Customer Reviews

Wusthof Grand Prix 7-Piece Knife Block Set

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been using Chicago Cutlery knives from a set I bought about 10 years ago, and had become dissatisfied with them. This was partly my own fault, since I did not maintain the blades properly, but I had also grown to dislike the wooden handles, which were uncomfortable for big jobs. After reading many reviews on Amazon.com as well as on "epinions.com", I finally bought a set of Wusthof Grand Prix knives similar to this set.

They are wonderful knives of excellent quality, and while the cost seems high, if you view them as a lifetime investment, it's not unreasonable. Even a casual cook like me uses knives on a daily basis, and having a really great set to use makes a huge difference in efficiency and enjoyment as you chop, dice, or slice.

The two premium brands that came up over and over again as I did my research were Henckels and Wusthof. Both companies make excellent knives and have good reputations, and both are located in Solingen, Germany. So it then becomes a question of which knife feels best in your hand. You really do need to hold them before making a decision. Although I preferred the appearance of the classic knives with the three rivets in the handle, I found the molded handles to be more comfortable.

That narrowed it down to Henckels 4-star line (I didn't like the handle shape of the 5-star line) and Wusthof's Grand Prix. The Henckels were a bit less expensive, but I felt that the weight and balance of the Grand Prix were a lot better, at least for my hand. Also, a major consumer magazine ranked the Wusthof Grand Prix at the very top of their ratings, going so far as to call them the "best set the testers had ever used". This is not a case of hyperbole; these knives truly are a pleasure to use.

The store where I bought my set was having a 20%-off sale on all Wusthof knives, so I first tried to put together a set that would include only those knives I knew I would use. But the cost of those knives, not including a honing steel or block, was more than the set I bought. You save a lot by buying a set, so if you can afford it, it is cost-effective. Take note that "7-piece" includes the block, the honing steel, and the kitchen shears, so you're getting 4 knives.

The set shown here includes the basic knives that will meet the needs of most people. The knife block is well-constructed and the kitchen shears are very useful and easy to clean. One thing that was a concern for me was maintaining the edge on my knives, because you cannot just use them and expect them to stay honed. I was leery of using the honing steel, but it's no big deal if you follow the directions. My set included a video from Wusthof that showed how to do it, and it's not difficult at all.

I'm writing this review because reading other users' reviews was so helpful to me in making my decision. Whatever brand or style you get, you will be glad that you took the time and made the investment in quality knives, and will only wish that you had done it sooner!

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Grand Prix line is a more modern design than the Classic series, with a simple black handle. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This set includes an 8 inch chef's knife, a 3 ½ inch paring knife, a 6 inch sandwich knife, 7 inch bread, a sharpening steel, and an oak block

The 8 inch chef's knife is a great knife. Wusthof offers three sizes of chef's knives, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 6 inch is a bit small for bigger jobs, but the 10 inch is too big for most jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), this is the one I would recommend.

As for the 3 ½ inch paring knife, this knife falls into the category of overkill for me. Most cooks will get by just fine with the 4 ½ inch utility knife. There is really no notable difference in size for the vast majority of applications between the 3 ½ inch paring knife and the 4 ½ inch utility knife. I prefer the 4 ½ inch utility knife, but the 3 ½ inch paring knife will do the trick.

I have found very few uses for the 6 inch sandwich knife. I prefer the larger size of the chef's knife or the smaller 4 ½ inch utility knife. This knife is just the wrong width and length for most tasks, and falls into the overkill department, except when part of a set.

The bread knife, is a great knife. Many people think tomatoes are the hardest food items to clearly cut. I think bread is much more difficult; but this knife makes the task seem easy. However, this particular bread knife, at 7 inches, is probably too short. I prefer the 9 inch knife.

When it comes to sharpening steels, I have found very little difference between Henckels and Wusthof. As long as you buy a high end steel, you really won't go wrong. Therefore, I shop for this item on price, and Henckels has a price advantage. However as the steel comes with the set, you won't go wrong with this steel.

This set is a good deal as far as price. However, keep in mind you really only get 4 knives, two of which I think are the wrong selections, and one of which I think is too short.

I love these knives. They are extremely sharp, cut well, and have a very comfortable grip. This particular style is more of a pistol grip handle. These are extremely comparable to the Henkle set, both are high quality knives, the deciding factor for me was the grip of the knife. These keep an edge quite well, and do hold a blade that is most excellent. In a years time of extremely heavy use the blade still holds very well. These knives actually making cutting very easy. I honestly grab a knife now when I used to grab the food processor. These by far are the indespensible kitchen appliance in my kitchen.

I bought these as a present for my wife. Before making the final decision, I did A LOT of research. I wanted the best value for my money and I wanted this set of knives to last us for a very long time. We were both getting tired of getting cheap sets and having to replace them every few years. So, in my research it came down to two manufacturers: Henckels and Wusthof.

One of the reasons I eventually ended up going with Wusthof was because of the numerous reviews that I read that put Wusthof slightly higher than Henckels. The other reason I used in deciding on Wusthof was because when I was in the store getting a feel for the knives, I noticed that the Henckels 4-Star series I was looking at was not made in Germany, but the same 4-Star line I looked at in another store was produced in Germany. This made me a little leery. It appears that Henckels has two versions of the same line of knives. This was probably just a personal quibble more than anything else and is certainly no indication of the quality, but it may be helpful information to you.

All that being said, Henckels and Wusthof both sell some of the finest knives available, so if your decision came down to these two, you can't go wrong with either one.

As for the 7 piece set itself, it's a great set to start with. The 8" chef's knife will probably get the most use. The 6" sandwich knife is also a nice tool to have around the kitchen. They all are well balanced and handle very nicely. We like the looks of the Grand Prix line and the synthetic handles are easy to keep clean. The price is quite a bit for a set of knives, but as said earlier, I wanted something of quality that would last a long time. If you spread the cost over the years you use it, it is certainly a great value.

I have recently purchased the Wusthof-Trident: Grand Prix 7 piece set. If you knew me you would not believe that I spent that kind of money unless it was at least twice the value than I paid for it (I tend toward being cheap). I truly find these knives to be a bargain at almost any price! I had a decent set prior to this purchase and for a brief moment cheapness crept in and I questioned my sanity for spending so much. Then I used one. When you hear the staid, "It slices like a hot knife through butter!" You think - yeah, right. In this case the knife was "BUH-DAH!" It was the smoothest, easiest cut I ever made. I took out a comparable knife from my old set, tried the same cut and at that moment I was enlightened. I did not realize that I had been hacking or sawing with the old knives. Now I slice. I would recommend these knives to anyone who does a lot of cooking (food prep that is).

I owned Henckels in a former life - my last marriage. When I compare the two I really like the Wusthof. I like them so much that if I ever entertain the thought of re-marrying I would most definitely put the Wustofs in a pre-nup (along with my All Clad!).

Absolutely wonderful! Your kitchen will never be the same! I love how these knives are so beautifully balanced and flawlessly made. they slice through slippery veggies and tough items as easily as a warm knife through butter. This is the first time I am getting a kick out of cooking just because the knives are so much fun to use. I feel like they can really handle anything. I can chop things up as tiny as you could want (easy to go overboard the first few days). Warning: these are awfully sharp (as any good knife should be) so be careful not to nick yourself!! If you are clumsy, these are not for you!
In retrospect though, I would probably have gone for a bigger set that came with a bread knife. The block has the room for it so unless you are going to stick an old knife in there you get a sad empty looking block.

I own and have tried a number of knives from the standard cheapo's to designer hand-made French knives, and these fill a large general purpose niche. These knives are very sharp (especially after using the sharpening tool) and approach the sharpness of my Kyocera Ceramic knives. Ceramic knives are extremely sharp and hard, but suffer from brittleness and need custom resharpening efforts. The Wusthof knives are well made German "tools" that will hold-up to a certain amount of abuse. For more abuse, I resort to my cheapo knives to cut open packages of food, wine bottle foil, etc.. They are handsome and do have a high-tech appeal but do not approach the beauty of some French knives. The French knives have inlaid wood handles and have a "mirror" finish (which will scratch even with a plastic scrubber), but are limited to tableware use only.
You must be extremely careful not to get ripped-off with a "imitation" German knife. Most knives use a brand-name, but are really made in China. The descriptions and inflated prices can be very misleading. Even with all my research, I was not sure that I had made a wise choice until I looked at these knives and started to use them. Please do the same, since things change all the time and "outsourcing" is all the rage!
Anyway, in summary, these knives are great...so get them before they don't exist!

I have had a set of Wusthof Grand Prix knives for about four years now and I could not be more pleased with their performance, durability, and quality. From the professional chef to the home cook looking for quality to last a lifetime; these knives accentuate the way in which you will prepare meals for a lifetime. The folded stainless steel is of the highest quality available in the industry, and it shows in how long they keep their edge. As with all straight edge knives; never put in a dishwasher, cut on stone or metal surfaces and they will stay in top form.

Slicing, cutting and chopping are a joy now instead of a chore. Super sharp, they get the job done and feel great in your hand. In addition, they look great on the counter! I love 'em!!!!