THE KITCHEN KNIVES YOU NEED TO COOK LIKE A CHEF AT HOME
Forget fancy blenders and sophisticated spiralisers. The most important instrument in any home cook and chef’s culinary toolbox? A quality kitchen knife. This kitchen staple can make or break a meal. Just try to slice a tomato with a blunt knife and you’ll see what we mean. There’s no quicker way to ruin a Caprese salad.
And it’s not just about the appearance of your food or the speed with which you serve it. A blunt kitchen knife can actually be dangerous. Cutting up butternut squash with a dull blade is a battle no amateur chef needs in their life.
But the best kitchen knives? Not only are they exceptionally sharp but they’re also incredibly durable with blades that will take a long time to dull. They’re also designed to be ergonomic, offering perfect balance, ease of use, and total comfort in your hand. Oh, and they’re aesthetically pleasing too.
OXO Good Grips: Best oyster knife
To learn more about the best knives on the market today, check our list of the top kitchen knife brands. We also explain the key differences between Japanese and German kitchen knives, compare the options you have in terms of steel quality, and briefly discuss how to sharpen your kitchen knives.
Oishya Sakai Kyuba Knife Set: Overall best kitchen knife
Admittedly, we were first attracted to this Sakai Kyuba Japanese knife set by the aesthetics. To say that these knives are minor works of art is an understatement. Their design, combined with their outstanding performance and traditional craftsmanship, gave them an edge over all the others on our list.
These Japanese knives are here to take the pleasure of cooking to a whole new height. The set includes a versatile chef’s knife, a thin and ultra-sharp vegetable knife, and a nimble paring knife for more intricate tasks.
The blades are handcrafted by skilled Japanese blacksmiths from premium Japanese VG10, which combines the hardness of carbon steel with stainless steel’s corrosion resistance. With a Rockwell Hardness rating of 62, they also provide the razor sharpness that all chefs require.
Wüsthof Classic: Best high-end kitchen knife
Wüsthof is everything you can expect from a traditional German kitchen knife, and then some. Robust, sturdy, and distinctly well designed, their 20cm (8-inch) Cook’s Knife will meet the highest requirements of any top chef.
Forged in Solingen, Germany, each knife is made from durable, razor-sharp chromium-vanadium-steel and combines meticulous attention to detail with the hearty power of a Western blade. It’s made with a full tang (meaning the blade continues through the handle) and bolsters, giving you excellent balance and control. It can withstand the wear and tear of a commercial kitchen but is also suitable for the more casual use in the home as it’s so comfortable and easy to use. Plus, for that extra touch, each knife is expertly buffed and polished by hand.
Global G-2 Classic: Best value kitchen knife
If you’re looking for a great value kitchen knife, then look no further than the Global G-2 20cm (8-inch) Chef’s Knife. This super lightweight, multi-purpose blade weighs in at just 170 grams (6 ounces). Although you may think there is a tang creating the one-piece look, the handle and the blade are actually made from two separate metals and then welded together. The round shape of the handle is familiar with a lot of Japanese knives making, however, the handle of the G-2 is hollowed and injected with just the right amount of sand to keep it perfectly balanced. There is also a small finger dimple instead of a bolster for additional grip and control.
The Global G-2 Classic knife has won dozens of awards since it was released and has been tested by numerous respected kitchen magazines. It also doesn’t cost nearly as much as some of the other knives on this list, so it’s, without doubt, the best value for money. Furthermore, the lifetime warranty adds to your peace of mind, and the snazzy silver design will look wonderful in your kitchen.
MAC Professional Hollow Edge: Best Japanese kitchen knife
Assembled with exceptional Japanese craftsmanship, the MAC knives pack a powerful punch when it comes to precision. The 20cm (8-inch) Hollow Edge chef’s knife is our top choice for both the home and professional kitchen; it will undeniably live up to any chef’s expectations. It can handle pretty much anything, from cutting through tough chicken bones to finely mincing a clove of garlic. The firm handle is fashioned from a Pakkawood resin and has a bolster for balance and weight.
The blade itself is made from high-quality, rust-resistant, tempered steel. This allows the knife to glide through food with virtually no effort at all, and the faultless balance makes it exceptionally easy to use. It also comes with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Made In Cookware: Best multi-purpose kitchen knife
If you needed just one knife for your kitchen and you are looking for a top chef knife, then go for Made-In Cookware’s 20cm (8-inch) blade. Crafted from exceptionally hard steel and treated with nitrogen, the knife is a delight to use. The nitrogen helps protect the edge and, paired with its lightweight, hardy, and well-designed exterior, it is perfect for a commercial or domestic kitchen.
On top of all of that, Made In’s knife also boasts a full tang – the one piece of high-quality stainless-steel runs from handle to needle-sharp tip – and it’s also fully forged. This makes it remarkably versatile and up to any kitchen task – from delicate slicing to rigorous chopping, mincing, and even deboning. Easily the top choice when it comes to a well-rounded top kitchen knife.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels: Best premium kitchen knife
When it comes to the best of the best, Henckels quite literally tops the knife chart. Their 20cm (8-Inch) Chef’s Knife has a wonderfully multi-purpose blade that can just as easily cube a pineapple as it can transform leaves of fresh basil into ribbons. The high carbon steel of the knife is perfectly suited for a professional chef (whether you’re cooking at home or in a restaurant), however, because of the type of steel used to craft the edge, it requires more knowledge and care to maintain.
Nevertheless, in return, users will be granted the accuracy and sharpness that only high-carbon steel can deliver. The ice-hardened blade has been expertly sculpted into a remarkable high-end kitchen knife that is craved by chefs and favored by the likes of Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver. Featuring a full tang for balance, a bolster for support, and a comfortable polymer three-rivet handle that mirrors the shape of your palm, you will be blown away by this knife’s abilities. This Zwilling J.A. Henckels signature blade has, quite literally, provided chefs around the world with a razor-sharp secret weapon.
Mercer Culinary Wavy Edge: Best bread knife
If you’ve ever tried to slice through a fresh loaf of crusty bread with a chef’s knife, then you’ll know why bread knives are crucial in every kitchen. Perfect for slicing a French baguette, a crusty tiger loaf, or soft dinner rolls, bread knives have a serrated blade that’s ideal for foods with a hard outside and soft interior.
The Mercer Culinary Wavy Edge Bread Knife is lightweight, balanced, and brilliantly designed. The high-carbon Japanese steel blade is rust-resistant and stain-resistant. Plus, the handle is made from a slip-resistant combination of polypropylene and Santoprene, making it easy to grip and comfortable to hold. Overall, what more could you ask for in a bread knife?
Victorinox Spear Point: Best paring knife
After the chef’s knife, the next best blade in a chef’s block might just be a paring knife. Perfect for those smaller and slightly more fiddly tasks, you’ll find that this knife by Victorinox will glide through cherry tomatoes, feather strawberries, and slice shallots with effortless simplicity.
The Victorinox Spear Point paring knife is a nifty little tool that’s marvellous for both the home and commercial kitchen. In fact, it’s pretty commonly found in both because of its wide availability in regular home stores and, quite frankly, it’s extremely good at what it does! Plus, it’s not too expensive either! So, for the perfect little paring knife, we’d choose Victorinox all the way!
Shun Classic: Best serrated utility knife
For foods with a tough outside and soft or juicy inside – think tomatoes, sausages, or avocadoes – the utility knife is just perfect for the task. The serrated edge on this Shun knife will glide through these foods with minimal pressure and won’t damage their delicious, soft interiors. It’s also great for some of those delicate tasks where a more precise slice is required to get the desired outcome. This makes it particularly useful in a working kitchen.
Made from an eye-catching woodgrain design on the 34 layers of its Damascus clad stainless steel blade, the Shun Classic also features a strong, ebony PakkaWood handle. The resultant knife is razor-sharp, corrosion-resistant, durable, and a delight to hold and use.
The Final Word
When deciding which steel is right for you, it’s important to look at a few contributing factors: hardness, resistance (to water, bacteria, and corrosion), edge retention, and the ease of sharpening. The most basic and common material used to make a knife blade is stainless steel. This is just steel with added chromium to resist corrosion and other forms of deterioration through the elements. However, when you start adding carbon to the blade, the steel will get gradually tougher.
The main thing to bear in mind is that the more carbon in a knife’s steel, the harder the blade. This means it can be made extremely sharp and is extremely strong. However, if you just add carbon without the additional chromium that makes the steel stainless, the resultant blade will be a lot less durable. Carbon Steel will retain its edge well and is much tougher, whereas regular Stainless Steel is softer, easily loses its sharpness, and can sometimes bend.