OK, so this isn't a recipe, but let's face it... where would a good deal of our recipes - and the fun part, eating those recipes! - be without our trusty kitchen knives. I'm sure a lot of you actually think about your knives rather often, and depending on how serious your cooking passion is, your knives could anywhere from the freebies at the grocery store to custom made chef's knives.
But where do you turn when you want something in the middle?
I am currently retiring my kitchen knife set, so I have been thinking about this for some time. My current set is actually the Pure Komachi set of kitchen knives,
So when I got a chance to try out a new set of kitchen knives with the hopes of replacing my current tired set, I jumped at it.
I have tested out the Bella Mia's 5 Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set, which is proving to be a great addition to my kitchen. Feminine yet strong, they also add a decorative flair to my counter top.
So far, I have actually used every knife in the set. So let's break these down.
Pros:
- Gorgeous! These knives are nice to look at as well as use. No strange edges on the image on the knife, and it covers the blade completely on both sides. So when not use, they add a little romantic design to the kitchen counter.
- Easy to clean. I have not run these through a dishwasher, but I probably never will. I prefer to hand clean my knives, and my Pure Komachis never saw the inside of a dishwasher. I don't expect these will, either. I used these first on some greasy chicken that needed to be cut from the bone, and the cleaning was easy and smooth. The dish rag didn't damage the image and the food came right off.
- Light weight. These knives are easy to handle and it doesn't feel like you are cutting the chicken with a brick.
- Food does not stick. I demand that of a knife, which is one of the reasons my Pure Komachis are being retired. They were designed for food to not stick to them and were color coded to let you know what foods that would repel. They aren't doing that anymore. The Bella Mias seem to be functioning as such, but without the color coding, you need to know what food each knife was designed to handle.
- Easy to sharpen. Again, I don't sharpen my knives the way most people do. I use Lansky Crock sticks to sharpen my knives. They give a sharper edge and don't damage the steel as much, elongating the life of your knives.
- The image. While the image on the blades is very pretty, I don't see it lasting in the long run. I have watched the damage my Pure Komachis have taken to the coloring on them, and those were a special coating. I don't expect the image on these blades to last as long as the coating on the Pure Komachis. And with the block being clear, you'll get to see the damage every time you walk into the kitchen.
- The image again. It sort of limits who can buy these. Let's face it, no matter how open minded a man may be, he's not going to choose red handled knives with pretty flowers all over the blade. And if you are married or have a live in boyfriend, he's going to scoff when you put them on the counter. And you're going to take pictures of him using them for Instagram. Don't lie.
- The steel itself. The steel is strong enough and easy to sharpen, but it is nothing really special. I suspect the longevity of these knives will be acceptable, but I don't see myself still using this set in ten years. I do, in fact, have two kitchen knives that were passed down to me from my father... and he got them from his mother. The knives are both over 50 years old, and they still perform flawlessly in the kitchen. I don't expect to find knives like that again. Also, while "easy to sharpen" is great for convenience and it does give a sharp edge, that also hints at a slightly softer steel. You'll get a sharper edge than harder steels, but it won't hold as long, resulting in sharpening them more often. And the more you sharpen the knife, the less time they last.
Overall, I like these knives and think they are a good buy. They are not for serious chefs. But they are perfect for single women and small families who cook casually. They are strong enough, convenient, good looking, and inexpensive. They would make a great starter set of knives for any kitchen.