Good basic knife set under $200

[Baboontyme 2845]

Gift for someone who does not cook elaborate meals, but cooks. And has shitty knives. Top end would be overkill but I don't want to get her Wal Mart brand either. If I get drunk enough one night I might stretch the budget slightly. Any ideas?

[CooterBrown 18118]

Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 8-Inch Chef's FFP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_L1B8Db254YNXN

Dollar for dollar, best fucking knives out there. Tossed both Shun and J Henkel knives in favor of the Victorinox knives. I’ve had them going on a decade and I’ve never had to have them professionally sharpened and even throw them in the dishwasher on occasion.

[TwiceHorn 31705]

I love Victorinox steel.  It doesn't hold an edge forever by any stretch, but it's so easy to sharpen and pretty much totally corrosion resistant.

The kitchen knives may be a tad softer than the Swiss Army knives, but they probably should be.  Like SAK, a steal for the money.

[tx 3 putt 78010]

whatever they carry at costco 

 

https://www.costco.com/kitchen-dining-cutlery.html?sortBy=AverageRating|-1&identifier=&categoryId=30609

[52-80 19288]

The Victorinox stuff.  A chef's knife, paring knife, and a bread knife on the side.  If you want to make it fancy, go for the wood handle instead of fibrox.

[Grippe 313]

Another Victorinox owner/believer here.

[drt 642]

First response was the correct one, and I have Wustoff.  Victorinox is the best bang for buck, unless you are physically in Japan and can hit the knife shops there.  Those that ship charge a premium, and Western knives are generally more forgiving to novice users.

[formermav43 4606]

Another vote for Victorinox. Going that route is better than buying a “knife set” even aside from their quality because you won’t get all the random knives no one uses.

[52-80 19288]

and buy them an knife sharpening device.  (if they didnt give a shit about knives, theyre not going to hone it or sharpen it on a whetstone).  any of the ones with good reviews on amazon will do.  either electric or a simple manual v shaped device where they just pull the blade through a few times.  should be less than 20 bucks and work absolutely fine

[pepper brooks 580]

maybe instead of a set, you buy them one nice, versatile $200 knife?  nobody needs more than about 3 knives.  

[bernorange 8377]

 

[Baboontyme 2845]

45 minutes ago, pepper brooks said:

maybe instead of a set, you buy them one nice, versatile $200 knife?  nobody needs more than about 3 knives.  

Thanks all. Yeah I don't think she needs a 12 piece set on second thought. I know she had nothing to carve a turkey with on Thanksgiving. She makes a lot of roasts and stuff like that. Pork loins, etc. So what would that be, a chef's knife? I have a couple of Wusthoffs for bbq and that's pretty much all I ever use. 

[Brisketexan 105701]

10 minutes ago, bernorange said:

 

You fucking beat me to this by 10 minutes.

[Dutch 4498]

Instead of a set, I'd recommend getting three good knives: an 8" chef's knife , a serrated bread knife, and a paring knife.  These are the only three you'll realistically ever use. Paring knife for cutting small veg, herbs, and fruits, bread knife for slicing, and a chef's knife for just about everything else.  Keep the chef's knife sharp, and it will do just about everything.

As others have mentioned, Victorinox makes a great knife at a great price. You really can't beat $75 for all three.

https://www.cutleryandmore.com/victorinox-forschner-fibrox/essentials-knife-set-p136362?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpOTx2LKw5gIVIf_jBx3jwgdiEAQYASABEgLSAvD_BwE

That said, I have a Wusthof Classic chef's knife and love it.  It looks great, stays razor sharp, and is perfectly balanced.  A bit more at $240 for all three, but worth it imho (and I'm no where near Surly 1%).

https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-Piece-Starter-9608-4/dp/B0058ZQUC4

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Dutch

[Bateshorn 9969]

As somebody who has cooked in professional kitchens, you need 3 knives, and you can get them all cheap:  A chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife (this will also work as your tomato slicer). I don't like any of the German knife brands for high end, because they commonly have bolsters, which inhibits your ability to get a truly brilliant edge from stem to stern.

The aforementioned Victornox Chef's knife is a perfect starter chef's knife.  And since it's stamped, it doesn't have a thick bolster. Occasionally spend the $15 bucks to get it professionally sharpened and you are good to go until you are ready to drop some coin and upgrade to something special.

For a paring knife, I would look at MAC knives.  Either 3 or 4 inches, depending on hand size, etc. You need something a bit more robust than the Victornox to do the fine in hand work. Good, inexpensive, sharp right out of the box, stain resistant Japanese steel.

Just get a cheap bread knife.  Whatever fits your price range, but absolutely do not overpay.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Bateshorn

[Tylerocks 2557]

Check out Misen.  They did a product launch on kickstarter a couple of years ago.  Japanese steel, nice design...fraction of the cost.

https://www.misen.co/products/chefs-knife

 

Bought myself one and one for my mother in law.  It's a fantastic knife for the price.

[52-80 19288]

1 hour ago, Bateshorn said:

As somebody who has cooked in professional kitchens, you need 3 knives, and you can get them all cheap:  A chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife (this will also work as your tomato slicer). I don't like any of the German knife brands for high end, because they commonly have bolsters, which inhibits your ability to get a truly brilliant edge from stem to stern.

The aforementioned Victornox Chef's knife is a perfect starter chef's knife.  And since it's stamped, it doesn't have a thick bolster. Occasionally spend the $15 bucks to get it professionally sharpened and you are good to go until you are ready to drop some coin and upgrade to something special.

For a paring knife, I would look at MAC knives.  Either 3 or 4 inches, depending on hand size, etc. You need something a bit more robust than the Victornox to do the fine in hand work. Good, inexpensive, sharp right out of the box, stain resistant Japanese steel.

Just get a cheap bread knife.  Whatever fits your price range, but absolutely do not overpay.

 

 

yeah, i hate those huge bolsters on many of the wusthof as they dig into my thumb and middle finger.

but my first and favorite knife still has a thick ass forged spine thats satisfying to see along the handle, but it tapers down into the the heel of the blade.  great in hand

 

 

[pepper brooks 580]

1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

Thanks all. Yeah I don't think she needs a 12 piece set on second thought. I know she had nothing to carve a turkey with on Thanksgiving. She makes a lot of roasts and stuff like that. Pork loins, etc. So what would that be, a chef's knife? I have a couple of Wusthoffs for bbq and that's pretty much all I ever use. 

get a long carving knife and/or a chef's knife.  she could then add a pairing or utility knife, and basically be done.  

[pepper brooks 580]

I would also add if they are Asian it is considered bad luck to give someone knives as a gift.  

[BabaYaga 15419]

1 hour ago, Tylerocks said:

Check out Misen.  They did a product launch on kickstarter a couple of years ago.  Japanese steel, nice design...fraction of the cost.

https://www.misen.co/products/chefs-knife

 

Bought myself one and one for my mother in law.  It's a fantastic knife for the price.

Nice

[Brisketexan 105701]

12 minutes ago, pepper brooks said:

I would also add if they are Asian it is considered bad luck to give someone knives as a gift.  

Don't you do the deal where they give you a penny in return, so technically they are "buying" the knife from you, so as to not "sever the friendship?"  I dunno, my wife knows about all these odd superstitions.

[Baboontyme 2845]

I don't think my mother in law is Asian but I'll ask my wife. 

[CooterBrown 18118]

I have the 8” chef, santoku, bread, meat slicer, filleting, and paring knives. Have never needed any others. That’s maybe $120-150 total.

I have this sharpener. It is cheap and works great.

AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HWO8DbR5SHVBM

[pepper brooks 580]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Don't you do the deal where they give you a penny in return, so technically they are "buying" the knife from you, so as to not "sever the friendship?"  I dunno, my wife knows about all these odd superstitions.

that would make some sense to sorta adopt to western culture.  I have not personally seen that, but it's a good idea.  My Vietnamese wife has simply always told me we cannot ever give knives as a gift as it's against Asian custom.  I just go with whatever she tells me.  

[TwiceHorn 31705]

For the record, the Vic paring knife is fairly insubstantial, but thin, flexible, and gets sharp.  I suppose it's difficult to make a paring knife substantial without impairing its function.

[Baboontyme 2845]

Just ordered. If these fuckers aren't good for stabbings at family get togethers you guys are in big trouble. Many neg bombs will be given. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077JBQ6DC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bateshorn 9969]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

For the record, the Vic paring knife is fairly insubstantial, but thin, flexible, and gets sharp.  I suppose it's difficult to make a paring knife substantial without impairing its function.

That's why I like the MAC 3.25 parer.  It's got a bit of heft.  But I don't like a lot of flex in my paring knives. That's a personal thing.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Bateshorn

[Brisketexan 105701]

I'm thinking of my go-to knives.

2 nice chef's knives.  These get the bulk of the work.

1 paring knife.  Second next highest use.

1 thin, flexible blade boning/filet knife.  I love this thing.  The flexible blade is perfect for skinning fish, for boning out game, all kinds of tasks like that.

1 good slicing knife.  I use this for carving briskets, turkeys, etc.

That's really all I need.  But seriously, that boning/filet knife is more useful than I ever expected it would be.

[TwiceHorn 31705]

6 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

That's why I like the MAC 3.25 parer.  It's got a bit of heft.  But I don't like a lot of flex in my paring knives. That's a personal thing.

Yeah, wife actually found our knives in a set that included the 4" chef's knife, which is like a hefty paring knife.  I find myself using it quite a bit.

[Bateshorn 9969]

11 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I'm thinking of my go-to knives.

2 nice chef's knives.  These get the bulk of the work.

1 paring knife.  Second next highest use.

1 thin, flexible blade boning/filet knife.  I love this thing.  The flexible blade is perfect for skinning fish, for boning out game, all kinds of tasks like that.

1 good slicing knife.  I use this for carving briskets, turkeys, etc.

That's really all I need.  But seriously, that boning/filet knife is more useful than I ever expected it would be.

Goddamn you dude, you are one of my favorite posters, but pimping Global's is a near unrecoverable flaw. But Bourdain also liked them, so I guess everyone has a weakness.

I have filet and boning knives in my knife roll, but I break down meat and fish so infrequently, they aren't particularily high end.  One is a bait shop flexible knife I used a cheap sharpener to put an edge on, and the boning is a victornox I have professionally sharpened.   It's really not a place you need to spend cash unless you are going to be using them alot.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Bateshorn

[Jerry Callo 8849]

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I'm thinking of my go-to knives.

2 nice chef's knives.  These get the bulk of the work.

1 paring knife.  Second next highest use.

1 thin, flexible blade boning/filet knife.  I love this thing.  The flexible blade is perfect for skinning fish, for boning out game, all kinds of tasks like that.

1 good slicing knife.  I use this for carving briskets, turkeys, etc.

That's really all I need.  But seriously, that boning/filet knife is more useful than I ever expected it would be.

I've got that same knife, but I use this knife more - the 5" blade is much easier for me to use, especially with poultry.  

[Baboontyme 2845]

^ I have that same knife. That is my go to for rotisserie chickens. 

[52-80 19288]

11 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Goddamn you dude, you are one of my favorite posters, but pimping Global's is a near unrecoverable flaw. But Bourdain also liked them, so I guess everyone has a weakness.

Stays sharp.  Looks good.  And most surprisingly - it has really good grips for what looks like it'll be slippery as hell.

Very satisfied with our Global mini-santoku.  Wife prefers using it for light task, rather than to wield a full chefs knife.

[lemonlime 5503]

4 hours ago, pepper brooks said:

I would also add if they are Asian it is considered bad luck to give someone knives as a gift.  

Italian also.  It's considered bad luck to gift anything sharp.

[Pescado_Rojo 19467]

I have a Wustof Santoku and chef's knife, and I probably reach for the Santoku 10x more than I use the chef's knife. The Santoku just feels better in the hand to me. For a pairing knife, I have a 5" Kershaw filet knife I bought off a Snap-On truck probably 25 years ago that I use for all kinds of things. Pairing, carving, and rough filleting of fish. It came with a hard plastic scabbard I keep in my tackle bag. When I go fishing, I'll throw the knife in the scabbard and take it with. It's great for a rough dockside filet, then I'll throw the rough filet in a zip lock bag and bring them home to clean up with my 12" Kershaw filet knife. 

[davidg 4041]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

I'm thinking of my go-to knives.

2 nice chef's knives.  These get the bulk of the work.

1 paring knife.  Second next highest use.

1 thin, flexible blade boning/filet knife.  I love this thing.  The flexible blade is perfect for skinning fish, for boning out game, all kinds of tasks like that.

1 good slicing knife.  I use this for carving briskets, turkeys, etc.

That's really all I need.  But seriously, that boning/filet knife is more useful than I ever expected it would be.

 

I've got a lot of Victorinox in the kitchen and in my gaming cleaning kit.  I really like this boning knife and utility knife to go along with the chef and paring knives for kitchen work.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Curved-Fibrox-Boning-Flexible/dp/B0019WQDOU?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutlery-4-Inch-Rabbit-Utility/dp/B0019X3I3S?ref_=ast_sto_dp

 

For the OP:  If you know they don't have a knife rack or magnet and will just throw them in a drawer, get a set of edge covers too.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFODMG0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Bateshorn 9969]

3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Stays sharp.  Looks good.  And most surprisingly - it has really good grips for what looks like it'll be slippery as hell.

Very satisfied with our Global mini-santoku.  Wife prefers using it for light task, rather than to wield a full chefs knife.

So. Uncomfortable.  
 

You can find better Japanese steel at the same price. Having said that,  nothing will produce an argument in a kitchen quicker than Globals.  

[Baboontyme 2845]

11 hours ago, Tylerocks said:

Check out Misen.  They did a product launch on kickstarter a couple of years ago.  Japanese steel, nice design...fraction of the cost.

https://www.misen.co/products/chefs-knife

 

Bought myself one and one for my mother in law.  It's a fantastic knife for the price.

Thanks for the rec. Not to bust balls. I liked the way it looked so I did some googling. Results were not great.

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/review-misen-chefs-knife/

I'm sure it would be fine for my mother in law, but the Victorinox or however you spell it, reviewed much better. 

[Bone3421 716]

Goddamn you dude, you are one of my favorite posters, but pimping Global's is a near unrecoverable flaw. But Bourdain also liked them, so I guess everyone has a weakness.
I have filet and boning knives in my knife roll, but I break down meat and fish so infrequently, they aren't particularily high end.  One is a bait shop flexible knife I used a cheap sharpener to put an edge on, and the boning is a victornox I have professionally sharpened.   It's really not a place you need to spend cash unless you are going to be using them alot.

I think its safe to assume Bourdain had other weaknesses



To soon?

[Tylerocks 2557]

12 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Thanks for the rec. Not to bust balls. I liked the way it looked so I did some googling. Results were not great.

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/review-misen-chefs-knife/

I'm sure it would be fine for my mother in law, but the Victorinox or however you spell it, reviewed much better. 

No skin off my back.  Mine has been great for me.

That review is also over 3 years old.  I would hope there have been improvements/adjustments since then.  

But yeah, Wired shredded it haha.

[scottsins 1999]

Thanks all. Yeah I don't think she needs a 12 piece set on second thought. I know she had nothing to carve a turkey with on Thanksgiving. She makes a lot of roasts and stuff like that. Pork loins, etc. So what would that be, a chef's knife? I have a couple of Wusthoffs for bbq and that's pretty much all I ever use. 

Regarding turkey carving, Alton Brown recommends using an electric knife and it’s a perfect tool for the job.

[Jerry Callo 8849]

21 hours ago, Bateshorn said:

nothing will produce an argument in a kitchen quicker than Globals

Especially with someone who attempts to start arguments about Globals.

[Brisketexan 105701]

3 hours ago, scottsins said:

 

Regarding turkey carving, Alton Brown recommends using an electric knife and it’s a perfect tool for the job.

 

I do love an electric filet knife at the coast when you have to clean a mess o fish.

[tx 3 putt 78010]

4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

I do love an electric filet knife at the coast when you have to clean a mess o fish.

I’m a fish cleaning ninja master with an electric knife. The only way to make the first cut 

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

Knowing not much about knives, but having 3 decent Wusthof that I got as a gift (I'm just assuming they're decent because of the name), is this little thing gonna screw them up? 

[Bateshorn 9969]

In the long term, yes. But it will put an edge on them short term.  
 

if you want a great edge that lasts, either dedicate your self to learning how to use high quality whetstones,  or find a good professional knife sharpener.  I do the latter,  because I have the resources and hated sharpening when I was in the life. 

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

1 hour ago, Bateshorn said:

In the long term, yes. But it will put an edge on them short term.  
 

if you want a great edge that lasts, either dedicate your self to learning how to use high quality whetstones,  or find a good professional knife sharpener.  I do the latter,  because I have the resources and hated sharpening when I was in the life. 

Thanks. More than the old basic sharpening rods that used to come with sets or are those bad too?

[elfenix 34396]

1 hour ago, BBQ2Bayou said:

Thanks. More than the old basic sharpening rods that used to come with sets or are those bad too?

the rod doesn't sharpen, it corrects the edge back into alignment. 

 

 

[52-80 19288]

Rods don't sharpen.  Rods hone.  They set the microedge straight (from being bent with use). 

After a while, the edges are burred and pitted and otherwise fucked, and you'll need to sharpen -- whether by whetstone or beard or rotary wheels or electric machines of whateverm. Concept is the same: it removed metal to grind a new edge.

 

You can and should hone everyday.  That will maintain the sharpness enough, that you should only need to "sharpen" once or twice a year.

 

If you sharpen everyday, you won't have much of a knife left after a year.

 

[TwiceHorn 31705]

Correction.  Steels or steel rods don't sharpen.  Abrasive ceramic rods do sharpen, i.e. remove material, just not a whole lot without a whole lot of work.

If you are diligent, you can use a steel to maintain an edge until the edge gets a little too broken up, then you can use ceramic rod sharpeners to bring it back.  If you let it get too dull or chipped out, stones or wheels are your best bet.  And you can "sharpen" prematurely with ceramic rods without eating up your blade really fast.