116 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice set but can rust easily, June 17, 2006
This review is from: Cuisinart 15-Piece Knife Set with Storage Vault (Kitchen)
I had been searching for a knife set for quite some time. I wasn't sure, however, if I was prepared to pay for the more expensive sets. I saw this set at a major department store on sale, so I went ahead and bought it. My first impression was that the knives are sharp, very stylish, well balanced, and not too heavy. The latter is a wonderful feature, especially for my husband who suffers from carpel tunnel syndrome. He feels the knives are a very comfortable grip. Their sharpness actually makes chopping and dicing a fun task.
A minor drawback from this set is that the vault is rather bulky and takes up a bit more counter space than an average wood block. Also, another more important drawback I noticed was that you need to wash and dry these knives almost immediately after using them otherwise they will begin to develop rust spots. This actually disappointed me very much and I tried contacting Cuisinart but to no avail. So, I will keep my set and continue to make sure they don't sit for too long after being used. For this reason I give this set 3 stars. I would like to give 3.5 but that option does not exist in this rating system.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
69 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice knives, June 30, 2006
This review is from: Cuisinart 15-Piece Knife Set with Storage Vault (Kitchen)
I have several sets, by several manufacturers. These are the ones I use the most. Very sharp, and they keep their sharpness. Be very careful with these knives. Regarding the issue of needing to dry these after washing them. Yes that is correct. Now they don't rust, and really the tarnishing is very slight should you leave them wet (and will clean off with barkeepers helper, the same thing you use on Calphalon pans, available at Walmart for $1.50). You can't put good knives in a dish washer anyway, it is no big deal to give them a wipe. Just be careful not to cut yourself. However, one must understand that there is an inverse relation between sharpness/durability of edge, and "stainless" quality. These knives use a alloy that finds a balance between not rusting, and still being easy to sharpen to a fine edge, keeping a good edge for a long time. I personally will take sharper knives, and take 5 seconds to wipe them and put them away immediately. I don't think you can find knives of better quality at this price.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What another user said..., April 22, 2007
This review is from: Cuisinart 15-Piece Knife Set with Storage Vault (Kitchen)
I am simply amazed at what people consider quality. If you look at most of these reviews they are basing the quality of these knives if they have rusted. One even called it cheap because it rusted.
Folks, these are forged knives made from 420 steel. You can only go up one more step in quality and retain the same hardness without using exotic metal processes. Low quality cutlery is generally made out of grades like 409 and 430.
Here's how it works. The sharpest knife is made out of high carbon steel. High carbon steel is the hardest and therefore also keeps its sharp edge longer. The more carbon in steel the more it is going to rust. Something with a lot of carbon is a standard metal shop file... the type of file that you use to sharpen you garden tools. Leave it out in the rain and you'll have more rust than you ever imagined. Most likely that same file is the hardest (and highest tempered) metal you'll ever hold in your hands.
To prevent rust you add chromium. The more you add the less it will rust. Once you add over 13% chromium you are legal to say you have "stainless steel." The only problem with adding chromium is the steel can not be tempered as hard. Chromium also adds "gumminess" (relative to hard steel) which makes sharpening difficult because it is like trying to sharpen chewed bubble gum. IOW, under a microscope you'd see little pieces that extend to the left and right instead to a fine point. You know, like the bubble gum stuck to the bottom of your shoes in a parking lot.
420 steel keeps the chromium level as close to 13% as possible. Why? So the steel can be hardened. Hardness is measured on a scale called the Rockwell Hardness scale. This steel can go up to a RC56 hardness. Henckels FourStar only goes up to a RC58.
Some Damascus knives go up to RC60 but they can cost upwards of $1,200 per set. They also tell you to "hand wash only." Why? Simply so they won't rust since you'll quickly get them dried after hand washing.
Some of the finest butchering knives are made by Sheffield and have been making knives since the Middle Ages. They really became popular starting around the 1600's. For butchers they have two types of knives; hardened carbon steel and if you are one not to take care of your knives they will sell you the same model in 420 stainless steel. Six steak knives will cost you about $350.00 if you can't afford the butcher's knife.
I lost my fine Henckels in a divorce and replaced them with a less expensive model of Henckels. I was disappointed that they were not rusting in the dishwasher. What that meant to me was the steel isn't as hard as my old Henckels.
But yes, if you want to spend a lot more and get Henckels they may not rust quite as much and they will be a harder knife. That's because you move into a much more expensive stainless steel that contains molybdenum and vanadium. You will also get a sticker that tells you to hand wash. If you ever watch professional cooks you'll see that they have a dish towel tucked at their waist. They will use this repeatedly to wipe their knives. Why? So food will not stick to the knives, dry and make a rust spot.
I will never 'hand wash' a knife unless I plan on using it in a few moments. I don't care what they say about not using a dishwasher. It is so very, very easy to remove rust from knives. Just use your Comet. I like to use Bar Keepers Friend. It does the same as Comet but designed to remove rust and shine stainless steel. A couple of wipes gets rid of the stain or rust.
Don't forget this is Stain Less, not never-stain, never-rust.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No