Getting a Quality Knife Set for the Ages
With a history spanning just about two centuries, Wusthof still provides the world with finely crafted kitchen knives and shears, pocket knives, and other accessories. Operating in Solingen, Germany, Wusthof continues to be under the control of family members and presently employs more than 350 workers, every one of whom, we can presume are dedicated to keeping any Wusthof knife set as sharp as its character.
Product Lines
The Wusthof knives are produced by two methods – forging for Wusthof’s high-end line and stamping for Wusthof’s low-end line. Consequently, conditional to your budget, you might become the happy owner of some world-famous Wusthof knives although at varying levels of sharpness.
The forged knives are used for the Classic, Ikon, Classic Ikon, Le Cordon Bleu, Culinar, Grand Prix, and Grand Prix II lines while the stamped knives can be found in the Gourmet, Emeril, and Silverpoint lines. You will see a pointed difference between forged and stamped knives in each Wusthof knife collection, with knife connoisseurs selecting forged knives all the time to be used as their chef’s knives. Stamped knives are often only good for steak and paring knives.
With regard to any Wusthof knives set you decide upon, though, each of these knives are an amalgam of 15 percent chromium, 0.5 percent carbon, and a small amount of molybdenum. Together with the Wusthof logo – a trident in a circle against a red background – these cutlery pieces are very different from thier competitors’ knives.
Advantages
While we’re trying to avoid sounding like a spokesperson for Wusthof, this company’s knives are considered repeatedly to be one of the highest quality blades in the business. Evidence of this statement is Wusthof knives are the preferred kitchen knife of celebrated chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and James Martin, while also being consistently voted as one of the most valuable knives by Consumer Reports and Cook’s Illustrated.
For non-professionals, the easily controlled traditional handle is suited nicely to a variety of hand sizes and therefore allows many guests or spouses to feel comfortable handling the knives in your set. Of course, these knife blades are extremely sharp and almost never rust, stain or lose their edge. More than anything else, high-quality manufacturing processes and materials are the primary characteristics of a quality knife.
Disadvantages
The primary feature that could dissuade the hobby chef from purchasing a Wusthof knife set will be Wusthof’s high price. With the cheapest set of low-end Gourmet paring knives costs around $35, you will easily encounter different knife brands with more knives while charging similar prices. For the many Wusthof sets, $300 is peanuts.
Also, Wusthof makes series that have thinner-than-usual handles like the Wusthof Classic. Naturally, men are more concerned with this situation thanks to their more substantial hands. Additionally, some do not like a stainless steel handle, preferring instead the polypropylene type.
By and large, Wusthof knife sets can offer greater product for the cost. It cuts very nicely and sharply the way that all high-quality knives should, performs for a long time as the company has done, and looks very professional when placed on your countertop. With a knife set such as this, you might want to invest in one more set as a gift for newlyweds.