A cutlery set is very versatile: it can serve well as a wedding present for close friends or even casual acquaintances, giving the impression that you truly care about the newly-wed couple’s new life together, even if you have no clue whether either of them actually cooks! Or, it can serve as a great wedding anniversary gift, too, for loved ones who have been married several years, and whom you also may not know if they actually spend considerable time in the kitchen.
The set may also thrill your own husband or wife, as an addition to your kitchen, perhaps to replace a dulled outset or individual knives that you may have bought over the years.
With the many cutlery sets available in the market today, you may find it a daunting task to find the one that is best for your purposes. You may opt for a dining set, or you may choose a set of kitchen knives, which tend to be more practical and impressive.
The following criteria should give you a strong idea which types of kitchen cutlery sets are a good value to buy:
- Does it come with a knife block? What material is it made of? Some kitchen knife sets do not come with a block, and these may make good presents for a casual acquaintance’s wedding, as they tend to come in a flat box that you can easily wrap. But by far, the best cutlery sets are those that come with a knife block made of solid wood. For example, the Chicago Cutlery Fusion 18-piece Knife Set not only boasts of great-quality knives made of the best stainless steel, but they are also housed in a honey maple block, giving it an added convenience and elegance unmatched by other sets. A knife block made of bamboo also makes an interesting addition, such as with the Ginsu 7108 Chikara 8-Piece Stainless-Steel Knife Set.
- What knives are included? If possible, you need to look for a set that comes with the most basic knives included. First off, you will need a chef’s knife, at a recommended length of 8 inches. Although many cooking aficionados swear by the 6-inch length, 8 inches is still the most reliable in terms of added weight for easy chopping. Some sets actually feature both an 8-inch and a 6-inch chef’s knife, but if you do not have serious preferences for the 6-inch knife, this would not be necessary. Then you will need a paring knife, preferably 4 to 6 inches in length, and possibly a bread knife and a utility knife for boning and peeling and Nakiri or Usuba for Japanese cutting techniques.
The J.A. Henckels International Everedge 13-piece Knife Set is a great example of a complete set, as it not only comes with the 8-inch chef’s and bread knives, it also features a 5-inch tomato knife and 6-inch utility and boning knives. In addition to all this, it even includes a cheese knife and six steak knives to boot. Other possible add-ons would be a sharpening rod, or a pair of shears, which comes with the Ginsu 4846 20-Piece Stainless-Steel Knife Set.
- What material are the knife blades and handles made of? Knives can come in a variety of materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, high carbon stainless steel, laminated, titanium, ceramic, and plastic. High carbon stainless steel is designed to combine the best qualities of carbon steel with those of regular stainless steel. The advantage of high carbon stainless steel blades is that they do not stain or discolor, while also effectively holding their sharp edge over a longer period of time. Ceramic blades are also commended for never corroding, but they tend to be very brittle and chip easily, so they are not too great for gift-giving. A good set with high carbon stainless steel blades is the Insignia Steel 18 Piece Knife Set by Chicago Cutlery, whose handles are also made of stainless steel, assuring you that the knives will definitely last many years to come.
- Are the blades full-tang or half-tang? The construction of a kitchen knife is indicative of the strength, and eventually the life, or a particular piece. Whether you are looking for a set or an individual knife, experts will always tell you to look for those with full-tang construction. This simply means that the blade runs all the way into the handle, which translates into greater strength. The Douglas Quikut Ginsu 5-Piece Stainless Knife Set is an example of a set of knives with full tang construction, which you can be sure will thrill any gift recipient.
These tips should get you started choosing the best cutlery set for your purposes.
