Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.
The Wusthof Culinar line is an all stainless steel look, rather than a black handle. Although the picture and some descriptions want you to think this is a single piece knife, be advised that the hand is a separate piece of stainless steel molded onto the tang. I personally prefer the handle of the Grand Prix and Classic, because the grip is surer for me, but this is, to some extent, a matter of personal preference. This series "looks" more professional to some (like a Viking stove).
This set includes an 8 inch chef's knife, a 3 ½ inch paring knife, a 6 inch sandwich knife, 8 inch bread, a 5 inch salami, a 2 ¾ inch trimming knife, a sharpening steel, and an oak block
The 8 inch chef's knife is a great knife. Wusthof offers four sizes of chef's knives in the Classic version, 5, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 6 inch is a bit small for bigger jobs, but the 10 inch is too big for most jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), this is the one I would recommend.
As for the 3 ½ inch paring knife, this knife falls into the category of overkill for me. Most cooks will get by just fine with the 4 ½ inch utility knife. There is really no notable difference in size for the vast majority of applications between the 3 ½ inch paring knife and the 4 ½ inch utility knife. I prefer the 4 ½ inch utility knife, but the 3 ½ inch paring knife will do the trick.
I have found very few uses for the 6 inch sandwich or 5 inch salami knives. I prefer the larger size of the chef's knife or the smaller 4 ½ inch utility knife. These knives are just the wrong width and length for most tasks, and falls into the overkill department, except when part of a set.
The 3 ¾ inch trimming knife, however, is a good length for small tasks, like trimming fat from cuts of meat.
The bread knife, is a great knife. Many people think tomatoes are the hardest food items to clearly cut. I think bread is much more difficult; but this knife makes the task seem easy. However, I prefer the 9 inch knife over the 8 inch included in this set.
When it comes to sharpening steels, I have found very little difference between Henckels and Wusthof. As long as you buy a high end steel, you really won't go wrong. Therefore, I shop for this item on price, and Henckels has a price advantage. However as the steel comes with the set, you won't go wrong with this steel.
This set is a good deal as far as price. However, keep in mind you really only get 7 knives. Adding the set of steak knives (which I consider a luxury, and not a necessity), will fill the remainder of the block.
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The Wusthof Culinar 7 pieceBlock set comes with every every knife you will need to accomplish you cutting tasks. The set includes a 3.5" parer for peeling and paring, a 4.5" Utility is the perfect size for small slicing jobs, the 8" bread knife is the right size for those crusty loaves of bread. The 8" carver makes fine clean slices of meat as well as a 8" Cooks knife to be used for chopping, as well as dicing.The set comes with a 9 slot block to store your Culinar knives and a 9" honing steel to keep your knives sharp and ready to use. WusthofCulinar knives are made in "The Cutlery Capital of the World", Solingen Germany.It is this balance of German technology and old world hand craftsmanship that is the secret of how each WÜSTHOF knife is created. Known the world-over for it\'s unique and uncompromising quality, Wusthof uses a special blend of German steel through out the whole length of the knife. The ingredients of this steel are proudly etched on each blade. Wusthof not only uses the best materials to make a fine knife,but it is also crucial that each blade is precisely tempered.This tempering allows the knife to hold its edge for an extremelylong time, yet still be able to be maintained in your home kitchen.
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