Why As A Chef Ill Never Buy A Cutco Knife Set And Better Alternatives
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If youre thinking about buying a Cutco knife set, hold on a second because there are much better alternatives.
Ive been using kitchen knives professionally for more than 15 years and can tell you that choosing the right brand matters, even for the home cook.
If youre going to be buying an entire knife set then its so important that you trust the brand.
Here are 5 better alternatives instead:
Best Runner Up Zwilling Professional S 18
Even though the 18pc Zwilling Professional S series is more than twice the price of their Gourmet Classic series, it doesnt sacrifice quality.
This is a set of forged knives made in Germany with quality thats so much better than Cutco, its hard to even compare the two.
They have a Rockwell of 57 which is harder than Cutco knives and means theyll stay sharp longer. Theyre a little bit cheaper than the IKON series but come pretty close in quality.
Although some reviewers felt cheated that the steak knives included in this set are not forged and instead stamped and produced in Spain.
Personally, I dont really care that the steak knives are slightly cheaper as the most important for me is the quality of the kitchen knives.
Still, its worth pointing out.
In the end, this is a solid set of German-made knives that knocks any Cutco knife out of the park.
The Downsides To A Cutco Knife Set
- The knives are overpriced.
- The steel is a weak 440 A steel which is relatively low-quality steel and has nothing to get excited about.
- The handle is annoying.
- You cannot sharpen the Double D edge yourself.
- They only make stamped knives, which are inferior to forged knives.
- Cutco doesnt have many retail locations which means you wont be able to test out the knives before you buy.
- The company has a bad history of multi-level marketing, and aggressive sales tactics and uses poorly informed students to sell its products.
- If you cant find a retail store, you must sign up for a dreaded at-home-only demonstration.
- You have to pay for shipping on returns and for sharpening.
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Whats The Deal With Stamped And Forged Knives
Generally speaking, forged knives are superior to stamped knives.
Cutco knives are made using stamped steel which means theyre cheaper to produce.
Although theres nothing wrong with stamped knives, they dont always hold their edge as long as forged knives.
To put this in perspective, Henckels has mostly stamped knives and Wusthof is almost always made of forged steel.
That means that youll have to sharpen stamped knives sooner than forged knives.
Also, unlike other popular knife brands, Cutco doesnt offer a higher-grade steel or premium knife set so anyone looking for higher-quality steel is out of luck.
Customer Reviews Of Cutco Knives
I have read some other customer reviews that have knocked the type of metal used for the Cutco knife blades, but I personally have never had a problem with them rusting or breaking, but I have never abused them either. The only problems I have with my Cutco knife set is I can never find my scissors because the kids are always taking them and never putting them back, and I have had one knife missing for about 2 months, I’m still waiting for it to show up but I think I will have to break down and buy a new one.
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What About The Steel In A Cutco Knife Set
So Cutco has a bit of a shaky past, but are their knives any good?
Short answer: Not really.
Cutco makes all of their knives with stamped 440 A steel which is relatively low-quality steel and nothing to get excited about.
While Wusthof and Victorinox both use a much higher quality chromium-molybdenum-vanadium steel in their high-end knives.
Zwilling also uses high-carbon German stainless steel in its base-level knives.
All of these knives use similar to better quality steel in their knives with much cheaper prices than Cutco.
*black Friday Trimmer Offer Terms
The Cyber Monday Deal is valid Nov. 28, 2022 through 11:59 p.m. ET, Nov. 29, 2022. The offer is valid with the purchase of eligible items only. Eligible items are marked on the product detail page and when added to your shopping cart. When $129 in eligible merchandise is added to your cart and the promotion is applied, you will have the choice to add one 4″ Paring Knife in Classic or Pearl for $49 to your cart. The 4″ Paring Knife Sheath is included and is available in Classic only. Only one promotion can be applied per purchase. All items on an order must ship to the same address. Prior purchases are excluded. Offers cannot be combined. All prices are in Canadian dollars. Prices and offers apply only to orders shipping within Canada. We do not currently deliver to P.O. boxes.
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Everything You Get With The Cutco Kitchen
Bake n Serve Set
The Bake n Serve Set includes Turn n’ Serve, Professional Spatula and Slice n’ Serve. Good for people that like to bake cookies, ice brownies serve quiche.
The complete 6-Pc. Kitchen Tool Set has robst, ergonomic handles to keep you in conrol and wont get hot in your hand. Promonent handle lip prevents tools from slipping into your cooking.
Barbecue Set
Each piece in this 3-pc. set is designed with an extra long handle to keep your hands away from the heat. Use the pieces in this set to cook hot dogs and sausages, flip burgers, ribs and shish kabobs.
Entertainer Pack
Includes Ice Cream Scoop, Vegetable Peeler, Pizza Cutter and Cheese Knife.
Gadgets
My Winner Best Quality Knife Set Wsthof Classic Ikon Twelve Piece Knife
Wusthof was the first set of knives I bought to begin my cooking career and theyve never once let me down. Even back then, all of my culinary instructors recommended these knives also because theyll last a lifetime.
For a similar price to Cutco, you can get so much more quality with the top-of-the-line IKON series from Wusthof.
Its worth pointing out that Cutco does include 7 more knives than this set but of those 7, 4 are steak knives and the other 3 are those Double-D edge knives
Plus the price of this set is still cheaper than Cutco.
Consider this too: do you really need 19 kitchen knives? Or is 12 enough?
You can always add on extra knives later with the money you would have spent on a Cutco knife set.
of this Wusthof set are the best of any knife set I found and I can see why.
The knives have a strong Rockwell score of 58 and are made with high-carbon stainless steel.
The new design of these knives looks extra sleek and would look great on any kitchen counter.
You cant go wrong with these knives!
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My Personal Review Of Cutco Knives
This is my personal review of Cutco knives. I do not sell Cutco knives, and I am not a rep I am an owner, and I happen to love my knives. My nephew was starting out with Cutco to make a few extra bucks in college, and I happened to be the first person he showed his demonstration toI was also his first buyer. I was always searching for a knife that would cut my steak instead of ripping it apart, but I admit, it was tough shelling out $450 for a knife set. Still, after 18 years of use, it was one of my best investments. I bought the small set. There are sets that will cost you over $1,500 like Cutco’s ultimate set, but I personally didn’t need a set that big.
Nobody Can Teach You Experience
When I was just starting out in the automotive field, I use to buy Craftsman tools, they make a good tool, and they have a lifetime warrantee. Then I bought my first set of Snap-on wrenches, it was then I realized the difference between good and awesome. The tool worked better, felt better, and lasted longer without breaking, I no longer was wasting money buying inferior tools and started investing in quality not quantity, in other words don’t let the knife sharpener fool you, especially if you don’t know how to sharpen knives.
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Best Knife Set On A Budget Victorinox Swiss Army Cutlery Swiss Classic Knife Block Set 22
Victorinox has been making knives since 1884 and theyre a trusted brand by many chefs around the globe. Im a huge fan of Victorinox because I think they make great quality knives for a very fair price.
I love their simple and minimalist design and comfortable grips. My personal favourite is their 4inch serrated utility knife thats perfect for cutting tomatoes, light vegetables are even carving pumpkins.
Although for serious home cooks looking for a bit more quality, these knives may feel a little cheap.
Just like Cutco, the Rockwell scale on these knives is around 56 and will need to be sharpened and honed more than knives from Wusthof or Henkels.
But considering the price, I think these knives are a steal .
At less than half of what you would pay for the Cutco 19pc set, this 22 pc set even comes with 3 extra knives. Bonus!
What If A Cutco Knife Gets Damaged Or Rusty
After 18 years, my spatula had some rust spots that would wipe off and leave a dull spot in the polished stainless steel, then my handle broke on my pairing knife. I contacted Cutco and they advised me to package the two damaged knives and ship them UPS. My two knives were back in the holder in less then a week at no charge except shipping to the manufacturer. Great company and great customer service!
Here is the Exclusive Double -D cutting edge found on all of Cutco’s meat cutting knives, it’s also is found on the spatula, sharp as the day I bought them 18 year later.
Eddie Carrara
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Are Cutco Knives Any Good
My Cutco knives are just as sharp today as they were 12 years ago. None of my Cutco knives have ever fallen apart, and I have never had to have them sharpened. The knife blade continues through the entire handle and is riveted to the handle on both sides, which is a great feature for adding strength to the knife. I have always washed the knives in the dishwasher and none of my handles have ever cracked or broken.
Cutco’s Patented Double D Edge
Cutco steak knives have a cutting edge called the Double D edge, this is not a serrated edge, it is a cutting edge that has 3 cutting points, the cutting points are not on the edge of the blade, they are cut into the side of the blade, this is why the blade stays sharp, you can even cut on a granite or marble counter top without damaging the blades cutting points, hence, the steak knives stay sharp for a long time.
They have the same patented Double – D edge on the spatula, great for spreading condiments on your favorite sandwiches, and it’s also great for cutting them when done. The spatula is also ideal for cutting into fresh bread and spreading butter afterwards.
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Closest To Cutco Style Knives Zwilling Twin Gourmet Classic 18
Although I would much rather purchase the Zwilling Pro Series, this 18pc Twin Gourmet Classic is probably the closest option to the Cutco knife set.
Theyre stamped blades just like the Cutco set but the price is less than half of what you would pay for Cutco. You get 18 knives in the Twin Gourmet Classic instead of 19 from Cutco but you also get free kitchen shears.
Although the Rockwell of these knives is estimated to be in the range of 53-55 and lower than that of Cutco, Id still rather buy these knives for the price.
With the money saved from not buying the Cutco set, you could afford a high-quality Japanese knife to add on.
The Reason I Bought Cutco Knives
First of all, I had no intention of buying anything the day my nephew came to do his demonstration, but I was impressed with the longevity of the company, or maybe it was the demo of the scissors cutting the penny into a corkscrew… Anyway, I bought the knife set because of the unconditional money back guarantee and because they’re guaranteed for life. I figured since the Cutco Company has been around since 1948 they will probably be around for a few more years to fulfill their lifetime guarantee to me if I had a problem. The only stipulation is you have to pay shipping charges to and from the company if you ever need to have your knives sharpened, I can handle that. I have never had the knife set sharpened yet, so I doing well.
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The Double D Edge Myth
The Double-D edge of Cutco knives is nothing more than a snappy-sounding marketing gimmick.
What sounds like progressive patented technology is basically just another name for a serrated knife edge.
Thats it.
Serrated knives are great for citrus, bread and tomatoes but not much else. The rough edges of serrated knives will leave rough cuts in delicate foods like meat and fish which is not recommended.
Plus, you cant sharpen a Double D edge at home which means youll be forced to send it to Cutco every time it needs sharpening.
On the contrary, properly sharpened straight-edged knives work with all types of food.
Its important to keep this in mind when choosing a knife set as too many of the knives included in the Cutco knife set are serrated.
