Wüsthof - Three Piece Cook’s Set - 3 1/2" Paring Knife, 6" Utility Knife, and 8" Cook’s Knife (9608)

I did a lot of research on the popular, better knife brands before buying. I was torn between the two most well known: Wusthof and Henkels. I saw a lot of reviews regarding Henkels about them not lasting long or living up to expectations. According to Wusthof's website, all their knives have the same blades in them, in all their knife lines. Perhaps I misunderstood their descriptions, but this is the meaning I took away from their own website. That being said, the only difference between their cheaper and most expensive (Classic) lines is the handle. I would still purchase the Classic line, even knowing that. The metal in the blade on the classic line runs through the entire handle, all the way to the butt end. The metal is exposed on the top and bottom of the handle, giving a very good secure grip. The knives are very well weighted and hefty. I bought the cheaper, Silverpoint, line of Wusthof steak knives. The difference is clear. The Silverpoints are still very nice knives, however they don't have the hand feel and 'confidence' of the Classic line. The blades are great, it's the cheaper feeling handle. What I am getting at: if you want quality knives, you really can't skimp, even on something that seems as trivial as a handle. This set is a great starter set. I was concerned that it would not provide a wide enough variety of blades. I was wrong. The 8" knife is perfect for solid chopping, especially tough vegetables. The mid size 'sandwich' knife is very good for trimming soft meats. And of course the paring knife for traditional paring duties. As others have mentioned, nicer blades like these should be treated a little bit differently. Do not put these into dishwashers. They will bang around and become dull, quickly. The heat will also damage the handles. Hand wash and towel dry immediately after use. The steel will rust quickly, otherwise. These are great knives, and they need exceptional care to last.

I got these knives primarily because a) I have been eyeing them for 2 months now and were at the top of my wish list and b) they were on sale for $125. I can't give Wusthof enough praise. The knives feel so balanced, so sharp, and so large. They feel solid in my hands, and you can tell the build quality is great. I took the tip of my finger and ran it perpendicularly across the blade and for the first time since I've owned a knife I heard the way real quality steel sounds like when it is properly forged. I used the chef's knife to cut up a shallot and a zucchini today. I think "cut" is a harsh word for this instrument because of how elegantly and effortlessly it moved through both vegetables. It felt like I was just dipping the knife into foam rather than a solid object. I've owned them for a day now so obviously I'm still in the honeymoon phase. I'll try and post an update as I get more experience with them and as their strengths and weaknesses start to show.

If I could, I'd give this product 10 stars, or even 20. I bought these knives for my boyfriend for his birthday, we are both in college and have recently gotten very involved in cooking. We did much research and found these to be the best cooking knives (we watch Food Network and virtually everyone uses these knives) and, we were definitely impressed. They are nothing short of amazing! They cut through everything like butter, it makes cooking such a breeze, they are easy to handle, and I've heard they last for forever, judging from everyones reviews on here. I only reccommend these knives, they are lifesavers and make cooking that much more enjoyable. I will never own any other knives other than Wusthof. Also, this set is a GREAT price for what you are getting! Absolutely amazing. 10 stars if I could. UPDATE: I have had these knives for over a year (I know it isn't a super long time, but it's enough for an update) and they still look brand new. We use these knives daily and they work wonders. The only thing you need to do is get them sharpened every once in awhile, depending how often you use them.

I used to have BergHOFF set for years and really used to it, but always wanted something more professional. After reading about different brands I decided to purchase Wusthof Classis. This set of 3 is perfect for our needs. I used the smallest one to peel potatoes and loved it!!! I never knew I might enjoy peeling potatoes!!! Knives were nice and sharp out of the package. Package was in great condition. There were few slight scratches over largest knife's blade, but it's very minor and not bothering me. I highly recommend this set as a starting set. I compared different sets and figure out some sets have too many useless knives (I can cut bread with much cheaper knife is I need to for example).

I purchased this knife as part of a Christmas gift package for my wife which included the Wusthof 4 1/2" utility knife. One of the first tests was to use one of the larger knives to slice a squash in half for baking. It went through with a little effort, but nothing like what it took with the old Chicago cutlery knife that we used before (took two hands)! This was the larger kitchen knife in the three piece set. The smaller knives are excellent for chopping and dicing, and again the difference was like between night and day compared to our old Chicago knives used for similar tasks.I have limited experience with other knives and how they compare to Wusthof, but so far these knives are just great for what we need and exceeds our expectations. Time will tell how long the edge lasts, so I cannot endorse the longevity, but right now I highly recommend the Classic Wusthof knives for anyone thinking about upgrading!

I purchased these knives about a month ago, and I wanted to wait to write a review until I used the knives several times. When I first received the knives, I immediately took them out and started chopping some onions and bell peppers. The knives did not seem very sharp, I was experiencing quite a bit of resistance during my cutting, and they had a film of dust over them when I took them out of the box. I wasn't ready to give up on my first set of good knives and bought a honing steel to see if it made a difference. After honing the three knives, they are now living up to their reputation. They cut perfectly... I even held up a piece of paper with one hand and sliced through the paper without any resisitance. They are a bit on the heavy side; I am a new at-home cook with fairly small hands. However, after a few test runs with various veggies I was able to find the most comfortable hand placement and technique so the weight is no longer bothersome. I highly recommend these knives, but I advise you to also purchase the honing steel to keep that sharp and straight edge. All in all these knives are great and I am very pleased with my purchase.

We've been using this set for better than six months now and continue to be impressed with it. The quality and ergonomics of these knives is simply excellent--what a joy to use the right tools for the right job! A few passes over the steel after every cooking project restores the scary-sharp edge of each knife (any one of these blades will shave hair), so maintenance is simple and easy. For most cooking projects we use the Chef's Knife, the Paring Knife, and our Victorinox 6-Inch Semi-Stiff Boning Knife, with the Fibrox Handle (also from Amazon). Honestly, these three knives do it all for us! The six inch sandwich knife comes into its own during the week, doing what its name implies, throwing together a quick sandwich meal at the cutting board. For our uses, the above knives, plus our... - Victorinox Cutlery 4-1/4Inch Fork-tipped Tomato Knife - Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissor ...have readily handled every food prep situation to date! All were purchased from Amazon, and all arrived in a timely manner and in perfect condition. As our cooking adventures expand, we may add an item or two, and this is where we'll shop! --RB

Excellent quality as expected of Wusthof. If you routinely cook at hoke this is an awesome knife. Yes all in the Wusthof Classic line of knives are pricey, but these will last a lifetime and be passed along to your grandkids and more. Well worth the higher cost if you can afford them and want excellent knives.