Buying guide for Best chef’s knives
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As much as I love cooking, there is one kitchen task that I've always struggled with: my knife skills. Slicing a tomato or dicing an onion evenly has always been something I've had to concentrate very hard on, which means my meal prep can get really out of hand. Until I invested in the right chef's knife.
It doesn't matter if you rarely cook or you chop and dice daily, a quality chef's knife is essential in any kitchen. It is a handy tool for basic prep like dicing onions, potatoes and carrots, but it also works wonders for mincing your favorite fresh herbs and slicing up fresh fruit. Its versatility and efficiency make it a favorite knife among both home and pro chefs.
The trick for me was finding the right one. If safety is your main priority, a sharper chef's knife is actually safer because it requires less pressure and slices rather than tears or slides. That's why a forged high-carbon stainless steel blade performs the best — it holds a sharp edge better than other blades, though you'll have to pay more for this durability. If you're on a budget, you might need to consider a stamped carbon steel or stainless steel knife instead.
At BestReviews, we've researched and analyzed dozens of chef's knives to help identify the best models. Our top choice, the MAC Knife Professional Series 8-Inch Chef's Knife, features a beautiful wooden handle that's comfortable to grip, so you have better control. It also has dimples along its blade to help it get through sticky foods like potatoes and squash with ease.
Editors’ picks
MAC Knife Professional Series 8-inch Chef's Knife
Editors’ Favorite
Blade Length: 8” | Weight: 6.5 oz | Blade Material: Alloy steel | Handle Material: Pakka wood | Dishwasher-safe: No
Made in Japan, the MAC Knife Professional Series 8-inch Chef’s Knife can help make all your daily food-prep tasks a little easier. Its alloy-steel blade is 8 inches long and 2.5 millimeters thick, allowing it to slice, dice and chop effortlessly through any food. The surface is also dimpled, which helps it get through sticky foods like apples, summer squash and potatoes without slowing down.
Whether you’re an amateur or a professional chef, the blade’s razor sharpness is sure to impress, too. It arrives perfectly sharpened, so you can use it immediately. Its sharpness makes it ideal for cutting even the most delicate foods, including fruit, and allows it to hold its edge through many recipes.
The knife has a genuine Pakka wood handle, giving it a high-quality look. It’s also ergonomically designed, so it fits comfortably in the hand. The handle’s smaller, thinner design makes it an ideal option for those with small- to average-sized hands, allowing you to feel like you have excellent control as you cut.
Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Chef's Knife
Great Value
Blade Length: 7.9” | Weight: 6.1 oz | Blade Material: Stainless steel | Handle Material: TPE plastic | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
The Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Chef’s Knife delivers precision and efficiency for all your chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing needs. It features a tapered, high-carbon stainless steel blade sized perfectly for all food-prep tasks and has a wavy edge that keeps you from constantly sharpening it. Best of all, it’s dishwasher-safe for quick, easy cleaning.
The knife’s design also gives it a well-balanced feel in your hand, making it easy to maneuver through a variety of foods. The ergonomic handle is made from thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) plastic that provides a nonslip grip even when wet, so you always have excellent control, too. The comfortable fit also ensures you won’t experience fatigue even through longer chopping sessions.
We especially appreciate the excellent value this Victorinox chef’s knife offers. Its affordable price makes it an ideal knife for beginners, but it provides the same sharpness, durability and balance as higher-end options. You can trust in your investment, too, because Victorinox offers a lifetime warranty against any issues that arise due to material or workmanship defects.
Wüsthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Best Heavy-Duty Do-it-All Knife
Blade Length: 8” | Weight: 8.5 oz | Blade Material: Stainless steel | Handle Material: Composite | Dishwasher-safe: No
The Wüsthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife is an excellent all-purpose knife that can make slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing easier in your kitchen. It features a full-tang, triple-riveted design that offers stability as you cut. It weighs just 8.5 ounces, so it has a balanced feel in your hand, giving you greater control and precision even when chopping delicate ingredients.
The knife’s blade is forged from a single piece of high-carbon steel. Its Precision Edge Technology also means that it is 20% sharper and holds its edge better than Wüsthof’s previous models. It’s perfectly sharp right out of the box, too, so you can start using it right away.
You don’t have to worry about accidents with it thanks to its full bolster that keeps your fingers from sliding onto the blade when you’re chopping denser foods. The bolster even has an integrated finger guard that helps you maintain control over the knife without your fingers getting sliced.
Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Best Knife for Precision-Focused Cooks
Blade Length: 8” | Weight: 7.5 oz | Blade Material: High-carbon stainless steel| Handle Material: Pakkawood| Dishwasher-safe: No
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef's Knife is precisely designed to perform multiple tasks in the kitchen, so you can do everything from mincing fresh herbs to slicing tomatoes for a sandwich. Its blade has a striking hammered finish that not only gives it a distinctive look but also helps prevent drag and keeps your ingredients from sticking to the knife.
The blade features a combination of VG-MAX steel and 68 layers of Damascus cladding, so it has a razor-sharp edge. That provides plenty of precision when cutting smaller or more delicate foods, while its 16-degree edge helps the blade stay sharp through countless food prep sessions.
You’ll also love the knife’s pakkawood handle, which offers the perfect combination of form and function. It certainly looks stunning sitting out on a counter, but it also provides a comfortable, secure grip that gives you excellent control whether you’re right- or left-handed.
Famcüte 8-Inch Japanese Knife
Best Affordable Entry to Japanese Knives
Blade Length: 8” | Weight: 7.7 oz | Blade Material: 5-layer high-carbon steel | Handle Material: Rosewood | Dishwasher-safe: No
If you want a Japanese-style chef’s knife but are on a budget, the Famcüte 8-Inch Japanese Knife provides plenty of high-end features for under $100. The blade has five layers of carbon steel and is made using both hand-forging techniques and advanced honing technology, with each knife taking up to two months to produce. The result is a corrosion- and rust-resistant knife with a blade that keeps its edge for extended periods.
The knife also has a premium rosewood handle that is lightweight and easy to grip. Its design reduces the risk of hand fatigue when prepping large amounts of food and ensures greater comfort as you slice and dice. Its nonslip octagonal design provides excellent balance, too, so you can cut precisely and safely.
Overall, the knife has a lightweight, well-balanced feel in hand. It is comfortable enough for long cutting sessions and provides precise control, even when cutting through denser meats and vegetables.
Kitchen knives: the basics
While there are many different types of knives, the average home chef needs a minimum of these three: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife.
Chef's knife
This large, all-purpose knife has a straight edge – not a serrated edge – and is typically eight inches long. You can use a chef’s knife for mincing, dicing, chopping, and slicing.
Expert tip
For a little added control, try extending your index finger out onto the back of the blade during use. I find direct contact with the blade’s metal helps me sense and correct any wobble to the right or left, or if the knife hits a bone or sinew in meats.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert
Paring knife
A paring knife is similar to a chef’s knife, but it is smaller. Most paring knives have a three- or four-inch blade without serrations. You can use a paring knife to mince, chop, peel, and fillet.
Bread knife
These serrated knives generally have a nine- or ten-inch blade, and despite the name, they aren’t just for slicing bread – although they do that beautifully. You can use a bread knife to slice tomatoes and other soft fruits and vegetables, cut cake, and slice meat.
Utility knife
A utility knife isn’t mandatory, but it is a useful addition to your collection if you are an avid cook. In terms of length, utility knives fall somewhere between chef’s knives and paring knives – typically around seven inches. A utility knife is great for those times when your chef’s knife is a bit too big and your paring knife a bit too small.
Forged vs. stamped knife construction
There are two basic methods of knife construction: forging and stamping. Here’s a look at the specifics of each type.
Forged knives
These are made from a solid piece of metal that has been heated to an extreme temperature and pounded into shape. The production process is quite elaborate, and as a result, forged knives are more expensive than stamped knives. They are usually a little heavier and thicker than stamped knives, and they tend to hold their edge very well.
Stamped knives
These are machine-punched out of steel and then sharpened. Although there are some excellent stamped chef’s knives – and they are less expensive than forged knives – most serious cooks prefer a forged chef’s knife. However, we urge potential buyers to not automatically discount this type of blade. If you don’t have need for a chef’s knife that often, a stamped chef’s knife could be all you need.
Choosing your knife’s metal
There are three common metals used to make kitchen knives: stainless steel, carbon steel, and high-carbon stainless steel. Each has its pros and cons.
Stainless steel
The most common metal you’ll find in the average kitchen. It’s also the least expensive.
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Pros: Doesn’t rust, durable, easy to sharpen, doesn’t stain
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Cons: Doesn’t hold a sharp edge as well as other metals
Carbon steel
The preferred blade material of many chefs, but you’ll pay more for this premium metal.
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Pros: Holds a sharp edge, easy to sharpen
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Cons: Tends to discolor or develop a patina, pricier than stainless steel, rusts
High-carbon stainless steel
It has more carbon in the steel mixture than regular stainless steel, giving it superior strength without the problematic tendency to rust or discolor found in carbon steel. You’ll pay a lot more for this metal, however.
Expert TIp
If your blade tends to make a loud chopping bang on the cutting board every time you chop, try planting the upper edge of the knife on the board and rocking it up and down as you move it across your product. It’s a quieter, and safer, technique.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert
About the handle
A quality chef’s knife feels good in your hand and has a well-balanced, comfortable handle. Many chef’s knives have ergonomic handles that are specifically designed for ease of use.
There are three common handle materials used for kitchen knives: wood, laminate, and plastic.
Wood
This classic knife handle material feels good in the hand. However, wood can hold on to bacteria and is not as durable as other materials.
Laminate
A composite of wood and plastic, laminate knife handles look like wood but are far easier to care for and more durable, too.
Plastic
Easy to maintain and lighter than wood, but a plastic knife handle can crack after exposure to high temperatures or UV rays.
Other terms to know
When shopping for a chef’s knife, you may come across some unfamiliar terms. Here’s a brief glossary of important terms to know.
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Tang: The tang of a knife is the part of the blade that extends into the handle and holds it in place. If you look at a good chef’s knife, you’ll generally see a strip of metal running through the middle of the handle; that’s the tang. A full tang, which is the most desirable, is thick enough to show on both the top and the bottom of the handle. Full-tang knives are very stable and feel balanced in the hand. A partial tang extends only down the top or bottom of the handle.
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Edge: The edge of a chef’s knife is the sharp side.
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Spine: The spine of a chef’s knife is the slightly flattened side of the blade that isn’t sharp.
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Point: The point of a knife blade is its very tip.
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Blade: This term refers to the entire knife, save the handle.
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Butt: The butt is the end of the knife’s handle.
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Rivets: A knife’s rivets are those metal “dots” you see along the knife’s handle. There are usually three, and they secure the tang inside the handle.
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Heel: The heel is the wide “bumper” at the bottom of the blade right before it attaches to the handle. This adds balance to the knife and also serves as a handy edge for chopping harder items like nuts or carrots.
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Bolster: The bolster is the thick part of the blade right in front of the handle. It helps keep your fingers from slipping while you use the knife. Not every chef’s knife has a bolster.
Expert Tip
If your countertop is too tall for you to cut efficiently through a harder item, like an acorn squash or a pile of hazelnuts, consider putting on a pair of taller shoes or standing on a book or block to help you get downforce during cutting.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert
Tips
- Quality knives don’t belong in the dishwasher. Wash and dry your knife by hand after every use.
- A dull blade is a dangerous blade. You’re more likely to use excessive pressure or sawing motions when your knife needs sharpening. Sharpen or hone your chef’s knife as needed to maintain its good condition.
FAQ
Q. How much does a chef’s knife cost?
A. There are inexpensive chef’s knives that cost less than $25, and there are chef’s knives that cost well over $100. For the average home cook, the sweet spot is somewhere between the $30 and $60 mark. For this kind of price tag, you should expect a product with quality construction, good balance, and a comfortable handle.
Q. Is it best to buy a complete knife set or purchase my knives separately?
A. While buying a complete knife set is undeniably easy, you could end up with knives you don’t need and will never use. And the more knives you have, the more storage space you need; for those low on space, this is a definite consideration.
Ultimately, the choice between a knife set and a single chef’s knife is up to you.
Q. What’s the best way to store my chef’s knife?
A. Good knives deserve respect. Don’t toss your chef’s knife into a jumbled drawer or leave it blade-down in a knife block; both of these actions could dull the blade or damage the knife. Keep your knife blade-up in a knife block, attach it to a magnetic knife holder, or keep it in a drawer with a utensil holder that safely separates sharp blades from other kitchen utensils.
Q. I hear a lot about Japanese chef’s knives. Are they better than western knives?
A. While Japanese knives are indeed fine utensils, they are not necessarily better than western knives. Japanese blades are generally very hard and sharp with thin, lightweight blades. That makes them easy for some people to wield, but it also means they are more likely to break during heavy use. Western chef’s knives, by contrast, tend to be heavier, thicker, and sturdier.
How we analyzed
With so many chef’s knives on the market, sorting through all the options can be overwhelming. To identify the best models, we considered customer reviews from several online retailers to determine which knives best lived up to expectations. Specifically, we evaluated how well the knives cut, how well they maintained their edge and how comfortable they were to hold. Overall, we analyzed over a dozen chef’s knives and chose our top picks based on performance, sharpness, comfort, balance and durability.
Our expertise
Jennifer Blair is a writer and product tester who has covered kitchen, home and lifestyle products for BestReviews since 2017. She has written over 100 articles on household appliances, such as toasters, vacuum sealers, air fryers, vacuum cleaners and more.
Andrea Boudewijn is a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef operating Superfine Bakery out of Los Angeles, California. Her work has won several awards as well as appeared in magazines such as Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Brides and more.
