How much to spend on knives?

[OhBeAFineGuyKissMe]

I need a get a new set of kitchen knives and totally bamboozled by the choice.

Not big on cooking, nothing fancy, just normal household cooking.

How much should I spend to get a nice set, that will last? And does anyone have any recommendations?

DH has many Global knives but he cooks a lot, worth every penny for him but I cannot get away with the feel/weight of the handles. Looked after with care, sharpened on a wet stone and on a Global magnetic knife holder thing on the wall. We even had to get them insured separately when we moved overseas.

Me I just love the bargain ones I bought in Tkmaxx, but they were branded such as victorinox

I bought a couple of Wüsthof in Germany small and a nice weight for me, and also some we bought in Japan which are a total pain to clean and look after, woodern handle and high carbon steel.

Try and hold the knives if you can it does make a difference.

@BlooberryBiskits I've had a kitchen devil knife since 2005 and use it almost everyday. After 17 years of constant usage, the plastic on the handle is starting to come off. Great purchase as I think I bought it on sale.

As PP, Victorinox plastic handle, sold in packs on Amazon in different sizes and sorts, I have loads as they just go in the dishwasher, I store them in a Bodum Bistro knife holder which is one of those foam filled ones which stores loads.

Those are my day to day knives, I also have a Zwilling bread knife and a couple of large knives which are kept in the drawer but for day to day knives I have found Victorinox the best and I have had loads of other brands in the past.

For a larger knife, you can't beat a Santoku.

Don't buy a set. Buy the best quality chef's knife you can afford. And then a smaller chopping knife. You don't need much more.

I'd agree you don't need a set. I was given a cheap set as a wedding present and never used most of them. I've currently got 9 victorinix plastic-handled knives that I use for everything apart from slicing bread (3 x 4" blade, 3 x 6" blade and 3 x 6" serrated blade). Cost me about £65 altogether.

I have brought some procook ones. We were at a discount store where they were reduced. So far so good, but nearly all knives are good at first.

The handles are very comfy, much better than my old ones.

A good knife sharpener has given all my knives a new lease of life, saved a fortune and I get to keep my knives that I'm comfortable with.... just need to be a tad more careful these days!

@Youdoyoutoday what kind of sharpener do you use? I've an ikea one and I'm not sure it's great.

Seconding TKMaxx, I've a fantastic large sabatier that was very reasonable

This is mine, think I got it from a garden centre kitchen dept when I had an itch to buy something!! The difference after 1 sharpening was so obvious!

@Spirini I forgot to @ you above

Mine are sabiteur

I have had my large global knife since c.1997. Used a few times a week and as good as new.

I have some pro cook ones with a plastic sheath that I take on self catering holidays.
Lakeland have served me well with their own brand

I have a carving set containing fork, knife and steel. I bought a set of knives with a block in 1993 from the kitchen/design shop that used to be near Peter Jones. They were about £200 then. They have gone in the dishwasher since. I use the steel to sharpen them. I was taught how.

Most of mine are Sabatier (mostly gifts) but surprisingly one of my favourites is a cheap and cheerful Kitchen Devil. My husband sharpens them on an angle grinder which I'm sure isn't great for them but by golly they're sharp!

If you do invest in quality knives, make sure you know how to maintain them. I have a set of Yaxell knives which cost approx £500-£600. Worth every penny but you need to care for them to protect your investment.

I have a set of Global knives - about 12 years old. One of them broke mid chop today...

We were give a set of Dalstrong for our wedding. They do just fine but need sharpening occasionally. Everyday wise I use a couple of Santoku knives I bought via Amazon. Sharp, comfortable do most jobs except bread and carving.

This.

I wish this had been made crystal clear to me years ago. My mother had her knives sharpened for her. I'd taken me years to learn how to do it, but now I sharpen them every week - the test is a tomato.

@Youdoyoutoday thanks! My ikea one is a similar concept but it's got a weird sheath thing on it so it's hard to know if it's actually sharpening. I might buy a different one to see how I get on

There's someone I follow on Instagram with a fantastic looking knife. Multipurpose - £70 - not sure if I should invest in something like this?

Look after them by sharpening them properly- a steel is easier or whetstones ideally with practice. Not one of the pull through things. Plenty of good YouTube tutorials. Little and often. We store our upside down in a knofe
block so there’s no pressure on the cutting edge. Our fancy Japanese folded metal ones live on a magnetic strip because they’re pretty. We do cringe if guests use them though.

@OhBeAFineGuyKissMe
There are a couple of great offers for knives at the moment.
Check out hotukdeals.