Looking for a recommendation for a good set (8 or 9 piece) of chefs knives suitable for an enthusiastic home cook but not a professional chef. Ideally the sort of thing that will last for life.
I've found the set below which look amazing and have great reviews and would like something along those lines but preferably from a recommendation. I would also like to support a small independent business if possible.
Budget around £150-70.
https://www.samu-knives.com/collections/aspiring-home-chef/products/shogun-set-comprehensive-blade-setAny chefs or home cooks on here who have a company they would recommend?
Comments
All good quality and well designed, and they've got a good selection of Japanese knives. You'll have to read the About Us section to see if they're small and independent enough for you.
That set you've picked looks very nice indeed, although 9 knives for £145 seems a bit cheap for that sort of knife set, so make sure you do your research before you splash the cash. Might be better off going for a better quality set of 5 or 6.
In terms of lasting for life, you need to buy quality AND you need to look after them. I'm too lazy, so I buy average knives and replace them when necessary.
Useful tip will check out 5 sets too.
They will cost you a few quid more but you don't need that many knives for home cooking. Or if you really want a set for life be ready to shell a bit more out and go all in Damascus. I've got an 8 inch Damascus chefs knife I use for everything, never sharpened it and its still razor sharp. The other knives go dull very quickly and need a lot of sharpening
https://santokuknives.co.uk/products/riku-damascus-vg10-knife?variant=31626714775588
Take your pick. Mid range, very good, knives. Better than any 8-9 piece set you'll get up to about £800.
Would question whether you need a whole set, I can't imagine ever needing more than 2 or 3 really. Maybe 4 including a bread knife.
Me and the Mrs have been talking about getting some decent knives. She's been on about getting a very good Japanese knife. From what I've seen they're a lot more difficult to maintain than say a very good German blade. Also that they chop differently due to the style of blade. Is there any real difference to general home usage for home cooks of one or the other?
I'd really recommend focusing on a chef's knife. Get an excellent chef's knife that will last you a lifetime and a good sharpening steel to keep it honed.
A paring knife you can pick up anywhere - you don't really need or want it to be razor-sharp if you're turning it into your thumb. I got a Jamie Oliver one from the supermarket and it works perfectly. Fillet knife - you can use your chef's blade unless you plan on filleting a lot of flatfish, where you need one that will give you some bend. Even then you can make do without.
You can also invest your total amount into one high-quality blade rather than spread it around 3-9 items, where the quality really starts to go down.
(Also, looking at the set you've linked to, I can't imagine why you would ever need three chef's knives of different sizes).
As for the knife itself, there are a lot of established brands you can't go wrong with: Global, Wusthof, Sabatier, Victorinox. I don't know much about independent knifemakers as the famous ones, like Bob Kramer, tend to be mega expensive.
You could also go Japanese, something like the Enso Damascus Steel should be within your budget.
A Japanese knife should hold its edge longer than a western blade. Some say they're harder to sharpen but I've never experienced a difference. They do cut a bit differently because they're a different shape. With a santoku knife, you cut straight down, but with a chef's knife you tend to roll the blade a bit. I would say it's pretty effortless to adapt.
Might be worth a look.
Robert Welch chef’s, pairing and bread knife. A Japanese Gyuto Damascus that has almost become a sharpening obsession rather than a knife. Like polishing a car and never driving it.
I use some Tramotina knives for the BBQ. Very good for the price from Costco’s.