Tower Knife Set: What This UK Brand Brings to the Kitchen

Tower is a British brand that's been making home appliances and kitchenware for over a century. While they're perhaps best known for their pressure cookers and small appliances, their knife sets have become a recognized option in the UK kitchenware market, available through retailers like Argos, Amazon UK, and department stores.

About Tower as a Knife Brand

Tower Housewares, founded in 1912 in Birmingham, England, has grown into a broad kitchenware brand covering everything from air fryers and slow cookers to cookware and cutlery. Their knife sets are part of a larger kitchen tool ecosystem designed to offer practical, affordable kitchen solutions for everyday home cooking.

The brand's knife sets are designed for the same audience as the rest of their product line: home cooks who want functional, reliable tools at accessible British retail prices.

What a Typical Tower Knife Set Includes

Tower produces knife sets in various configurations. Common offerings include:

Basic sets (5-6 pieces): - 20cm chef's knife - 20cm bread knife - 13cm utility knife - 9cm paring knife - Knife block

Larger sets (8-12 pieces): - The above plus santoku, carving knife, kitchen shears, and additional utility pieces

Some Tower lines feature colored handles or distinctive finishes that match their broader kitchen product ranges, allowing customers to coordinate their kitchenware.

Construction and Materials

Tower knife sets fall in the affordable to mid-market category. The blades use stainless steel appropriate for this price tier:

Blade steel: Standard stainless steel, typically in the 52-56 HRC range for entry-level lines, with higher-specification steel in their more premium offerings. The blades are stamped rather than forged.

Handle materials: Varies by line. Basic Tower sets often use synthetic handles in traditional shapes. Some contemporary lines use softer grip materials or ergonomic designs.

Construction: Standard home kitchen construction suitable for everyday cooking tasks. Not designed for professional kitchen demands.

The Tower Cerastone Line

One notable Tower knife range is their Cerastone series, which features a non-stick coating on the blade designed to reduce food adhesion during cutting. This is particularly useful for sticky foods like potatoes, cheese, and bread.

The Cerastone coating is applied to the blade face (not the edge) and doesn't affect sharpening of the cutting edge. It does require careful maintenance to avoid scratching the coating, which means hand washing only and avoiding abrasive scrubbing.

Performance for Everyday Cooking

Tower knife sets are designed for the cooking habits of everyday British home cooks: preparing weeknight meals, weekend cooking, baking, and general food preparation.

What they do well: - Vegetable prep for standard meals - Slicing cooked meats and roasts - Bread cutting - Basic butchery tasks like portioning chicken

Where limitations show: - Edge retention is modest; regular honing is needed for sustained performance - The steel doesn't match what dedicated knife brands in the same price range offer - Not suitable for precision culinary work or extended professional use

How Tower Compares to Other UK Knife Brands

In the UK market, Tower competes with:

Prestige: A UK kitchen brand with similar price positioning and similar target audience.

Russell Hobbs: Another UK appliance and kitchen brand producing knife sets at comparable prices.

MasterClass: UK kitchenware brand with slightly more emphasis on design aesthetics.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro: Swiss brand widely available in the UK, offering demonstrably better steel quality at a similar to slightly higher price. Frequently recommended as a step-up option.

Robert Welch: UK brand with a stronger craft emphasis and better quality in their Signature and Trattoria lines. Higher price point.

Global: Japanese brand widely available in the UK. Different price tier entirely, with significantly better performance.

Who Tower Knife Sets Are Good For

Budget-conscious UK buyers: Tower offers complete knife kits at prices that work for most household budgets.

Buyers equipping a new home: First knives for a new kitchen or apartment setup.

Cooks who want matching kitchen aesthetics: Tower's branded look coordinates with their cookware and appliance lines.

Casual to moderate home cooks: Cooking several times a week for standard meals.

When to Consider Upgrading

If you're cooking daily, spending significant time on food prep, or developing serious cooking skills, Tower's entry-level knife sets will eventually feel limiting. The edge retention and overall performance of better-quality knives becomes noticeably valuable at that level of use.

Options worth considering as an upgrade: Victorinox Fibrox Pro for value-focused buyers, Robert Welch Signature for a quality UK brand, or Global if budget allows.

Care and Maintenance

Tower knives last longer with proper care:

Hand wash. This applies especially to Cerastone-coated models. Even for standard Tower knives, hand washing extends blade life.

Dry immediately. Prevents water spots and slows any corrosion.

Hone regularly. Before each cooking session with a standard honing rod keeps the edge performing longer.

Store in the block. Protects edges and keeps knives organized.

Use appropriate cutting boards. Wood or soft plastic cutting boards are gentler on edges than hard surfaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Tower knives good quality? Adequate for everyday home cooking at their price point. They're not high-performance culinary tools but function well for standard cooking tasks with proper maintenance.

Are Tower knife sets dishwasher safe? Some are labeled as dishwasher safe, but hand washing is better practice for any knife. This is especially true for Cerastone-coated models where the coating can be damaged in the dishwasher.

Where are Tower knives made? Tower products are manufactured to their specifications; production is typically overseas. The design and brand originate in the UK.

How do Tower knives hold their edge? Similar to other knives in their price range: regular honing maintains performance adequately, but the steel dulls faster than forged or harder steel alternatives. Expect to hone before most cooking sessions.

Is Tower's Cerastone coating worth it? It does reduce food sticking noticeably for certain foods. The tradeoff is extra care requirements and eventual coating wear. If food sticking is a specific annoyance for you, it's worth trying.

Final Thoughts

Tower knife sets are a practical, accessible option for UK home cooks who need a complete kitchen knife solution at an everyday price. The brand's long history and broad retail availability make them a familiar and reliable choice.

For cooks who want to invest in better performance, the incremental step up to a brand like Victorinox or Robert Welch delivers meaningfully better results for a modest additional investment.