Customer Reviews

Henckels ProS 12-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef's Knife

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

the previous poster meant to give it 5 stars, and this excellent knife (the best available, according to folks at Williams-Sonoma) deserves a 5

I'm picky! When I cook, nothing but the best will do. This is the best! Visitors to my kitchen are amazed at the size of this knife; until, I get it in their hands. It's balance is the best I've ever experienced. It is a joy! A must have for any cook.

Great knife. I own stainless sets of Pro-S, Grand Prix and Grand Chef. My favorite for the road is Grand Prix, because the knives are light, but my favorite set for everyday use at home is the Pro-S. This particular knife is as big as anyone could want for use in a kitchen. Great feel, balance and "rock," assuming you like the "shove-forward" type of chopping. Use a good steel, like the F. Dick, to keep it sharp, and this knife will last for 3-4 generations.

If this knife looks big in the picture, wait 'til you get it in your hands-it's huge! If you are used to large knives and are more than just a casual cook, you'll love it-otherwise I'd suggest you get the 10" or 8" version, depending on the size of your counter, cutting board and YOU. I started with the 8" and decided I wanted something a little bigger and this was on sale, so I skipped the 10" and went straight to the 12". A mistake? No-this is a great knife (not to mention it looks fabulous in my set ;) ), but I favor the 10" over the 12"-probably because the blade on this knife is longer than my forearm. It does come in handy for things like watermelon and pumpkin (as in pumpkin for culinary use, not for jack-o-lanterns), though I imagine a scalloped/granton edge would work better.

This is a very nice knife. If you're a serious cook, you'll love the balance, blade and size this tool offers you. I worked as a line cook and prep cook to pay for my education and grew comfortable with larger knives. If you don't cook much the ProS is a great line, just consider something a bit smaller. This one will scare you. The only reason for a four vs five star was that I was hoping for a taller blade. I own a discontinued 12-inch PROS a friend got me at the factory in Germany which is just as long, but is huge, a good 3/4 inchs taller than this one. I purchased this so I wouldn't have to transport my other 12-inch knife between two homes. Keep it honed, sharpen it occasionaly and it will last you a lifetime.

I have always used an 8 inch chef's knife for everything. Because the inexpensive knives I had, took so much work to put an edge on them, I only kept the 8 inch chef's and the steak knives sharp. I recently aquired a three piece set (with an 8 inch chef's knife) and this 12 inch knive. As a result, the new Pro-S 8 inch felt quite at home in my hand as I employed it for the first time. I found familiarity combined with great sharpness and quality. It was a Joy to sail through a pile of vegatables large enough to make 3 gallons of spaghetti sauce from scratch. Next the 12 inch chef's. It was suprisingly much less awkward than I thought such a blade would be to a novice like myself. It is very well balanced and takes care of its- self. When I get used to using the various blades for their appropriate tasks this Very Fine knife will perhaps be my "other" favorite. If you are a fan of melons this knife will be very handy. As with other Henckel Pro S knives, the blade is very sharp, and the handle is very well crafted. Because this blade will not fit in most blocks, I would recommend obtaining a blade cover/guard to protect both you and it before placing it in a drawer.