Sunday, September 20, 2009

Getting the Right Anolon Knife Set

By Moses Harun

Anolon, a company recognized because of its successful cookware line, has diversified into knife manufacturing. According to the company's website, all of their cookware items are manufactured to perform effectively for a lifetime and be attractive as well, two characteristics that we might assume are present in any set, such as the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Product Range

Anolon produces three categories within its knife section - Advanced Cutlery, Advanced Bronze Cutlery and Advanced Stainless Steel Cutlery. It appears as if this manufacturer hopes that the word, "advanced" will help the knives to enjoy an implied advantage over the knives made by their competition in advance of their customers getting their hands on the knives. Regardless of the strategy behind the name, you'll find 19 knife sets for you to buy, varying from the 15-piece sets to the single knives, and with a universal sharpener added for good measure.

Seeing as a knife is only as effective as its blade, Anolon knives are formed out of choice German steel. The Advanced Collection is made from carbon steel, the Bronze Collection features high-carbon stainless steel and the Stainless Steel Collection is made of stainless steel, and this can be bewildering to a consumer who merely wants to buy knives without being concerned about the tensile strength of the blades. For those of you who care, you could distinguish the collections by the knife handles - black for Advanced, brown for Bronze and silver for Stainless Steel.

Advantages

The Anolon knives are forged, not cold rolled, and that form of production enhances the density, flexibility and hardness of the metal. Obviously, a denser and more flexible cutting blade will be easier and safer to chop with, and the metal will also sustain its sharpness longer.

It needs to be said, Anolon knives are manufactured in China. But their workmanship looks as though it is excellent, in particular relating to the condition of the blades when pulled from the package. The price of Anolon knives cannot be beat either, seeing as you recieve high-quality knives that don't have high prices.

Other useful advantages of owning the 15-piece sets include the resilient bamboo knife block which comes with slot labels and one more slot for an old favorite knife in addition to Anolon's handy knife sharpener. For single knives, you could benefit from the protective sheath that accompanies every purchase.

On balance, an Anolon knife purchase is a good use for your money, seeing as not much of it will be required.

Disadvantages

There are very few things to take issue with with regard to Anolon knives. Yet, those things are worth bringing up because you should be able to understand all the facts before putting down your family's money on less-than-perfect cookware.

To start with, the bamboo blocks can arrive in not-quite-sterling form. There are complaints of the metal labels being corroded and the wood itself being black rather than the beautiful brown you'll see on the website. On top of that, the rubber handles seem to flake off in places, mainly when you wipe them. It might be due to daily wear and tear, but it is usually a reason for annoyance when it happens.

Additionally, you need to sharpen your Anolon knives at the end of every use to keep them in ideal form, and the knives are less than dishwasher friendly. For the use-toss-replace type of cook, these Anolon knives could present a challenge. A great set to consider is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Still, given all the information, an Anolon knife set could be a handy addition to your countertop. It blends easily with your other kitchen surfaces, it offers knives which maintain their edge for many years, and could be stored safely.

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