Millennia Series 13-Piece Culinary School Kit is the perfect set of knives and other necessary equipment to start your culinary journey
What We Like
- Japanese, high-carbon steel blades
- Handles provide excellent grip
- Includes a handy knife roll
- Useful tips on ruler
- ¾ tang knives for optimum balance
What We Don’t Like
- Knife guards counted as separate pieces
- Set has fewer knives than some others
Bottom Line
The Mercer Culinary Millennia culinary school kit has razor-sharp blades but with the protection required for amateur cooks. It is the perfect set of knives and other necessary equipment to start your culinary journey, all for an eye-catching price.
A Quick Mercer Culinary Intro
Are you planning to go to culinary school? If so, you probably want the best kitchen knives to help you through it.
This school kit offers sharp, razor-like Japanese steel blades that can help you learn all the necessary knife skills in no time. But that’s not all: we’ll also be reviewing the other equipment you get with this knife set, which includes a peeler, a thermometer, and more.
Here’s a complete list of what you get with this set:
- 7-pocket nylon knife roll
- 8″ Chef’s knife
- 8″ bread knife
- 6″ boning knife
- 3″ paring knife
- 10″ sharpening steel
- Swivel peeler
- Pocket thermometer
- Cut ruler
Note: all the knives come with separate knife guards so that you can store your knives safely and securely.
Related article: Mercer Cutlery Knife Pack Plus Review
Mercer Culinary Partners in Education 13-Piece Millennia Culinary School Kit Design
The first thing you notice about a kitchen tool is its design, but you also want to know whether it helps you in the kitchen or not. Here are all the details about these tools:
Knives
These knives are high-carbon Japanese steel with a ¾ tang, , which means they are thinner and maintain their sharp edges better (check out the blade structure in the next section for further details).
Moreover, their handles are made up of santoprene and polypropylene, giving you the perfect blend of comfort and strength. They also have a very ergonomic shape and texture that helps you have a firmer grip on the knife.
We just wish there were more of these wonderful knives in this kit, rather than only four.
Other equipment
The kit also has a bunch of other useful equipment. For instance, its swivel peeler is a handy version of a traditional peeler. The blades are not fixed in one place; instead, they can swing sideways to help you peel more quickly and cleanly without any fuss.
In addition to this, you get a 10-inch steel sharpener and an analog thermometer with a limit of 220 degrees. A digital thermometer is usually easier to use, but at this price point, we’re not complaining.
Knife Roll
The nylon knife roll is pretty thick and built for carrying heavy knives, and it also has an adjustable strap, so it’s easier for you to carry.
Related reading: Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-Inch Granton Edge Slicer Knife
Performance and Features
How do these tools perform in the kitchen? Let’s look at their features a bit more closely, so you know what you’re paying for:
Blade Structure of Knives
As we mentioned earlier, these knives are made up of a single piece of stain-resistant Japanese steel, which is known for its high carbon content. This helps make the knife lighter with paper-thin edges, making it incredibly sharp.
All of these knives are stamped, rather than forged. Generally, you may prefer a forged blade, but if made out of high-quality materials, stamped knives have their own edge. They are lighter in weight so that slicing and chopping is smooth and quick. More importantly, they have better blade retention.
Plus, a ¾ tang in these knives also adds to their lightness and helps you get the right balance.
Handles
Handles are important when you’re learning how to use a knife. The mixture of santoprene and polypropylene in these handles sets them apart from others. Both of these materials are resistant to chemical damage, and since they’re rubber, they make the handle feel more comfortable in your palm.
They also have a pretty ergonomic shape, so it’s easier for you to hold the knife. With textured finger points on the underside of the handle, you get a grip that not even oil can loosen up.
What’s more? They have a finger guard at the tip, where the handle widens to hug the edge of the blade. When you’re learning knife skills, this can prove to be a real finger-saver.
Ruler
You know what we really liked about this kit? Answer: the ruler, which is a stainless steel one and measures a good 12 inches.
This handy tool has cuts that help you measure the length of whatever you’re slicing up. A ¼ inch piece of ginger, a ½ inch thick steak – measuring such stuff isn’t going to be an issue anymore as this ruler has a number of different measurements and scales.
Moreover, you also get some handy tips like pasta and pie dough recipes and information about different cuts of beef, and other handy tips.
NSF Certified
All of this equipment is NSF certified, which means they are of high quality and perfectly safe to use. Moreover, you also get a limited lifetime guarantee from Mercer Culinary.
Related reading: Best Mercer Knives
Handling the Mercer Culinary School Kit
Need comfortable equipment? This is the culinary school kit to go with, then. With their ergonomic handles and finger guards, these knives are safe and comfortable in your hands, whether you’re an amateur or a pro.
The peeler, as discussed earlier, also has swinging blades to help you peel faster and easier. And don’t forget our favorite, the ruler, which has cuts of different sizes along with other measurements that will help you make the perfect dish.
As far as maintenance is concerned, you need to make sure to hand-wash the knives and not use harsh chemicals on them so that they can remain good as new for longer.
When you’re done using the knives, you can store them safely using the included knife guards, along with the other equipment in the 7-pocket knife roll.
How much is the Millennia Culinary School Kit?
This kit is one of the cheapest ones on the market, but with quality that’s good enough to compete with the best. With Japanese steel blades and top-notch handles, you’ll be surprised at the performance you get for the price point.
Speciations
- Dimensions: 20 x 8 x 5 inches
- Weight: 3.6 pounds
- Made in: Taiwan
- Material: Japanese steel, santoprene, polypropylene
- Warranty: Limited lifetime guarantee
- Certificates: NSF
Related reading: Mercer Culinary Genesis 10-Piece Forged Knife Set Review
Mercer Culinary Partners in Education 13-Piece Millennia Culinary School Kit Review Final Verdict
Honestly, with a price tag like that of the Millennia culinary school kit, we’re sold. Not only do these tools have more than satisfactory performance, but they’re also long-lasting if you take proper care of them.
However, this set lacks a wider variety of knives, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you can get their 23-piece culinary school kit.
Other than that, this kit is great for someone who’s starting to learn some of the most necessary knife skills.
