Customer Reviews

KitchenAid 16-Piece Knife Set with Block, Red Handles

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We received a gigantic wood-base set of Basic Essentials brand knives for our wedding two years ago, and by now they are all discolored and rust-spotted and icky-looking despite only hand-washing them and trying to be careful with them. So we decided to try this set out when we saw it at this great sale price. I have a lot of other KitchenAid stuff, so I figured it was a good buy. Here are my thoughts:

PROS:
- KitchenAid brand
- Good assortment of USEFUL sized knives (the last gargantuan set had literally 5 or 6 knives that were so bizarre or unwieldly in size or shape that we never used them once, like this weird little hooked cheese knife, or this GIGANTIC butcher knife - everything seemed to be too big or too small, so I'd feel ridiculous using a huge knife to cut a tomato or something)
- Full-tang cutlery (except the steak knives) that is well-balanced and comfortable to hold without fear of slippage
- The smaller compact size of the block, and that it has spaces for all the steak knives as well as the scissors and blade sharpener
- The block is also visually appealing with the KitchenAid logo, if you're into that kind of thing

CONS:
- Steak knives are not really serrated (which could be a good or bad thing I guess), though they are sharp
- Steak knives are not full-tang, they are just a blade top inserted into a plastic base, but they don't feel loose, so hopefully they will withstand the test of time
- Block was a little disappointing looking; even though it is a nice compact size, it does not swivel like my old base, the holes for the knives go all the way through to the bottom of the base (which makes me think if I dropped it it would probably fly apart), and you can see wood glue that seeped out into the knife slots where it was put together. I will probably try to sand this down so as to avoid scratching the surface of the knives, as others have commented. Also, ours came with a strange light highlighter-yellow stain on the front, which I guess is not a terrible thing, but it was unexpected and a little disappointing. Hopefully I can get it off, if not, I guess I can live with it since it's not too visible once the knives are in there.

Overall, the knives are sharp and seem well-made, they come with a useful selection of sizes and blade types, and the base makes it convenient.

This is NOT your typcal budget cutlery set...
The price does not reflect the quality of the actual product. This is one of the best values in cutley I've ever seen. I own sets that have cost me alot more $$, but NOT of the same quality for the money that I have spent. The edge retention of the steel, as well as the fit and finsh make this set worth every penny invested. If you want a set of cutlery that will withstand daily/home use and continue to give the expected performace you can rely on, this is the answer. On the other hand, if you want "trophy/display" cutlery, keep looking.. and be prepared to spend alot more. If my set were lost, damaged, or stolen today, I would be back on the Net tomorrow reordering this same thing. Even though cutlery/knife storage blocks are usually a sidebar to the sets themselves, this one is well thought out. With the knife slots in a horizontal, instead of the typical vertical position, removal and reinsertion of the knives are somewhat easier and appear to have less of a dragging/dulling effect on the cutting edges. The quality of the wood and the attention to detail make the block worth what I've spent on the entire package (cutlery and block). GJM

I had been using old, dull knives to cut vegetables, meat, bread and everything else. I wanted to treat myself to a nice knife set, so I picked this one. I'm blown away by this set! The weight is perfect for chopping and the blades are nice and sharp. The funky red color looks cute in my kitchen too. The only negative is they're not dishwasher safe, but luckily they do clean easily by hand. Overall, I'm thrilled to finally have a knife set to be proud of.

REVISED: At the time I purchased this knife set, Amazon was having a problem picturing the correct set. They had mixed up the images with this set and the KitchenAid KA1PR16N Cook's Series knife set. It looks like Amazon has finally sorted out the problem.

It looks attractive, but I was markedly disappointed with the lack of sharpness in all the knives. I find myself reaching for an old set of knives to cut up vegetables. If the fruit or veggies are nearing ripeness, the kitchenaid knives will not cut through them at all.

Almost all my kitchen is KitchenAid. Since this brand is recognized by the quality in its products I figured this knives were no exception but this product is just wrong. Some of the knifes are full tang (5) and this is good, so I gave it a star. But the rest of the knifes just have the blade attached to the handle (meat knives) The wooden block scratches the knives, and I'm not saying that this happen over time, just happened by placing the knives in the block and taking them out, how can this happen with KitchenAid [...] The construction of the wooden block and the knives is poor. Not what you expect from KitchenAid, that's for sure [...]

First of all, they're just gorgeous. And then, they are wonderful to work with. I'm an amateur chef and I find these knives to be perfet for chopping, dicing, and other kitchen needs. They're heavy, but not too much, and the blades are nice and sharp. I never put my knives in the dishwasher, so that hasn't been a problem at all. I love them!

These are excellent knives for the price. I agree with all the pro's and con's listed below.

The lack full tang steak knives are not a big deal and the block is not great, but for these knives are well worth the money.

They are RAZOR sharp when you take them out of the box so be very careful!

The only con I would add is that they are made in CHINA! Boo!

I was so excited to get this new set of knives because I had been working with mismatched pieces for so long. After doing research, I found this to be a very good deal ($49.99). But, I am very dissapointed with the quality. I would have expected more from "Kitchenaid". Two of the knives were rusted when we got them. When you wash them, you must be very diligent to wipe dry ASAP or they will rust. I used to put all of my old knives in the dishwasher, with no rust at all. These can't go in the dishwasher, and yet even with careful handwashing, rust way too easy.
No wonder they were so cheap!

My shipment arrived missing one steak knife, and I was greatly tempted to return the set for a refund rather than an exchange. While the cooking knives are full tang and have the heft of a better knife, the steak knives look and feel amazingly cheap -- VERY plastic looking handles, and not full tang.

The blade on the chef's knife, too, was surprisingly dull, although that can be remedied. And my last complaint is that I wish there were an intermediate utility knife, something slightly larger than the paring knife.

So now you might be surprised to hear that I've decided on getting a replacement set -- hey, it's only $50 with free shipping, and for that the cooking knives are probably worth it! But I wouldn't pay more.

UPDATE -- I received my replacement set and the chef's knife in this set is considerably sharper. I've used these knives a week now and I'm satisfied. I do agree with another reviewer about the poor design of the block, the scissor handles actually hang down a bit over the steak knives, getting in the way.

these knives are so sharp & cut through everything wonderfully. the scissors are great also! love the color...just one of the best purchases ive made lately! would highly recommend them to anyone that needs a basic knife set!! they are great!!!