Investing in an Anolon Set for Your Kitchen

By Moses Harun

Anolon, previously respected because of its top selling cookware line, has diversified into knife manufacturing. According to its website, its pots, pans, and accessories are designed to serve you for a lifetime and be attractive as well, two characteristics that one may surmise apply to any set, such as the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Product Range

Anolon offers three categories for knives - Advanced Cutlery, Advanced Bronze Cutlery and Advanced Stainless Steel Cutlery. It appears as if Anolon hopes that the term, "advanced" will help the knives to sound better than the knives made by different manufacturers before anyone has getting their hands on the knives. Regardless of the reason for the name, there are 19 knife sets available, varying from the 15-piece sets to the individual knives, and they come with a universal sharpener thrown in for good measure.

Since a knife is only as tough as its blade, Anolon knives are made from high-quality German steel. The Advanced Collection uses carbon steel, the Bronze Collection uses high-carbon stainless steel and the Stainless Steel Collection uses stainless steel, all of which can be too complicated to a person who simply wishes to purchase knives without worrying about metallurgy. Having said that, you are able to tell the difference between these collections by the knife handles - black for Advanced, brown for Bronze and silver for Stainless Steel.

Advantages

The Anolon knives are forged, not cold rolled, and that form of production enhances the density, flexibility and hardness of the metal. Obviously, a denser and more flexible cutting blade will be easier and safer to chop with, and the metal will also sustain its sharpness longer.

It needs to be said, Anolon knives are manufactured in China. Although their workmanship appears as though it is topnotch, especially with regards to the condition of the blades when pulled from the package. The price of these knives isn't bad either, particularly as you recieve high-quality knives that don't have exceptional prices.

Other useful advantages of owning the 15-piece sets include the resilient bamboo knife block which comes with slot labels and one more slot for an old favorite knife in addition to Anolon's handy knife sharpener. For single knives, you could benefit from the protective sheath that accompanies every purchase.

On balance, an Anolon knife purchase is a good use for your money, seeing as not much of it will be required.

Disadvantages

There are not too many things to dislike concerning Anolon knives. Still, these are worth listing up because you prefer to be aware of all the facts in advance of putting down your good money on any cutlery.

For one thing, the bamboo blocks occasionally arrive in not-quite-perfect shape. There will occasionally be instances of the knife labels being rusted and the bamboo itself being black rather than the lovely brown as seen in the ad photos. For another thing, the rubber handles can occasionally flake off in places, particularly when you wipe them. It might be a result of everyday wear and tear, but it is usually a cause of annoyance at first.

Additionally, you need to sharpen your Anolon knives at the end of every use to keep them in ideal form, and the knives are less than dishwasher friendly. For the use-toss-replace type of cook, these Anolon knives could present a challenge. A great set to consider is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Although, given all the information, an Anolon knife set is a useful group of utensils for your home. It blends well with most other kitchen appliances, it is made up of knives that keep their sharpness for a decade or two, and may be stored safely. - 30289

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