Review: WÜSTHOF Gourmet 6" Utility Knife
By Kitchen Expert
Melissa Brunetti
WÜSTHOF Gourmet Utility Knife
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9 photos
The Curated Take
3.7/5
The WÜSTHOF Gourmet 6-inch utility knife is ideal for chefs who require a flexible blade for delicate tasks, particularly in slicing and butchering fish. Its thinner, bendable blade allows for precision and minimal waste in filleting, making it a specialized choice for handling seafood. However, this flexibility also makes it more fragile, so it's not suitable for heavy-duty tasks like cutting through tough meats. Constructed from high-quality German steel, this knife offers durability and maintains sharpness over time. It's a valuable addition to a kitchen for those focused on seafood preparation, offering a blend of precision, flexibility, and quality.
Ideal for
- Best used for slicing
- Great for butchering fish
- Bends well for delicate tasks
Not ideal for
- More fragile because it can bend
Blade Thickness
The blade is incredibly thin and flexible. I would not recommend using it in sturdier applications like butchering or cutting through hearty root vegetables. The bend in the blade allows...Read more
Blade Quality
It gives me much reassurance that the blade will hold true and still be flexible because it is made from high-quality German steel. If it was made from another material...Read more
Durability
There are certainly more durable options out there. This is a specialty knife, in my opinion, and should only be used in certain "flexible" circumstances. I would never recommend using...Read more
Blade Length
For me, this is a great length for a specialty knife of this kind. I have really only found myself in a couple of situations where I wished the...Read more
Handle Quality
I have enjoyed using this handle and find it to be very comfortable once it is broken in. It has more of a polished wood feel to it but initially...Read more
Blade Sharpness
While this knife is not able to get quite as sharp as its Japanese counterpart, it gets pretty close. I am more impressed with it because it can hold its...Read more
Handle Comfort
At first glance the handle does not look so comfortable. Over time I have really come to enjoy it, like a nice pair of broken-in shoes. It has a way...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Melissa Brunetti
About the cutlery
- Model: WÜSTHOF Gourmet Utility Knife
Test conditions
- When I bought these: 2010
- Where I’ve used it: In professional kitchens as well as at home.
- How many times I've used it: 100
Expert Reviews of the WÜSTHOF Gourmet Utility Knife
Melissa Brunetti I like to use this knife for very specific purposes. It works best in slicing situations where you need the knife to have a little bit of "give." It bends quite easily, and for good reason: It is the perfect knife with which to fillet fish. It gets close to the bones, leaving a clean cut with very little waste. It is also good for slicing delicate raw or cured fish. The "bend-ability" of this knife does make it more on the fragile side, so make sure to not use it for anything heavy-duty, like butchering meat.
Product Specs
| Tang | Full |
| Production method | Stamped |
| Blade material | WÜSTHOF Steel |
| Made in | Germany |
| Manufacturer warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects |
| Blade width (in.) | 1.02" |
Review Ratings
Blade Thickness
4/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 4 of 5 stars. The blade is incredibly thin and flexible. I would not recommend using it in sturdier applications like butchering or cutting through hearty root vegetables. The bend in the blade allows it to be used for fish butchering and slicing. Because it is so flexible, it works great in these applications, hugging the bones and leaving little to no waste.
Blade Quality
4/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 4 of 5 stars. It gives me much reassurance that the blade will hold true and still be flexible because it is made from high-quality German steel. If it was made from another material I would be hesitant to use it in situations where it bends. I have owned it for 13-plus years and it has sharpened well, held its edge, and has not rusted or chipped.
Durability
3/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 3 of 5 stars. There are certainly more durable options out there. This is a specialty knife, in my opinion, and should only be used in certain "flexible" circumstances. I would never recommend using this knife for heavy-duty situations like butchering meat, cutting through bone, or portioning out raw root vegetables.
Blade Length
4/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 4 of 5 stars. For me, this is a great length for a specialty knife of this kind. I have really only found myself in a couple of situations where I wished the knife had been longer, such as butchering a very large fish. I like the length of it because it allows me more control over my slicing strokes and lends itself to expert precision.
Handle Quality
4/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 4 of 5 stars. I have enjoyed using this handle and find it to be very comfortable once it is broken in. It has more of a polished wood feel to it but initially felt more like plastic.
Blade Sharpness
3/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 3 of 5 stars. While this knife is not able to get quite as sharp as its Japanese counterpart, it gets pretty close. I am more impressed with it because it can hold its edge for longer than most knives. I get it professionally sharpened once or twice a year and then hone it on a diamond steel after a couple of uses, and it is good to go.
Handle Comfort
4/5
Melissa Brunetti gave 4 of 5 stars. At first glance the handle does not look so comfortable. Over time I have really come to enjoy it, like a nice pair of broken-in shoes. It has a way of forming to the hand that is really nice. I decided to give it only four stars because I have used more comfortable handles in the past.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Melissa Brunetti I love this product because of the bend that the knife gives.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Melissa Brunetti My favorite moment with this knife was using it the first time to break down a whole salmon at work. It hugged the bones so nicely and left very little waste.
Why did you choose this product?
Melissa Brunetti I chose this product specifically because I was very impressed with my other Wusthof knives and needed a good quality utility knife.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Melissa Brunetti I have found over time this knife provides great value for the money I spent on it.
