Knives

Hi -

I've searched Amazon extensively, but I'm no closer to a decision.

I need a good, sharp, knife (or knife set) for the kitchen. The ones I bought at M&S just won't cut it (literally). I have never had to buy knives before - they've always just been around or my rooomates have had good knives.

Any suggestions?

Brandi

IMO the thing about a set of knives is that they should feel good in your hand, so while someone can recommend a set of knives, its a good thing to have a feel of them. I have a set of Wusthuf Tridents, and they have been going strong for over 10 years, but if you go someplace like Homestyle, they might have some good Santoku knives that aren't brand names, but still really ood ones. If I had to do it again, I would probably splurge and buy a set of Globals, they have them at Costco if you can get there! Good luck!

Have you tried sharpening your M&S knives? It may not help, but it's a cheaper option than investing in an expensive set of new ones if you don't need to.

You might want to read these threads:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=40291.0

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=21901.0

You can also try using comparison sites to get a little more info on what's out there...

Including a link of just one of the many that you can use:

http://www.consumersearch.com/kitchen-knives


ETA:  Errrr, upon looking closer that's a US site, here's a UK site that may be helpful:

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/shopping/results.aspx?enquiryid=13180461

I cannot say enough good things about my Richardson Sheffield knives. They've got a fantastic weight, tempered steel blades, and have served me well for almost 5 years now. I do baby them though - as soon as I'm done chopping, they get washed and dried immediately and put back in the rack. I hone them about once a week, and once a year they go off to the butcher's where the travelling knife sharpener cuts a new edge on them (about a fiver for 3-4 knives). My set of 5 cost about £70 if I remember and it's some of the best money ever spent. I love cooking and a good set of knives just makes it SO much more enjoyable!

I love my Victorinox Fibrox knives. Perhaps a bit more expensive, but they will last a lifetime. The 8" chef knife was given top marks by Cooks Illustrated.

You don't need a whole set either, I have the chef and bread knives, and then the tomato knife and parring knife. Between them I can do everything. I've asked Father Christmas for the Santoku knife.

Nisbets (www.nisbets.co.uk) and Steamer Trading stock them. Otherwse you can pick them up in the US a little bit cheaper, but not much.

Nothing could part me from my Wusthof classic chef knife, but I agree that sharpening is probably what you need.  Try Whisk cookshop in London or Amazon for a hand-held sharpener (.  If you are in London, The Japanese Knife Company (in Marylebone) had an excellent sharpening service. 

Hope it helps!

Have you tried sharpening your M&S knives? It may not help, but it's a cheaper option than investing in an expensive set of new ones if you don't need to.

They are new, so I just assumed they'd be sharp enough.. Do you think I should sharpen them anyway?

You might want to read these threads:

Thanks, I attempted to search but I can never figure out how to search properly here!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but I will have a think about it all!

I second Richardson Stainless Steel.

We have a set of Richardson Stainless Steel knives - we got our secondhand from MIL & FIL's boss...  They replaced theirs as the handles were a bit damaged from ill-care, but the blades were fine (they're snobs) and said we could have them to start out with.  4+ years on and they're still good and sharp and they've got to be probably between 7-10 years old!

If you're unsure of what to do, but don't want to fork out the dosh for a nice set of knives I'd recommend just sharpening the knives you've got for the time being.  Just my 2p.