Henckels Knife Set

A Henckels Knife Set is a brand of quality.

They have been established for over 100 years, and have set industry standards for great craftsmanship, design, and versatility. They are known for having the best quality at the best prices and are completely guaranteed against material and craftsmanship defects.

I learned about Henkel's knife sets in at Cornell University where I earned my degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. Though I pursued a career in restaurant management rather than becoming a chef one of the first lessons I learned about cooking is a high quality and comfortable knife set is absolutely essential for food preparation. Professional chefs select guard and care for their knives with fanatic care. A Henckels Knife set the choice of professionals.

Quality Knife Set Features:

1. Comfort and safety - These two go hand-in-hand. A good night will feel comfortable and balanced in your hand. A properly balanced and comfortable knife should feel like an extension of your arm. When this happens, there is a great deal of control over the knife that will greatly reduce nicks and cuts. They handle should be ergonomically designed and have a non-slip grip.

2. Quality cutting edge – After all this is what a high-quality knife is all about. Higher quality knives such as those found in Henkel knife sets will retain the edge much longer. Cutting edge retention is a most valued property of any quality knife

3. Quality workmanship – Aside from any obvious visual flaws the quality of knife is difficult to determine. To a large extent you can only determine the quality through prolonged use over time. A company's reputation is certainly a benchmark of anticipated performance. Henckels Knife sets have been produced for over 100 years and are held in high regard by professionals.

4. Dishwashers – Please do not even think about it. Any high-quality knife should be hand washed with extreme care using simple soap and water.

The classic Henkels knife set has the following features:

• The “classic” commercial design
• Hot drop forged construction for high durability, strength and weight
• Carbon, no-stain steel is stain resistant
• Hand honed, precision cutting edge
• Triple riveted, classic design handles are durable, comfortable, and unbreakable.
• Full bolster provides weight and ensures safety
• Fully visible tang for proper balance
• Satin finished blade

Naturally any Henkels knife set has a Lifetime warranty against defects in material and/or craftsmanship.

I started my collection with individual pieces and worked my way up to a more complete Henckels knife set. The most versatile and certainly the first piece that should be bought acquired in any quality knife collection is the 8” chef knife.

Henkel's offers an open stock 8 inch Chef knife for around $50, (look around for sales and specials), that has the following features:

• Hot drop forged which provides the knife with high durability, strength and weight.
• Carbon – no stain steel stain,  which makes the knife stain resistant
• Full bolster provides added weight and ensures safety
• Hand honed gives a precision cutting edge
• Fully visible tang provides proper balance
• Triple riveted handles make the knife durable and strong

If you are ready to invest in a really nice high-grade kitchen knife set consider the Classic Forged 7 Pc Block Set. It has all the fundamentals to take care of virtually all of your food preparation needs. The 7 piece set includes:

• 4" Paring/Utility Knife
• 5" Serrated Utility Knife
• 7" Santoku Knife, Hollow Edge
• 8" Chef's Knife
• 9" Steel
• Kitchen Shears
• Hardwood Block

This set retails for about $300, although good deals are available with a little research. Any way you look at it you cannot go wrong with a Henkel's knife set.