630873 Tue Jun 23 20:37:40 -0700 2009 24 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 4800339 Hi, I am looking to get my first knife "set"- I wont be buying a ready made set as per what I've read I only really need a few basic ones. What shops are good downtown or in the Plateau? Are there any restaurant supply stores? Tue Jun 23 20:37:40 -0700 2009 1088017 stained_pink 1 4800955 I recently purchased knives from Ares Kitchen Supplies, http://www.arescuisine.com/ they seemed to have a large selection, they have locations in DDO,Laval, South Shore. I also know of Monas, on Park Av. but I have never been there http://en.monas.ca/ Wed Jun 24 04:23:18 -0700 2009 4800339 120629 silvertint 1 4801170 There's probably a "Cuisinerie" of some sort on Mont-Royal blvd. (as far as I remember). Other more expensive options are "Les Touilleurs" and "La Maison D'emilie" both on Laurier St. (former is more east of Park , later is West of Park, both are walking distance of each other) for "designer" knives. And both of the above are at walking distance of Monas (as stated in the other post). for "restaurant" class knives. Wed Jun 24 06:11:04 -0700 2009 4800339 11828 Maximilien 1 4801658 This might seem out of left field, but if I had to buy new knives, I would try to find a store in North America that sells handmade Japanese knives and get a honking big chef's knife. Most places in Montreal have pretty similar stuff--the major brands. (Ares and Depres Laporte in Laval and Les Touilleurs would be the places I would visit) I love my Globals but think there is a lot to be said for cheaper knives with softer steel that you just sharpen daily. L'Academie Culinaire was selling knives with rubberized green handles that fit that bill. Name escapes me. Wed Jun 24 08:38:05 -0700 2009 4800339 97533 thelonious777 2 4801775 The knives with the green rubberized handles are by Sanelli. Wed Jun 24 09:03:31 -0700 2009 4801658 11493 eat2much 3 4803611 Tzanet on Acadie in the Marché Centrale has good prices on Sanelli. http://tzanet.com/ Wed Jun 24 18:35:03 -0700 2009 4801775 57453 FoodNovice 2 4802071 I bought some new knives in Calgary before I moved back to Montreal. A Calgary Chef I know started importing handmade japanese knives, so I bought a few. He does ship. Kevin Kent http://www.knifewear.com/ Wed Jun 24 10:19:14 -0700 2009 4801658 259263 bigfellow 1 4801860 A couple of years ago I bought a set of Henckels knives as a housewarming gift. Monas had the best everyday prices (about 10% less than elsewhere), though I ended up making my purchase at the Bay during their Boxing Day sale (15% off, IIRC). The Bay also carries Wurstoff and TV chef brand knives. In addition to the above-mentioned places, you could check out La Soupière on Ste-Catherine west of Guy and Paul's Finest, which has an impressive selection of European and Asian knives at good prices. www.paulsfinest.com Wed Jun 24 09:27:42 -0700 2009 4800339 10520 carswell 2 4805079 I've bought a knife on Paul's finest website. Very good price and service is super fast. Also, Paul can give you some advices (which one to choose) on knives by email and you can (if you want to save more money) pick up your purchase at his office in Lachine. Thu Jun 25 08:36:29 -0700 2009 4801860 285732 Foie Gras Lover 3 4805539 http://www.paulsfinest.com/ Thu Jun 25 10:42:14 -0700 2009 4805079 43126 RhondaB 4 4808240 Yes, yes, yes to Paul's Finest. He carries a large selection of knives from various suppliers (Wusthoff, various Japanese brands), and even though I am in Ontario, I've always had excellent experience dealing with his company. Very customer-satisfaction based, and as everyone above has stated, Paul is able to help tailor your order to your culinary needs. Fri Jun 26 08:36:50 -0700 2009 4805539 216395 unturtlesoup 2 4840930 I bought from Paul's Finest and was happy with the price/quality. I don't mean to steer this thread away, but does anyone have an opinion on electric knife sharpeners? Specifically the Chef's Choice 120 (at Costco for $129). I bought a manual set-up (Spyderco) and just can't get it to work very well. Wed Jul 08 15:00:21 -0700 2009 4801860 174178 JedZ 1 4804432 Anyone know where to buy Mondail knives in Montreal? I am very happy with my new Mondail fillet knife but I don't want to play the shipping (which cost as much as the knife itself). Thu Jun 25 04:37:58 -0700 2009 4800339 208595 The Chemist 1 4806730 You're definitely correct in assuming that building your own set is better than buying a "box" one, I think. I find its cheaper to buy knives online, even with shipping and handling, than anywhere I've found in Montreal - but unless you get a feel for the knife in person, it's hard to decide what to buy for yourself. Any of the decent kitchen supply stores will carry the Forschner/Victorinox knives, which are excellent and inexpensive for someone who has never bought knives before. I normally go to Mona's on Parc and Mount-Royalish, but mostly because of proximity than anything. Tzanet is where a lot of cooking schools buy their knives from, and they definitely do have a wide selection. Those would be my two recs, having never really extensively visited anything beyond that. Thu Jun 25 16:40:23 -0700 2009 4800339 119412 afoodyear 1 4806743 Who has the best prices for Mac knives in Montreal? Thu Jun 25 16:46:57 -0700 2009 4800339 11610 BLM 1 4807033 Agree that La Soupiere is a good option if you're only going to buy a few essentials, they have a good selection of Globals, and you can likely negotiate about 10% off if you pay cash. Deco Decouverte is good if you're looking for Wusthof, I saw the 9-inch chef's, serrated bread, and paring knives recently... and FYI, costco.ca currently has a very tempting offer of a 10-pc set of Henckels for $225 that I'm considering, probably can't do better than that for the price. Thu Jun 25 18:43:21 -0700 2009 4800339 286430 mtb 1 4808587 Monas on Park is a good bet - that's where they send the new ITHQ students to get their first knife kit. Also, if you don't mind waiting a bit, as per another thread, Cuisine Gourmet might be having a 40%+ off sale soon so that might be a good time to get some good knives on the cheap... Fri Jun 26 10:19:06 -0700 2009 4800339 80911 Arktik 1 4812147 Consumer Reports rated kitchen knives. Here they are from the best to the surprisingly worst. Henckels Twin Select 91% Henckels Twin Professional "S" 90. Wüsthof Culinar 8907 89. Wüsthof Trident Classic #8418 89. Henckels Four Star 87. Tramontina Professional L-400/03 87. Forged Rosewood 83. Messermeister Meridian Elite 82. Ginsu Chikara 82. Porsche Chroma Type 301 82. Chef's Choice Trizor Professional 81. Henckels Miyabi D 81. Wüsthof Grand Prix II 8226 80. Victorinox 7.7243.8 80. Mercer Genesis by Mercer M0 30768 79. Kershaw Shun Classic DMS300 78. Calphalon Kantana Series KNS08V 78. Oxo Good Grip Professional 78. Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan 78. Wüsthof Emeril Professional 77. Wüsthof Le Cordon Bleu #9845 76. Henckels Twin Signature 76. Henckels Twin Five Star 76. Henckels Twin Gourmet 75. Mundial Future 4100-10 74. Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 74. Chicago Cutlery Insignia 73. Calphalon Contemporary KNS15C 72. Lamsonsharp Silver Block 6 Pc Set 39967 72. Viking VCSR0106 71. Global G-237 71. Rachel Ray Furi Gusto-Grip 70. Scanpan Classic 9900 70. Culinary Institute of America Master Collection Hyde Park 69. Scanpan Damastahl 0700 68. Solicut First Class 67. Forschner Forged #48890 66. Henckels Classic 65. Kershaw 9900 Series 64. Sabatier Loire (Pakkawood) 14 Piece 7098014 63. Hampton Forge Contempo (Target) 60. KitchenAid Professional Series KA1SB16TN 59. Paula Deen 51484 58. Chicago Cutlery Fusion 56. Farberware Pro Forged FPF14N 56. Cooks Elite (JCPenny) 53. Martha Stewart Collection Triple Riveted 49 <- ha-ha, so much for the queen of the household! Sat Jun 27 22:06:58 -0700 2009 4800339 267231 épikurien 1 4814013 Out of curiosity, does anyone know if someone is selling Rada knives here? These were my go-to knives to pick up for people that obviously need better knives when I was living in Alberta, but for someone who doesn't really give a damn either way. $13 for an 8" chef knife made of surgical steel and brushed aluminum, surprisingly easy to take care of and resharpen and cuts like, well, surgical steel (a carrot-cutting scalpel.) You can order online, but it's nice to be able to head into a shop and pick things up. Sun Jun 28 20:59:41 -0700 2009 4800339 119412 afoodyear 1 4825506 Thanks for all the recs everyone! I am definitely going to check out some of the stores (I've bought from Pauls Finest in the past, but knives are def something I want to get a tactile feel for) I am looking to spend about $500 - what essentials should I be looking for? I dont currently own any knives save for some Ikea ones. Thu Jul 02 14:55:42 -0700 2009 4800339 1088017 stained_pink 2 4825631 All you need is a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Start with those and if later on you really feel like you need a boning, fileting or fruit knife you can always get them then. But I would start out with just the three at first. You'll also need a honing steel and maybe a magnetic knife holder which is tons more convenient than a block and let's you look at your beautiful cutlery. Thu Jul 02 15:48:01 -0700 2009 4825506 18488 SnackHappy 2 4826966 I'd really suggest The Bay as the Henckels go on sale fairly often. I've got a Twin Select chef knife and I'm really happy with it. Normally sells for around $165, got it at 25% less, which is the usual discout on kitchen knives. Fri Jul 03 07:11:07 -0700 2009 4825506 16017 Campofiorin 3 4827146 Everything at the Bay is always on sale. Whether it's 15%, 20% or 25% off, I think that if you do a bit of sleuthing you'll find that the Bay's sale prices are about equivalent to the regular prices at Zeller's and Home Outfitters / Déco Découverte for the same items. The bottom line being that the Bay's sales are not real sales. They 're just manipulating the prices to make you think you're saving money. It's not as blatant as what they do at Benix or Le Rouet, but it doesn't really inspire trust AFAIC. Fri Jul 03 08:17:24 -0700 2009 4826966 18488 SnackHappy 2 4826969 This is now OT for "Quebec and region" so I'm not sure if the mods are going to bump the thread, but anyway: $500 will be more than sufficient for everything you need. Cooks Illustrated released a knife guide a couple years ago, for what to look for, that can be found here - http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/JA06_KitchenKnives.pdf - it's a great basic guide for people getting into knives, I think. Some Comparisons, also from CI: Paring knives: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=10588 Serrated knives: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=12388 Chef knives: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=10261 Like SnackHappy says, a chef's knife, paring knife and bread knife are really all you need - I'd add a less expensive carving knife and fillet knife to the equation too, depending on how much meat you're cutting into at home. Not exactly a knife, but buying a decent "speed peeler" really helps out in the kitchen too, if you don't have one. I use these at home... Chef knife: Global 8" chef knife ($99 on amazon), Victorinox 10" chef knife ($27 on amazon), Rada 7" chef knife ($20 at farmer's market) Paring Knife: Victorinox 3 1/4" paring knife ($6 on amazon) Bread knife: Victorinox 10 1/4" bread knife ($29 on amazon) Even the "best" paring knife won't set you back a lot, and even the more expensive chef knives shouldn't set you back more than $200 even if you're paying steep prices. Put the rest of the money towards a nice butcher block, a honing steel, a whet stone, a holder and still have some leftover for some new pans and groceries :) Fri Jul 03 07:12:17 -0700 2009 4825506 119412 afoodyear 3 4827080 I tend to buy the 3 pack of paring knives from Sysca for $11. I got my Macs from the Food Network Canada originally. Now I buy them direct from Mac. I bought my Victorianox and Forschners from a store that specializes in them in Edmonton. Fri Jul 03 07:52:58 -0700 2009 4826969 259263 bigfellow