Knives are an important kitchen utensil. Choosing a good knife set is critical, since they are something most home cooks use on an almost daily basis. Buy a good knife set, and you'll find yourself enjoying cooking. Buy a cheap set, and you'll likely dread the hours spent in the kitchen. The good news is there are quite a few good manufacturers out there, some of which sell quality cutlery sets for less than $200. Purchase a good set and you'll never have to replace them. Go too cheap and you might find yourself back on the market before you know it.

A good rule of thumb is to figure out how much you can afford, then go out and spend that much. Kitchen knives are one area where you really get what you pay for. I'm not advocating spending thousands of dollars on a set unless you can afford it, but you really need to get into the hundred to two hundred dollar range before you get real quality blades.

One thing to consider is that knives are less expensive when bought as sets. Find a set you can afford, then buy other knives to add to it as you can afford them. If you break or damage a blade, most manufacturers sell singles. The best thing about the sets is they come with a block. The block allows you to safely store your knives on the counter, keeping the blades away from each other. Nothing damages knives worse than throwing them in a drawer unprotected.

it has recently come to my attention that people have a tough time finding a good knife set in the $100 to $200 price range. The first manufacturer that come to mind when I think of this range is Anolon. Yes, the same Anolon that has made a name for themselves in the kitchen cookware arena. Anolon knives are quality knives with blades made of ice-hardened German steel. This is high-quality steel, and the blades are high-carbon stainless, which makes them stain resistant and able to hold and edge.

The best feature of Anolon knives is that they rarely need to be sharpened. They have a fine blade that is capable of holding its edge over time. Like any good set of knives, they will need to be sharpened occasionally, but they seem to hold their edge a little better than other cutlery in the same price range.

Another thing to take into consideration is that Anolon make their steak knives from the same high-quality steel. Some of the other manufacturers cut corners and go cheap on the steak knives, offering serrated edge blades that can't be sharpened. Anolon makes their steak knives with the same straight edge the rest of their knives have. This ensures you'll be able to sharpen them as needed to extend the life of your set.

Anolon knives feel good in your hand due to the SureGrip handles. They are ergonomically designed, and even include counter balance weights in the caps to ensure each knife is balanced correctly.