Knife brand Zwilling released new kitchen electronics—but do they work?

You’re probably familiar with Zwilling J. A. Henckels, a German brand that’s been around since 1731, for its popular and high-quality kitchen knives. Zwilling tops our roundups for the best kitchen knives in multiple categories, thanks to their strong German steel blades, balanced handles, and relative affordability.

But recently, Zwilling has expanded into developing a number of small kitchen appliances, including vacuum sealers, kitchen scales, blenders, and more. Their sleek white-and-stainless looks are reminiscent of small appliances from Breville, fit for any modern kitchen. But do they actually perform as well as the brand’s famous knives? We put a few to the test to find out.

Which small kitchen appliances does Zwilling make?

In addition to cutlery, cookware, and kitchen tools, Zwilling offers a range of small appliances, which the brand has dubbed the Zwilling Enfinigy line. Here’s a current list:

• Zwilling Blender
• Zwilling Personal Blender
• Zwilling Electric Kettle
• Zwilling Electric Kettle Pro
• Zwilling 2-Slice Toaster
• Zwilling 4-Slice Toaster
• Zwilling Digital Kitchen Scale
• Zwilling Fresh & Save Vacuum Sealer

To see if their electronics meet the standard set by their knives, we tested the Zwilling Fresh and Save Vacuum Sealer Set and the Zwilling Digital Kitchen Scale in our own kitchens.

We tested two Zwilling electronics—here’s how they work

While social distancing measures have prevented us from accessing our test kitchen at Reviewed, the kitchen and cooking team has been testing products out of their own homes. I tested the Zwilling Fresh and Save Vacuum Sealer + Glass Storage Set, while our kitchen writer and coffee expert Valerie Li Stack tested the Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Kitchen Scale.

Our main takeaway? Zwilling electronics are beautiful and feel built to last—but they’re not all designed with users in mind. While we both enjoyed our time testing and using our small appliances, we each faced practical drawbacks that prevent us from recommending them to everyone.

Zwilling Fresh & Save Vacuum Sealer

The central Fresh & Save starter set (available for $99) contains one medium borosilicate glass container, one larger glass container, two small vacuum-seal bags, two medium bags, and one vacuum pump, as well as a charging system for the pump.

Unlike most tabletop vacuum sealers we’ve used that cut and seal plastic bags to your desired length, the Zwilling device is a modest handheld pump that looks more like an immersion circulator. This makes it extremely easy to use and store, but also means it’s only compatible with containers and bags from the Fresh & Save system.

The bags can be reused and hand-washed if used for dry ingredients like bread, snacks, and vegetables, but are recommended as one-use for storing or cooking raw meat, cheese, and eggs. The glass containers are dishwasher- and microwave-safe. You can also separately purchase an additional set of 10 bags for $15, and an additional large glass container for $30.

If you’re willing to spend a little over $100 just for food storage, the Zwilling Fresh & Save system is a great option to help reduce food waste and make your groceries last longer. I was very impressed by how it was to use the pump and how well it preserved both fresh and frozen foods in my testing, particularly greens and herbs.

I wouldn’t recommend the Fresh & Save for sous vide alone, however. The bags never leaked and my food turned out great, but they weren’t much better than standard freezer bags—and they’re not reusable with raw meat. For the price, you’d be better off with a standard vacuum sealer or the displacement method.

But if storage is your number one concern, the Fresh & Save is a sleek, easy-to-use system that will surely save you some cash in the long run.

Check out our full review of the Zwilling Fresh and Save Vacuum Sealer for more info.

Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Scale

Among all the scales we’ve tested, the Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Scale (available for $49.99) is perhaps the most beautiful. The rechargeable battery-powdered scale is lightweight and compact, yet it can weigh up to 22 lbs of objects. It’s intuitive enough to use without reading the user manual, and it can weigh most things accurately.

What we don’t like is that the button for switching from imperial to metric mode is on the bottom of the scale, which means you can’t make the change without turning the scale upside down. If you’re constantly cooking recipes from both American and Europeans chefs, you’ll be frustrated by how to change this mode every time.

Here’s the breakdown of the scales specs: * Modes: oz, g * Capacity: 22 lb, 10 kg * Resolution: 0.1 oz, 1 g

Ultimately, this is an accurate, beautiful scale—it’s just not our top pick. Check out our roundup of the best digital kitchen scales for more info.

Should you shop Zwilling electronics?

We weren’t as impressed with the Zwilling Enfinigy line of electronics as we are with the brand’s time-tested knives. While they were mostly functional, we did run into problems when it came to fitting the appliances into our daily lives—the kitchen scale needs to be flipped upside down to switch from metric to imperial, and the vacuum sealer’s bags are too expensive to constantly use for sous vide.

However, these small Zwilling appliances are beautiful, and feel like they’re built to last a while. If you’re a fan of their looks, we see no reason these kitchen electronics will be bad investments. Over time, we hope the Zwilling Enfinigy line will adapt to consumer concerns and become as functional as they are attractive.