Wusthof Reviews

This would be the one. THe 8" chef's knife was my first Wusthof; and using it for the first time instantly erased any remorse I had about the price. It is an incredibly fine precision tool for chopping, dicing, etc. I cook a lot for fun; and since buying this knife, I have pretty much upgraded every piece of cutlery I use to Wusthof (and I use them all). Still, if I were only permitted to own one kitchen knife, this would be the one.

If, like some pros, you like to grip the top of the blade between your thumb and index finger, forward of the bolster, and wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle, this knife is hard to beat. Such a grip is said to give better control, straighter cuts, and narrower slices than wrapping all fingers around the handle allows.

Yesterday I took a knife-handling techniques course offered by a Wusthof rep at a local shop and was amazed by how quickly this knife turned carrots, celery, and nearly anything else into neat slices and chunks. Using the grip described above, one merely rolls the knife back onto the item being cut, lifts the back only, and repeats, sliding the food into the knife. The front of the blade merely rolls and slides on the cutting board, and is never lifted. (Compared to this, the instructor said my lift-and-chop technique was fairly effective, but abusive! *L*) With this knife, you could cut a carrot or celery into neat, thin little slices in less time than it takes to lift the lid off your food processor and get ready to clean it.

I've got other good knives - prior to this knife, I already owned Henckels 4-star 6" chef's and fillet knives, a Henckels Pro-S 3" paring knife, and a Wusthof hollow-edge santoku (another awesome tool). The Henckels knives are excellent quality, but do not lend themselves to the forward grip; I tried it with my Henckels chef's knife and found that the forged bolster felt sharp-edged when I gripped the blade this way. Make no mistake - the Henckels is an excellent knife and works well, albeit with slightly less control, when all fingers are wrapped around the handle. The Wusthoff knife has a shallower transition fillet from blade to bolster and lends itself to either grip. I'd chosen the 6" Henckels because it felt well-balanced gripping the handle alone, while the 8" seemed heavier and less agile, but with the proper grip the 8" Wusthof Classic is balanced just right. The Wusthof Grand Prix, like the Henckels, tends to encourage an all-fingers-on-handle grip, though the bolster region may be more finger-friendly. I used to look longingly at Grand Prix knives, but last night's class sold me on the benefits of the Classic handle.

Needless to say, after giving it such a thorough tryout I took this knife home with me!

I've had one of these knives since 1968! I've used it several times every week since buying it, have sharpened it many, many times on both a whetstone (with oil) and with a ChefsChoice. The tip is a little bent and worn, and there's a nick in the handle, but it still cuts like new. I would give up my three Cuisinart Food Processors before parting with this knife. It's an essential tool in my kitchen, and I expect to get another 30 years' use out of it.

I bought these knives and I love them. They are a joy to use. Top quality. Check the model #8243 on the Wusthof web site and you'll see they are the real deal. I got them on Amazon when the price was at $239.99. What a steal!

I read once that the best is the cheapest and I find that to be certainly true. These are the best knives ever! They will last a lifetime and save you a lifetime's worth of constantly buying one 20 dollar knife after another. The knives I use time and time again are probably the chef's knife (which I used to find intimidating but no longer) and the 5.5 inch sandwich knife. I love the sharpness, the feel and the weight. It makes cooking and prepping so much faster and easier. I chose the GrandPrix over the traditional styled Classic because of the way the rounded handles felt in my hands and the textured grip makes for never having to stop to dry my hands in between kitchen prep duties. After you have been dicing and slicing for more than 15 minutes, the GP handle doesn't give me the cramped hand feeling that the traditional handles give me. Some people say that the handles easily get scratches but I have had mine for 3 years and don't notice any but I always handwash mine (wonder if that makes a difference) and besides, I consider them tools and workhorses not decoration. I think they say you're supposed to sharpen high quality knives each time before you use them. Yeah right! I never sharpen my knives because they can keep the edge sharp for so long plus I'm plain lazy. My husband does that for me once every 3 months and I notice the difference. But even "dulled" after 3 months with no sharpening, I haven't met a slab of meat or veggie my knives couldn't make quick work out of.

I own the 8 piece classic set; which came with the following: an 8"Chefs,Carving,& Bread knife; 4 1/2" utility, 3 1/2 inch paring, sharpening steel, take apart shears, a well made deluxe oak block which also has room for 6 steak knifes. I also purchased 4 Classic Mignon steak knifes, a Santoku knife, a serrated tomato knife & that still left room for 2 extra knifes.
These are the best investment I ever made in a set of kitchen knifes. They are very well balanced and cut like a dream & hold an extremely sharp edge! I put most of my other kitchen knifes into retirement except for an electric knife on holidays when visiting, and a few special ones. A lifetime guarantee comes with each Wusthof plus I consider it a lifetime investment unless you happen to lose one.
Once you use a Wusthof for a short while, you will appreciate what a well made knife is! (Rated #1 by Consumer Reports magazine.)

With marriage pending, I've had a lot of decisions to make regarding kitchen items. I recently purchased this knife, and could not be happier with its performance. My mother has always had cutco knives, which I considered to be of excellent quality, until this knife arrived. It is razor sharp, and cuts through vegetables as a hot knife through butter. I was surprised by the weight of the knife itself. It is heavier than most, largely due to the stainless steel handle, though comfortably so.

The stainless steel appeals to me as an aesthetic property. One small caution to those of you who are neat freaks... If you plan on displaying your knives in a block on the counter, it will take a small amount of work to keep the handles fingerprint free, as with most stainless steel, they show every smudge.

Barring that, consumer reports rated these knives excellent, as they did with the grand prix and classic lines from Wusthof (all of these lines have the exact same blade, merely a different handle). Henckels also did well, and Twin Select, their stainless line, scored higher than Wusthof, though I feel it is merely a matter of preference. Make sure that you try it out before you buy it. It should feel comfortable. Wusthof.com lists stores at which you can "test-drive" their knives before purchase. I would highly recommend doing so.

this knife is awesome. it has a good weight and feel to it when you are chopping or slicing. it is so sharp-goes through tomatoes like you are cutting butter. with a knife like this you really don't need too many others except a good serrated knife. it is worth every penny.

Item arrived on time, was packaged properly and was in excellent condition. I would purchase from this seller again.

In June of 2003, I wrote a blurb praising this starter set. My opinion from then hasn't changed, except the last part where I wrote that I couldn't justify Wusthof's price for those knive you don't use every day. Well, I lied. Since then I have replaced virtually every knife I had then with a Wusthof. Whether I was dicing veggies, carving a roast, or simply cutting up a chicken, I just got to the point where I could no longer tolerate using an inferior knife for the job; so I upgraded as I went along. All my old knives went into my camping box (you're supposed to be "roughing it" when camping, right?).

The knives in this set are superb. The problem is that after using them, you are liable to do as I did and spend lots of money later. Be warned.

I highly recommend this as a good starter set for Wusthof knifes are a high quality made knife, well balanced, hold a good edge,a lifetime guarantee,& #1 rated by Consumer Reports. I feel the 4 1/2" utility knife is a very good companion to these 2 also.Just make sure to feel the difference of each style for yourself; for some like the Grand Prix but I prefer the Classic. They cut through stuff like butter & make cutting alot less of a chore!

A great pair of knives. I use them daily and wouldn't trade them for any other knife I have ever touched. The balance and weight are perfect. Take care of them, and they will last forever.

I received this paring knife (included in the course fee) when I took a Wusthof knife skills course at a local shop. It's everything a knife should be - sharp, solid, well-balanced, and a comfortable fit in the hand. Wusthof got the proportions of the classic-style handle about right; not too fine, not too chunky... just right for comfort and control. After the course I gave it to my mother, who was surprised at its sharpness. (I already owned a Henckels Pro-S 3" paring knife, which has a slightly longer handle... IMO the two knives are similar in quality.)

This is also the knife that inspired a friend who finally bought one to exclaim, "I'm surprised you didn't say, 'You call that a knife????? THIS is a knife!' when you were using my (old, stamped, serrated) knives!" She now understands my addiction to forged German steel.

As always, it's best to try several knives in person and see how they fit your hand before buying, but it would be hard to go wrong with this one.

This is a great addition to any kitchen. I think it will last for the rest of my life! Soon I hopefully can add more of this brand to our kitchen. I highly recommend it!

I've got a cheap-o chef's knife and I've got this little 3 1/2" Wüsthof paring knife. It's a testament to the quality of the Wüsthof that I'd rather use it, even for big knife jobs like chopping vegetables or cutting meat. The quality of the blade more than makes up for the lack in size.

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 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.

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 Classic line is the more conservative counterpart to the Grand Prix line. The only difference, however, is the handle style. I personally prefer the Grand Prix, but this is an issue of personal preference. 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 four sizes of chef's knives in the Classic line, 5, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 5 and 6 inch are 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 actually purchased the 6 knife starter set... The only difference is it did not come with the bread knife (good to have), although I will probably purchase one in the future. I use the 6 inch serated knife for bread, bagels and tomatoes. I think this is a good bargain because I don't feel you need all the knives in the 10 piece set. The block is good to have in order to keep your knives protected and handy. I tried both the Henckels and the Wustoffs and I prefer the fit and feel of the Wusthoffs. I highly recomend these knives.

Finally we purchased a set of fine knives. What a difference! I can't really compare these to other fine knives, but I can't imagine better quality.

The 6 inch sandwich knife and the 8 inch chef's knife are great. The handles are smooth and the cutting is effortless. My favorite, however, is the 3 1/2 inch paring knife. It is balanced and cuts so smoothly.

I love this set of knives.

For those of us who love to cook much of our pleasure is experienced in the preparation - whipping egg whites to a perfect frothy peak, cutting cookies into imaginative shapes or slicing cleanly, quickly and neatly the ingredients for casserole or soup.

This Japanese inspired Santuko knife by Wusthof has certainly added to my joy in the kitchen. It's the perfect implement for slicing, dicing or chopping. Alternating indentations prevent food from sticking to the blade, while its heft and balance are perfection.

A razor sharp blade allows me to slice as thinly as I wish, whether it be for carpaccio or the prosciuto we so enjoy. It's ideal for the cheese and ham in panini, and makes quick work of onions and celery for a family recipe for vegetable soup.
Of course, an added bonus is the Wusthof name, which we have learned means quality.

I do recommend that you hand wash it, just as you would a fine piece of silver. Believe me, this knife is sterling in every way.

- Gail Cooke

Forgive the LOTR reference, but this knife really makes most others obsolete.

You've probably already read the great reviews from noted reviewers, but I think there's an important point to mention. Most people end up buying a large block of quality knives b/c they feel it offers the best value. In actuality, most of the set goes unused and they simply stick with a Chef's knife.

This particular knife offers a more convenient shape and style than traditional Chef's knives. It feels more "ergonomic" when slicing, chopping, etc. It is also sharp enough to easily slice meats. The hollow edge doesn't seem to prevent sticking with vegetables (zucchini), but I haven't directly compared this with a non-hollow edge. For those who are looking for a great, all-around knife I really don't see much competition for this product. Big blocks of knives are nice for show, but for the practical-minded this knife makes the most sense.

This knife is fantastic. Makes the boring job of chopping a whole lot easier. One thing to be careful of though, when things stick to the sides of the knife, it is best not to use your finger to slide them off, it will get ya. Otherwise, I highly recommend it. It is worth every penny!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I've been way over hyped on this line of knives but you know how it is...marketing is everything.
If you are stuck on buying the name "Wusthof" then buy this in the "Grand Prix" line 'cause the grip on this "Classic" line of blades is the least comfortable of all the riveted scale handles available...too deep and narrow for a 12 hour day in a commercial kitchen or a big hand (grip test it against other brands before you choose, I might be wrong ;-). This Santoku weighs almost 3 oz. less than other brands... a trend that I've found throughout this line. I've tested this one at work and I need something heavier.
No complaints on the blade, edge, and finish though, it's top notch.

If you are just browsing then check out the Kai Santoku...for just $10.00 more you get the best Santoku available. If you want an equal but heavier blade for a GREAT price buy a Henckels 4 Star.

We concede 4 mojo*z for the blade only! Buy the "Grand Prix".

I purchased this on one of the Amazon Friday only sales & couldn't be happier. When my husband first started me on the Wusthof line my first request was for a Santoku knife. Well, the set we purchased here locally was $99 which included the Santoku with oval indentations ("kullens") knife and a smaller paring knife. When I saw this one on the Friday sale I didn't hesitate because I love the one I already have and wasn't about to pass up such a great deal for another one!

Another buyer who submitted a review said that this particular knife has oval indentations ("kullens") on the side of the high-carbon steel blade. I can tell you that this knife does not. I'm not complaining because when we purchased my first Santoku I couldn't decide between the flat blade or the one with the indentations. I was happy when I received this knife from Amazon and found that there were not any indentations on it, now I have one of each of the Santoku knives in my Wusthof block.

I hand wash all of my knives and about the only downside to any of my Wusthof knives is that because I use them so much and hand wash them so often the tiny red "W" sticker on my first Santoku is starting to peel off. Whoop-de-doo, lol! You can't beat the Wusthof Classic line, I love it! You won't be disappointed whatsoever!

This knife is excellent for small hands. Because of arthritis, my grip is not as good as it was, and I've found this knife to be perfect! I use it with ease for everything (except breads) and I plan to buy another for myself and one for my mother who has similar hand problems. I searched for a knife like this for years. I highly recommend it!

This high quality model with its forged blade, good weight, and full tang handle is an excellent choice, overall. However, knives need to be bought with the end user in mind. The first question--how big is your hand?--is THE critical question to answer before buying an expensive chef's knife for the average home cook. (Professional chefs trained in culinary techniques have their own needs, which will differ from the rest of us.)

If you are a woman with small to average sized hands, you may prefer a 6 inch chef's knife for most of your chopping/slicing needs. If you are a man with large hands, the 6 inch size will likely feel too small.

Our kitchen has both the 6 and 8 inch sizes. The 8 inch was a wedding gift, bought to fit my husband. I tend to use the larger one when cutting heavy or thick items, but the majority of the time, the 6 inch chef's knife is the one I reach for. (I bought that after trying to accommodate unsuccessfully to the larger size.) However, when I'm cutting something really big or dense, I do reach for the 8 inch knife.

For most people looking for quality knives, this will fit the bill. I recommend that you consider starting with this one.

A final note: Please don't put a knife of this quality in the dishwasher. If you're worried about salmonella after using it on poultry, a spray of kitchen disinfectant or of a dilute bleach solution will take care of that. (After all, you can't put the countertop in the dishwasher!) Plan to hand wash it immediately in hot soapy water, learn to use a steel properly and sharpen with a good quality sharpener as needed. In return, this knife will provide you with a lifetime of service and is likely to outlast you.

I have Wusthof chef's knives that range in size from this 6 inch up to the 12 inch Wusthof, The 6 inch seems to be the one that gets used the most for kitchen chores. Most "professional" chef's and even Wusthof sales literature call the Wusthof 8 inch cook's knife the "flag ship" of their line. Indicating that it's a "must have" for the home kitchen. Since Amazon doesn't allow price quotations in their reviews check for yourself, the difference between the 6 inch and 8 inch Wusthof Cook's knives.
For the difference, I can also buy another knife I truly feel IS a "must have" - a good Wusthof paring knife.
The 6 inch model is well balanced, sharp from the factory as are all Wusthof knives, easy to maneuver. If you're building a good knife set I recommend looking at the 6 inch Wusthof and comparing it to the 8 inch. The extra difference in price could be better spent on the paring knife. The 6 inch is made with the same high quality metal as the 8 inch too.

John Row

This is an overall excellent kitchen knife! Its a great size, not too big for easy use or storing. It is something I use almost everyday for most cutting jobs. I will say that for larger, harder veggies, like winter squash i think i could use a bigger knife...but if i had to pick one, i would pick this one. I bought a shapening tool at the same time and use it often.

After every use I wash and dry it totally. Leaving these knives to drip dry (or using a dishwasher) will i think stain the blade. I do have a dark water spot or two from before i realized this.

The knife is sturdy. When you are cutting, if the blade is sharp you do not feel like it will *slip* off the food your cutting. Its solid but not heavy...