Cook's Illustrated article about knives?

[erin elizabeth]

I am in the market for a new knife (I have reviewed the "I love my knife" thread for info too :) ) and I know that Cook's Illustrated just had an article on chef's knives and actually highlighted one that was only around $40, but was as good as the $80 ones. I subscribe, but cannot find the issue now that I need it. Anyone subscribe? Could you give me the names of the knives they recommend? My wallet and I will thank you!

[wallycat]

Check this out:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/search.asp

It looks like July 1999

[erin elizabeth]

Thanks wallycat, but I cannot view any articles unless I am a member. I did do a search on the site, but I swear this was in an issue just this past year (December? November? January?) Why can't magazine subscribers belong to the web site too? I've even gone to the library, but they don't have CI. I should have just gone out and bought the knife for all this trouble :) Just wanted to see what they would say!

[Zinnia]

Erin,
It was in the Nov./Dec. 2002 issue of Cook's Illustrated and I posted on that Cooking Light thread as well about the knife I got. The article was, "The $90 Chef's Knife Meets the $30 Upstart". I bought a $32 Forschner (Victornox) Fibrox, model 40520 and it is awesome! I would highly recommend this one, thats my personal opinion, and CI's too.
*Recommended
Forschner (Victornox) Fibrox, Model 40520 $31, weight 7.1oz.
Wusthof Grand Prix 8" Chefs Knife $82.50, weight 8.2oz.
Oxo Good Grips Mv55-Pro 8" Chef's Knife $29.99, weight 8oz.
J.A. Henckels Four Star 8" Chef's Knife $69.99, weight 7.7oz.
KitchenAid Ultra 8" Chef's Knife $91.99, weight 8.9oz.
Wusthof Culinar 8" Chef's Knife $109.99, weight 10oz.
Global Forged 8.25" Chef's Knife $112.00, weight 9.4oz.
*Not Recommended
J.A. Henckels Twinstar Plus 8" Chef's Knife $99.99, weight 8oz.

Hope this is of help. :) Zinnia

[Pat]

I just went to look this up but I see Zinnia has already posted. After reading this article, I was in Marshall's around Christmas time and they had the Oxo Good Grips Mv55-Pro 8" Chef's Knife and the paring knife together in a package for $20. I could not resist after reading this article so I bought myself a Christmas present. I love both of them! I had been considering either the Wusthof or a Henckels and had tried the heft and handles at WS but neither felt right in my hand. I liked the softer handle of the Good Grips as I have RA.

[erin elizabeth]

Zinnia and Pat--

Thanks so much for your posts. I went to WS a couple of weeks ago and tried a Wusthof Classic (I think) 6 inch and it was pretty nice--in fact I liked it out of all the knives they had in the case, but I definitely wanted to look at more before I make a selection. This will be really helpful! I am replacing a cleaver my BF bought me for Christmas--I told her there was no way she was going to spend $60 on a cleaver when I rarely use one. Of course it is March and I still haven't bought a replacement knife! :rolleyes:

[funnybone]

I was in Marshall's yesterday and they had a Wusthof Chef's knife for $24 - $29, depending on size. I didn't need one, but I bought a bread knife.

[Ohioan]

I have two of the Forschner (Vitorinox) chef's knives, and I love them. They keep a good edge with little more than a steeling every two or three uses, and they have a good rocking motion for chopping onions and mincing garlic. Oh, and of course they're incredibly cheap for such good knives. I highly recommend them -- as does CI, which ranked them #1.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[jphilg]

I am lucky to have both of the top rated knives, although my Forschner Chef's is a 10", and my Grand Prix is an 8". Both are wonderful. Both were gifts :D. I personally prefer the Wusthof, because the blade is slightly thicker and consequently more rigid and heavier, but the Forschner is a fabulous, fast knife that holds its edge nicely.

For the price, I would get the Forschner.

[jena_lockwood]

In case you're looking for a paring knife too, here were the results of the CI test (January 2000) on those:

RECOMMENDED
Wüsthof-Trident Grand Prix Utility Knife, $27.99
Forschner (Victorinox) Fibrox, $5.95
Zwilling J. A. Henckels Four Star, $19.99

NOT RECOMMENDED
Progressive International Stainless Steel Paring Knife, $5.49
Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition Utility/Parer, Item # 107SP, $9.99
Global 10-cm Paring Knife, ZModel GS-7, $32.40
Oxo Good Grips - 11, $6.99

Here is the comment on the Forschner:
The lightest knife in the group, the Forschner was loved by most for its svelte figure and diminutive presence. The blade was too flexible for some, while others noted the flex was great for moving around the curves of a turnip and coring apples and tomatoes. Overall, a great value.

[Zinnia]

Originally posted by erin elizabeth
Zinnia and Pat--

Thanks so much for your posts.

You are welcome! :) Zinnia

Phoebe, Like you I LOVE my Forschner, and agree with you! They are a great knife and I can buy 3 for the price of one of the others. I can't wait to get another. :) Zinnia

[erin elizabeth]

Thanks all--am planning on pulling out my knife spending money this weekend and it will certainly be easier for me to part with it with all of your recommendations! :)

[Zinnia]

Originally posted by erin elizabeth
Thanks all--am planning on pulling out my knife spending money this weekend and it will certainly be easier for me to part with it with all of your recommendations! :)

Erin,
Have fun shopping! Let us know what you buy and how you like it, ok? Good luck! :) Zinnia

[erin elizabeth]

I am reviving this thread because I have finally bought my knives! I went out this weekend to a local kitchen store that ran a 20% off coupon in the paper and bought a Wustoff Grand Prix starter set--an 8in chef's knife and a paring knife (3.5 in?). I have been looking around at various places, but this coupon was the best deal in the area. I got the knives for 79.99. I held the Forschner, but it just felt lightweight next to the Henkels and Wustoff. I guess I wanted to spoil myself with good knives since these were technically late presents from my BF and granma. I love these knives--they are so sharp and easy to use. Nicely weighted. I feel spoiled :) and I talked to a chef (well, he said he was a chef) who said that he owns the whole Grand Prix line and they last and work really well. If I pass these knives onto my grandkids that won't be a bad thing!!

[sbarrett1441]

I, too, love the Wusthof line. I have the Wusthof Classic and like the heft of the chef's knife. I've used mine five years and have only needed to smooth it with the sharpening rod to keep a beautiful edge on it.

Suzanne

[ande]

From what I can tell from this thread, the CI article gave good ratings to the Forschner Fibrox knives...anyone know if they also tested the Forschner Rosewood line? I'm thinking of buying some (www.cutleryandmore.com seems to have a good sale right now w/ free shipping over $99) but really prefer wood handles. Has anyone heard anything good or bad about this line, or have any personal experience?

Thanks!

[hendsl]

I bought my forschner knives through Cutlery and more. What a great deal! the 8" chef knife was 21.99 I think. I really like the fibrox handles. They are a little grippy and give you a good hold on the knife. I also bought the serrated knife and the boning knife in the forschner line. According to CI the Wustoff Grand Prix 3.5" paring knife is the best, so I got that too. for the 4 knifes I think the grand total was like 89.00. Not bad!
Susan

[jena_lockwood]

Originally posted by ande
From what I can tell from this thread, the CI article gave good ratings to the Forschner Fibrox knives...anyone know if they also tested the Forschner Rosewood line? I'm thinking of buying some (www.cutleryandmore.com seems to have a good sale right now w/ free shipping over $99) but really prefer wood handles. Has anyone heard anything good or bad about this line, or have any personal experience?

Thanks!

Here's what the article said specifically about handles:

from the 1994 review:
Once the knife has been either forged or stamped, the handle must be attached and the blade must be sharpened. Until 1976, two handles — either wood or a plastic and wood blend — were attached to the back of the knife with rivets. In that year, Henckels introduced a line of knives with a single piece of molded plastic as the handle. Because these new knives don’t have any grooves or rivets that can trap bacteria, they are generally preferred in professional kitchens and are enjoying increased sales to consumers because the handles provide a better grip. In fact, they now account for more than half of all knife sales. For this reason, we chose to test only knives with molded handles.

and from the 1999 review:
First, handles made of lightly textured plastic, such as those on the Forschner, Friedr. Dick, Dexter/Russell, and Henckels, were preferred over those made of wood or other materials. In their comments on the wooden-handled Chicago Cutlery and LamsonSharp knives, our testers said repeatedly that they disliked wooden handles because they tended to collect grease and dirt and to become slippery when wet or greasy. The odd metal handle of the Farberware, with its plastic frame and rubber finger grips, earned universal scorn for being bumpy, unnatural feeling, and slick when wet.

[ande]

Thanks, hendsl and jena_lockwood! I just found these replies to my question.

So, the Fibrox handles don't get slippery when they're wet? That was my main reason for wanting wood handles...all the plastic handled knives I have are the smooth plastic, riveted kind & I hate when they get slippery.

Also, do those grippy plastic handles last just as long as full-tang, riveted handles? Or do they become wobbly or unstable after a while?

Thanks again!:)

[Ohioan]

Ande, I can't tell you how long the handles last on the Forschner Vitorinox knives, because I've had my oldest one for only four or five years, but I can tell you that they have excellent traction when wet -- in fact, the traction seems to improve when they're wet! The surface is textured, not smooth, so they don't slip at all.

I looooove my Forschner knives.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[ellamay]

I got my Wusthofs in a discounted set from Chef's Catalog. I am sure the Victorinox ones are great but I love my Wusthofs :) I have never regretted that purchase.