Every household needs a good set of knives, especially if you love to cook, but even if you’re a novice. A good knife set can actually make cooking more enjoyable. When a knife slices precisely through a cut of beef or glides effortlessly through a hard piece of fruit or vegetable, it is far more pleasurable then struggling with a blunt blade and sub-par set while trying to get dinner on the table. I have a knife block at home I swear by, so I was excited to try the Cuisinart 15-piece forged triple-rivet cutlery block set.
What is the Cuisinart Classic 15-piece knife set
Technically referred to as a 15-piece forged triple-rivet cutlery block set, it includes a sleek matte grey block to store the knives and accessories along with matching black knives with high carbon stainless steel blades that narrow to fine edges.
Each handle is designed with rivets for your fingers to provide a secure, ergonomic, and comfortable hold. Here’s what’s included in the set:
- 8-inch Chef’s knife: Ideal for most kitchen tasks, including slicing through fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry
- 8-inch bread knife: For bread products including loaves, bagels, pastries, and more
- 5.5-inch serrated utility knife: Good for cutting through sandwiches or certain cuts of cooked meat and poultry
- 5-inch and 3.5-inch Santoku knives: Designed for mincing, dicing, and slicing with a straight edge with a narrow sheep’s foot blade
- 3.5-inch paring knife: For cutting through smaller, softer fruits like kiwis and avocados
- Six 4.5-inch steak knives: For dinner time with meat, poultry, and other dishes that require cutting
- 8-inch sharpening tool: To keep the knives sharp, using it as needed
- 8-inch pair of all-purpose household shears: For cutting open packages and accommodating any other needs in the kitchen, or even beyond.
Everything stores neatly in the knife block, sliding into their dedicated slots for each knife.
The knives are made with high-carbon stainless steel blades to afford precise and accurate cuts, and feature forged, durable extra-wide safety bolsters to provide stability and control while using them. The forged triple-rivet design sets them apart, allowing for an ergonomic hold as your fingers slide nicely into each rivet so the knife fits almost like a glove.
Using the Cuisinart Classic 15-piece knife set
I immediately washed each knife with warm soapy water and dried them before inserting into the block. It’s advised to only hand wash these knives. You should never immerse the knife block in water. Instead, simply wipe it with a dry or lightly wet cloth.
While I prefer wood, the look of the knife block and set is would fit well in a modern kitchen, particularly if you have black or silver appliances and other items to match. I like that it’s very compact, in both narrow depth and width (12.7 x 23.5 x 34.3 cm, 5 x 23.5 x 34.3 inches) since that means it will fit as nicely into smaller kitchens as larger ones without taking up a lot of space. But I did find the spacing between the knives tighter than I have seen with other blocks, so there is a small sacrifice there. I in particular wish there was a little more spacing between the knives and the household shears so they could more easily be grabbed in a hurry without reaching in between knives handles to grab them. Nonetheless, if you’re pressed for space, like in an apartment, or have minimal counter space, this is a sacrifice worth making.
While making a dish that involved delicious purple potatoes for dinner, I decided to cut and boil them (using a Cuisinart stockpot I was also reviewing at the same time). So, I grabbed my regular knife from a knife block I own, a high-end knife I use for special cooking projects (thankfully, we procured it at a good deal!), and the Cuisinart Chef’s knife. This is the most versatile knife you can have in the kitchen and the one I often turn to for most cutting needs like for large fruits and vegetables, like watermelons and squash, and large cuts of meat or poultry.
I compared slicing with all three. The Cuisinart knife feels good in the hand and has some weight to it. It cut through hard potatoes as nicely as my regular set. While it takes a bit of oomph to cut versus my very expensive, professional knife that cuts through like butter, the difference isn’t enough to make investing in the much more expensive set necessary unless you’re doing some serious professional cooking at home. The tapered blades that narrow to a sharp, fine edge making slicing through things like red peppers and onions a breeze, provided you have the right technique.
Later, I used the serrated utility knife and Chef’s knife to slice through cooked chicken breasts to butterfly them for sandwiches, then the utility knife to slice the bagel sandwich in half. Both worked beautifully, cutting with little effort as I moved the blade back and forth to cut through a toasted bagel and all the fixings inside. I sometimes find other knives will start to pull items out from the sandwich, like slices tomatoes, but I didn’t have that issue with this knife.
Should you get the Cuisinart Classic forged triple-rivet cutlery 15-piece block set?
If you’re on the market for a new knife block set, perhaps even your first, this one is a solid option. The finish of the block will appeal to those with trendy kitchens that buck the trend of more old-fashioned (though still with rustic charm) wood, particularly if you have silver or black stainless-steel appliances to match.
It has all the types of knives you’ll need with ultra-sharp blades and a tool to keep them working like new for as long as you own the set. For both pro home cooks and those just starting out, it will help you cut with precision and accuracy. And the ergonomic design of the handles including the triple rivets, durable, extra-wide safety bolster, makes them comfortable to hold as you prepare a dish for the family.
See the Cuisinart Classic forged triple-rivet cutlery 15-piece block set at Best Buy Online.
