Top 10 kitchen Knives 2023
It should have a sharp edge that retains its sharpness for an extended period, and it tapers to a point, allowing for precise work.A knife is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade usually attatched to a handle or hilt.
Place the knife on the right hand side of the plates. Having a sharp knife in the kitchen is incredibly important for all cooks, from home chief to professionals.
Sharp Knives are more Efficient
If you want to test out how sharp your knives are then try the onion test .One of the most useful items to keep in your pack , a sturdy knife or multi-tool will help you prepare food, cut cord, make repairs, fashion a roasting stick- or even save your life in an emergency.
1. BEST OVERALL CHEF’S KNIFE
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Wusthof Classic 8-inch Kitchen Knife
PROS
- Excelled in Lab tests
- Felt well balanced
CONS
- Can be heavy for some
Razor-sharp and super versatile, this 8-inch chef’s knife from Wusthof truly impressed our experts. It was one of the only knives in our test that could cleanly slice tomatoes, chop onions, cut up carrots, bone a chicken and create thin ribbons of basil. This German classic is fully forged and has a full tang , which helps it feel perfectly balanced and ergonomic in your hand, but can be on the heavier side for some.
It’s dishwasher safe , but we recommend hand-washing to extend its lifespan. While it does run on the pricier side, its sharp, sturdy blade offers an exceptional cut on almost all foods. Top 10 Best Dinner Set
2. BEST VALUE CHEF’S KNIFE
J.A. Henckels Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Budget-friendly
- Versatile; excels across tasks
CONS
- Some might find the hard handle less comfortable
This excellent J.A. Henckels Classic Chef’s Knife has the heft, shape and performance of a splurge worthy chef’s knife but comes at an attractive price point. It’s an affordable, all-purpose tool that does an ace job of blitzing parsley, dicing onions and deboning a chicken. Our experts appreciate that this German stainless steel knife excels across a variety of different tasks, but they note that the hard plastic handle was a bit less comfortable than some other options on this list. The full bolster design might make less experienced cooks feel safer.
3. BEST MULTI-PURPOSE CHEF’S KNIFE
Misen 8-Inch Professional Kitchen Knife
PROS
- Balanced, sturdy and comfortable
- Great value
- Tough and durable
CONS
- Heavy
This chef’s knife from direct-to-consumer company Misen is made of Japanese AUS-8 high-carbon stainless steel, which means it’s tough, durable, and super sharp. Its blade is sharpened to 15 degrees a sharper angle than traditional Western style knives, which are typically sharped to 25 degrees. It has an angled semi-bolster that encourages a proper pinch grip during use.
In our tests, it felt balanced, sturdy and comfortale: The blade is slightly narrower than other chef’s knives we tested, which proved to be good for slicing. It’s beautifully designed for the price: Knives of this quality typically cost upwards of twice as much! One note; It is heavier than most other chef’s knives we tested.
4. BEST JAPANESE CHEF’S KNIFE
Shun Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Doesn’t need frequent sharpening
- Light yet sturdy
CONS
- Can chip easily
As our best overall japanese knife, this 8-inch pick from Shun is a standout. Our experts particularly like that it will last a long time without a price tag that will break the bank. While it’s on the delicate side and can chip more easily than some Western knives, it can easily through everything from vegetables to meat with its light yet sturdy blade. Our experts have been able to use this knife for long stints without sharpening and appreciate the good grip and weight of this model.
The brand’s 6-inch knife is perfect for smaller hands and glides through ripe tomatoes with its sharp edge. The Premiere is another favorite that has a wider handle that fits comfortably in the hand and a sturdy dimpled blade that slices cleanly through food without feeling brittle.
5. MOST DURABLE CHEF’S KNIFE
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Global Knives 7-Inch Santoku Knife
PROS
- Super sharp to power through any task
- Crafted from a single piece of stainless steel
- Notched blade help prevent food from sticking
CONS
- Blade can feel brittle to some
Global’s powerhouse Santoku is one of the sharpest knives we’ve ever tested. It’s made from a single piece of stainless steel, so the handle is integrated, meaning it won’t loosen over time and there’s no joint that could trap food. The blade also has hollow indentations, so foods are less likely to stick as they’re cut.
This Japanese knife excelled at all tasks throughout our testing process, but it particularly wowed us with its ability to cut through small chicken bones as well as around to help seprate parts. While we did find that the blade can feel a bit brittle, we had no trouble slicing through all sorts of foods thanks to its sharpness.
6. BEST BUDGET CHEF’S KNIFE
Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Pro Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Handle is comfortable and protects fingers
- Doesn’t feel delicate and is well-balanced
CONS
- Blade is wider than most options, so it’s not as suited to delicate tasks
While on the bulkier side, this knife from Victorinox is quite lightweight, and we noted that it felt exceptionally safe during use. The plastic handle fits comfortably iin your grip and helps keep your fingers away from the blade. The blade is wider than most of the other options on this list, so it’s not as nimble, but the knife is well balanced and offers stability. We also appreciated the good price.
Our consumer testers liked that it didn’t feel as though they’d easily ruin this knife, and they found it to be nice and sharp. It features a high -carbon stainless steel blade that ”rarely requries sharpening, ” according to the brand.
7. BEST CHEF’S KNIFE FOR PROFESSIONALS
Miyabi 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Cut thinnest slicest
- Comfortable to hold and use
- Cuts both veggies and meats well
CONS
- Pricey
While certainly more expensive than others on our list, the Chef’s Knife from Miyabi is stunning and effective. Our experts found it was exceptionally good at cutting both veggies and meat, and it cut the thinnest slices of any blade they’ve ever used. This is likely due to the G2 micro carbide powder steel blade that, according to the manufacturer, is honed to a ”9.5 to 12-degree”angle, which is finner even than many Japanese knives . It’s a good pick for professionals because the sharp, narrow blade allows precisecuts.
While testing, we liked that the handle rested perfectly in the center of our palm and felt natural to hold. We also love the marbled look of the birchwood handle.
8. BEST KITCHEN KNIFE FOR BEGINNERS
Material Kitchen The 8″ Knife
PROS
- Good value
- Comfortable to hold
- Sturdy but lightweight
CONS
- Blade feels a little thick compared to other Japanese-style knives
This 8-inch chef’s knife offers some heft but is still lightweight compared to the Western-style knives we tested. It has a thin, rounded handle, similar to Japanese style knives, but feels sturdy and natural in the hand a pro for new cooks. We did notice, however, that the blade felt a little thick in comparison to other japanese style knives, which can be disorienting at first for those expecting a thinner knife in classic Japanese style.
We tested the knife on an assortment of ingredients, including onions, tomatoes and freshmozzarella, and it sliced all of them with ease. It comes in three others colors Mocha, Almost Black and Sage and we’re fans of the three-piece knife set that includes this knife as well as the brand’s slim knife stand. It’s particularly good for beginners thanks to its reasonable price point as well as the fact that it doesn’t need to much sharpening and encourages a good grip.
9. BEST CUSTOMIZABLE CHEF’S KNIFE
Made In 8-inch Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Smoothly sliced through veggies
- Helpful instructions on knife usage
- Available as part of a knife set
CONS
- On the heavier side
With its colorful handle and the option to customize it with an engraving this Chef’s Knife from made In is as fashionable as it is functional. It performed every cutting task in our testing especially well, making it a workhorse when it comes to meal prep. We loved how easily it diced onions and how smoothly it sliced celery.Plus, it’s full tang and forged, meaning it’s made of one solid piece of stainless steel from tip to handle for better balance, but that does mean it’s on the heavier side.
10. STURDIEST CHEF’S KNIFE
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Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef’s Knife
PROS
- Durable but not overly heavy
- Super-sharp for effortless cutting
CONS
- Blade is wider near the handle than some knives, which means it’s not ideal for tasks like trimming around a bone
This Mercer Culinary chef’s knife felt good in our hand from the moment we picked it up. Our experts liked that it managed to feel sturdy without being too heavy. With its high-carbon, stain-resistant German steel blade, it effortlessly sliced through tomatoes and cut carrorts we barely had to use any pressure because the blade was so sharp! We find that it sliced through onions easily too.
We did notice that the portion of the blade near the handle is a bit wider than some of the other options on this list, which improves the durability of this pick but means that it is not ideal for delicate tasks like trimming around bones.
