Bought this and the Zwilling paring knives at the same time. This is a larger and rougher handle, and is heavier and more balanced to the handle. Either one will last a lifetime, and do the job. The Zwilling is two or three times the price of this, but they are of comparable quality considered as knives. The difference is a matter of taste and perhaps size of hands. I find this one's handle a bit too thick, but others may differ, and that and the extra weight are about the only substantial differences. They are both quality items, well made and finished. I would be guided by what you know fits better in the hand. If your budget is limited, don't think twice, get this one. It will do the job, last forever, and you will probably get used to the feel and weight of it very rapidly.
An extravagant present with a brand name to match, the Zwilling fits the bill a bit better. But as said above, this is largely about taste.
I also bought the Zwilling 16cm chefs knife, and like it very much - see separate review. I recently bought the Mercer similar 16cm chef knife for a different household. People might like to know how they compare.
This size is not what professional cooks prefer, but for someone cooking in a home environment for a small number of people, it will be much better than the 20cm versions. Also the handles of these are much better than the more elegant looking two piece riveted handles, they fit the hand better and are pretty much totally non-slip.
The Mercer is about half the price of the Zwilling. It has a similar handle. The blade is slightly deeper, and its definitely heavier. It apparently has a full tang, which the Zwilling may not. In sharpness and ease of sharpening they are probably about the same. Maybe the Zwilling is a bit harder and so takes a little more work to restore the edge. I slightly prefer the Mercer in this respect, but I slightly also prefer the Zwilling in the hand, to use.
All in all I think, as with the paring knives, whichever you get you will get used to in a short time and not really notice the difference. The thing I would say about the paring knives is that the Mercer is a little bit shorter, and that makes it a bit less nice to use in some applications, so you end up using the chef knife more. But that's a minor quibble.
Whichever pair you get (paring and chef) I think they will last a lifetime, so be guided by how important the pennies are. I continue to have a slight preference for the Zwilling, but if money is tight, buy the Mercers. They will last a lifetime and be a pleasure to use. I bought the Zwillings in the Christmas sales, well discounted, so the difference was not so great as it is now. Without the dscount I would have bought the Mercers and been very happy with them.
| Varumärke | Mercer Culinary |
|---|---|
| Modellnummer | M20907 |
| Färg | Svart |
| Produktens mått | 5.08 x 2.54 x 30.48 cm; 113.4 Gram |
| Material | Rostfritt stål |
| Tillverkare | Mercer Culinary |
| Artikelnummer | M20907 |
| ASIN | B000OOQZWY |
