With all the brands of knives available in the market today, how would you know which one to choose? Since all knives from different brands share the same purpose and functions, how would you know which one you should go with?
It’s a good thing we have the internet to rely on during these times of frustration. There are so many products out there, it can be quite overwhelming to choose one that you should purchase.
During such time, I personally rely on online reviews about certain products. It’s just a more efficient way of knowing what a certain product can offer you without having to go down to the store to see for yourself. Because of so, I decided to create several reviews of my own in order to help people like me who are also looking for certain products for their kitchen.
For this article, I will be talking about knives under the Chicago Cutlery brand. This Chicago Cutlery review will contain all sorts of information about the chicago cutlery brand, how to care for chicago cutlery knives, how to choose a knife, and 5 different products from Chicago Cutlery that I think are worth checking out.
Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Quick Comparison: Top Chicago Cutlery 2019
Product | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
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A+ | $$$ | ||
A | $$$ | ||
A | $ | ||
B+ | $$ | ||
B | $ |
**Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Chicago Cutlery Knives
Chicago Cutlery is a brand that has been established since 1930. It was originally a knife conditioning service company that offered services such as sharpening knives. After about 40 years of constantly providing knife conditioning services, the company has taken advantage of the opportunity to gain more money when the demand for sharp-edged knives increased.
Ever since 1969, Chicago Cutlery started to manufacture their own knives that they then supplied to numerous businesses in the meat and poultry industries.
The kind of knives Chicago Cutlery manufactures are specifically designed for home use. They come at very affordable prices and are made with fine steel that has been honed into different shapes.
If you try to look up Chicago Cutlery knives in the internet, you will find knives that don’t look like the typical knives in the market today. I personally think that Chicago Cutlery knives are a lot more stylish than most knives you can buy today.
Aside from the design, another thing that distinguishes knives under the Chicago Cutlery brand are the uniquely shaped handles that they come with. A lot of Chicago Cutlery knives are quite easy to maneuver, even when handling foods that are too tough to slice and cut.
Care And Use Tips
Though Chicago Cutlery knives are very affordable, they still demand proper care and use. Just because it is a lot cheaper than competing products from other brands doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be properly taken care of.
To ensure that your knives gain a longer lifespan, try to apply these following tips when caring for your cutlery:
SHARPENING
When it comes to sharpening knives, it’s always a good rule to only sharpen your knife at least 2 times a year. Doing any more than that would only peel back the metals of your knife. Instead, try to align your knife’s blade with a honing steel.
If you do need to sharpen your knife, you must know that you shouldn’t merely grind its blade on a whetstone or sharpening. There are certain rules you have to follow to ensure that you won’t break your knife’s blade.
Here are a couple of tips you can try when you sharpen your knife:
- Try to angle your knife at 15 degrees from a sharpening rod
- Stroke your knife’s blade edge against the sharpening rod while holding the 15 degree angle by pulling the knife’s handle toward your body as you direct it from the base of the sharpening rod up to its end.
- Repeat this process on both sides of your knife’s blade for about 4 times. Take note that you should alternate blade sides as you do this.
- Clean away the metal dusts from the sharpening rod by cleaning it with scouring powder, rinse it with water, dry it with a towel, and store it in a dry place.
CLEANING
When cleaning your knife, the best way to do so is by using a soapy cloth and rubbing it against your knife’s blade until there are no food stains left. The next thing you should do is rinse is thoroughly, and then dry it immediately to prevent rusting.
I would also like to suggest keeping your knives away from your dishwasher even if it is dishwasher safe. Sometimes, dishwashers can inflict dents and small nicks on knives from all the banging inside.
STORING
Always store your knives in a place where their blades are perfectly concealed. Also make sure that you store them in a place inaccessible to children.
I guess the best kind of knife storage is a nice knife block. All you’ll have to do is place it somewhere where the kids wouldn’t be able to reach it.
SAFETY
To ensure your safety in the kitchen when working with knives, try to apply these following tips the next time you prepare, eat, or cook food with knives:
- Always keep the knife sharp
- Always use the correct knife size
- Always cut away from your body
- Try to use a stable chopping board
- When putting the knife away after use, make sure that it’s blade is pointed away from your body.
- Always focus on what you are cutting, slicing, or chopping.
- Refrain from using your knife as a screwdriver, can opener, ice pick, etc.
Choosing The Right Knife
Choosing the right knife for your kitchen can be easy as pie when you know what to look out for.
Here are a couple of factors and features that you should become mindful of before you purchase a knife:
Plain, Serrated, or Micro-Serrated?
There are three types of blades you will find on knifes in the market today.
A plain edge knife is probably the best choice for slicing and cutting foods that easily break apart. I guess plain edge knives are ideal for cutting fish, sushi, tofu, and other types of food that are fragile.
A serrated knife is what I would use for slicing through a thick piece of steak, bread, carving poultry and thick dense foods. A serrated knife blade make it possible for air pockets to form as you cut through food. This means that if you were to cut through a dense piece of steak, the steak won’t stick to the side of your knife’s blade and will easily fall off.
A micro serrated knife is kind of like a combination between a plain and a serrated knife. I don’t really suggest going with a micro serrated knife because they can easily tear meat.
Use
If you are planning on getting a single knife instead of a whole set, try to make sure that the knife you are getting will be able to perform your culinary needs. There are well over 20 kinds of knives in the market today. Each knife is made for a specific purpose including chopping, peeling, slicing, cutting, opening shells, filleting, boning, and dining.
Ergonomic Design
A knife’s ergonomics will determine the overall experience it can provide you. Try to choose a knife that comes with comfortable grip handles that would allow you to easily maneuver the knife regardless of the type of food you wish to use it on.
Another thing to watch out for is the knife’s balance and weight. Try to look for a knife that is perfectly balanced. Something that’s neither too light nor too heavy. Note that a knife’s weight can significantly affect the amount of effort you have to put into using it.
Easy Maintenance
If you’re not the type of person who likes to keep things in shape, you may as well go with a low-maintenance knife that you don’t have to care for much in order for it to last long. Try to look for a knife that is dishwasher safe, stainless, and rust-proof.
Chicago Cutlery Products You Should Checkout
This Chicago Cutlery knife set can be a great addition to your kitchen since it comes with 18 knives including a paring knife, peeler, utility, steak knife, chef’s knife, slicer, bread knife, partoku, santoku, and a sharpening steel.
What I like about this cutlery set is that it comes with all the kinds of knives you need to effectively run your kitchen. Each knife also comes with very comfortable grip handles that allow for easy maneuvering when slicing, cutting, mincing, and chopping.
The knives in this set are also able to keep themselves sharp for a long period of time, which means less need for sharpening and maintenance.
This set also comes with a very handy lifetime manufacturer warranty that you can rely on if any product issues arise.
Pros
- Is made with high carbon steel
- Has a comfortable grip
- Is easy to sharpen
- Has a lifetime warranty
- Comes with a knife block
Cons
- Is susceptible to rusting
- The peeler doesn’t really do a good job at peeling hard skinned fruits
This 19-piece Chicago Cutlery knife set could be the right set for your kitchen since it packs all the types of knives you need to prepare and cook all sorts of foods.Each knife in this set is made with high-carbon stainless steel that is durable enough to last you for years to come. It’s blade isn’t very high maintenance since it’s rust-proof and not susceptible to snapping under pressure.
What I liked best about this set is how it looks like something chefs in restaurants would use. It's completely stainless steel design makes it look very sleek and professional. With this in your hands, you will not only be able to swiftly cut, chop, and slice food, but you will also look like a professional too.
Pros
- Is made with professional carbon stainless steel
- Comes with stainless steel handles
- Has a very attractive design
- Comes with a knife block
- Has a lifetime warranty
Cons
- Is a bit hazardous to use with wet hands
- The handles can be a bit slippery
A great choice for a person who is just looking to test out how great Chicago Cutlery knives are is this 3-piece Walnut knife set. This set includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 3-inch paring knife, and a 5-inch boning knife.
All of the knives in this set are made with high carbon 420 blades that are not only extremely durable, but are rust and stain resistant as well. They also look pretty sleek with their attractive stainless steel and walnut handle design.
These knives also come with highly ergonomic handles that are easy to grip no matter what your hand size is. And if any product issues arise, you can rest easy knowing that you can rely on a lifetime manufacturer warranty.
Pros
- Is very affordable
- Is ideal as a gift
- A great starter pack
- Made with high-carbon stainless steel
- Has ergonomic contoured handles
- Has a lifetime warranty
Cons
- Is not dishwasher safe
- Doesn’t come with a knife block
This Chicago Cutlery 16-piece knife set can help you prepare all sorts of food that needs to be sliced, chopped, minced, peeled, and more with ease since it is made with professional stainless steel blades that seldom get dull.
Aside from not requiring frequent sharpening, the knives in this set are also highly maneuverable since they all come with full metal tangs that enhance the knives’ overall strength, control, and balance.
The Chicago Cutlery is one reliable knife set that will offer you a performance like that of more expensive models for less the price.
Pros
- Is made with professional steel blades
- Has an attractive looking design
- Is very affordable
- Is very durable
- Comes with a knife block
Cons
- Is susceptible to rusting
- The handles can be a bit difficult to grip when wet
- Doesn’t come with a warranty
One thing that any kitchen shouldn’t be without is a nice pair of shears. This Chicago Cutlery deluxe shears are probably one of the best affordable kitchen shears in the market today.
These shears are made with high carbon stainless steel blades and a taper grind edge that will allow you to seldom sharpen it without having to constantly worry about its overall performance. A taper grind edge allows the blade of these shears to effectively retain their sharpness even after numerous times of use.
What I like about this pair of shears is that they are made to be left-handed-friendly unlike most of the shears you will find in the market today. And then there’s also the fact that it comes with a full tang blade that makes cutting easy as pie.
Pros
- Made with high carbon stainless steel blades
- Is easy to sharpen
- Has a forged bolster for added safety
- Is designed for both left and right handed use
Cons
- The handles can easily get chipped
- The handles can be a bit painful in the knuckles if you have large hands
The Winner
The Chicago Cutlery Fusion Forged Knife Block Set is truly a great choice for anyone who is looking for a complete set to add to their kitchen. The reason why I recommend getting this set over the others is because it comes at an average price range without compromising the knife’s overall build and performance.
Each knife in this set will certainly help you effectively prepare all kinds of food in the kitchen with ease as if you are a professional chef for only a small price under 50 bucks.
If you have any questions about the article above, please do not be shy to leave us a comment in the box below.
