Adamism

As you probably know, I’ve (almost) finished my kitchen… but there are still some things missing.

A few weeks ago I bought an All-Clad pan. It puts all of my other cookware to shame. It cooks so evenly, it’s a good weight, and the handle doesn’t get so hot it turns into a branding iron. I’ll probably slowly try to replace my pots and pans with higher quality cookware… and I’ll be looking at All-Clad first. (A side note for anyone interested: most All-Clad pans are stainless. I’ve always tried to go with non-stick. The “Emerilware” line of pots and pans are made by All-Clad but most are non-stick).

So, next up: a sweet set of kitchen knives. I’m familiar with most of the Bed Bath and Beyond brands: Wusthof, J.A. Henckels, Calphalon… And even in those main-stream brands you can spend anywhere from $120 - $500 on a block/set.

But I wonder… Where should I go to really check out a high quality selection? A while back I had considered getting the J.A. Henckels International Forged Synergy 16-Piece Knife Set, primarily because it was one of the highest rated on Amazon. The set is selling for $169. I’m willing to pay more than that for something of even higher quality. I just don’t know where to look. Should I piece together my own set? Is a 16-piece block overkill?

Any recommendations?