Knife down!!! A catastrophe in the kitchen

My knives are like gold to me. If you spend five minutes in the kitchen or a kitchen store with me, you figure this out  very quickly. Wusthof is my favorite but I have a collection of open stock pieces from other knife makers because I like to try different knives from time to time. They are not all high end knives either. I have an IKEA santoku knife that I can't imagine giving up. I splurged on a Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich chef's knife and it was a decent knife, not something I'd want a full set off. A Cutco knife is my go-to for butchering. It's solid in my hand, heavy bladed and the sharpest thing I've ever cut with- cuts through chicken bones with no effort.

I became obsessed with owning a ceramic knife the first time I saw one in a cooking magazine. Obsessed is no exaggeration. At the time they were a little outside of the price range I wanted to pay for something so delicate but after a few years the prices came down and I was able to score a decent Kitchenaid brand ceramic knife to try. It was good and bad. Super sharp, super light and felt great in my hand. However.....you cannot sharpen these at home. The edge is extremely delicate and it wasn't long before I noticed tiny nicks and the tip had chipped off. Believe me, I was very careful with this knife, always hand washing and always storing it in it's case. So...not very durable and I'm glad I didn't splash out a lot of money.

As often happens, kitchens have accidents. Tragedy struck our house on December 14. A black cooktop and black handled knives........you can imagine. One melted Wusthof, my favorite one to top it off. I began to search for a replacement and a few friends recommended other brands to try. One in particular seemed to get the most "votes"- Mercer Genesis. Even a friend in culinary school uses them and searching prices online they were an incredible value. I ordered a new paring knife to replace the poor sad melted Wusthof as well as a flexible boning knife- something I really need for butchering game.

The knives arrived so fast I could hardly believe it. I was immediately impressed by the craftsmanship. The handles are easy to grip, slip resistant and have a slight cushion feel to them. The blades are hefty. No cheap flimsy and thin crappy metal here. These are high carbon German steel and have a lifetime warranty- VERY important to the professional chef. Now to put them to use and see how they perform.

I think many people who know me would be truly shocked to hear me say I don't see myself buying another Wusthof if I can get knives of this quality for a fraction of the price. The edge stands up to a lot of use, the handle is comfortable and fits well in my hand. It's almost a rubbery-feeling handle so it's slip resistant. I love the flexible blade on the boning knife. How I ever lived without one I'll never know.

If you're looking to invest in new knives or a good solid starter set I highly recommend the Mercer Genesis line. You will not be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."