Cookaholics Bulletin Board

My young cook-in-training attends a local university where he is taking a bachelors degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management with specific focus on cooking. The program, when successfully completed, awards not just a Filipino-based BA but a certificate of competency in cookery from an Australian Trade College. It is not the equivalent of a serious cooking school, but it is definitely better than most of the local schools. I toured their campus, inspected the cooking school, full of real world cooking gear, including stoves, ovens, processors and so forth. Nothing Modernist though.

Anyway, he has progressed into the second year and now has a regular lab with duties that vary from mise en place, scullery and, of course, cooking. On the days the lab meets, my back up knives disappear (with permission). But I want to get him something of his own. I have a couple of constraints. Knives here are very very cheap Chinese mass production or very very expensive European imports. Neither appeal to me. I understand that each chef develops his or her own preference for knives but choices are so limited and poor where I live, it really hamstrings that approach without a 6 hour trip to Manila.

So I was looking at Wusthoff knives, a set of three consisting of a 10 inch Chefs Knife, a utility knife, and a pairing knife. A 9 or 10 inch sharpening steel, and a carry bag. Probably knife guards as well to keep the carrying bag in one piece. One concern I have is that the Philippines has a tradition of sharing that can lead to items walking away. So I'm hesitant to invest too much in the set and prefer that down the road when he's working, he can upgrade based on his preferences.

Amy suggested that Victorinox knives are inexpensive and of pretty good quality for the money. I have used their pairing knives before and liked them. Plus they are half the price of the Wusthof set. Which would allow me to include a few extras, like a peeler, a grater, and maybe a fast read digital thermometer.

I'm looking for ideas on what you would recommend for a young culinary student. Any other knives or accessories that would be handy?

The Wusthof set looks like this:

While the Victorinox set looks like this:

A sharpening steel - 9 inch or 10 inch:

And a bag to carry his booty in:

Knife Protector for Victorinox:

Initially I was leaning toward the Wusthof, but the Victoriox is gaining ground.

Steve

p.s. I reactivated my photobucket account so I could get the graphics in the text ...

I've not used the Victorinox brand of knives. Mine are all Wusthof and one Ken Onion chef's knife. The Wusthof chef knife feels heavier and I use it most. I trust Amy's judgement on the Victorinox set.

You have valid concurns about the knives security, so I think I would go with the more economical knives. Like you said he can always upgrade to a few better knives if he chooses to later. Plus he'll get some extras!

Very nice of you to help him out with knives, I'm sure he will appriciate it.

Laurie

I like my Victorinox chef's knife. I wish it felt a bit heavier, but that's a minor quibble. The quality is definitely there and they are inexpensive enough that I don't feel guilty about not hand sharpening them.

I have Victorinox Fibrox for my main knives...I like that they aren't heavy and the texture of the Fibrox handles helps me hold on to my knives when my hands are covered in chicken goo

Steve,

I'd go for the Victrinox. As you say, in a couple years he'll replace them with what he likes.

Steve,

Would I steer you wrong?!

I'd also buy one of their (Victorinox's) small serrated knives. I use mine constantly. As far as other gadgets for a budding culinarian, I'm so the wrong person to ask. I'd have you spending thousands without batting an eyelash.

BUT, a microplane, a ceramic peeler, some Edlund tongs, a pastry brush, bench scraper, bowl scraper, reemer, digital thermometer, digital scale, and oh so many other things are always welcome. I'm too tired to make a complete list...

Amy

You guys have me pretty well convinced about the Victorinox knives. I will order a set in the USA and have them shipped over by a friend that is boxing a bunch of stuff up to come this way. If I'm lucky, they'll arrive in time for Christmas. Thanks for you all for your input. Amy, yep, I hear you. I expect first to add a fast read digital thermometer. A peeler and microplane would next on my list. Other stuff he may have to wait for or buy himself when he's a working stiff. Actually, he's been a working stiff since he was 12 years old, living with a local business family and working for them after school and full time when he graduated. He's pretty happy to have the chance at attending a university and learning to cook at the same time.

Steve

So I ran into this FB Dick set of knives with knife guards and carry case on eBay. Used but the photos show the main Chef's knife in pretty good condition for a hundred bucks. The boning knife and paring knife are probably stamped, the steel looks okay and I don't know what to say about the peeler, not FB Dick I'm pretty sure. Oh well, so it goes. Should be good enough for the budding chef to get started with.



Listed as containing:
1 10" High Carbon no-stain forged steel chef's knife
1 6" Eurogrip boning knife
1 4" paring knife
1 11" round sharpening steel
1 ECKO peeler/corer
3 Messermeister Edge -Guards
1 Black vinyl F. Dick 11 pocket roll bag
lifetime warranty on chef's knife

I figured the bag and knife guards were going to cost me 40 bucks, the steel another 15 or 20. So I am hoping the boning knife and the paring knife will suffice as well as the Victorinox, which would have been stamped as well.

TT,

Did you already buy these?

One thing about paring knives in busy kitchens-they get lost. Sometimes borrowed, sometimes dumped in the trash with a board full of trimmings, sometimes sucked away in the dish machine. So cheap-ish ones with a pretty good edge are the ones I kept in my kit at work. So don't worry too much about these. It's a good idea to etch or engrave the owners name on the blade, up near the handle. That way, it's easier to find after class, when everyone is getting their kit together.