I cook. A lot. And I also bake. So having a good set of knives is crucial for my home. If you’ve ever questioned why that’s necessary, try to cut into a juicy piece of steak without a proper knife, carving a large chicken with a sub-par blade, or chopping small fruit or vegetables without a versatile paring knife. So I was excited for the opportunity to test drive two sets of knives: this Cuisinart Advantage 12 piece knife set, as well as the Cuisinart Pro Elite knife set, of which you’ll soon also read my review on this blog.
What is the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set
This set includes six professional-quality stainless steel knives with plastic handles: an 8” chef’s knife, 8” bread knife, 8” slicer knife, 7” Santoku knife, 6.5” utility knife, and a 3.5” paring knife.
But what really sets the set apart from others is that each comes in a distinct, bold and bright colour to add some fun to your kitchen, along with matching blade guards.
They come with a 25-year parts and labour warranty.
What Makes the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set Cool?
The vibrant colours of these knives, in blue, purple, red, yellow, green, and orange, not only add some splash to your kitchen work, but they also serve a useful purpose. Once you get acquainted with which is which, you know immediately upon opening the drawer that you need to grab the orange knife to slice that sandwich, or the blue to slice through your warm, baked ham.
The colour-coding also helps to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, so you don’t mistakenly use the same knife you used for cubing raw chicken to cut the vegetables to go with it. And the guards protect your precious hands and fingers from accidental cuts when grabbing the right one.
The blades are just as sharp as any other professional knife, and the non-stick coating makes them safe to use for all kinds of foods and kitchen jobs. One thing I could not determine is whether they are dishwasher-safe. But given that I don’t typically place any of my good knives in the dishwasher, even on a top rack, I’d stick to hand washing them, 
which is what I did through the few weeks I reviewed them.
Who is the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set Good For?
Serious home cooks and bakers will likely want to have a professional knife set that comes in a block to sit on the countertop, and includes things like steak knifes as well as utility ones. But for starter cooks, and those living in small homes who have limited counter space, this is a great set. You can safely throw the knives in a drawer with other large kitchen utensils, or drop them into a utensil holder and grab the one you need when you need it.
There are a few things to consider with this set. First, the fun and bright colours might make them appealing to young kids. But make no mistake: these are sharp, professional-quality knives, not ones you should hand over to a young child. This could be confusing for little ones. My six-year-old was thoroughly disappointed when I explained to him that he would not be able to use them. You can, however, let kids help by asking them to, for example, bring you the yellow knife, or the purple knife from the drawer, with the guard on, of course.
Second, you have to be really careful when placing the guards on the knives. Slowly slide them in, but make sure to put them on correctly or a portion of the bottom of the knife’s blade will be exposed. Take your time when putting these away!
What to use Each Knife For
The purple chef’s knife is ideal for slicing and cutting proteins and poultry, but it can be used for a variety of cutting needs. For example, you might need it to slice through a large watermelon, or a thick spaghetti squash.
The green Santoku knife is a Japanese version of a chef’s knife that is typically smaller, lighter, and sharper, with a slightly different shape. Using one or the other is typically a matter of preference. But both are considered multi-purpose utility knives that can accomplish a multitude of kitchen tasks.
The red bread knife, as the name implies, has a serrated edge that allows is to easily cut through bread, making it ideal for cutting slices off a loaf, cakes, and cutting the crusts off sandwiches. The edge allows for cutting through even soft breads that other knives might crush.
The slicing knife (blue) is the best one to use for slicing large cuts of cooked or smoked meat, thanks to its long and narrow shaft.
With a scalloped edge, the yellow serrated utility knife sits between a paring and slicing knife, and can be good for slicing soft fruits and vegetables, cutting large melons, making wedges from large heads of lettuce, shredding lettuce, and halving fruits.
Second in versatility to a chef’s knife, the paring knife, in orange in this set, can accomplish a variety of tasks in the kitchen, including peeling, cutting, or julienning fruits and vegetables, removing corn from the cob, and other small but important tasks.
Evaluation of the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set
I quickly got to work with this knife set, using each blade to accomplish different tasks. I cut sandwiches for my son’s school lunches, sliced avocados for taco night, cut meat, and chopped fruits and vegetables. Each knife worked well for its intended task. They travelled through most foods like butter, smoothly and with ease.
The chef’s knife, as illustrated in the video here, easily cut through a large spaghetti squash.
Bottom Line About the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set
The Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set might look like it’s meant for beginners, but the fun colours are merely to appeal to those with bolder design sensibilities. They are sharp, serious kitchen knives that can meet all of your cutting needs. While I prefer having my utility knives in a block, and tend to use steak knives as my go-to for many small jobs, these are ideal for someone living in an apartment or a home with a small kitchen that has limited space. It would also be a great set to keep at the cottage or secondary home.
See the Cuisinart Advantage Knife Set at Best Buy Online.
