The Anolon SureGrip knife set is a good quality, handsome set made from Japanese stainless steel. The handles are made from a sturdy silicone material for comfort and non slip. Here’s our review – including both PROs and CONs.

Anolon SureGrip Knife Set Review

The set includes:

• 8-Inch Chef
• 8-Inch Bread Knife
• 8-Inch Slicer Knife
• 5-Inch Santoku
• 5-Inch Utility Knife
• 3-½-Inch Paring Knife
• Eight 5-Inch Steak Knives
• Kitchen Shears
• 8-Inch Honing Steel
• Acacia Wood Knife Block

For the past three years, my Mom has been using the first generation of this Anolon set. I had given her a set as a gift, to replace her Cutco set that she’s had since I was in high school. Our review is based on her three years of daily use of the older set AND also a few days of use of this new, updated model.

Anolon SureGrip Knives PROs

Those comfy handles!

The grip is made from Anolon® SureGrip® technology, the silicone-enhanced handles. It’s difficult to describe the handle – not squishy soft like rubber spatulas, but firm with the slightest give.

We love these handles because even when your hands are damp-ish, you still get a really good grip on the knife. I know, never use cutlery with wet hands, but when Mom and I cook, we are constantly washing produce, washing dishes, washing hands, wiping down countertops. The knife alone gets washed, rinsed, wiped no less than a dozen times during meal prep. Even though we wipe our hands and the knives dry, you can’t get everything completely dry.

The Anolon SureGrip really makes it safer to use the knives in a real-world kitchen setting. It’s one thing to handle a knife at a kitchen supply stores, but it’s a totally different experience when you have to cook dinner for four in 30 minutes!

The shape of the handle is ergonomic. It’s like kind of a “protruding belly” so that you can keep a better grip on the knife.

In contrast, my beloved Japanese Global Knives have no rubber, wood or plastic handle – it’s a one-piece knife made from stainless steel. The handles are dimpled as a traction. But I’m always extra extra careful with these knives – I must use a terry cloth towel for wiping hands and wiping down the knife while I cook. Slippage can happen.

Handsome Set

I assigned these knives a gender on purpose 🙂 The handles are thick, round and have a heavy, polished stainless steel end cap (which serves to balance the knife as well).

The real-wood Acacia knife block is gently curved, to complement the design of the handles.

The set comes in both Bronze and Gray color – the Bronze is a nice change to most knives which come in black. If you have a warm-colored kitchen decor, this set would look beautiful on the counter.

The updated design of these knives mimics Anolon’s Advanced Bronze Cookware Set. They match perfectly!

Anolon SureGrip Knives CONs

I’ve never been a fan of full bolsters (thick metal piece that is between the knife blade and the handle). I think it makes it harder for people to get a recommended “pinch grip” on the blade (pinch blade of knife with thumb and forefinger so that you get better control when cutting.)

There’s very little information on Anolon’s website on the specifics of the blade, other than “Japanese Stainless Steel.” I emailed their company for more information, here’s the specs:

• Japanese 420J2 steel
• Rockwell Hardness 50 +/-2 HRC

According to Knife Up, The Knife News Magazine, “The 420J2 stainless steel is a popular choice for knife manufacturers. 420j2 stainless steel contains medium quality carbon content. It has good corrosion resistance in salt free atmospheres and in most industrial environments. It is resistant to many chemicals and household cleaners; and, it is also a more durable steel compared to the 440 grades.”

It’s an inexpensive, medium-quality steel that is general-purpose. What’s great about the steel is that it is easy to sharpen, resistant to corrosion. It’s good enough for medium use.

Combined with the Rockwell Hardness of 50 +/-2 HRC, it’s a knife that you’ll need to sharpen and hone more often because of its softness.

It’s important to note that Anolon is known for their amazing cookware and bakeware….not specifically cutlery, like Henkels or Wüstof. In fact, they make one of my favorite everyday woks.

Did they stay sharp?

As for Mom’s 3-year experience with these knives, she’s only honed the knives with the included steel. It wasn’t until we moved to Las Vegas, 15 minutes from her, that the knives were truly sharpened with my electric knife sharpener.

(Honing a knife – only straightens out the edge, aligning the steel. Sharpening a knife – grinds the metal to create a new edge.)

Her Chef’s knife, the one she uses the most, was dull, that’s expected. But sharpening them made them like new again. Same with the paring knife. The other knives were actually not too bad, because she doesn’t use those blades very often.

I’d definitely suggest getting a knife sharpener. If on a budget, just a simple manual sharpener, like this one, is perfect. If sharp knives are important and you have the extra cash, I’d definitely recommend this Chefs Choice Angle Select electric sharpener, which sharpens both Asian style and European style knives. Of course, you can always take the knives to a local sharpener, and for just a few bucks per blade, get them professionally sharpened.

Anolon SureGrip Knives are Perfect For…

These knives are great for people with weaker hands or arthritic hands. The handles are thicker, so you don’t have to close your hand too much to get a good grip. I think that’s why my Mom loves these knives so much – she has had chronic pain issues in her right thumb, and these knives really helped her continue to cook. Mom recently went through finger surgery, and is now using a different set of knives, which I’ll write about later this month!

If you’re petite, have strong hands, this isn’t the set for you. I think the handles are too big for small hands.

Thank you for supporting Steamy Kitchen!

Anolon SureGrip 17-Piece Knife Set Giveaway