If you’re a budding home cook or already a professional chef, you’ll know that having a set of great kitchen knives is always handy. While there are many unique kitchen gadgets you can rely on when you cook, kitchen knives are considered to be essential. A great set of knives really do miracles in food prepping, from peeling and slicing to chopping and dicing.
As much as getting the best knife set for personal use is a great idea itself, it also makes a nice and thoughtful gift for your friends. If you have pals who are aspiring to engage themselves in the cooking scene, you’ll earn a very special place in their hearts with the perfect knife set.
Now, the question is, “What’s the best kitchen knife set in the market?” With all the sets available in the market today, most of which are continuously raved by well-known chefs and reputable people, it’s quite hard to pick one. But the good news here is that we’ve got your back!
In this article, we’ll discuss what you should look for during your choosing process. We’ve also compiled a list of our top picks on kitchen knife sets to provide you with a wide range of selections.
What to Look For When Buying a Kitchen Knife Set
To ensure that you’re giving a kitchen knife set that would bring out optimal results in terms of food preparation, check out a few factors we’ve listed below!
Blade Material
Knife blades can be made of a range of materials, and each type has a certain purpose. Additionally, all the kinds of blades we’re going to mention have their own positive and negative factors.
- A Carbon Steel Blade comes with a long edge, and it’s naturally easy to sharpen; however, it’s actually prone to rust, which compromises its overall durability.
- A Ceramic Blade has a very sharp edge, but it’s too fragile to be used on harsher cutting applications because it either chips or breaks quite easily.
- A Stainless Steel Blade has excellent resistance against rust stains and corrosion; however, this blade type goes dull easily, and it’s tough to sharpen.
- A Signature Stainless Steel Alloy Blade is an outstanding combination of stainless and carbon, but knives with this kind of blade are usually expensive.
Blade Construction
Knife blades are constructed either by forging or stamping. Forged blades are shaped into knives under extreme levels of heat; this process results in a stronger-built blade that doesn’t bend too easily, and that’s the reason why forged kitchen knives are more expensive than stamped ones.
On the other hand, stamped blades are made of punched-out steel sheets that are formed and sharpened throughout the process. Stamped kitchen knives are generally considered to have a lower quality than a forged kitchen knife has, but we still think it depends on the cutting application you’re trying to execute.
Knife Handles
There are now different types of handles, including wood, steel, and composites like rubber and resin. While all of these handle kinds can work, some come with downsides. A wood handle, for example, rots quickly, especially when used and washed frequently. On the other hand, a handle made of stainless steel or a composite can last long because of its durability.
This is also an important factor because you need to make sure that the knife handle has a natural and comfortable grip. This way, you’ll be able to work more efficiently without worrying about stressing your hand out and causing fatigue.
Top 5 Chef Approved Knife Sets
In this section, we’ve put together a list of 5 kitchen knife sets and a bonus product that you can also gift as a present for your friend.
1) Schmidt Brothers 7 Piece Knife Set
The first kitchen knife set we have consists of 7 pieces of high-carbon stainless steel cutlery. The package includes a 4-inch Paring Knife, 8-inch Chef’s Knife, 7-inch Santoku, 6-inch Double Edge Utility Knife, 8.5-inch Slicer or Carver Knife, and 8.5-inch Bread Knife. The cutlery inclusions run a full tang, providing you with excellent durability and edge retention for long-lasting usage.
This Schmidt knife set comes with incredible ergonomics with the patented Schmidt Brothers Curve in the handle to provide you with an exceptional grip. Lastly, the set comes with an acrylic magnetic knife block that gives the knives storage protection while providing your kitchen counter with an aesthetically pleasing display of cutlery.
2) Shun Premier 9 Piece Block Knife Set
The next gift recommendation is actually handcrafted in Seki, Japan. This specific Shun model is considered a reminder of ancient Japan’s hand-forged knives, with its 100-step handcrafting system. While it may seem that Shun utilizes an old-fashioned way to manufacture cutlery, the brand actually uses the most advanced materials, setting high standards among its competitors in the industry. Each knife in the set is constructed with layered Damascus cladding and run a full tang, protecting the cutlery from stains and damages from usage.
This Shun Premier set consists of a 3-inch Straight Paring Knife, 4-inch Paring Knife, 6.5-inch Utility Knife, 8-inch Chef’s Knife, 9-inch Bread Knife, 9.5-inch Slicing Knife, 9-inch Sharpening Steel, and a Premium Kitchen Shears. The set also comes with a bamboo knife block with 11 slots.
3) BGT Japanese 67 Layer High Grade Knife Set
Like the previous Shun kitchen knife set, this BGT high-grade set also utilizes layered Damascus steel for the cutlery. Each cutter comprises 67 layers of VG10 steel that are manually forged by hand for maximum durability against rust and corrosion. Additionally, the BGT knives feature excellent sharpness together with good edge retention; this makes cutting very easy and smooth for the users.
The set includes 6 pieces of silver blade knives, such as the 3.5-inch Paring Knife, 5-inch Utility Knife, 7-inch Santoku, 8-inch Bread Knife, 8-inch Chef’s Knife, and 8-inch Honing rod. Unlike the other cutlery set, the BGT set doesn’t come with a block; it comes with a roller bag with a handle and a removable shoulder strap so that you can transport the set with ease.
4) Yarenh Damascus Kitchen Knife Set
The next knife set we have has noticeable handles that give off such a premium and sophisticated feel to the cutlery. The wood handles are made of Dalbergia, which is solid wood. Because of the different growth environments and cutting seasons, some handles present a different color and texture.
The Yarenh kitchen knife set includes 8 pieces of cutlery, which blades are made out of 73 layers of Damascus steel. The edges are ice-tempered; this means that the resilience of the knives is at a superior level. The set includes a 7-inch Santoku, 5-inch Paring Knife, 8-inch Bread Knife, 8-inch Slicing Knife, and 8-inch Chef Knife, which all run a full tang for maximum durability. A pair of kitchen shears, a knife whetstone, and a knife block is also a part of the Yarenh set.
5) Shun Premier 3 Piece Kitchen Knife Starter Set
Our last recommendation for you comes from the Shun brand again with its Premier series. This time, the set only has 3 pieces of cutlery: a 4-inch Paring Knife, 6.5-inch Utility Knife, and 8-inch Chef’s Knife. All the knife inclusions are made of Damascus steel blades with a textured finish brought by “tsuchime”, which is the Japanese term for “hand-hammered”; this design prevents food from sticking on the knife as you cut.
The construction of these knives truly brings out each one’s versatility in its specific role. The manual crafting of this cutlery and the premium and high-quality materials that Shun utilizes to construct each knife in Japan really pays off because of its benefits to home cooks and professional chefs.
Final Thoughts
Who wouldn’t want to have a good set of kitchen knives in their place? Everyone finds kitchen cutlery an essential, especially if they’re aspiring to be more than a home cook. These are the reasons why a kitchen knife set is such an ideal gift for your friends!
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