then $30 and looks to be of good quality. This would be a good start and I can slowly add to this should the need/desire arise. But most importantly I can dump off mom's old stuff in an upcomming estate sale. Before I do so I'll see if I can grab some brand names off any of these knives, post them here and research via google, just to make sure I'm not getting rid of something that's really a diamond in the rough so to speak.

RE cutting boards... I've seen wood scrapers before. Just never had a need for one. I once did have a plane that had an adjustbile angle to it, but it has "disappeared" when some remodling was being done on my home. I'm so ticked off at these plastic boards, I'm close to running them out to my garage and using a pneumatic orbital sander on the blasted things! I was teaching myself to do a bit of body work on my truck last year, have sand and emmery paper that run from 50 grit to 2500 grit!

For the woodworkers in the house, I have both a Rockler and WoodCrafter's not to far away. Both carry a large assortment of exotic woods. Some of which are very hard, if you were to make a cutting board, what woods would you concider?