Compare the best kitchen knives

High-quality knives are some of the most important tools in any home kitchen. But if your tools aren’t up to the task, preparing even a simple meal can be time consuming and dangerous. There are many different types of kitchen knives to choose from, with prices ranging anywhere from $10 up to over $300.

Top kitchen knives

Name	Avg. price (USD)	Handle material	Blade length (in)	Weight (g)	Origin	Purchase
Cuisinart C77TR-CF-25	$15.00	Plastic	7.87	349	China	Buy now
Scanpan 92502000	$40.00	Plastic	7.87	308	China	Buy now
Victorinox Fibrox	$29.75	Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE)	7.9	212.62	Switzerland	Buy now
Global g-2	$139.99	Steel	7.87	167	Japan	Buy now
Mac Knife Chef Series HB‌-55	$55.00	Wood	5.34	65.2	Japan	Buy now
Messermeister Park Plaza Carbon	$50.00	Thermoplastic polyoxymethylene	8	40.82	Germany	Buy now
Mac Knife Japanese Series CL‌-65	$170.00	Wood	6.44	328.85	Japan	Buy now
Shun Classic DM0706	$149.95	D-shaped ebony PakkaWood	8	202.13	Japan	Buy now

Why do I need new kitchen knives?

If the knives you own are blunt, rusty, stained or just unsafe to use, they can add a lot of time and stress to the cooking process. By investing in one or more high-quality kitchen knives, you can make food preparation quicker, easier and safer. There is a wide range of knives specifically designed to perform certain tasks in the kitchen, including cutting through meat, fish, bread and bone.

What types of kitchen knives are available?

There are many different types of kitchen knives to choose from, each of which is designed to perform specific tasks:

• Chef's knife

  Also called a cook’s knife, this is the most important knife to have in your kitchen. The chef’s knife is a versatile and is used to chop, slice and dice all kinds of food. These usually have a blade length of around 20 cm, and the blade’s curve allows for a smooth rocking motion when chopping.

• Paring knife

  This small knife is used for delicate tasks like peeling and cutting small vegetables and fruit or trimming fat from a piece of meat. Maximum blade length is usually around 10 cm.

• Utility knife

  This is similar to a chef’s knife in that it’s designed to perform a wide range of everyday tasks, for example, chopping an apple. However, it’s usually more compact than a chef’s knife.

• Boning knife

  With sharp blades of between 10 cm and 15 cm, boning knives are used to cut through bones, ligaments and tendons when preparing meat, poultry and fish.

• Filleting knife

  If you cook a lot of fish or work with raw meat often, the thin and sharp blade of a filleting knife is useful for removing skin and small bones and performing other fine tasks.

• Carving knife

  With a long, thin blade leading to a sharp tip, carving knives are designed to help you cut thin slices of meat. Blade lengths generally range from 20 cm to 40 cm.

• Bread knife

  A long blade with a serrated edge helps this knife cut through bread without squashing it.

• Santoku knife

  This Japanese-style knife is an alternative to a chef’s knife. It features a blunt tip and dimples on the blade to help prevent food sticking to the knife.

These are the most popular choices, but there are plenty of other options you may like to consider depending on the type of cooking you do. For example, you may want a cleaver for chopping meat and poultry bones or a palette knife for preparing pastry.

How to compare kitchen knives

Cook’s knives start at around $10 and go right up to over $300. You may prefer the performance and feel of a high-quality knife and be willing to pay a premium for improved cutting ability, or you might find that a budget knife does everything you need. But cost isn’t the only factor you should consider.

Before buying a kitchen knife you’ll need to take into account the blade and handle material, how comfortable the knife is to hold and how easy it is to clean. Consider the following features:

• Blade material and length

  The material used in the blade affects the knife’s price, performance and durability. Stainless steel and carbon steel are the two most popular choices:

  • Stainless steel is affordable and resists stains but requires regular sharpening.
  • Carbon steel is hard and sharpens easily, but is also quite expensive, has no stain resistance and requires special maintenance to prevent rust.

  There’s also high-carbon stainless steel, which is essentially designed to offer all the benefits of stainless steel but with extra durability. Other options include ceramic blades (very hard and sharp but can chip or crack) and Damascus steel (looks beautiful but can be expensive).

  Check the length of the blade to see whether it will be easy and practical to use for all the tasks you need. Chef’s knives usually have a blade length of 20cm, but shorter and longer blades are available. If you have smaller hands, a shorter blade length may feel more comfortable.

• Tang

  The tang refers to the metal part of the blade that extends into the handle. A full tang is when the blade runs through the entire handle, and this design offers better balance and control. Knives with a partial tang are also available, with the tang either extending along the top of the handle or as a thin strip of metal which is enclosed in the handle.

• Handle

  Knife handle materials include stainless steel, plastic, wood and composites. They all have their pros and cons – for example, wood can warp over time but stainless steel can be slippery when wet – and in terms of which one feels the most comfortable to hold, it’s all down to personal preference.

  It’s also important to check the size of the handle, as people with large hands may find some smaller handles difficult or even unsafe to use.

• Feel

  The best way to test the quality and suitability of a knife is to physically pick it up and hold it. You’ll need to determine how comfortable it is to use – some people prefer lightweight knives, others prefer something that feels more substantial – and whether it feels evenly balanced between the blade and the handle.

Forging or stamping

Forged knives are created by taking a piece of molten steel and then cutting and beating it into the right shape. They’re heavier, more durable and stay sharper than stamped knives, which are made by machine and punched out of a sheet of steel. Stamped knives are a more affordable option and can still offer performance that is more than adequate for most home cooks.

Safety

Does the blade have a smooth heel? Is there a finger guard to help prevent any nasty accidents? If the handle is slippery, does it have a unique shape or textured surface to make it easier to grip?

Cleanability

Many kitchen knives are not dishwasher safe. Even those manufacturers that do claim their knives can go through the dishwasher still recommend hand washing as the preferred cleaning method.

Is there anything else you’ll need to do to look after your knife? For example, carbon steel requires regular maintenance to prevent corrosion.

Warranty

Check the length of the manufacturer’s warranty and what it covers. Some knives come with a lifetime warranty, but make sure you check exactly what that covers so there are no surprises.

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Which kitchen knife is the best for me?

The best kitchen knife for you depends on how you plan to use it and how much money you’re willing to spend. With this in mind, think about what you need your knife to do before you start shopping around.

Comparing kitchen knives requires a little time and effort, so to help make it easier, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of five popular cook’s knives in the table below:

Bottom line

Consider your budget and what you use your kitchen knives for when choosing a new knife or knife set. Compare a few different options before buying to help you get the most bang for your buck.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need to buy an entire knife set?

  It depends. If your entire knife drawer is in need of an overhaul, buying a set that features a chef’s knife, paring knife, utility knife, bread knife and more could be a good idea. On the other hand, if you only need one or two replacement knives, it might not be worth it to spring for the full set, unless you’d like an upgrade.

• What is the most versatile kitchen knife?

  The chef’s knife is typically considered the most versatile, since it can chop, slice and dice almost any fruit, vegetable or meat.

• What are the three most common kitchen knives?

  The chef’s knife, paring knife and bread knife are the three most common in the average home kitchen.

Tim Falk

Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder, writing across a diverse range of topics. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, Tim has reported on everything from travel and personal finance to pets and TV soap operas. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.