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Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set Product Review
Contrary to some people’s belief, the kitchen should have more than two knives. This is because various food or ingredient require different types of cutting. For example, a bread knife cannot cut meat and vise-versa. Arguably, it takes time to find the different knives one needs for cooking various dishes. This is why many product makers are producing knife sets that contain the most widely used knives in the kitchen. And if you are on the lookout for one, then you may want to consider the Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set.
Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set
Mercer is a firm that specializes in the production of professional cutlery. They have been in the commercial market for three decades and currently claims to be the preferred supplier of culinary schools in North America. Aside from professional cutlery, Mercer also produces turners and serves, kitchen accessories and tools, plating tool, chef apparel, and allergen safety products.
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Features
The Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set promises to be a superior knife set with an elegant holder. The set includes an eight-inch chef, eight-inch bread, six-inch boning, five-inch utility, and a 3.5-inch paring knife.
The knives are made from non-staining and high-carbon German steel that can resist corrosion, rust, and discoloration. These are forged knives that are fabricated from a single piece of steel that has been strengthened by heat.
Each knife has a full tang design that runs throughout the handle for great balance and ease of use. They also have a taper-ground edge for more stability, long-lasting sharpness, and easy honing. The handles are made from ergonomic Santoprene with a non-slip grip. The material can also withstand exposure to kitchen oils and cold and hot temperature.
The set boasts of a modernly designed holder. It has a glass see-through window design and is made from tempered glass. This allows users to find the knife they need.
The knife set is NSF-certified. NSF is a provider of safety-based risk and public health management solution. This certification means that the product has met a high standard for quality, performance, and safety.
The knives are not dishwasher-friendly. And the set comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros
- Made from non-staining high-carbon German steel making them rust-, corrosion-, and discoloration-proof
- Full tang design for easy balance
- Stable knives due to tapered-ground edge design
- Blades do not dull easily
- Modern design holder made from tempered glass so that one can easily pick the knife he or she needs
- NSF-certified, meaning it met a high standard for quality, performance, and safety
- Product maker provides a limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Not dishwasher-safe
- Holder has metal edges, which often touch the knives resulting in dull blades
- Some knives tend to rust quickly
Summary
The Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set has many great features. For one, the blades are from high-carbon German steel that does not stain. They come in a full tang design for easy handling. The tapered ground edges also provide good stability.
The handles are from Santoprene and are ergonomic. The set’s holder is of modern design with its tempered see-through glass, which allows users to find the knife they need quickly. The knives are certified for safety, performance, and quality by NSF. The sets product maker, Mercer also offers a limited lifetime warranty.
However, this six-piece knife set is far from perfect. In fact, it suffers a variety of flaws. For one, the holder has metal edges, which some of the knives come in contact with. This often results in the dulling of the knife. Some of the knives also rust if left wet for some time. They are also not easy to clean since they have to be washed by hand.
Comparison
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The Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set has many competitors on the market. For example, the Cangshan TG Series 62311 Swedish Sandvik 12C27 Steel 6-Piece Knife Block Set is also a six-piece set.
Like the product under review’s manufacturer, Cangshan is an award-winning maker of high-quality cutlery. It is known for combining the Eastern and Western style design for its products. It manufactures knives that suit the various levels of culinary creatives and professionals.
This knife set by Cangshan uses a Sweden Steel for its blades. This is different from Mercer’s high-carbon German steel. The Cangshan set includes an eight-inch chef, eight-inch bread, five-inch serrated utility and 3.5-inch paring knife. The set does not have a boning knife unlike the one by Mercer. Instead, Cangshan has the seven-inch santoku knife.
Both products have the same full tang knife design. Cangshan’s knives, however, have a fiberglass handle complete with mosaic and star rivets. On the other hand, Mercer’s set has Santoprene as the material for the handles.
The two products differ in the block holder as well. The Mercer knife set uses a see-through tempered glass while Cangshan has a dark solid walnut wood block for its holder.
Both sets are NSF-certified. And their product makers offer a limited lifetime warranty.
Verdict
Mercer Culinary provides many compelling reasons to the Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set. For one, it uses high-carbon and non-staining German steel. Each knife is well designed with the full-tang feature and tapered ground edge. The set’s holder is unique. There are, after all, very few knife sets that use tempered glass for the block holder.
The set, however, has its flaws. For one, the unique design of the holder can leave some of the knives dull. The knives are also not easy to clean as they need to be washed by hands. It also does not help that there are reported cases of the blades rusting easily. So, are the features Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set enough to outweigh its flaws?
Fortunately, this Mercer knife set is highly comparable to the performance and design of some of the products from reputable cutlery makers. For example, the TG Series 62311 Swedish Sandvik 12C27 Steel 6-Piece Knife Block Set is manufactured by the award-winning cutlery maker, Cangshan. And the two share some virtues. The most important of which is that the blades do not become dull quickly. Both sets are also NSF-certified and come with a lifetime warranty.
Overall, the Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set is a good buy and could last long if used and cared for properly.