At less than $20 for any of their knives, Cuisinart has made their tools friendly for budget-conscious buyers and beginners. Partial or semi tang knives Cookware Sets are often lightweight and less expensive, but sacrifice durability for these qualities. Knives in the Artisan and Advantage series are partial tang.
This set contains everything you could possibly need for almost any dish, as well as a few valuable extras like a knife sharpener to properly maintain your knives’ edges. Sharon Franke has been testing and writing about kitchen equipment for over 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools expert, she spent seven years working as a professional chef in New York City restaurants. In her free time, she’s busy baking sourdough bread and rustling pots and pans on her own stove. Their construction also makes these knives expensive, which is why you get a highly-curated set.
On all of the pieces, the bolster is sloped, so you can comfortably use the pinch grip that the pros use to give them good control. We think these classic knives are just about perfect and worth the splurge. Forged and full tang, they feel good in your hand, are easy to control and are neither too heavy nor too light. Right out of the box, it’s sharp enough to slice ripe tomatoes without squishing. Yet, it also has the heft to cut a whole chicken into quarters. Virtually all high-quality knives today are made from high-carbon stainless steel.
Building on the successful DNA of the Cuisinart Classic series, their Graphix line forgoes a molded plastic handle for a bumpy metal one. As a result, this line offers substantially better grip, even while your hands are wet. That’s combined with the same high carbon stainless steel blades, and offered at the same price as the Classic series. Some knife sets come with blocks that have slots to store the knives in, while others come with individual covers.
However, forged knives are also pricier, heavier and less flexible. Some people prefer lighter weight stamped blades which are easier to maneuver, especially around bones or a small item like a mushroom cap. Each knife has a non-stick coating to make cutting, slicing, and chopping easier and mess-free.