A Quick Guide To Buying A Kitchen Knife Set As A Gift
What can you buy for the aspiring chef in your life that would both benefit and inspire them to continue their forays into food?
Knives are not only extremely useful to chefs of any experience, but they’re also an incredibly personal item too - after all, chefs should only use their own knives where possible to ensure that they are wearing the blade evenly and sharpening them to their own personal taste to ensure they are used safely.
However, if you’re looking to buy a set of kitchen knives for someone as a gift, there are a few things that you should consider first.
In this guide:
- The Intro
- Skill Level
- Handle Type
- Their Needs
What Skill Level is the Chef?
While there’s no hard-fast rule that only professional chefs can own certain knives, the quality of the knife will differ greatly from that of what a novice or someone who cooks as a hobby will require.
As chefs will need to rely on their knives day in, day out and put them under a lot of stress during their preparation and service hours, professional knife sets tend to be more costly as more material is used and special treatments and manufacturing processes are in place to ensure that the blades can withstand long periods of use for longer periods of time.
If you’re looking to buy a knife set for someone who is happy enough to experiment in the home kitchen, there’s no need to spend over the odds on a set which has been specifically made to withstand this level of use – save some money and choose a higher-quality knives that are more geared to moderate use than heavy, professional use.
Choose a Solid Handle
For comfort and safety, most chefs will prefer knives which come as one whole piece rather than the blade and the handle as separate items stuck together.
Even if the knives will be used moderately and within the home, having a knife which is all one piece – including the handle – ensures that the handle won’t snap off or break during use, which can occur if the handle is attached to the blade during the manufacturing process and the join is weakened during use.
Being able to put your trust in your knife is just as essential as trusting yourself to use your knife safely, and the two often go hand in hand.
What Knives Will They Need?
While there are a few knives which most chefs will want to have in their collection, a great idea when buying a set as a gift is to understand which knives that the person actually needs and will use.
Are they more specialised in their culinary endeavours? They may not need the standard chef’s knife, filleting knife or paring knife set. For example, if they are more interested in the carving of meat, then a knife set which has been specially put together for carving would be more appropriate – and appreciated!
Alternatively, the person you are buying for may have a preference in knife style or manufacturer. Just like car lovers who have their favourite motoring brand, some chefs and cooking enthusiasts have manufacturers that they just prefer for one reason or another. Whether they prefer the likes of Sabatier, Global, Wusthof or maybe even just like a particular style such as Japanese knives, try and get a feel for what they do – and don’t – from their knives and their manufacturers.
Although it might seem like a risky present to gift someone, a knife set can really be the perfect surprise for someone who loves spending a lot of time in the kitchen. With plenty of knife sets to choose and we’ve also picked out some of our best selling knife block sets, we’re confident that we’ll have the perfect knives for your requirements.
If you need further information about any of our products or need help with your purchase, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today – we’ll be more than happy to help!