Direct-to-consumer brand Made In Cookware has made a name for itself by offering top-quality cookware that’s entirely American-made. For their latest venture, they hopped across the pond to France to design, source, and manufacture a fully-forged premium chef knife.
Having a good knife is essential for any cook, and Made In focuses on every detail in order to create their newest addition. By partnering with a 5th generation knife maker in France and ensuring top-notch materials and build, Made In enters the tough chef knife market with a worthy opponent.
First Impressions
Before I get into the review, here’s a little background on me. Knives are probably the kitchen product I know the least about, so I’ve been knee-deep in knife research lately, learning about the types of knives out there and what the pros prefer. I came into my Made In chef knife experience from my go-to knife: a Wusthof santoku that I’ve had for probably close to 10 years. When Made In offered to send me over their brand new product in the midst of my intensive research into all things kitchen knife, I happily accepted.
Packaging
Made In does a terrific job with their marketing and product packaging materials. The chef knife comes in a nice flip-top box and includes a sheath for the knife, a visual aid to help you care for and use your knife, and a Made In branded bandaid (honestly that last one is my favorite part!). It’s well packaged for shipping, so you don’t have to worry about any damage during shipping.
The knife is currently available in red and silver.
The Knife
At 8 inches, Made In’s chef knife is the most popular size for home cooks. It’s an everyday size and design that will work for the majority of your needs. (Actual measurements: 8.5″ on the blade and a total length of 13″.)
Constructed with high-hardness metal, the blade achieves a Rockwell score of 58-60. (That’s a rather complex/boring method of measuring hardness, but all you really need to know is that number is very good and indicates high-quality steel.) Made In explains that it’s also treated with nitrogen, which helps the blade last. From my research, knife enthusiasts approve of the nitrogen treatment and claim it’s worth any additional expense for a knife.
Made In’s knife is fully-forged and features stainless steel rivets. Bottom line? This is a beautiful, useful, and well-designed knife.
Weight and Build
The chef knife weighs in at .5 pounds, so it’s perfectly lightweight yet hardy. I appreciated the visual reminder of how to properly hold it, and doing so made the knife feel great in my hand and cut perfectly.
I felt that the design of the handle and overall balance was excellent; so much so that I actually had a great time using it (which sounds very strange, I’m sure). Granted, my poor Wusthof has not received ideal treatment over the past decade, but still, this Made In knife feels like a big upgrade for me.
Chef Knife in Action
My first use of my new knife was to make the soup my kids have been begging for, Zuppa Toscana. I speedily sliced and diced my way through potatoes and garlic. I tapped on the kale for a sec and ended up with perfectly chopped pieces. I noticed a huge difference in the performance versus my old knife.
Since that first day, my Made In knife has been my go-to. I’ve used it for everything from chopping bacon to slicing root veggies to cutting roasts. Simply put, I love it.
Final Verdict
At some point, home cooks realize they need a *good* (i.e., not from a cheap knife block set) knife that functions as a multi-purpose tool (here’s a great explanation of the many types of kitchen knives, if you’re curious). And, many realize that it will cost money. Good chef knives just aren’t cheap. Some run upwards of $150+. Made In offers theirs for $89, which is a very fair price given the outstanding quality and attention to detail. That price is in-line with many of the best-reviewed and top-selling chef knives.
I’m pretty smitten with the Made In Chef Knife and it’s absolutely my new go-to for nearly everything. Obviously, it’s too soon to talk about its longevity, but based on what I’ve discovered about the process of forging and designing knives, Made In is on the ball. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one to anyone looking for a knife upgrade. Plus, Made In is great about standing by their products and offering excellent customer service (you can check out my review of their cookware here). I’ll keep you updated as I continue using this new toy, but in the meantime, head on over to Made In and check out the 8-inch chef knife. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
