Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Pro-S 18-Piece Knife Set with Block for $559.95

Review This set supplies a cook with just about every cutting edge, all stored on the countertop. It consists of seven kitchen knives (2-3/4-inch peeler, 2-3/4-inch paring knife, 8-inch chef's knife, 4-inch utility knife, 5-inch serrated knife, 5-inch Santoku, 8-inch bread knife), eight steak knives, kitchen shears, a sharpening steel, and a heavy wood block with slots for everything, plus two extra slots. It also includes a bonus Zwilling cookbook CD. Classic three-rivet handles distinguish Pro S from the company's other quality knives. Pro S handles are heavier and its knives less weight-forward. Handles are also smaller, which the small-handed might appreciate. Like other top-grade Henckels knives (except for the fully forged paring knife), Pro S blades are formed by a high-tech welding process that combines three steel types into what appears to be a single piece, so a knife's parts have distinct characteristics. Traditionalists might insist on single-piece forging for strength, but Henckels says the invisible welds are stronger than the steel. --Fred Brack