Ronco Six Star Knife Set
Like other Ronco products the Six Star Knife Set has been advertised tirelessly over the airwaves, and like other products it appears to be a fantastic and somewhat amazing creation by the man himself, Ron Popeil. Perplexed by the seemingly flawless Six Star Knife Set, we decided to buy the assortment and test them out.
Product Description: The basic Six Star Knife Set includes 25 pieces including a carving knife, (8) steak knives, the Showtime Knife, filet knife, saw knife, boning knife, sportsman knife, cheese knife, a cleaver, numerous paring knives, shears, bread knife, a “chop ‘n serve knife”, a carving fork, and a knife sharpener. In their write up Ronco describes the knife set as being worth $882.70, but during their special offer they are selling it for $39.99. The simple kit lacks a knife block that can be purchased for $20 more.
Testing: We bought the Ronco knife set through one of their many infomercials using the listed phone number. After listening to the operator offer me special deals for about 6 minutes I was finally able to purchase the basic knife set using my credit card.
After about 3 weeks my Ronco Six Star Knife Set arrived well packed and in good shape. Then it was time to conduct the testing procedure. Upon removing the knives from their foam wrapping I tested the sharpness of each knife on cardboard, and found that they were relatively sharp. However, the steel they were forged from appeared cheaply made.
The testing for the knives was conducted over a period of two months to in order to test the edge retention and durability of the knives. In the initial weeks of testing the knives performed fairly well and sliced through just about everything. However, as time progressed the Ronco knives lost their edge fairly quickly. The included sharpener is just about useless, as sharpening serrated knives is a difficult process and the straight blades lose an edge so quickly you’d be sharpening almost daily.
Many of the Ronco knives also began to lose rivets in the handles and many even cracked after sustained usage and washing (using a dishwasher). The Six Star Knives come out with a bang but lose their edges and appeal fairly quickly. Ron Popeil says these knives sold individually would be worth $882.70 but the whole 25 piece set sells for $39.99. As with most infomercials this isn’t a difficult paradox to solve. The Six Star knives are not worth $800 and we’re convinced they’re not even worth the $39.99.
The Ronco Six Star knives may work for the casual cook who doesn’t do much chopping, cutting, or slicing, but if you’re even somewhat serious about cooking, the best thing to do is spend a little more money and buy a nice steel set of knives and a quality sharpening device. Having a nice set of sharp knives reduces the risk of injury to the user and makes the cooking experience a lot more fun.
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