How many knives do you really need in your kitchen? The number of “must-haves” range from three to six, but the consensus seems to be ditch the block in favor of a good chef’s knife, a paring knife, a bread knife, and maybe a boning or filleting knife. The chef’s knife will be in heavy rotation, so lots of people splurge for a nice one.
Brands like Wüsthof and Korin can cost a hundred or hundreds of dollars, which is why they’re popular choices for wedding registries. But quality knives don’t need to cost that much, according to Misen. The company recently launched a Kickstarter campaign that has demolished its funding goal.
Much like how Dollar Shave Club promises to send good blades for a fraction of the competition’s cost, Misen says it has created “an amazing knife at an honest price.” Over 8,000 backers agree, and the company has raised $628,665, well beyond its $25,000 goal.
By selling online and working with the factories that will manufacture the knives, Misen says it can bypass “traditional retail markups.” The result is a $65 knife, which the company is giving to backers for $10 off.
The promise of a great knife at half the cost of many competitors is obviously a draw. But the knife also got a glowing review from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, managing culinary director at Serious Eats and author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking through Science. He received a sample knife and proclaimed it “the holy grail of inexpensive chef’s knives,” adding that it goes slice for dice against his favorite, more expensive knives.
The 8.2-inch stainless steel-bladed, thermoplastic-handled knife will start shipping in March of next year. If everyone loves them as much as Lopez-Alt, they may start cropping up on registries in time for next year’s wedding season.
