Topic · soroi
Knife sets and blocks
Most home cooks use three knives for nearly everything: a chef's knife, a paring or petty knife and a bread knife. A block set is worth it when those three are good and the rest is a bonus, not when the block is padded with pieces you will not use.
- Pieces you use daily
- Chef's knife, petty or paring, bread knife
- Often unused
- Extra utility sizes, poultry shears, a steel rod for hard blades
Count the knives, not the pieces. Many sets count the block, the shears and the honing rod as pieces, so a 15 piece set may hold only five or six real kitchen knives plus steak knives.
Check the honing rod. A grooved steel rod suits soft German blades. Hard Japanese blades at HRC 60 and above are better served by a ceramic rod or a fine stone, used with light pressure.
Steak knife sets come with serrated or straight edges. Serrated ones stay usable for longer without sharpening; straight ones cut more cleanly and can be sharpened on a stone like any other knife.
Common mistakes
- Paying for a large set to get one good chef's knife.
- Storing hard, thin knives loose in a drawer where the edges knock together.
- Using a grooved steel rod on an SG2 or Aogami blade.
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- Best Zwilling knife sets: Pro, Four Star, Kramer and moreEight Zwilling knife sets compared by steel, HRC, edge angle, pieces included and handle, from Pro and Four Star to Kramer and Twin lines.
- Best Wusthof knife sets: Classic, Classic Ikon and GourmetWusthof Classic, Classic Ikon and Gourmet block sets compared by pieces, forged or stamped blades, chef's knife size, hardness and block type from listings.
- Best premium knife block sets from Japan and GermanyEight premium knife block sets from Shun, Miyabi, Wusthof, Zwilling and Global compared by pieces, chef knife, steel, hardness and block.
- Best Japanese and premium steak knife setsSeven plain-edge steak knife sets from Shun, Miyabi, Wusthof, Zwilling and Global compared by pieces, blade length, steel, hardness and storage.
- Best Japanese knife sets built around a gyuto or santokuEight Japanese knife sets from Shun, Miyabi, MAC, Global, Enso and Yoshihiro compared by steel, HRC, pieces included, edge angle and handle.