New Cutlery Offerings Highlight Design, Quality, Value-Added Features

Cutlery makers recognize that not all home cooks, especially those who have recently taken up cooking, understand what they might need in knives, so a trend has developed, and appeared at The Inspired Home Show, where value-added products have emerged to help the domestic chef.

Newer cooks are likely less informed about the composition, cutting characteristics and qualities of knives. In the HomePage News 2023 Consumer Outlook Survey sponsored by the International Housewares Association, survey respondents were asked what kind of cutlery products they might like to purchase over the next year. The highest response, at 30%, was a knife set with a cutlery block. Tied for second were a chef’s knife and a steak knife set. Therefore, attracting consumers who have an interest in cooking and want to trade up the knives they own could take a little education and a little consideration. Cutlery can be a lifestyle fixture for the home chef, so it doesn’t hurt if they’re a little cool. The trick will be honing products for consumers based on their lifestyles, whether knives are colorful and utilitarian for fun, designed for fast prep in the kitchen, sophisticated and precise for the home cook turned serious domestic chef, or sturdy and flexible enough to stand up to indoor/outdoor lifestyles.

When it comes down to demographics, it’s 35-44-year-old consumers who are most interested in a knife set with cutlery block, according to the Outlook survey. At an age when they are buying homes, consumers are likely to be looking for a full set of knives to satisfy basic cooking and eating functions and look good on the kitchen counter. The same demographic also led when it came to steak knife sets but 18-35-year-olds were most likely to be looking for a chef’s knife.

In an example of helping consumers get their cutlery bases covered, the Steelport 3-Piece Essential Knife Set features the most used knives in home kitchens, the company maintained but it also imparted a specific aesthetic into the design. Sold in a custom box set, it incorporates a 4-inch Paring Knife, an 8-inch Chef’s Knife and a 10-inch Bread Knife with a custom wavy serration. The 8-inch Chef’s Knife features American 52100 Carbon Steel solid one-piece traditional drop forged construction. A hand-polished smooth bolster and spine allow a comfortable pinch-grip hold and a resin-stabilized Oregon Big Leaf Maple Burl adds to a stylish appearance. The bread knife is one of the only premium, handcrafted bread knives on the market, Steelport noted. With similar design sensibilities incorporated, the Steelport Knife Block is a non-restrictive, knife showcase. The magnetic easel-style block features a strong steel base, and the patented curved base construction adds elegance while helping users to fully and safely grab the knife handle, Steelport pointed out. The rounded Oregon black walnut faceplate gives each block a naturally unique character, color and pattern.

To address certain consumer sensibilities that are particularly associated with younger consumers, GreenPan Walnut Cutlery combines natural design elements and performance. Developed to attract consumers who make sustainability a priority, the cutlery is crafted from recycled steel and eco-friendly walnut handles to minimize its environmental impact. In addition, each blade is cryogenically treated to remove residual stresses, hand-sharpened and coated with titanium for long-lasting performance. A bonded coating that helps each stay sharper up to twice as long as typical and reduces friction for smooth cuts, GreenPan noted.

To offer a new proposition to customers beyond its German steel knives, Hammer Stahl is introducing the new Damascus Series. With a unique Damascus-style design, Hammer Stahl made the knives from 67-layer Japanese stainless steel, which slices and dices to high standards, the company indicated. The 15-degree blades, traditional to Japanese knives, have exceptional hardness and maintain their sharp edges longer due to the design and fusing of the alloys, said the company. The series includes four products each designed to help tackle any type of kitchen project: a 9-inch Chef’s Knife, a 7-inch Nakiri knife, a 10-inch Slicer and a 5-inch Utility Knife.

Among its debut items, Kuhn Rikon brings some fun into its lineup of introductions to satisfy consumers who want to step up from the commonplace. So the Colori + Art Vegetable Knives launch to make cooking a brighter experience. The knives are handy, all-purpose kitchen preparation tools for peeling and cutting fruit, vegetables and cheese in vivid colors and fruit and herb patterns.

The PowerEdge and ElectroSharp Knife Blocks have a built-in electric knife sharpener so even people who don’t sharpen their knives regularly, or at all, can keep cutting edges optimal. The front flap supporting the block hides the sharpener. The sharpener pops out with a simple push. A red button on top of the sharpener turns it on. Then the user only has to pull the blade through to produce an ideal edge. Diamond grinding wheels provide consistent sharpness, while a magnet in the sharpener collects metal shavings. Then, a user can press the red button and push back under the flap to store. The ElectroSharp comes in 13-piece knife block sets, one in Chinese steel, the other in Chinese forged steel. The PowerEdge with German Steel comes in 15-piece and 20-piece knife block sets.

For those who want a knife block that makes a distinctive modern statement, the Cuisine Pro ID3 Black Samurai The Egg 9-Piece Knife Block features a trademarked egg shape, crafted from quality stainless steel with a mirrored finish complemented by an acacia wood rim. The combination of Japanese Steel with a matte black antibacterial-ceramic coating has a look intended to catch the eye of consumers who want something striking but remain conscious of contamination due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the company asserted, the knives are immune to acidic foods and stain resistant, too.