Chicago Cutlery Reviews – Which Knife Sets Are The Best?

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We have already gone through the best JA Henckels knife sets together, and today we will take a look at some of the best Chicago Cutlery knife sets, which are known for their affordability. So let’s get started with the Chicago Cutlery reviews!

As an American enterprise, Chicago Cutlery is famous for its different styles of knives and block sets available as an inexpensive alternative to costly German steel. These products appeal to anyone who wishes to have every type of knife in the kitchen for having a full matching set, which is otherwise quite a costly affair.

With Chicago Cutlery, you can have cheap yet relatively quality knife sets.

In a hurry? Check out our top picks!

Most Popular Chicago Cutlery Knife Sets

As usual, I’ve compiled a neat table to present to you the most popular knife sets by this company.

If you are fond of one-piece design, kitchen knives set by Chicago Cutlery are bound to please you. Although they are made in China, you will never be disappointed in terms of aesthetics and construction. They are pretty good looking, solid knives with handles of stainless steel affixed to the blade to form a single piece, ensuring easy cleaning. These knives also come sharper than most other competitors thanks to which they cut the toughest foods easily. However, you will need to maintain the edge with the included sharpener.

Although these knife sets may not be exactly not on par with those in utilization by professional chefs, they are admired for superb quality for home use. There are many block sets available from this maker but the search lies in finding the best one.

Top 5 Chicago Cutlery Sets In Mini-Reviews

I have gone through countless Chicago Cutlery reviews to select some of the best Chicago Cutlery knife sets for you to choose from. As always, they are not listed in any particular order.

Chicago Cutlery Fusion 17 Piece Knife Block Set

Sale
Chicago Cutlery Fusion 17 Piece Kitchen Knife Set with Wooden Storage Block, Cushion-Grip Handles with Stainless Steel Blades that Resists Stains, Rust, and Pitting
  • ALL IN ONE: The 17 Piece set includes a 7-3/4" Chef knife, 7-3/4" Serrated bread knife, 7" Santoku...
  • MADE TO LAST: Long-lasting sharpness perfect for frequent cooking and peace of mind.
  • SAFE HANDLING: Asian-influenced, cushion-grip handles provide a sturdy, non-slip grip.

This set combines sophistication, quality, and usefulness for facilitating a variety of tasks in a modern kitchen.

The following knives can be found in the 17-piece set:

  • 7 ¾” Chef’s knife
  • 7 ¾” Serrated bread knife
  • 7” Santoku knife
  • 5” Santoku knife
  • 5” Utility knife
  • 3 ¼” Paring knife
  • 4x 5” Steak knife
  • Sharpening steel
  • Chestnut-stain wood block

That’s a pretty good selection of knives. I would likely add a boning or fillet knife though. Or swap one of the Santokus out as I don’t really have use for two of those. But of course, your preferences might be different.

Unlike the older 18-piece Fusion set, this one comes with steak knives that share the same design as the rest of the knives. No more mismatched knife handles.

The knives are made of high-carbon stainless steel with blades ground to a 26-degree taper edge. This provides optimum sharpness and easy sharpening.

The knives are forged, not stamped like some of the lower-end competitors.

The poly black handles are smooth to touch and are resistant to bruises, regardless of how long you use them. They are also composed of strong plastic for solid grip to cut safely. The handles are also dishwasher safe although a hand wash is more preferred. Some people may not like the shape of the handles as they are getting thicker towards the end.

Recently, there were some reports that stated some of the Fusion knives had broken during usage. Haven’t personally experienced that but I highly recommend checking the knives thoroughly when you receive them and return them if there are any issues.

Pros

  • Attractive design
  • Very sharp
  • Comfortable grip
  • Lasting edge
  • Easy to re-sharpen and maintain
  • Pretty good price/performance ratio

Cons

  • No boning knife included
  • No kitchen shears unlike other sets
Check on Amazon!

Chicago Cutlery Malden 16 Piece Knife Block Set

Chicago Cutlery Malden (16-PC) Kitchen Knife Block Set With Wooden Block & Built-In Sharpener, Contoured Handles and Sharp Stainless Steel Professional Chef Knife Set & Scissors
  • 16 PIECES: Set includes: (1) 8" Chef Knife, (1) 6.75" Serrated Bread Knife, (1) 6" Santoku Knife,...
  • BUILT IN SHARPENER: With a unique built-in sharpener in the acacia wood block, the Insignia knife...
  • 26 DEGREE TAPER: The signature blades on all the knives are made with a 26 degree taper grind edge,...

With its price, this knife set lies somewhere in the middle of the Chicago Cutlery knife set offerings.

The set consists of 16 pieces that include 13 knives, kitchen shears, a chop assist, and, of course, a wood block.

The knives offered in the set are as follows:

  • 8-inch western-styled chef’s knife
  • 6-inch Santoku knife
  • 6-3/4-inch serrated bread knife
  • 4-3/4-inch utility knife
  • 3-1/4-inch paring knife
  • And a whopping eight 4-1/2-inch steak knives

Is there anything missing, or would I like to see some of the knives replace? Sure, I would change a couple of things, keep in mind, that’s strictly my personal view. Your preferences are likely slightly different. First, I certainly don’t need eight steak knives. However, if you are frequently holding BBQ parties, the steak knives will come in handy. Second, I would like to see a boning knife in the set, because I tend to de-bone whole chicken and chicken thighs quite often, and doing that with a huge 8-inch chef’s knife or a utility knife is not exactly optimal. Again, if you don’t debone poultry yourself, you don’t really need a boning knife. Otherwise, the selection looks pretty solid.

In terms of design, the knives are certainly nice to look at. They are full tang knives forged from high carbon stainless steel.

The blades very sharp out of the box and work absolutely fine. They have sort of a brushed metal finish, which looks quite nice. On the other hand, be prepared to see some fingerprints and water spots on them.

The handles are made of stainless steel as well and they fit comfortably in one’s hand. The all-metal design always raises some concerns about issues with slipping. However, this time the handles perform just fine. I only wish the handles were a bit heavier to provide better balance.

The wood block sports a stylish black stain that contrasts nicely with the silver color of the knives. There’s a sharpener built into the black, which I find is a nice addition.

Pros

  • Pretty good price/performance ratio
  • Both the knives and the block have a stylish design
  • Very sharp out of the box
  • A built-in sharpener
  • Full tang construction
  • Forged

Cons

  • The overall balance could be better
  • Too many steak knives for my taste
Check on Amazon!

Chicago Cutlery Belden 15-Piece Block Knife Set

Sale
Chicago Cutlery Belden 15 Piece Premium Kitchen Knife Set with Cherry-Stain Block, Stainless Steel Blades to Resist Rust, Stains, and Pitting, Knives Set for Kitchen
  • 15 PIECE: Includes an 7-3/4-inch chef, 7-3/4-inch bread, 7-3/4-inch slicer, 5-1/2-inch utility...
  • STAINLESS STEEL BLADE: Stainless steel blade resists rust, stains, and pitting, an industry standard...
  • STYLE AND COMFORT: Handles feature sleek and contemporary styling, with a forged bolster that helps...

This is another elegant set to consider for your kitchen, which acts beyond an essential kit. The Belden series oozes a trend-forward design famous for its curved handles, sophisticated styling, and angled bolster showing the genuine impact on the kitchen counter. The set comes with a block in unique cherry wood finish, six 4.5-inch steak knives, a 5.5-inch utility knife, a 3-inch peeler, an 8-inch chef knife, an 8-inch slicer, an 8-inch bread knife, two 4-inch paring knives, and shears. There is no Santoku or sharpener included, unlike the aforementioned sets.

Forged knives have blades with full metal tang and taper grind edge for ideal precision, optimal sharpness, and great control and balance. All blades are made up of stainless steel that keeps all stains and rusts away for a long time, while triple-rivet polymer handles are light and comfortable.

Pros

  • Attractive
  • Heavy-duty knives to cut through anything
  • Sharp
  • Sturdy and not so bulky block
  • Great feel and balance
  • No rusting or stains
  • Easy to re-sharpen and clean
  • No plastic no wood handles that are smooth
  • No slippery handles
  • Full metal tang
  • Full lifetime warranty

Cons

  • No Santoku or Partoku
  • No sharpener
Check on Amazon!

Chicago Cutlery Essentials Stainless Steel Knife Block Set

Chicago Cutlery Essentials 15 Piece Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Set with Shears, Paring, Fruit, Utility, Santoku, Bread, and Steak Knives, Knife Set for the Kitchen with Block
  • ALL IN ONE: Essentials 15-piece set includes 3-inch peeling, 3-1/2-inch paring, 4-1/2-inch serrated...
  • CONVENIENCE: Cutlery set provides comfortable placing of kitchen tools for you to grab seamlessly.
  • RELIABLE: Full metal tang provides added strength, balance, and control.

With its super-low price, this a knife block set that could be a good choice for someone not wanting to spend a lot of money.

It is a set that consists of 15 pieces. The number is made up of 13 knives, kitchen shears, and the block itself. Let’s have a detailed look at the knives included in the set:

There are:

  • 7-inch Santoku knife
  • 5-inch Santoku knife
  • 8-inch bread knife
  • 4-3/4-inch serrated utility knife
  • 4-1/2-inch serrated fruit knife
  • 3-inch peeling knife
  • 3-1/2-inch paring knife
  • 6x steak knife

Is there anything missing in the set? Well, that depends on your needs. As you can see, there’s no traditional western chef’s knife included. If you prefer Asian style chef’s knives, then you will likely be fine. Additionally, I would miss a dedicated boning knife and perhaps a slicing knife.

Out of the box, the knives are very sharp, but not quite as sharp as knives from the higher leagues. They are full tang knives made of stainless steel and feature black triple-riveted handles.

In terms of quality, you cannot of course expect miracles for the price. I mean, given the price, you are paying less than three bucks per knife. The knives get the job done, but there were some reports of them rusting rather quickly. There were also some complaints about the handles which are a bit on the thin side.

The wood block itself is pretty good and holds the knives securely.

All in all, certainly not a bad set, but you get what you pay for.

Pros

  • Low price
  • Sharp out of the box
  • Pretty good block

Cons

  • Thin handles
  • No western style chef’s knife
  • Found some reports of rusting
Check on Amazon!

Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Knife Block Set with In-Block Knife Sharpener

The Insignia series is perhaps on the higher end of Chicago Cutlery products in terms of strength, durability, and versatility to cut through anything. Consider this set as a reliable starting point for those who are buying a knife set for the first time or wish to expand the existing collection. The set comes with

8-inch slicer, 8-inch chef’s, 8 4.5-inch forged steak, 3- and 3.5-inch parer, 5.5-inch utility, 5-inch boning, 7-inch Santoku, 7-inch serrated bread knives. It also includes a sharpener and shears.

The knives are built using stainless steel featuring a high carbon footprint for more strength and increased durability. The high-carbon stainless steel helps in resisting stains as well as rust for lasting good looks and effortless maintenance. Further, the full tang tends to boost both performance and balance. This product also comes with triple steel rivets for protecting the section from handle to blade as well as ensuring stability. The black polymer handles ensure a comfortable grip.

Pros

  • Attractive
  • Sharp
  • Durable and resistant to rust and stains
  • Easy to clean
  • Ergonomic handle
  • Strong construction
  • Easy to re-sharpen

Cons

  • No serrated steak
  • Limited lifetime warranty
Check on Amazon!

Chicago Cutlery Reviews Conclusion

The aforementioned knife sets from Chicago Cutlery might look the same but each has some distinct points that can help you in making the right selection. If you are on a strict budget, you can consider any of the above sets. However, this is applicable only if you do not mind some miss in workmanship.

In short, these knife sets are affordable such that most families can think of buying them, which is commendable.

You may be interested also in Cangshan Knives and Calphalon Knives reviews.

Last update on 2023-12-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API