Reddit reviews Mercer Culinary Millennia Wide Wavy Edge Bread Knife, 10-Inch, Black

Victorinox Fibrox handle knives are great for the money. However, I love this bread knife. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PS1HS6/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Mercer Culinary Millennia 10” bread knife.

As tested by America’s test kitchen, and I can confirm this is an amazingly awesome bread knife for the price! I love it so much, it has replaced a much more expensive henckels knife that I previously used.

Check this out: Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia 10-Inch Wide Wavy Edge Bread Knife

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_86QLCb4VQ31M0

I would avoid getting a set of knives and focus on the magical trinity which will get you through 99% of cooking jobs.

Chef knife: 90% of your work

Paring knife:5%

Serrated bread knife:4%

The Victorinox knives are widely considered the best bang for your buck and will last you a lifetime if you care for them. Do a search and you'll find thousands of happy customers.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525097015&sr=8-3&keywords=victorinox+knife

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Paring-Knife-Straight-Spear/dp/B0019WXPQY/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0019WXPQY&pd_rd_r=B1HFSF0A4ZBHH791CVFQ&pd_rd_w=nMNnh&pd_rd_wg=vXPLE&psc=1&refRID=B1HFSF0A4ZBHH791CVFQ

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000PS1HS6&pd_rd_r=C1FG05XQ9QZEHG4FQWXD&pd_rd_w=iJjCj&pd_rd_wg=L4b1f&psc=1&refRID=C1FG05XQ9QZEHG4FQWXD&dpID=31c-aNrMj2L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

Does the knife have emotional value to you? If not it isn't worth the time. Resharpening in large serrations would take hours with a file or rod as people have mentioned, and you'll probably never get it as sharp by hand as it was new. Just buy a new one, bread knives are dirt cheap and like paring knives are the disposable items in the knife world. https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6

15-20 bucks, I've had it for a few years. Blows through literally everything, is sharp enough to have dealt more accidental cuts then anything I know. You won't regret it from a cost/performance stand point if you're a home baker and need a bread knife.

This one is pretty cheap and will change your life! Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ZkM5BbJ5V0X5Z

I'll give you the same standard advice which was given to me:

1. Chef's knife: Victorinox fibrox 8" chef's knife, $40. It's a great workhorse knife. Unless you're really serious about cooking or knives, it's more than adequate. Do watch for price fluctuations, though. Right now it's at $40, which is a good price.
   
2. Paring knife: Victorinox 3.25" spear point paring knife, $8. It's very lightweight, and the blade has some flex, but those aren't really big concerns in a paring knife. It's good enough for plenty of professionals, so it's good enough for me. Stays sharp well and is cheap and well-designed. The handle is on the smaller side if you have large hands.
   
3. For the serrated knife, I went with the Mercer 10" bread knife, $13 over the often-recommended Dexter-Russell one. I think it was the right decision, because it came quite sharp, solidly built, and has a very comfortable and grippy rubberized handle. The steel isn't very high quality, but who cares? This knife is much cheaper than a single sharpening service on a serrated knife. When it gets too dull, throw it out and get another one. Don't get an expensive serrated knife. You'll be disappointed.
   
   So there you go, for 60 bucks and change, you'll have a set of knives that's equal to or greater than the stuff most professional cooks are using on the line. If you want, add in a honing steel or ceramic rod to keep them sharp. I would also recommend getting some sort of protectors or holders, not only for your safety, but for the knives' safety. No knife in the world will stay sharp after banging around uncovered in a drawer or sink for a month. And for God's sake, please get a nice, large wood cutting board. Glass, stone, or ceramic boards, or cutting directly on a plate, will ruin your knives' edges in two seconds. Even bamboo and plastic boards can sometimes be too hard, so I recommend real hardwood. Edge grain is fine, end grain is possibly better. Just make sure it's big enough, at least 16" x 20" or so.
   
   You should be able to get all of this for well under $200.

America's Test Kitchen liked this one

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6

Seemed like a good price so I picked it up. When I cut my first slice with it I also trimmed my nail at the same time. I love it.

If you really want to get a block set then try the Victorinox 7 piece set. But honestly building your own is better.

• Get a universal block like this or this. Avoid wooden blocks, they may look nice but sooner or later unseen crud is going to build up. The Polymer blocks can be taken apart and the insides cleaned out.
  
  
• Victorinox 8 in Chef's Knife best bang for your buck ~$35
  
  
• Mercer Bread 10 in Bread Knife ~$17
  
  
• Victorinox Paring Knife ~ $9. Wusthof is supposed to be better but I'm not spending $40 for a paring knife.
  
  
• Kitchen shears depends on what you are going to do. Light duty shears get a Victorinox Classic ~$14. You'll be able to do all kitchen tasks and occasionally break down a chicken. If you plan to break down chickens more than occasionally then get a Shun Kitchen Shears ~$70. If you plan to break down chickens often then get dedicated heavy duty chicken shears (can't help you with that) and a Victorinox for the light stuff.
  
  
• Get a sharpener. If you're willing to learn how to sharpen get a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a cut resistant glove, if not get a Chef's Choice 4643. The Chef's Choice is a poor 2nd choice I urge you to get a Spyderco, but DO NOT forget the cut resistant glove. Most people after they get good at sharpening become less paranoid about cutting themselves and that's when they cut themselves.
  
  
• Get a honing steel any will do but I like the Wustof 9 in it's magnetic so it'll pick up any metal dust even though I always wipe my knife on a damp towel. Honing and sharpening do two different things. You should hone often, sharpen rarely.
  
  Here is something from r/ATKgear if you want another opinion.
  
  

Yeah just make sure it’s a straight one and it’ll do the trick. I use this one.

Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia Wide Wavy Edge Bread Knife, 10-Inch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TWXQDb8G1SDYP

Just get a serrated deli knife, aka bread or sandwich knife.

Purists will insist on a chef knife made of the finest steel, but the reality is that you'll find these workhorses in just about any deli or sandwich shop you walk into, because they'll cut anything, are stupid-easy to use, and last forever.

I've enjoyed my Mercer, no complaints. (And if it matters to you, it was the top pick by America's Test Kitchen)

Okay, if you really like Cutco's bread knife, all the power to you, but I'd like to give you an alternative point of view.

I actually have the Cutco bread knife. I bought it lightly used through Kijiji a few years ago on the cheap.

But last year I discovered America's Test Kitchen and started geeking out on their equipment review videos. Here's a link to their video about serrated/bread knives.

Last Summer I bought their winner, the Mercer Culinary 10 inch bread knife (currently $27 on Amazon.ca), and I must say I prefer it compared to the Cutco. The Mercer's handle is much larger and more comfortable; its serrations are wider and deeper, making for an easier experience cutting tough crusts and dense breads, which goes in line with ATK's findings.

I still have the Cutco and do reach for it on occasion for some basic breads, but overall I find the Mercer more useful.

This thing is a beast. It makes quick work of even the heaviest crust.

Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia 10-Inch Wide Wavy Edge Bread Knife, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6



America's Test Kitchen agrees:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GWewefvCZXM

I recently purchased a Mercer bread knife on Amazon, and I love it! It works really well with crusty bread and large boules. Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4pW2BbNPACA2E

I would grab an 8" Victorinox fibrox chef's knife to start, tough to go wrong with that one. Most would then recommend grabbing a smaller knife like a paring knife or utility knife, and a 10" bread knife. If that sounds good and you don't want to think too hard about it, this should do the trick. If you want to think about it a little more, read on.

The chef's knife is almost always a must-have and the Victorinox is pretty tough to beat for the price. I like a heavier bread knife because I find mine useful for large, tough things like cabbage, but if you don't see yourself doing that type of thing, the Tojiro F-737 Bread Slicer is really nice and really inexpensive. For something a little heavier, the Mercer Millennia 10" bread knife won't be as graceful but should tackle anything and is equally inexpensive. Finally, the small knife. I'm not the biggest fan of traditional small paring knives because the only things I use them for, like hulling strawberries, coring tomatoes, and eyeing potatoes, is better done with a bird's beak knife and they're too small to do anything else. I find a 5-6 inch utility knife is more useful for when I want to handle small things. So the set I would get would look something like:

Chef's, $34.99

Bread, $13.39

Bird's beak, Wusthof because the small Victorinoxes can feel a little flimsy, $9.95

Utility $25.50

That comes out to the beautiful price of $83.83 which leaves a little room to get the perfect set of edge guards if you don't already have a block, or a smooth honing steel for that perfect edge. Now, someone please drag me through the mud for recommending a bird's beak in a starter kit.

Don't buy a knife set. You don't need those knives. All you need is the following;

One chef's knife: Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife 40520, 47520, 45520, 5.2063.20 https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000638D32/

One pairing knife: Victorinox Cutlery 3.25-Inch Paring Knife, Small Black Polypropylene Handle https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0019WXPQY/

The basics of a chefs knife and pairing knife is $50. Those are good knives. I have two of the chef's knives and three of the pairing knives. The chefs knives hold their edge very well and are sharpened to 15 degrees.

These two knives are all a basic home cook needs. The rest of the kit is filler to get the piece count up. You won't use the carving fork. You don't know how to use the carbon steel honing rod. You don't filet your own fish. You are likely eatting wonder bread so you don't need a bread knife. Unless you plan murder a roommate you don't need a clever. You ain't eatting steak so you don't need steak knives. Heck I eat steak quite a bit and I don't think I need steak knives You need a knife for delicate work and work horse. That is your pairing knife and chefs knife respectively.

After that I would add the following (mind you I am not happy with the price on the sharpener, but it's a fairly good one, just make sure you get one to sharpen asian knives or 15 degrees);

One pair of kitchen shears: Messermeister DN-2070 8-Inch Take-Apart Kitchen Scissors https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000VS6CAS/

One knife sharpener: Chef's Choice 463 Pronto Santoku/Asian Manual Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B002JIMVS0/

One bread knife: Mercer Culinary 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000PS1HS6/

I consider these the next purchases because eventually you need some scissors dedicated to kitchen use, and maybe ones that will cut small bone and are easy to clean after use on raw meat. The shears are amazing. Blew me away.

The sharpener because you need to maintain your knives. Keeping your knives sharp is safer and makes them a joy to work with. The above knives come razor sharp and will last you a while before needing a proper sharpening. I don't own that particular sharpener but it ranks high in reviews. I have a more expensive automatic sharpener from chef's choice which I used to regrind my sister's knives to a 15 degree edge. I can't recommend it to everyone because it's $200. It was a splurge on my part and not needed. A manual sharpener is all the average person needs. It takes the guess work out of getting the angle right. Again if you have the knives on this list make sure you get a sharpener for 15 degrees or it might be labelled as Asian style.

Eventually you will be off the wonder bread and maybe baking your own. You need a bread knife then to slice in nicely. A bread knife is also handy for cutting cake and other delicate things you don't want to smoosh. That bread knife is solid. You want a knife that will glide through bread without crushing it or tearing it. The key to that is tooth spacing. I think this one is just about perfect.

Other knives are useful in the kitchen. I would get your specialized knives next, such as a carving knife or fillet knife. The above five things I consider core before you get other stuff. You can carve and fillet with a chefs knife. I cook way more than the average person and get away with the above five items. In fact before I would buy specialized knives I would get another chefs knife and another pairing knife. The only other type of knife I own is a santoku style chefs knife which I prefer for chopping vegetables because in school I owned a keep shitty one and got used to the style.

As always do your own research, check the prices on Amazon with camelcamelcamel and check the reviews with a tool like review meta.

Getting a really good serrated knife will change your game. This $12.45 bread knife was actually voted the best serrated bread knife by America's Test Kitchen, it's the one I use and I love it. Here's a link to the equipment review if you're interested: Equipment Review: Best Serrated (Bread) Knives & Our Testing Winner

Another tip is when you cut, let the knife do the work. Don't press down too hard and squish your bread.

What you are describing (dumping all ingredients in) is whats called a straight dough method and is perfectly acceptable.

The disadvantage is all the additions get in the way of gluten formation when you are kneading and trying to build that gluten network.

The idea behind building in stages is to hold back on some of the additions to the dough until the gluten has had some time to form. Mix your flour and water together and let autolyse. After autolyse, add salt, do a series of stretch and folds, and then add in other ingredients like cheese onion and garlic.

As for the knife...serrated has always worked better for me. If it's "crumbling" your bread when you try to cut it that's a good sign the knife is very dull. Get the Mercer 10" Bread Knife, you'll never regret it.

Mix and match as you see fit :)

This will add some detail to the sides of cakes. I like it more than the Wilton one (that is not textured) it’s thinner so it leaves a sharper edge.

https://www.amazon.com/Ateco-1447-Decorating-Icing-Smoother/dp/B0000VOOXI/ref=sxbs_bbp_recs_sx_m_p_v1?keywords=wilton+turntable&pd_rd_i=B0000VOOXI&pd_rd_r=1dd000e0-6a20-47aa-a7eb-1430dd1e605c&pd_rd_w=lxEhH&pd_rd_wg=2lLOU&pf_rd_p=c76ba563-2cae-47e4-929a-947a3c225819&pf_rd_r=62XTE33MCSK5G4ATB62S&qid=1572799240

Turn table: there are “better ones” but much more expensive. This is my favorite Wilton one. It’s elevated- which makes it easier to pick up larger cakes off of it. Also if you are piping on the side it’s a little taller so you don’t have to crouch so low.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Trim-n-turn-Decorating-Turntable-Supplies/dp/B00AQ7ISMO/ref=mp_s_a_1_32?keywords=wilton+turntable&qid=1572799358&sr=8-32

9” offset spatula. Wilton changed their handles a while ago.. and I think the new metal blade is too flexible on the new ones- I don’t find the new ones as comfortable and don’t think they do as good of a job. So I like the old ones (couldn’t find one) or these Ateco ones.


https://www.amazon.com/Ateco-1305-75-Inch-Stainless-Dishwasher/dp/B0000VLEU4/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=wilton+9+inch+angled+spatula&qid=1572799468&sprefix=wilton+9%E2%80%9D+i&sr=8-7

Cake Leveler: this will help greatly with getting nice flat tops- even if her cakes dome. The Wilton one is a great one for the price, and for smaller cakes. For larger cakes, skip the large version and get a bigger than you think serated knife. Living the dream is the 3rd option... the Agby double blade!

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Leveler-Small-10-Inch-415-0165/dp/B007E8KCFY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=wilton+cake+leveler%2C+small%2C+10-inch&qid=1572799751&sprefix=wilton+cake+level&sr=8-3

Style of knife: may be able to get at restaurant supply store


https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-M23210-Millennia-10-Inch/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=serated+knife+large+10&qid=1572799849&sr=8-3


Out of budget and not needed for her.. but a dream!

http://www.agbayproducts.com/agbay-double-blade



Tips. I recommend Wilton to start because most blogs will say “use Wilton tip 1M” and it’s easier to get use to the tips. This case stores everything easy.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Decorating-Piping-Tip-Piece/dp/B00C4UH6XI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=wilton+tip+set&qid=1572799964&sprefix=wimton+tip&sr=8-4

Couplers. Skip Wilton ones if (the plains white once’s if you get in a kit are fine... ) but these are better: you don’t need a million but 4-8 is nice. Basically you want one for each color of icing you put on cake so you can change tips. So instead of two bags of icing you just have on.. and can change the tip to make vines, then another tip for leaves, and a larger tip for writing.

https://www.amazon.com/Ateco-398-Standard-Couplers-Decorating/dp/B00272GS64/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ateco+coupler&qid=1572800119&sr=8-3

Bags. Any count is fine- but 50-100 would be best. I like the 100 count because it’s easier to remove / store in the box it comes in.

12” for decorating

18” for icing the whole cake.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-2104-1249-Decorating-Tools-count/dp/B00096ZTRY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=wilton+disposable+decorating+bags&qid=1572800239&sprefix=wilton+dispo&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyN0lRNUFCTjdFSldLJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTA1MTI2MTZVNlpCUkRQWjFOUyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjE0MjE1M1JPVk9ZWkJJTE9XQSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Gel colors:

If you go Wilton:
These are awesome: you can get them in primary, pastel, and neon. I like them because you can just squeeze into the icing instead of the old way of dipping into a pot.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Neon-Gel-Food-Color/dp/B01KO6NAM4/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=wilton+gel+color&qid=1572800403&sr=8-5


A better overal brand:

Americolor: the best thing is you can buy much large qty of colors so if you always use red.. you can buy 8 oz instead of 1 oz.

https://www.amazon.com/Coloring-AmeriColor-Student-Bottles-Colors/dp/B00KCUXRLC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=americolor+gel+food+coloring&qid=1572800488&sprefix=americolor+&sr=8-3


You don’t need to buy every color because you can mix basic colors to dial in an exact shade.



Anything Wilton you can buy at joanns, michaels, hobby lobby. Make sure you use coupons!

Another option is you can sign her up for a decorating basics class at joanns or Michaels. It’s been a while since I taught- and it’s gift that will end up costing her money (you have to make cake and icing 3 out of 4 weeks of class- and she will probably want to buy extras). You can buy her the basic course 1 kit- but she’s still need to buy other things and i told my students to expect to pay about $100 all in with Wilton supplies, using some coupons, ingredients and extras. They could do it for less... or a hell of a lot more.

I made a pdf for my students with resources, color charts to mix icing, recipes if you’d like me to send you a copy.

Also, check out sweet sugar belle’s website. Lots of inspiration for cookies!

What city are you close to? I can search for a good cake decorating store- not chain that sells things like 1 box for cupcakes or 1 board for a cake.. you can pick up some small but super helpful things for a few dollars.

The first time I used this I almost baked another loaf just to use it again: https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6

I had been using an old knife that (I think) came with the house, and just picked this up last month. It's light enough to handle easily, but heavy enough for gravity to do most of the work. My slices are straighter/thinner because of it.

I am left handed, this is the knife I use:
Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_P2g6BbYHWJQB2

It is the ATK recommended knife and it is amazing.

Should you choose to buy a new one, seriously consider this https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487688074&sr=8-1&keywords=mercer+bread+knife

I bought this knife and it cuts cooked meats better than any of my $50+ knives with no sharpening required. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000PS1HS6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MTfyCb2J0JCC3

TLDR: I made a shopping list at the end.

​

I think most people who are serious about having a good set of knives would advise you to not actually buy knives in a set. It is useful to keep in mind that most knife sets, especially at your budget range or lower priced, are sets for marketing reasons and not a value buy. Certain traits like the number of items included in the set make them seem like you are getting a lot of items for your money, and then shortcuts are taken to increase the number of items versus the quality items. This is a marketing trick. It sounds like you are getting more value the higher the number of stated pieces there are.

For example of typical cost saving shortcuts used in sets: you typically want a bread knife to be 9 or 10 inches, or a 8 inch chef's knife, but shorter lengths will be typical when in a set. You probably don't need to be concerned about having the 6 or 8 steak knives of low quality (again, to increase the number of pieces in the set to make it seem like a good value). In fact, just 3 or 4 high quality knives will perform everything you need of them. For the most part, you can get by on 90% or 95% of what you might do with just a workhorse chef's knife if you need to.

​

My recommended path therefore is to build your own set. This also has the benefit of letting you pick and choose for each specific piece rather than being locked into one brand or one style, and can allow you to budget things out to pick up a quality piece when you can afford it rather than thinking you should have everything all at once.

In order of how you should acquire your pieces:

First, knives are tools that are subject to degradation in performance as they are used. It is important that you mitigate this by investing in protecting the edge of the knife when not in use and that you are able to regularly maintain the edge. You will want either a good wood block or knife edge guards or a good drawer holder to keep your knives safe from non-use related damage. I would lean towards definitely having a wood block or wood drawer holder. It is probably worth planning for the future here, so get what you need. This item should last for a long time so the money will not be wasted.

Look for something that will hold everything you eventually need. Make sure there is a slot that will hold a honing rod. You might want a kitchen shears in the future, so a slot for that is good, too. Ideally, there will be more than one slot that will handle a larger knife (2 inch wide or larger, for more than one chef's knife, santoku, etc.) and if it is an angle block the high positions will be long enough for 10 inch or longer knives. I really like the 17 slot options from cutlery and more. These are normally $50 or so, but can go on sale multiple times per year. Again - this will last you for your lifetime so find what you want for your ultimate plan and go for it.

Again, since it is not worth having a knife that doesn't work, you will need to maintain the edge. You do not need to be an expert sharpener, as you can find this as a service, but regular honing is a good way to only need this service maybe once or twice per year. Keep in mind that a sharp knife is safer than a dull knife, because you can stay in control and not need to use excess force with a sharp knife. An ER visit because of a dull knife will cost a lot more than what you spend on a good knife that can be kept sharp. You can shop around for this, but I would still look for something of quality. The Shun honing steel has a nice feature where it has a built in angle guide (this is at 16 degrees, but that is very close to common for a lot of knives).

So now that you are finally ready to look at knives, you want to start out worried only about 3 good knives: A chef's knife, a bread knife, and a paring knife. You do not need to spend a lot on the bread or paring knives to get you going, in fact some of the options at low price ranges for these are really good performers.

For a bread knife, the Mercer Millennia 10 inch wavy can be found for about $15. (as mentioned before, you'd likely get a shorter length in a normal set in a big box store). For a paring knife, a Victorinox 3.25 inch will be just a few dollars. It's nothing fancy and perhaps the handle seems small and thin, but for getting going this works great.

The chef's knife will be your main workhorse, easily taking care of 90% or more of what you are doing in the kitchen. It is very worthwhile to invest in this piece.

It is also worthwhile, in my opinion, to have more than one chef's knife (or mix with other workhorse knives, i.e. a nakiri or santoku, etc.). I would recommend making a long term plan to save for a quality piece in this category eventually (and with my approach of your knife block being able to handle more than one of a main type of knife you will not need to worry about storing it safely). Eventually you might want to look at the $130+ options in this category, but that is for the future.

In the meantime, with the budget range, I would go for the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8 inch chef's knife. Usually around $35-$45. I have knives 3 times as expensive but still grab this if I need to swap to a clean knife or think I will need to be a bit more rough with the chopping.

​

Current Shopping List (prices subject to change with sales/economics):

• Knife Block: $30 if you choose an option on clearance https://www.cutleryandmore.com/cutlery-and-more/universal-knife-block-p135276
  
• Honing Rod: $35 Shun Sora https://www.cutleryandmore.com/shun-sora/combination-sharpening-steel-p129103
  
• Bread Knife: $15 Mercer Millennia Amazon Link
  
• Paring Knife: $7.50 Victorinox 3.25 Inch Amazon Link
  
• Chef's Knife: $35 Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8 inch Amazon Link
  
• Chef's Knife Alternative: $80 Yaxell Mon 8 inch https://www.cutleryandmore.com/yaxell-mon/chefs-knife-p136251 (If you want to max out your budget)
  
  This would fit in on the low range of your current stated budget and set you on a good path towards adding pieces (because of the knife block choice) once you can determine what you want and save towards them.
  
  Keep in mind that if you can set yourself up to cook at home more and enjoy cooking and all of that, you will automatically shift your budget towards being able to keep improving your home cooking experience as you save from not eating out and wasteful food practices, etc.
  
  ​
  
  Good luck!

I picked up this baby a couple months ago and it REALLY helped out my slicing game: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PS1HS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

From that picture, it just looks like your basic mercer/sysco bread knife. https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-10-Inch-Bread/dp/B000PS1HS6?th=1&psc=1
Correct me if I'm wrong but most serrated knives are single bevel. I think there's only a few double bevel serrated knives.. I think by wusthof or zwilling or henckels. Can't remember

My Mercer 10" is incredible and was only $20 bucks or so. It's also ATK's best bread knife.