The Cooks' Den » Chicago Cutlery http://www.thecooksden.com Cooking Tools - Gear for Cooks and Chefs Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:49:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Chicago Cutlery Landmark Knife Set | Stainless Steel 12 Piece Full Tang Cutlery http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-landmark-knife-set-stainless-steel-12-piece-full-tang-cutlery/ http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-landmark-knife-set-stainless-steel-12-piece-full-tang-cutlery/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:26:59 +0000 JT Hats http://www.thecooksden.com/?p=4072 Chicago Cutlery Landmark Knife Set Although this is a practical knife set, it does have a few faults. The selection of knives is good, with a bread slicer, carving knife and chef's knife at the top end--enough to handle most of the heavy work-- while a utility knife and two paring knives cover the light side. Also included are four steak knives in the same distinctive pattern, and a sharpening steel.

Finishing touches are lacking here. The large blades look rough, still showing the striations of what in most companies is not the final grinding stage. If you do stop at this point you have a knife that doesn't look as good or cut as smoothly as a polished blade. Can a chef tell the difference in efficiency? Yes.

The knife block, constructed of laminated hardwood, with slots lined with plastic sheaths and a stainless steel top plate, is of good quality--but those extra sheaths and plates can cause problems. Wood is absorbent, and a little moisture on a steel blade is usually harmlessly wicked away by the block. With even a partial sheath, the moisture tends to be trapped between the blade and the plastic liner. That means rust, and sometimes even mold. Moisture can also be trapped under the top plate, so be sure you wipe the knives clean and dry before placing them back in the block.

Chicago Cutlery has done the right thing by stating flatly that the knives in this set are not dishwasher safe. Modern stainless steel will rust slightly if put away wet, and spots even more quickly in the drying cycle of a dishwasher. Chicago Cutlery makes it clear that this set is to be washed and dried by hand, not in a machine, and those who follow those directions have no problems with spotting or rust.

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]]> http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-landmark-knife-set-stainless-steel-12-piece-full-tang-cutlery/feed/ 1 Chicago Cutlery Fusion Bamboo Knife Block Set | 18 Piece Stainless Full Tang http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-18-piece-stainless-full-tang-bamboo/ http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-18-piece-stainless-full-tang-bamboo/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:08:09 +0000 JT Hats http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-18-piece-stainless-full-tang-bamboo/ Chicago Cutlery Fusion Knife Block Set You may actually be more tempted by the extra deals Chicago Cutlery offers with this 18 piece Block Set than by the knives themselves. Eight prep knives, eight steak knives, a sharpening steel and a laminated bamboo block make up the primary package, but wait! There's more!

Of course there is, but let's look at the knives first. The steak knives, stamped stainless steel blades with seamless stainless steel 18/10 handles, are nicely designed--but may not be essential to an established kitchen. The assortment of prep knives, with forged steel blades, bolsters and end caps and black composite wrap around grips, include some that are essential and others that are borderline. I'd like to see a larger Chef's knife in the set rather than the "Partoku" (Chicago's combination Santoku and paring knife). The blades in this selection run shorter than usual, from 3 1/4" for the standard paring knife to 7 3/4" for the Chef's knife. For many people this assortment will seem a little bit small.

The forged blades have the heft of traditional patterns, but these old designs have been surpassed in efficiency by newer, thinner, laser cut patterns from other manufacturers. Chicago knives also need frequent honing, preferably before every use. Hand washing is recommended.

On the other hand, you get three cheese knives with turned wood handles, kitchen shears and an $85 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks for a choice of gourmet meal packages. It's all a good deal, but not a great deal.

If you're looking for a smaller set, see the Chicago Cutlery Landmark knife block set.

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]]> http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-18-piece-stainless-full-tang-bamboo/feed/ 0 Chicago Insignia2 Knife Block Set | Kitchen Full Tang Cutlery 18 Piece http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-insignia2-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/ http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-insignia2-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:12:21 +0000 JT Hats http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-insignia2-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/ Chicago Insignia2 Knife Block Set Chicago Cutlery's Insignia2 18 piece knife block set includes all the essential knives for the home kitchen plus 8 steak knives, a pair of easily cleaned kitchen shears, and a massive hardwood knife block with a built in slot style knife sharpener. The construction of the Insignia2 is functional and clean, with full width tang handles, riveted polymer handle slabs, and forged bolsters and blades. For people accustomed to the feel of older knife patterns, these knives will be very familiar.

When Chicago Cutlery talks about the delicate taper grind of these blades I wonder if it's the same Chicago Cutlery I know--but looking more closely I do see that it is. These knives aren't delicately made. There's more steel here than you really need in a kitchen knife. Judging from the reports of customers familiar with Chicago's older products, there apparently are some fundamental differences in this newer product line. The edges have a tendency to roll, indicating that the company may have modernized the grind without upgrading the steel. A sharpening steel will be of help in maintaining the edge--running them through only the block's built-in sharpener may remove too much metal.

The stainless steel alloy in this set is recommended for hand washing only and may rust if left in water to soak or if run through a dishwasher. Neither of those methods is necessary for the simple cleanup required. Handle builds are sometimes a little rough, but solid and sanitary. Most buyers are satisfied, but the slight design changes in the Insignia2 mean that owners need to show these good blades a little extra care.

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]]> http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-insignia2-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/feed/ 1 Chicago Kitchen Cutlery Fusion w/ Paring Santoku | Knife Block Set 18 Piece http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/ http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:12:21 +0000 JT Hats http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/ Chicago Cutlery Fusion Knife Block Set Sixteen forged stainless steel knives, a quality bamboo knife block and a sharpening steel will be enough to outfit nearly any kitchen. Despite the trendy look of the brushed stainless steel full tang handles and the lifetime warranty of the flat ground blades, a cautious buyer should be sure that this knife set is exactly what they want.

Eight of the knives in this set are 4 1/4" blade steak knives--if you need them, that's great. If not, these eight knives only decorate the kitchen counter. The eight remaining knives include at least two that many home chefs will seldom find necessary--the 3 inch peeler and the 5 inch utility knife. One more is an innovation unique to Chicago Cutlery--the Partoku combines the graton blade of a Santoku with the 5 inch blade of a utility knife (Paring Santoku = Partoku).

Other blades include a 7 inch Santoku, a 7 inch Chef's knife, an 8 inch slicer, 7 3/4 inch bread knife, and 3 1/4 inch paring knife. The blades are definitely strong, but heavier than many counterparts from other companies. I do appreciate the extra strength of a forged full tang blade, but the flat grind of most Chicago knives is too much steel for many kitchen tasks. On those I have owned, I've had to spend quite a bit of time refining the edge.

Chicago Cutlery does warranty these well made knives for life, but recommends hand cleaning. To properly maintain the polish of the high carbon stainless steel, dry after washing and replace them in the block.

Here's another Chicago Cutlery knife block set in the Insignia2 style.

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]]> http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-fusion-knife-block-set-kitchen-full-tang-cutlery-18-piece/feed/ 0 Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition Knife Block Set | Kitchen 10 Piece Full Tang Cutlery http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-walnut-tradition-knife-block-set-kitchen-10-piece-full-tang-cutlery/ http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-walnut-tradition-knife-block-set-kitchen-10-piece-full-tang-cutlery/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:12:21 +0000 JT Hats http://www.thecooksden.com/chicago-cutlery-walnut-tradition-knife-block-set-kitchen-10-piece-full-tang-cutlery/ Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition KnifeSimple construction, good steel, a useful selection of blades in a solid hardwood knife block--all this adds up to an economical choice that many owners swear by. While you don't get the heavy forged bolster construction of Chicago Cutlery's more expensive lines, there's plenty of strong steel in these blades. If you're willing to keep the edges in good shape and give the wood handles some extra care, you'll have nothing to complain about here.

In this set you get two 3 inch paring knives, one 5 inch and one 6 inch utility knife, a 7 1/2 inch fillet knife, 8 inch carving knife, 8 inch chef's knife, 10 inch bread knife, sharpening steel, and a solid hardwood storage block. The build of all these knives is plain and simple, like the knives that began the Chicago Cutlery line. The steel of handle tangs and blades is one piece, with American black walnut handle slabs that are shaped with some concession to modern ideas about ergonomic design, but fixed to the tangs with old fashioned solid brass rivets.

The advantage of wood slab handles is the feel of them. They give you a grip that is warm and not plastic slick. The drawback is that they will definitely need some thoughtful care. Run them through a dishwasher or leave them to soak in a sink full of water and they'll warp and separate from the steel. They aren't likely to come loose, but they won't be gap free any longer.

The blades will also need some attention. Quick cleaning and hand drying will maintain the polish, but only frequent sharpening will keep the edge in top shape.

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