Wusthof Classic 2-Piece Knife Set Review – Wusthof Kitchen Starter Set

Knife Set: Wusthof Classic 2-Piece Knife Set

Our Reviewer Rating: 4.7 / 5.0

Brand: Wusthof

Buyer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Stars with 59 Reviews<

Model Number: Classic Knife Set 9755

Best Used For: Consumer High End Use

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Quality of Knife Blades:	(5.0 / 5)
Knife Balance and Weight:	(4.7 / 5)
Sharpness and Maintaining Edge:	(5.0 / 5)
Versatility of Knives:	(4.8 / 5)
Overall Value:	(4.8 / 5)

Busy Family Cooks:	(4.7 / 5)
Couples Who Entertain:	(5.0 / 5)
Cooks Working Outside Home:	(4.5 / 5)
Cooks Who Cook for One or Two:	(4.2 / 5)
Cooking Enthusiasts or Pros:	(5.0 / 5)

What Do You Get in this Wusthof Classic Knife Set?

This model 9755 2-piece boxed knife set includes a pair of great knives to form the basis of a starter knife set. As the two knives that tend to form the foundation of any cook’s knife set, they are an excellent choice for culinary students just starting out, home cooking enthusiasts or hobby cooks, and even professional chefs looking for a replacement knife set. The set includes:

1. A Classic Line Wusthof 8-inch Cook’s Knife with a straight-edge blade. You may know this knife as a Chef’s Knife, but I’ll leave that up to you what you want to call your new main knife.
2. A Classic Line Wusthof 3.5-inch Paring Knife, often also referred to as a Granny Knife, a Clip-Point Paring Knife, or a Peeling Knife.

These knives are forged and hand-honed to an incredibly sharp edge and Wusthof won a German knife competition a few years ago for the sharpest blades. Both knives are high-carbon steel kitchen knives with a full tang, precision bolster, and polymer handles to ensure the best strength, permanence, heft, and balance.

While they say they are dishwasher-safe, I highly recommend against cleaning this knife set, or any knife set, that way. You can read our article about the best way to clean your knives to find out why I feel so strongly about that. It’s just not the way to keep your high-end knives sharp, unpitted, and stain- and corrosion-free.

Pros and Cons of Wusthof Classic Knives

No matter how wonderful any knife set might be, there are pros and cons to each, whether it is because of features or context of use, such as being a match to a particular user’s needs. Here are some of my observations.

Pros:

• Straight-edge blades like this Wusthof starter knife set, rather than hollow edge or serrated blade tests, have the most flexible use cases of all the knives in your kitchen. The 8-inch chef knife and the 3.5-inch paring knife lengths for these knives can handle about 80% of all your kitchen tasks. The straight edge allows your knife to slice cleanly without tearing fibers when cutting so you get an even slice or cut whether you are cutting meats, vegetables, or fruit.
• The Classic knives are constructed to the highest standards. These are forged blades, designed with full tang and polymer handles, and sharpened with their special PEtec process. This process makes them incredibly sharp — and they stay that way with proper care.
• Wusthof enhances the Classic knife line by adding a precision bolster to each knife. This provides excellent heft and balance, which seriously improves your knife’s ability to cut and slice easily. Because of the ergonomic handle and excellent balance, these knives don’t put a strain on your hands or arm, and are comfortable for extended daily use in your kitchen.
• Many knives have an inferior handle construction, allowing liquids to seep into gaps in the handle. Wusthof does such an excellent job with their handles that there’s no way for liquids to enter, meaning you’ve got knives that are easier to keep sanitary and clean.

Cons:

• Wusthof’s design of their knife handles for ergonomic use tends towards certain sizes of handles. The extra weighting in the handle, bolster, and guard requires a good-sized handle to balance the knife. This can cause some issues for people with really small hands. If you have small hands, you should know that it may take some adjusting compared to using lesser quality knives, which tend to be very lightweight and have smaller handles. One reviewer with small hands suggested that it might take some experimenting to find the most comfortable grip and technique. However, this person also intended to keep their knives, so that says a lot.
• The Classic line of knives isn’t cheap in price. Or cheap in quality. But not everyone can afford $150 to buy two knives, no matter how versatile or sharp. So if you’re on a tight budget or buying a gift where your price limit is lower, this knife pair won’t suit you. However, you might consider doing as I mention farther down, and consider buying the one that fits your needs first and most. Generally if you’re looking to replace your most used knife with a quality one, I’d figure you’d go after the Wusthof chef’s knife first.
• These knives are SHARP. Ask me why I consider that a small negative … You have to pay extra care to keep all of your body parts intact. Reviewers make a clear point that you should avoid distractions while using these knives, or you might need some band-aids — or worse — if you catch your body parts with the blade.
• These knives are not beautiful. If you want color, shiny handles, and sleek fancy knives to show off in your kitchen, these workhorse knives won’t please you. The handle material and rivets — as critical as they are to durability and ease of use — won’t appeal to people looking for pretty kitchen knives.

Versatility of Use

The chef’s knife is perfect for chopping, slicing, dicing, and carving, and great for meat and both soft and hard vegetables. The paring knife’s small size and sharp point makes it superior for hand-held or delicate cutting chores like mincing, peeling, or garnishing. Some people will recommend a 4-inch or 5-inch utility knife instead, but I like a smaller knife for close-in tasks since I have smaller hands and like the extra control.

The 8-inch size for the cook’s knife is the most versatile size, as a longer knife can get in your way while cutting smaller items, and a shorter knife like the 5-inch or 6-inch chef’s knife just isn’t long enough to do all your kitchen work. I find that the 8-inch knife also fits best in more people’s hands.

While paring knives come in quite a few sizes, the 3-1/2-inch blade is the most commonly sought after, as it can be turned to most detail tasks pretty well. Some reviewers felt that they could get by with only a 4 or 4-1/2 inch utility knife, but others felt that for smaller tasks, the Wusthof paring knife was an excellent investment.

Quality and Manufacturing

No Wusthof knives review can be complete without some discussion of the manufacturing process involved in making these some of the best rated cooking knives in the world. Their knives are regularly rated among the top knives of any brand for sharpness and usability.

These knives are constructed through a forged method, using a manufacturing process developed over the 200 year history of the Solingen, Germany, company. Using a solid piece of blade steel, Wusthof craftsmen create a hand-forged knife starting from a single piece of high-carbon steel alloy consisting of 0.5% carbon, 15% chromium, and smaller amounts of molybdenum and vanadium, which many professionals acknowledge as one of the best knife steels available.

Then they measure the knife by laser and use a computer program to determine the perfect angle for sharpening. To sharpen the blade, they use a whetstone with precision robots and hand-hone the knife to a precision edge. They use a unique “Precision Edge Technology” (PEtec) that Wusthof claims will give the knife the ability to hold its edge 30% longer than competing knives from other manufacturers.

Finally Wusthof’s craftsmen hand-polish the final knife. The finished blade is hard enough to resist dulling but soft enough to take a keen edge when honed or sharpened during your regular use. Unlike Wusthof’s knives — which are designed to be honed and sharpened over time to keep their edge — “never-sharpen” knives from competitors are made from a steel that is too hard, so they aren’t capable of being honed or sharpened back to a precision edge.

The final finishing process creates a highly stain-resistant blade that is exceptionally sharp but also allows for an easily restorable edge through honing after regular use and periodic sharpening. The sharpened blade and durable polymer handle are constructed with a precision bolster and full tang fitted all the way through the handle to increase the stability and durability of the knife. With a full tang, the knife is much stronger, and much less likely to snap or break free of the blade with extended use. They also add a finger guard to protect your hands, and the guard improves the knife’s heft and balance even more.

What Buyers Say About Their Wusthof Knives

One regular comment is that buyers feel the investment in this knife set is absolutely worth it over purchasing lesser quality knives that won’t hold their edge. They especially comment that forged blades are far superior to stamped blades in both durability and the ability to hold their edge.

One comment echoed over and over by reviewers was that Wusthof Classic knives were particularly well balanced with solid heft for easy cutting and slicing and the ergonomic grips were comfortable. Another felt that the Classic line is the best trade-off between price and quality since the Wusthof Gourmet line is less expensive but a stamped blade, while Wusthof’s Culinar line is more expensive.

One reviewer felt uncertain about buying a lot of expensive knives, but as time went on, they reported that they replaced every single knife they owned with Wusthof’s knives because they discovered they couldn’t stand using their other inferior knives on any regular basis.

Another reviewer reported getting a sudden buyer’s remorse after spending so much on two knives in an indulgence. But they reported that the first time they picked up the knife to use, remorse was replaced with the WOW factor. They feel it’s a bit expensive to justify replacing every knife you own, but for regularly-used knives, there’s no comparison.

Reviewers also strongly recommend buying the honing steel or sharpening steel. A honing steel should be used after cleaning on each use to smooth and realign the worn carbon steel and straighten any small bends from use since tiny misalignments occur during everyday use. A couple of times a year the knives should be sharpened either by sharpener or through professional sharpening to fix the nicks and dulling that occur over time. This is done by removing metal and fining down the blade, which sharpens the edge.

Wusthof actually offers a service for all of their non-serrated blades to sharpen the knives if you send them in for only $3 per knife. They must be confident in the sharpness of their blades!

Who Should Buy This Wusthof Knife Set

Wusthof is one of the most popular knife brands among professional chefs and home cooking enthusiasts. The quality manufacturing process produces knives with incredible quality and versatility. In fact, one professional chef commented that by adding in a 5″ to 6″ boning knife, you could have a set of knives to cover 95% of your basic needs in the kitchen.

If you aren’t on a tight budget and trying to fill out all your knife needs in one go, and especially if you are looking for a solid kitchen starter set for yourself or family or friends, this Wusthof 2-piece set is one of the best starter knife sets available.

And if you’re looking for gift ideas for chefs or even just home cooks looking for the best quality knives, this knife set makes one of the best gifts you can buy for a cook. It’s a gift that can truly last a lifetime if cared for properly.

Who Shouldn’t Buy This Wusthof Classic Knife Set

Are you on a tight budget — either buying for yourself or as a gift? While this pair of knives offers incredible value for the price, it isn’t all that cheap and may not fit your budget, no matter how good the deal.

If this combination of knives doesn’t fit in your budget, but you like the looks of the Classic line, you can always buy them one at a time in your order of preference and fill out the set as your pocketbook permits. These 2 knives are so well-rounded that you can handle a large portion of your kitchen needs with just this starter set, and I highly recommend this forged knife line over a stamped blade set for long-term use.

To purchase each separately, you can find them at:

• Wusthof Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife (read our review)
•  Wusthof Classic 3.5-inch Paring Knife (read our review)

If you don’t have a quality 8-inch chef’s knife (or as some people prefer a “cook’s” knife), I think that’s the best place to start. The 8-inch size makes it the most handy as a chef knife, and I think it certainly qualifies as the best all-purpose knife type you can buy.

Accessories and Related Items

There are any number of Classic line knives you can purchase to round out your knife set. For starter sets, I recommend the serrated bread knife, a 6″ boning knife, and the hollow edge Santoku knife. You’ll probably find the blade covers and the honing steel of great use as well.

• Wusthof Classic Double-Serrated 9-inch Bread Knife
• Wusthof Classic 6-inch Boning Knife
• Wusthof Classic Santoku Knife with Hollow Edge
• Wusthof Knife Life 3-Piece Edge Guard Set
• Wusthof 10-inch Honing or Sharpening Steel

Our Recommendation and Why

In our review of this 2-Piece Knife Set, we’ve covered a lot of ground, from quality and manufacturing, to flexibility of use, to the pros and cons of the knife set and specifics of the two knives included in this boxed set. And any knife chosen and used by professional chefs such as Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver has merit.

Depending on your particular kitchen needs, especially if you are only cooking for 1 or 2, you might not even need many other knives. If you’re a cooking enthusiast or cooking for a group, this pair can form the basis of a solid set of knives you’ll never regret buying.

And in the end, what you’ll really appreciate about this Wusthof set is exceptional quality, ease of use, and value, and definitely one of the best knife sets under $150. We don’t give out 4.5+ star ratings lightly, but this set rates it. You’ll get 2 very well-rounded, high-quality knives that will make up the backbone of your kitchen tool set for years to come.

And for that price, AND qualifying for Free Shipping, you’ve got to check out the Wusthof Classic 2-Piece Knife Set.

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