Cutco - A sure "cut above the rest."
Written: Nov 14 '00 (Updated Nov 14 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Makes kitchen prep work a breeze!
Cons: Price
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| Barbarajo's Full Review: Cutco All Knife Set |
Although I am a Project Manager in the computer industry by profession, my intense love of cooking has "carved" me a new career path in catering.
Naturally, being a caterer means that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Many ingredients go into a successful catering business but to me, good equipment is one of the most essential. That is why I was excited that my niece called to ask if she could demonstrate a line of cutlery that she was selling.
I had no intentions of buying anything as she said that she would get credit just for the demonstration. Being involved in a new business, I am sure that you can understand that money is a factor. I knew that these products would be expensive, what I didn't know was that once I held them in my hand, I did not want to let them go. To make my choice to buy even more difficult, my niece came to demonstrate at my American Legion Post where I had just finished cooking for a few hours with some pretty sad knives. She used them in her demonstration to compare. The girl has more smarts than I realized.
My fiance too was so impressed that he purchased them for me as a "belated" Birthday gift.
I have never owned high quality cutlery, so I have nothing to compare to. Being so interested in cooking however, I am familiar with several brand names. Cutco is one. Another is Henckels. Be sure to read Baricat's review on Henckel's knives. She is not only a Professional Chef, she is a brilliant writer. Her review of Henckel's knives can be found at the following URL:
http://wingdman.epinions.com/hmgd-review-5F2D-13F485CE-3A0C3EF1-prod2
The first thing that I noted when I held my first knife during the demonstration was that it was just like one of my Mom's knives. My Mom and Dad just celebrated their 50th Anniversary. They received these knives for a wedding gift in 1950. In 1949, Cutco set out to create the "World's Finest Cutlery." There lies a guarantee for durability. So without further hesitation, let me present to you, my review of these fine products.
My first real test was last weekend when I catered two parties and prepped and cooked for several days before.
I cannot speak for other companies and the guarantees that are offered but keep in mind that besides the fact that this cutlery is superior, it also comes with a Forever Guarantee.
Cutco Products have several unique features.
The handle
is ergonomically designed to fit your hand perfectly. That was the first feature that I was impressed with. Since I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, comfort and ease of use is a must for me. It also provides a universal fit in that it is for a large or small hand, a "leftie" or "rightie." Your thumb and forefinger lock into place for safety and control. For comfort, it features a fatigue resistant design. I can vouch for all of these features.
The handle is made out of a highly engineered thermo-resin material that will not crack, chip, fade or absorb moisture. It is dishwasher safe and has full tang, triple rivet construction. The tang extends full length to provide extra strength, balance and durability. The triple rivets are ground flush with the handle to provide additional durability, strength and comfort.
The blade
is made from high carbon, stain resistant steel, from the best steel that money can buy.
Why high carbon?
It allows the blade to retain its sharpness. These products are stain resistant and are made to have superior edge retention, requiring minimal re-sharpening.
Its look
Its polished mirror finish gives an actual look of beauty. Moreover, this product resists rusting and corroding.
Why is the exclusive Double-D edge superior?
Because it provides hand applied recessed cutting edges, the points protect the blade, blade sharpness thus providing smooth and clean cuts.
Straight edged knives always need re-sharpening. Serrated edges cannot be sharpened. Cutco's, unique Double- D Edge can be resharpened. After many years of use, if re-sharpening is required, Cutco offers free service asking that the customer pay a nominal return handling and shipping fee.
Here is the custom set that I chose:
Paring Knife
Commonly used for paring vegetables, pitting fruits, removing eyes from potatoes, scraping and scaling vegetables and removing roots and stems. The paring knife can also be used when getting daringly creative to make radish roses and other decorative garnishes.
Spatula Spreader
Commonly used for icing, cutting and serving cakes, cutting and serving lasagna and pizza, or slicing and removing pies . It is ideal for spreading soft sandwich items such as cream cheese, tunafish and PB&J. (SurgRN911) would love it! I received this free with my purchase along with a storage tray.
This tool is also great for folding ingredients.
I found it to be perfect to spread my cream cheese, sour cream mixture onto my tortillas. It proved to be a great asset and time saver when making these hors' d houvres for over 100 people!
French Knife
The preferred blade by most chefs for quick, clean slicing, dicing and chopping. It's great for chopping salad greens, veges, nuts and fruits. It's an excellent choice for shredding and cubing. I found it a great choice for finely mincing my fresh herbs. And mince away I did! I use this tool most frequently. So, if you have to choose one, this would be my suggestion.
Trimmer
It slices, it dices! No actually, this is the slicing instrument of choice. It allows for precise, thin slices, on such items as tomatoes. Great for de-corning. I think I just made that up! Also, a great choice for trimming fats and rinds. I juice pineapple's everyday. I find this perfect to do the job of removing the very tough, annoying skin. "Can it core a apple?" It can core a cabbage!
Cleaver
If you are as serious about cooking as I am, you too would pay over $100.00 for this piece. I cook with a lot of garlic and this friends, is the instrument of choice. It is perfect for smashing garlic cloves. It is also a great severing and disjointing device. It cuts through frozen foods instantaneously. I was glad that it comes with a snap-on cover. This protects the instrument and you!
Caution
I will warn you that my brother ended up in the ER having to get sutured. My Mom also sustained a nasty cut. They should be used with extreme caution as they are extremely sharp instruments and DO keep them away from children. Be sure that sharp edges are pointed down and never hold food in your hands while slicing. My Italian Grandmother was famous for that. Yet, she never cut herself. I would still not recommend it.
Daily Care
It is best to hand-wash your knives with soapy, hot water, although they are dish- washer safe. I would recommend as I would with any expensive item, to wash, dry and put them away immediately after use. Allowing these products to soak may result in staining from the mineral content found in some water. Dishwashers can also cause damage as the knives can clash against one another.
To retain sharpness, never cut on porcelain, glass of metal surfaces with the straight-edged knives. They will become dull quickly if you do. The Paring, French Chef and Boning Knife are straight-edged.
Knives should be kept in a wood block or in the tray that Cutco provides at purchase time.
Do not expose them to open flames. Heat can destroy them.
Food items such as mayonnaise is extremely corrosive and can stain the blade. Do not allow food to sit for extended periods. It takes seconds to clean. Do it right away! To remove stains from handles, a mild, liquid abrasive such as Softscrub is recommended.
Cutco has many more items available that I have not included in this review. Some are:
Steak Knives
Turning Fork
Carving Fork
Butcher Knives
Table Knives
Flatware, etc.
Conclusion
If you spend a great amount of time in the kitchen, these products are worth every penny. If you do purchase them, use them with caution and take good care of them.
I find the products that I have so superior, that they can count on me to add to my collection as my purse permits. Hopefully, the pieces that I own now will be instrumental (pun intended) in helping my business to be such a success that I won't feel guilty or cringe when I ask how much the butcher knife sells for.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Barbarajo
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Member: Barbara Jo Acosta
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 58 members
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