J.A. Henckels International Everedge 13-Piece Knife Set with Bonus Cheese Knife
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List Price: Our Price: $25.49 You Save: $96.51 (79%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of J.A. Henckels International Everedge 13-Piece Knife Set with Bonus Cheese Knife
Customer Review: How to buy knives for a lifetime of cooking
Summary: 1 Stars
First, a caveat: These knives, while trash by Henckels' traditional standards, are still better than the huge majority of knives sold each year. They are not, however, comparable in any way to the "real" knives made by Henckels, Wusthof, or other top manufacturers.Want performance from your knives? Here's what to look for:
(1) "Made in Germany." There's not much to say about this; the Germans make no compromises when it comes to making steel, and their manufacturing technology is among the finest as well. Ask your favorite surgeons where their scalpels come from; ask the most knowledgeable machinists you know where the tool bits they respect most are made; ask the best mechanics you know what "country of origin" is listed on the boxes containing the finest bearings. You'll get an occasional "Japan" in there -- and the Japanese certainly deserve recognition, though they have yet to enter the cooking knife market in earnest -- but Germany usually dominates.
(2) A name of distinction. It's true, there are many good knives made by lesser names, at lesser prices. The trick is, which ones? I have to tell you, I have been selecting knives for over 20 years, I use them every day and have studied their characteristics carefully, and I still am fooled sometimes by promising-looking knives with concealed but nonetheless tragic flaws. Make sure your brand is made by a manufacturer who stands behind their products, so you can exchange or return your knives if you are unhappy. It is YOUR satisfaction that matters, forget all the reviews written by "experts," how do they know what will make you happy?
(3) Buy knives whose handles fit your hand and whose weight distribution fits your strength and style. This might sound obvious, but most people skip it. There is no substitute for this point. My grandmother is a German native, my inspiration for entering the culinary profession, and one of the greatest geniuses of kitchen wizardry I have ever known. She also curses my beloved collection of mostly Henckels and Wusthof knives when she visits -- despite her loyalty to all things German! -- because nearly all the knives I've chosen fit my large masculine hands, not her dainty, nimble feminine ones. I would never dishonor her by saying she's wrong...and she means me no disrespect by saying my knives are lousy. They are...for her. Free wisdom, if you are tempted to discard Grandma's good advice, ask yourself: What's more malleable, a steel knife or my hand?
(4) Consider your use habits. Are you going to toss them in the dishwasher? Make sure your steel is as stainless as possible (not all "stainless" is equal, or even close, so do your homework). Are you the type who is disciplined about using a steel and skilled enough to do his/her own sharpening, or at least inclined towards this goal? (Most people, including the majority of culinary professionals, are not. I acquired the interest over time, but initially I was like most cooks, more interested in what a fine knife could do than in what made it capable of doing.) Stay away from "stay sharp" knives, the hardness of the steel will only frustrate you -- and you probably know this already. Are you going to use them with wet hands? Share them with youngsters? Display them as a showpiece for visitors? All these things factor into your decision, be honest with yourself about what you want and you'll have a better chance of getting what you need.
(5) Buy fewer fine knives rather than many lesser ones. Most people don't know what the various knives are actually intended for; even fewer understand that the intended uses are just guidelines, and that individual skill and preference will sometimes make selection different than conventional wisdom would suggest. More knives means more maintenance; it doesn't necessarily mean more versatility. I once had a young cooking student who stubbornly stuck to a single small knife for everything, a habit I tried to dissuade him of until I noticed that he could cut nearly everything better with that one little knife than any of the other students -- or, sadly, his instructor -- could with ANY knife! He explained that he had inherited his love of whittling with a pocket-sized knife from his deceased father, and spent nearly all his time creating things out of wood as his father had taught him. Well, no wonder! This young man still found a couple of tools he had use for -- a cleaver and fillet knife among them -- but the huge sets of cutlery would not have improved him one bit. You may be a bit more diverse but you're probably not infinitely wealthy; given constrained funds, you would be smart to concentrate them where they can do you the most good.
Enjoy!
Customer Review: Decent set of starter knives
Summary: 4 Stars
Despite the fact that these aren't "proper" Henckels knives, they are a good set to have for the college student, casual cook, or even everyday household use.
They're far better than the junk you'll find in the same price range, and you'd be hard pressed to find a set that retains it's sharpness as well as these do. I've had my set since 2004 and they're still as sharp as the day I bought them. They've not broken or warped even through periods of heavy daily use.
If you want a good set of "starter" knives with a high cost-to-benefit ratio, you won't go wrong with these.
A lot of the complaints about the set I've read seem to be from people who think these are top of the line Henckels blades. This is a little puzzling to me. If you claim to know what good blades are, you'll immediately realize by the price and the fact that they're serrated that these aren't the knives you'll find in Jacques Pepin's kitchen. To claim that you expected real kitchen quality knives for $45, well, you kind of deserve your disappointment for not doing your homework. And don't point out the list price. I bought these knives 7 years ago at nowhere near list price. As far as I know, it's never been sold here without some deep discount. There is a reason for this.
Which brings me to some negatives. These mainly revolve around the serrated edges and personal preference.
Remember those Ginsu commercials that showed their knives cutting through metal cans and nails, yet staying sharp enough to thin slice a tomato? These will do that, too.
Unfortunately this type of blade sometimes requires a sawing motion in order to work effectively. This makes things like dicing onions somewhat irritating, as the control of the cut is made more difficult. Of course it does dice things just fine, but you may have to find a less efficient way to do it.
The weight of the metal is also an issue with me. I prefer my knives to have a certain solidity and heft to them (which is why I don't really like ceramic blades), and the metal used here is a little too light and thin for satisfactory heavy-duty cutting.
These criticisms can be considered nit-picking, but I think the more a new cook uses these and gets comfortable with their use, the more these issues will become apparent.
By that time, though, it's time for an upgrade.
If I could give it 3.5 stars, I would, but I'll round up and give it 4 stars for value.
Customer Review: At this price level, you can't beat these knives!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just placed an order for these knives as my first real set. My parents own this same 13-piece set, and after *at least* eight years (I grew up with these knives) they've remained very sharp and shiny. Of course, I plan to update my review once I've received my own set and have put the knives to light daily use for a few months, but having had eight+ years of experience with them at home, I know they're top-knotch if you're not willing to pay at least $100.
I give these knives 8.5 out of 10, and that's **ONLY BECAUSE** I know that for $800 Henckels knives, you'd probably get a better set of knives. But then again, who wants to drop that kinda dough on knives??
As others have noted, these are definitely towards the bottom of the ladder as far as Henckels offerings go, but that is still saying a heck of a lot as far as quality, performance, and durability go. The Japanese-made stainless steel may still be considered second to German-made steel knives (in notoriety for sure, whereas any difference in quality is debatable), but these carry the Henckels name for a reason (and I'd contend that the Japanese steel isn't all that noticeably inferior to top-knotch German steel blades anyways--they might even have perfected their craft in Japan). Really, only the most demanding (or uppity) of chefs will find these knives lackluster in any way, since I think once you get into paying $400 for knives, the next $100 will only buy you so much more in terms of quality. (I mean, really, how nice can knives get before you begin paying for names and niche appeal...?)
In any case, definitely go for these knives (I think they're a bit of a best-kept secret as far as delivering high quality at an affordable price), which have served my parents heartily for eight years and which will hopefully serve me equally well. :)
P.S. I got these for 39.99, and while Amazon's "Suggest Retail Prices" are usually overinflated, I'd say anything under $60 for these knives is probably worth it. If you're a home user (i.e. NOT A PROFESSIONAL), I doubt you'll find any insufficiencies with this set.
Customer Review: This is an unbeatable deal, Great Knives Great Price
Summary: 5 Stars
Years ago, I had started a Henkels 4 Star collection, and found joy in using them. They are the kind of item that you sharpen, polish, and use caringly, the way you would treat something you plan on using for a lifetime. Well I don't live alone, and when they started getting sharpened on the face as well as the edge, I decided it was time to save them for special uses, rather than everyday. So when I saw these Henkels, especially at the Amazon.com sale price, I decided to give them a try. Glad I did. Since they don't need to be sharpened, I didn't have to worry about someone scarring the face with a sharpener. They are very sharp. They create their sharpeness with a minutely serrated edge. You have to be careful when cleaning these knives, because it is possible to cut yourself, when scrubbing along the very side edge of the blade, as well as the actual cutting edge. The serrations only go up a minute amount, but enough to cut yourself along the side of the blade. A little care when cleaning, to use a sponge or whatever, and avoid direct contact with your skin. The solid wood holder is very nice. The Henkel logo emblazoned on the front is a nice touch for your kitchen.
I don't really have anything negative to say about these knives at all. They are sharp. The selection suits most every need. You can use them and not have to worry about them. They are durable. I am not a knife expert, but I understand that these are stamped, instead of forged and ground like their more expensive sets. Notwithstanding, they look good, cut great, and have sufficient durability to them to be used for a very long time.
I bought them when they were listed at the better price, and at that number, it pays to get a set just to keep as a gift.
Definitely a 5 star product considering the quality and the price. Hope this helps.
Customer Review: Flimsy but sharp
Summary: 3 Stars
I too received this set as a housewarming gift and almost returned them when I saw the plastic handles. I was familiar with Henckels' reputation for quality but I really wanted the wood handles with the exposed steel tang. Regardless, I decided to give this set a chance.
First, I have to say that I agree with the reviewer who said that this knife set is not on par with other Henckels products. They are pretty flimsy. Also, most products with the "one guy" logo, as opposed to the "two guy" logo, are generally recognized to be the poor man's version of true Henckels cutlery. Some quick internet research will explain the differences. The handles are plastic, which again is a dead giveaway that cutlery snobs will inevitably scoff on sight.
That said, the price is impressive (I didn't know until now how much this gift cost - oops) and perfect for a first cutlery set. The blades are slightly seraded, cut straight and are unforgivingly sharp. Someone noted that they are not dishwasher safe but we have always used the dishwasher for cleaning and have had perfect results. I'm not sure if this is truly an issue. For these reasons, I rate the product 3-stars.
If you want an inexpensive knife set for occasional use, with a familiar logo staring at you each day, you can't really go wrong. If you are an active chef with serious cutlery needs, you already know to avoid this price-point.
In closing, I suspect that had the name and logo not been so recognizable on this product, the other reviewers might have been more forgiving.