Chef Rachael Ray grew up in the restaurant business, in a family with a rich background in regional cuisine. As the Ray family moved through a series of family-owned restaurants in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and eventually settled in upstate New York to work in food service, Rachael Ray learned about food by working as well as studying. Her popular TV show led to a partnership with Furi Cutlery of Australia and a new line of Rachael Ray knives. There’s more to the knives than the Rachael Ray name.
History
Rachael Ray began her career in New York City as a candy counter girl at Macy’s. Moving up to management at Macy’s Fresh Foods Department gave Ray the opportunity to learn more about gourmet food, and two years later Ray became the manager of Agata & Valentina Marketplace. Returning to upstate New York, Ray managed restaurants at the Sagamore Resort before a gourmet market in Albany hired her away to become their local chef. A series of cooking classes Ray conducted as a sales promotion triggered her television career. Albany’s WRGB-TV hired Ray for an evening news cooking segment, which led to two local Emmy awards, a popular cookbook, and eventually a Rachael Ray franchise. Rachael Ray now partners with numerous manufacturers to produce products made to her specifications and built with Rachael Ray flair. Ray’s trademark orange embellishes everything from cookbooks to bakeware, kitchen tools, wine, and cutlery.
Furi Knives of Australian entered the cutlery world in the late 1990s, promoting knives with a unique non-slip handle design. The more pressure you place on a Furi knife, the more tightly it wedges into your grip, preventing any slip forward. The ergonomic design and blade quality made Furi knives the most popular kitchen cutlery in Australia, and the company had marketing plans for the U.S. as well. A partnership with Chef Ray offered a quick start.
Products
Furi and Rachael Ray produce high carbon stainless steel knives in a one-piece construction with grips modified to suit Chef Ray. The new design incorporates Furi’s non-slip features but with an orange anti-microbial coating. Several handle designs include Gusto Grip, with a non-slip orange coating over the entire grip, and knives with either stainless steel pommels or brightly polished “coppertails.” The pommels give the knives perfect balance.
Read all of our Rachael Ray product reviews below:
