Master Class is a brand within the company Kitchen Craft, a British company established in 1850. The company was originally an ironmonger and is, impressively, still run by descendants of the creator, Thomas Plant. The company has many brands and its Master Class brand focuses specifically on kitchen tools for the aspiring chef.
This 5-piece knife block set is comprehensive and well laid out to suit the enthusiastic home chef and the new cook. With a classic knife design and classic wooden knife block, it would suit any kitchen.
This Master Class Halo 5-piece knife set contains:
- 20cm Chef’s knife
- 20cm Carving knife
- 20cm Bread knife
- 12.5cm Utility knife
- 8.5cm Paring knife
- Oak Wooden block
The knives in this set all follow a very traditional full tang, black handled, riveted design that suits the oak wooden block and should happily fit into any kitchen décor. Aimed at domestic chefs and in a considerably lower price bracket than many other brands, these actually look very good on the work surface.
The handles feel good in the palm of the hand and although they don’t have the more solid feel of, say, a Wüsthof knife, they feel quite sturdy. The blades weren’t particularly sharp but did sharpen nicely with a sharpening block. Still, I would have preferred to have them razor sharp upon arrival but again – they are in a different ballpark to the more professional brands.
The bread knife cut well although it did take slightly more effort than the Global bread knife and I can see that unless recently sharpened, this knife might tear the bread. The chef’s knife was decent and powerful although again, I think it will need sharpening fairly often. It dealt with vegetables well and for the average home cook I imagine it would be acceptable.
The paring knife is a good length and works nicely and precisely without much effort. The utility knife too is good and would certainly be used most out of the set. These two knives are definitely my favourite out of the five but I think for a particularly adventurous cook you’d be better off going with a more reliable set, such as the Richardson Sheffield five piece.
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The ‘Master Class’ logo printed on the knives actually detracts from the look for me personally. I think the size and attention-grabbing nature of the branding is unnecessary but that’s a personal point and doesn’t affect the practical nature of the knives.
I like the bolsters in this design as they’re very comfortable for prolonged chopping and have pleasant, curved edges. The design overall is good and it would make a decent knife set for those who cook casually. For those who are truly aspiring chefs and are looking for a more professional quality – look elsewhere.
The knives fit well into their slots in the wooden block which is an important point and the block sits well on the surface although not quite as stably as the Global knife blocks which you’d actually have to push over to get them to fall. Nonetheless, it’s not disappointing.
The price is obviously a huge bonus for these knives but with knives, you mostly get what you pay for. If you’re not interesting in investing in a knife set that will last with you for years, then these could be a good compromise.
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- Very cheap
- Nice, traditional design
- Decent knife block
Cons
- Will need sharpening regularly
- Not of a high enough quality for the trainee or professional chef
Summary
If you’re looking for a knife set because you need a knife set and you’re prepared to replace them in a few years or so – then this is a good set. It’s looks nice, it cuts reasonably well and with a bit of care and sharpening, will last a while.
For the trainee chef, professional or even the very keen domestic cook, I would advise getting something from the specialist knife companies – knifes that are really made to distinction as it will make a big difference and the longevity alone is fantastic.
If this is your price bracket though then you’ll do all right with this set and if you take good care of it I can’t say that your cooking will suffer.
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