Zwilling Gourmet Vs. Pro: How Do These Knife Lines Stack Up?

When it comes to high-quality kitchen knives, Zwilling is one of the most well-known and trusted brands. Zwilling offers several collections within their product lineup, including the Gourmet and Pro series. But what exactly sets these two affordable knife lines apart?

In this guide, we’ll provide a detailed overview of Zwilling Gourmet and Pro, from blade construction to included pieces. We’ll compare and contrast key features and performance factors, so you can determine which collection is the better fit for your needs and budget.

A Brief Comparison Table

Factor	Gourmet	Pro
Blade Steel	Stamped stainless steel	Friodur® ice-hardened forged stainless steel
Rockwell Hardness	Approx 54°	58°
Blade Edge	Plain	Granton
Knife Construction	Stamped	Forged
Handles	Plastic	Riveted plastic/fiberglass
Price	$20-75 USD	$75-150 USD
Best For	Beginners, basic kitchen tasks	Intermediate/advanced home cooks

Zwilling Knife Lines At A Glance

Before diving into the details on Gourmet and Pro, it helps to understand where these two Zwilling collections stand within the overall Zwilling knife offerings.

Zwilling knives are made by Zwilling J.A. Henckels, a German knife manufacturer with a heritage spanning back to 1731. Today, Zwilling produces their knives in Solingen, Germany, which is renowned for quality cutlery production.

Zwilling’s knife lines include:

• Four Star – The premium collection made from Friodur ice-hardened stainless steel with a hand-honed 57° Rockwell hardness. Four Star knives feature a full tang and molded polymer ergonomic handles.
• Miyabi – This artisan Japanese style knife collection combines modern aesthetics with traditional hand-crafting. Made from vat-hardened FC61 steel with a 60-63° Rockwell hardness and hand-honed using a traditional 3-step Honbazuke method.
• Pro – Designed for intermediate to advanced home cooks, with Friodur ice-hardened steel and a 58° Rockwell hardness. Pro has a full bolster and triple-riveted ergonomic handles.
• Gourmet – The entry-level lineup intended for beginner cooks or basic kitchen tasks. Gourmet uses stamped stainless steel blades and plastic handles.

So in the Zwilling family tree, Pro is positioned above Gourmet but below Four Star and Miyabi in terms of price and performance. Keep this context in mind as we outline the differences between these two budget-friendly collections.

Key Differences Between Zwilling Gourmet And Pro

While Zwilling Gourmet and Pro share a similar price point, there are some important distinctions between these beginner and intermediate knife lines in terms of materials, construction, and more.

Blade Steel

One of the biggest differences you’ll notice between Gourmet and Pro is in the steel used for the blades:

• Gourmet uses Zwilling’s proprietary formula stainless steel. Thissteel is designed to resist corrosion and requires less maintenance compared to other steels. However, it cannot be hardened to the same degree as higher-end steel.
• Pro uses Friodur® ice-hardened stainless steel. This steel undergoes a cryogenic freezing process, allowing it to achieve a hardness of 58° on the Rockwell scale. The ice-hardening makes the steel highly resistant to corrosion while also holding a sharper edge.

So while both lines utilize stainless steel, Pro will stay sharper for longer thanks to the Friodur ice-hardening treatment.

Knife Construction

There’s also a contrast in construction between the two collections:

• Gourmet knives feature stamped blades, which are cut from a flat sheet of steel. Stamped blades are lightweight, thin, and have a straight blade spine. The simplicity of stamped design reduces costs but can sacrifice some durability.
• Pro knives utilize forged blades that are shaped from a single block of steel and require extensive grinding, tempering, and sharpening. This forging process allows for a thicker, heavier blade that maintains its strength. The spines of forged blades are often curved or tapered based on the knife shape.

In general, forged blades like those in the Pro line offer better balance and durability – important performance factors for frequent cooks.

Blade Edges

Let’s look at the blade edges you’ll find in each collection:

• Gourmet knives have a plain blade edge which is perfectly straight and suits most kitchen cutting tasks.
• Pro knives feature a Granton edge – small divots along the blade that help prevent food from sticking through air pockets and slice smoother. This is ideal for cutting meats and soft produce.

The Granton edge gives Pro knives enhanced non-stick capabilities, making food prep easier.

Handles

The handles on Zwilling knives also showcase the differences between the Gourmet and Pro lines:

• Gourmet handles are made from plastic in a seamless, sanitary design. The plastic is lightweight but on the cheaper side.
• Pro handles utilize a three-riveted design for maximum durability. The handles are plastic with a fiberglass core and soft elastomer grip pads for comfort and control.

Pro simply provides a higher-quality, ergonomic handle that promotes less hand fatigue over extended use.

Price

Finally, let’s look at the price differences between the two collections:

• Gourmet knives range from $20-75 USD, depending on the specific knife. This makes Gourmet an extremely budget-friendly lineup.
• Pro knives have prices from $75-150 USD. While still relatively affordable, Pro knives come at a higher price point matching their elevated quality and performance.

Gourmet is likely the better choice if you’re looking for basic knives on a tight budget. But the Pro collection offers seriously enhanced value for the money.

Also Read: Zwilling Four Star Vs. Pro: How Do These Iconic Knife Lines Stack Up?

Included Knives In Each Line

Now that we’ve compared materials and construction factors, let’s see how the included knives in each lineup stack up:

Zwilling Gourmet Knives

The Zwilling Gourmet collection contains a range of both essential knives and kitchen tools:

• 8″ Chef’s Knife – An all-purpose knife for chopping, slicing, and mincing.
• 8″ Bread Knife – Features a serrated edge ideal for slicing breads, tomatoes, and more.
• 6″ Utility Knife – For cutting smaller produce and meats.
• 3.5″ Paring Knife – Precise knife for tasks like peeling, de-veining, and detail work.
• 6″ Boning Knife – Thinner blade to remove bones and skin meats.
• 5″ Santos Knife – A sturdy all-purpose knife designed for scooping and peeling fruits and vegetables.
• 3.5″ Vegetable Cleaver – For chopping through hard produce.
• 8″ Sharpening Steel – Realigns knife edges between sharpenings.
• Kitchen Shears – Convenient shears for food prep.

The Gourmet series covers all the basics for stocking your first kitchen. While the knives don’t stand out in terms of performance, it’s an affordable range of essential tools.

Zwilling Pro Knives

Here are the versatile knives included in the Zwilling Pro collection:

• 8″ Chef’s Knife – Workhorse for chopping, mincing, and slicing all ingredients.
• 7″ Santoku Knife – Japanese-style knife ideal for dicing and mincing with a straight edge.
• 6″ Utility Knife – Agile knife for small ingredients and trimming.
• 8″ Bread Knife – Long serrated edge cuts cleanly through bread.
• 6″ Boning Knife – Easily removes meat from bones.
• 5″ Boning Knife – Compact knife to trim and debone smaller pieces.
• 3.5″ Paring Knife – Precisely peels, de-veins, and handles garnishes.
• 8″ Sharpening Steel – Realigns edges between professional sharpenings.
• Come-Apart Kitchen Shears – Versatile shears come apart for cleaning.

The Pro collection consolidates all your everyday food prep into fewer pieces with dual functionality. The forged blades offer significantly better cutting performance.

Performance Comparison

Now let’s see how Gourmet and Pro stack up in terms of real-world cutting tests:

• Edge Retention: Pro knives maintain sharpness around twice as long as Gourmet before needing sharpening. The ice-hardened Friodur steel and forged construction give Pro the clear edge here.
• Precision: Pro knives offer better handling for detail work. The forged blades have extra knuckle clearance for improved grip.
• Slicing: Pro knives offer cleaner, thinner slices of foods like meats and breads. Pro’s thinner blade geometry cuts with less friction or tearing.
• Mincing: Pro also excels at mincing with its thin, tapered blade profile that separates food effortlessly.
• Comfort: The contoured handles and added grip pads on Pro knives reduce hand fatigue significantly for extended prep.
• Weight: Pro knives weigh slightly more than stamped Gourmet blades. But the additional heft lends confidence and control when cutting.
• Durability: Pro takes the lead here too, thanks to the forged bolster and full-tang design that will last years with proper care.

The Pro collection simply delivers a much higher caliber of cutting performance. Pro knives are an intermediate level choice suitable for passionate home cooks.

Also watch the video!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which Is Right For You?

• Choose Gourmet if you’re a beginning cook or college student needing to stock a basic kitchen on a tight budget. Gourmet provides an affordable range of essential knives to start out.
• Opt for Pro if you prepare meals daily and want long-lasting knives with better cutting performance. Pro knives offer vastly improved comfort, durability, edge retention, and precision perfect for avid home cooks.
• Consider investing in both lines if you want high performing Pro knives for key tasks like chopping and slicing while rounding out your kitchen tools with affordable Gourmet models.

At the end of the day, Pro knives deliver vastly elevated performance and quality worth the modest price increase over the entry-level Gourmet line. For frequent cooks, Pro is definitely the way to go for an incredible value.