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 manufactures three collections within its knife section – Advanced Cutlery, Advanced Bronze Cutlery and Advanced Stainless Steel Cutlery. It looks as though the company hopes that the title, “advanced” will help the knives to sound better than the products of different manufacturers prior to anybody seeing the knives. Whatever the strategy behind the name, Anolon has 19 knife sets for you to buy, ranging from the 15-piece sets to the individual knives, and with a universal sharpener thrown in for good measure.
Because a knife is only as tough as its blade, Anolon knives are made from high-quality German steel. The Advanced Collection is made from carbon steel, the Bronze Collection is made from high-carbon stainless steel and the Stainless Steel Collection uses stainless steel, all of which might be confusing to a consumer who only would like to purchase knives without thinking about the tensile strength of the blades. For those of you who care, you are able to determine the 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.
We must admit, Anolon knives are made in China. Nonetheless, their workmanship seems as if it were topnotch, chiefly with regards to the sharpness and smoothness of the blades from right out of the package. The price of these knives cannot be beat either, seeing as you get exceptional knives that don’t have exceptional prices.
Other useful features of buying the 15-piece sets are; the hard-wearing bamboo knife block with its slot labels and a spare slot for an old favorite knife as well as a knife sharpener. For single knives, you will be able to take advantage of the protective sheath that accompanies every purchase.
On balance, an Anolon knife set is a good value for your money, seeing as not a lot 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.
To begin with, the bamboo blocks can show up in anything-but-ideal condition. There will occasionally be reports of the slot labels being corroded and the wood itself being black as opposed to the warm brown you’ll see in the ad photos. For another thing, the rubber handles can occasionally flake off in bits, especially when you scrape them. It may be due to natural wear and tear, but it is usually a reason for annoyance when it happens.
Plus, you ought to sharpen these knives after every job to preserve them in top shape, and Anolon knives are less than dishwasher compatible. If you are the use-toss-replace type of person, these Anolon knives might present a challenge. A great set to consider is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.
Still, given all the information, an Anolon knife set could be a handy addition to your countertop. It blends easily with your other kitchen surfaces, it offers knives which maintain their edge for many years, and could be stored safely.
