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The Best Chef’s Knife

By Lesley Stockton

Lesley Stockton is a writer focused on kitchen and entertaining. Her coverage includes grilling, kitchen knives, and cookware, just to name a few.

A great chef’s knife can revolutionize your daily meal prep. If your knife is comfortable to grip and razor-sharp, you can chop ingredients faster and with more control (and therefore more safely).

After putting in over 150 hours of research—and chopping more than 70 pounds of produce with 23 knives—we recommend the Mac MTH-80 . It’s been our pick since 2013, over the years appealing to a wide range of testers for its comfortable handle and sharp, agile blade.

Everything we recommend

The best chef’s knife

With its super-sharp edge, sleek, tapered shape, and comfortable handle, this knife makes everyday dicing and slicing tasks smoother and quicker.

Buying Options

Tojiro F-808

An affordable japanese knife.

This extremely sharp Japanese knife is one of the best deals we’ve found in cutlery. But it has a slightly less-durable blade, and the handle doesn’t provide as much knuckle clearance.

Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife

A classic german knife.

This classic German knife is a great choice if you prefer a heftier model for heavy-duty tasks. Its blade is softer than that of our top pick, so you need to sharpen it more frequently.

Budget pick

Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife 8-Inch

Sharp and affordable.

This knife is comfortable to use, durable, and pretty sharp. It’s by far the best knife you can buy for around $60.

Selecting a chef’s knife has a lot to do with personal preference, but we’re confident that the Mac MTH-80 is one of the most widely appealing knives available. Its razor-sharp edge, comfortable handle, and agile blade make chopping tasks much easier, which in turn cuts down on meal-prep time. And because of the MTH-80’s excellent edge retention, with proper care it will stay sharp for a long time.

If you want to spend less than $100—or you just want to add a Japanese gyuto knife to your collection—the Tojiro F-808 is an excellent choice. Thanks to its sharp edge, hard steel, quality construction, and affordable price, this model is one of the best values in Japanese-made knives. The flat belly curve makes the F-808 ideal for fine cuts and paper-thin slices of vegetables and meat.

The Tojiro knife is thinner and more brittle than our top pick, so it’s not suitable for hacking through thick, dense vegetables, like butternut squash. Although we really like the F-808, it needs a little more TLC than the Mac MTH-80.

If you’re accustomed to the feel of a heavier German knife, the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife is sharp and sturdy. Compared with the other forged German knives we tested, this one’s thinner blade cut more smoothly through all of the veggies we chopped. We liked how easily it maneuvered around curves when cutting away butternut squash skin and citrus rinds.

The Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife 8-Inch is the best knife you can buy for the price. It’s a favorite of budget-conscious home cooks, and it has an ergonomically shaped plastic handle that appeals to most people. The factory edge isn’t as sharp as that of our other picks, so in our tests it left us with slightly split carrots. However, it did allow us to cut a butternut squash clean in half. Compared with the other budget knives we tried, testers preferred the Victorinox knife for its maneuverability and comfortable feel.

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: mac mth-80, runner-up: tojiro f-808, also great: wüsthof classic ikon 8″ chef’s knife, budget pick: victorinox swiss classic chef’s knife 8-inch, how to care for your knife like a pro, the competition.

I’ve covered knives for Wirecutter since 2015, racking up more than 120 hours of research and testing. And over the many years of my culinary career, I’ve cooked in fine-dining restaurants, brewpubs, small cafés, private homes, and test kitchens, where tens of thousands of pounds of vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish have crossed my cutting board.

I’ve also enlisted seasoned cooking pros and curious home cooks to chop, slice, dice, julienne, chiffonade, and mince with many of these knives and weigh in. In addition to Wirecutter staffers, those panelists included Sam Sifton, an assistant managing editor at The New York Times and founding editor of New York Times Cooking , as well as a group of chefs and line cooks at New York City’s Le Coucou (recipient of the James Beard Foundation’s 2017 award for Best New Restaurant).

Whether you cook seven nights a week or hardly at all, every kitchen should have a chef’s knife. Of all of the pieces in a cutlery set, the chef’s knife is the most versatile and gets the most use.

You should get a new chef’s knife if you’re using an old knife set or a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs that aren’t, well, cutting it anymore. Dull kitchen knives are a bummer, and they’re dangerous, too. A sharp knife offers more control, reducing the chance of the blade slipping off of the food and into your finger.

If you’re outfitting your first kitchen on a budget, getting one good-quality chef’s knife is a wise economic choice because you can sidestep the sticker shock of buying an entire knife set. An 8-inch chef’s knife is versatile enough to hold you over until you generate more funds to build out your cutlery collection.

Most chef’s knives come in two styles: German and a double-beveled Japanese take on German knives (called a gyuto ). What works for you comes down to a combination of personal preference, cutting style, and comfort.

• This is the most widely recognized style of chef’s knife in the West—popularized by German knife makers Wüsthof and J.A. Henckels. The belly of the blade has a pronounced curve that tapers to a sharp tip, which is best if you prefer to cut using a rocking motion.
• German knives generally weigh more and have thicker blades than their Japanese counterparts; this makes them fit for tough jobs like breaking lobsters and splitting bone-in chicken breasts.

Japanese (gyuto)

• Gyutos generally have thinner blades with flatter belly curves than German knives, and they taper to a very sharp tip. The flat belly provides the most control if you cut using a push-pull motion (meaning the blade leaves the board after each cut, and you push the knife forward and down, or pull it back and down, to slice through food).
• Because gyutos are thinner and made of hard carbon steel, their edge takes a much more acute bevel angle, and they tend to stay sharper longer than German knives. This design makes gyutos great for paper-thin slices and precise cuts.

Since 2013, we’ve racked up over 200 hours researching and comparing more than 100 knives. For each update, we look at new releases, up-and-coming brands, and more knives from the producers of our picks.

Determining the ideal knife for any one person is both objective and subjective. Factors such as sharpness, edge retention, durability, versatility, and easy maintenance are key to the performance of any good chef’s knife. But things like comfort, weight, balance, and price are mostly a personal preference. As New York Times assistant managing editor Sam Sifton told us during testing, “[A good knife] is the balance of utility and the thing that moves your heart.”

What to look for in a chef’s knife

Sharpness: A brand-new knife comes with what’s called a “factory edge,” which is usually very sharp. The edge should be keen enough to slice through paper straight out of the box. Your knife should remain sharp through moderate use for six to 12 months, as long as you hone it regularly, wash and dry it by hand after each use, and store it so the edge doesn’t get dinged up.

Edge retention, steel hardness, and durability: A crazy-sharp factory edge isn’t worth much if it dulls quickly. Good edge retention relies on a combination of steel composition and hardness , blade thickness, and bevel angle. When a blade is thin and made from a hard steel, the edge can take and hold a tight angle.

Length: An 8-inch knife is the perfect length for most people because it’s long enough to halve large vegetables but still manageable for most home cooks.

Bolster: Bolsters are metal cuffs that sit between the blade and the handle. A full bolster extends to the heel of the blade, while a half bolster doesn’t. For this guide, we chose to test half-bolstered knives because they’re easier to sharpen. Full bolsters are a pain; they require a professional sharpening service to grind away the extra steel at the heel of the blade to maintain an even and flat edge.

Balance: Knife balance means different things to different people, and it boils down to personal preference. A half-bolster or bolsterless knife is more blade-heavy, whereas a full bolster throws more weight to the handle. If you’re unsure about your preference on balance, go to a kitchen store and handle as many knives as possible to see what feels right.

Comfort: The best knives have handles that fit the hand comfortably, and this can vary depending on the size of your hand and the way you grip the knife. Again, the best way to find a knife that’s a good fit for you is to try as many knives as you can. If it’s possible, cut some vegetables to check for knuckle clearance—nothing is quite as annoying as banging your knuckles on the board while chopping.

Your chopping style: When looking for the best knife for you, figure out the way you naturally chop food. You’ll likely fall into one of two camps: a rocker or a push-pull slicer.

German knife blades are curved and designed for a rocking chopping motion. In this motion (shown above), the tip of the knife mostly keeps contact with the cutting board, and you raise and lower the heel while your guiding hand pushes food underneath the blade.

Because Japanese knives have straighter edges, it’s better to use a push-pull motion with them, lifting the whole knife off the board for each cut (demonstrated above). If you decide to make the jump from German to Japanese knives, this motion will take some getting used to.

When we first unbox a knife to test it, we check the blade for dings, chips, and bends. We then test the sharpness of the factory edge by slicing through a sheet of printer paper. While holding each knife, we get a feel for its balance and handle comfort. All of this happens before we halve a single onion.

Over the years, we’ve invited friends and colleagues of all culinary stripes to our test kitchen to participate in a chopping panel. We sliced, diced, julienned, peeled, and chiffonaded a pile of butternut squash, onions, carrots, apples, oranges, sweet potatoes, and fresh herbs to gauge the knives’ versatility with foods of varying textures. We looked for sharpness, precision, maneuverability, and comfort.

In 2017 we sent the top-performing knives from our chopping panel to the kitchen at New York City’s Le Coucou , where the cooks used them for prep and during service for a week. Since chefs and cooks are very passionate about their knives, we wanted their unbridled opinions of our favorites.

The Mac MTH-80 is our favorite knife because it’s crazy sharp and will stay that way longer than most other knives. It’s comfortable to hold, and it is a standout favorite among testers across a wide range of skill levels, regardless of their cutting style.

When asked, the MTH-80 is the knife I recommend to most people without hesitation. It feels more agile than the German models we’ve tested and more durable than the thin Japanese gyutos. Its blade shape strikes the perfect middle ground between the two styles—curved just enough for rocking but still straight enough for push-pull choppers.

It makes chopping a breeze. In our tests, the MTH-80 always made clean cuts through fibrous carrots. The cut edges of basil stayed mostly green, with very little oxidation, which means the knife’s razor-sharp edge broke very few of the herb’s cells. To be honest, all of the Japanese knives did a superb job on our basil test. That’s because they’re sharper and thinner, whereas the six budget knives we tested ($20 to $40 models) turned the basil black within five minutes.

Even the pros think this is a great knife. The daytime kitchen crew at Le Coucou used the MTH-80 for prep and during lunch service for a week, and they praised its outstanding performance on vegetables, herbs, and fish. Scott Markowitz, sous chef at Le Coucou, said, “[The MTH-80] was the favorite of all the cooks. We used it on shallots, herbs, and even slicing fluke for crudo. It was the best overall for basic mise en place.”

It stays sharp longer than most knives we tested. Because the MTH-80’s stamped blade is made of very hard steel, it stays sharp longer than softer blades, such as those of the Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife 8-Inch and the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife. One Le Coucou chef who prepped shallots and onions in the mornings told us the MTH-80 held the best edge.

But Mac’s proprietary steel also isn’t as brittle as the super-hard Japanese steel that manufacturers use for most gyuto knives, so it’s less likely to chip (which the Tojiro F-808 did after we used it to cut hard butternut squash).

All of our testers agreed this knife was comfortable to hold and use. Most testers, including Sam Sifton, named the MTH-80 as their top choice among all of the contenders.

Even most testers with larger hands found that the handle allowed for plenty of knuckle clearance. However, the MTH-80’s handle and knuckle clearance were too small for one 6-foot-6 tester (whom we paid for their feedback). They much preferred the larger handle on the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife.

Dimples on the blade reduce the chances of food sticking to the knife—kind of. This feature isn’t the MTH-80’s biggest selling point. In our tests, the dimples were merely mildly effective—and only when cutting butternut squash. Squash slices stuck to the blades of every knife we tested, but it was easier to remove the squash from our pick’s blade.

It’s not cheap, but it’s a good value. Even though the MTH-80 tends to be on the pricier end of the knives we tested, its combination of performance and superior build will give you many years of happy use—much more than a budget knife. With proper maintenance , the MTH-80 could last a lifetime. In that respect, $145 or so is a bargain.

How the Mac MTH-80 has held up

We’ve had a Mac MTH-80 in regular rotation in our test kitchen since 2015, and it’s still our favorite knife. The logo on the blade has worn off slightly, but otherwise the knife remains in great condition.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Some Amazon reviewers complain about the blade staining . A Mac customer service representative explained that due to the knife’s high carbon content, you might occasionally see a rust spot—especially when you don’t rinse and dry the knife after cutting acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes. But with proper care , you can keep your Mac knife clean and spot-free. If you want a more stain-resistant knife, you might want to get one from Wüsthof.

Mac’s 25-year warranty is voided if you purchase the knife through unauthorized vendors. When buying a Mac knife through Amazon or another third party, check Mac’s website to make sure it’s an authorized seller before purchasing.

If you want to add a Japanese gyuto to your collection, the Tojiro F-808 is an exceptional knife for the price. In our tests, the thin, razor-sharp edge cut through vegetables with the precision of a scalpel. One colleague fell in love with the Tojiro F-808 and bought it immediately after the test. But it didn’t quite surpass our top pick, the Mac MTH-80 .

It’s shaped like a classic gyuto, with a straighter edge, no bolster, and a pointed tip. The lack of a curve in the belly of the blade makes cutting with a rocking motion awkward, so if that’s what you’re used to, we suggest learning the push-pull cutting style.

It’s sharp and precise. Testers liked chopping vegetables with the F-808 because of its sharpness, control, and easy handling. It’s ideal for slicing leeks, green onions, and herbs into fine julienne, but it’s also excellent for handling most fruit and vegetable prep and slicing boneless meat filets.

The hard steel blade stays sharp, but it isn’t suitable for some foods. The Tojiro knife’s steel core is harder than the surface material; that hardness helps the blade hold a better edge, but it appears to be more brittle than Mac’s homogeneous construction. We found a tiny, almost microscopic nick in the Tojiro knife’s blade after cutting butternut squash.

As it turns out, the company recommends that you don’t use the knife for hard ingredients (or frozen foods), because they can chip the blade. But since the F-808’s core has the hardest steel of all our picks, its edge retention is exceptional for the price. We still believe this model is one of the best values in kitchen cutlery.

The handle might be too small for some folks. Testers with smaller hands found the F-808’s handle comfortable, and they didn’t have any issues with their knuckles hitting the cutting board. But knuckle clearance was scant for testers with larger hands.

This is a quality knife that stands the test of time. The F-808 has been a popular knife in our test kitchen since 2015. We especially like its smooth slicing action and blade-heavy balance. Several Wirecutter staff members also have the F-808 and love it. Senior staff writer Michael Sullivan has been using the F-808 at home since 2017. “It continues to hold its razor-sharp edge with minimal sharpening,” he said in 2023. “It’s my go-to knife for chopping vegetables and delicate herbs with precision. It’s well balanced and easy to maneuver.”

Tojiro doesn’t offer a warranty on its knives sold outside of Japan. Instead, it’s up to individual authorized retailers to offer a warranty on Tojiro tools. We’ve confirmed that Cutlery and More honors a lifetime warranty on Tojiro knives.

If you like the heft and the more substantial feel of a forged German knife, we recommend the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife . Its factory edge is sharp, and it’s a solid choice for folks who chop using a rocking motion.

The blade is sharp, but it’s slightly less graceful than our top pick’s blade. In our tests, the Classic Ikon cut smoothly through butternut squash and onions. The carrots did split slightly, however. That’s because this knife’s blade is thicker than the one on our top pick, the Mac MTH-80 . Like the other German knives we tested, this one caused moderate bruising with cut basil.

It’s comfortable to hold. Many testers liked the Classic Ikon’s smooth, rounded handle, which fit nicely into the palm. The handle is larger than that of our top pick, and testers with large hands liked the generous knuckle clearance.

This knife’s stainless steel blade is more durable than the Mac MTH-80’s blade. If you drop a Wüsthof knife into the sink or wait to clean it after cutting acidic foods, it shouldn’t chip, stain, or corrode. On the other hand, the soft stainless steel also means the edge of this knife dulls faster and requires more-regular sharpening.

But that doesn’t mean you should abuse the Classic Ikon knife—or any knife, really. That kind of treatment destroys the blade’s edge, so don’t do it.

The Classic Ikon knife comes with a lifetime limited warranty (PDF) that covers manufacturing defects and damage occurring under “normal use and conditions.” Damage from accidents, misuse, and abuse are not covered.

We also recommend Wüsthof’s Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife in our guide to knife sets . The six-piece Classic Ikon set is a great option if you know you like German knives, and you have the cash to drop on a whole set.

The Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is the best you can buy for around $60. It’s good for folks who don’t want to spend a lot, and it’s especially good for beginner cooks because it’s durable. We wouldn’t go so far as to call the Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife a “beater knife,” but its polished stainless steel blade and ergonomic plastic handle can withstand more abuse than those of our other picks.

Its shape is suitable for most cooks. This knife’s gentle curved edge is good for any chopping style, and its wide blade lets you easily scoop and transfer food from the cutting board. We also like that the edges of the blade’s spine are slightly rounded and don’t dig into your forefinger while you chop.

It has a good sharp edge (for the price). We diced onions, julienned carrots, and halved a butternut squash with relative ease and accuracy. The Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife isn’t as keen as our picks from Mac or Tojiro . Also, you’ll need to hone it regularly, and you may want to invest in a home knife sharpener . But if you’re replacing an old, dull knife or buying your first kitchen blade on a budget, this Victorinox knife won’t disappoint.

The contoured handle is a bit polarizing. Some testers found it difficult to pinch grip the knife because of the angle where the handle meets the blade. Other testers (I was in this camp) had no problem holding it with a comfortable pinch grip (video) . Interestingly, hand size didn’t seem to be a factor here. Folks with small hands as well as those with large hands landed on both sides.

It’s comfy for cooks who don’t use a pinch grip. We understand that many home cooks don’t hold a knife using a pinch grip, as pro cooks do. We chopped some onions while gripping the knife farther back on the handle and found that the contoured handle accommodated that style of grip well. It felt comfortable and stable.

Victorinox covers the 8-inch Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife with a limited lifetime warranty that excludes normal wear and tear, misuse, or abuse.

It’s easy to care for a knife—it just takes attention and two extra minutes. Simply hand-wash and dry it thoroughly after each use. Never put any sharp blade in the dishwasher, since it’s not good for the edge to bump up against other things, such as glassware and ceramic (materials that are harder than the steel). Don’t use anything abrasive on the blade, such as a Brillo pad or a scouring sponge, which can make little scratches in the metal.

Never throw unprotected knives into a drawer, where they will dull quickly. Wall-mounted magnetic strips—such as the Benchcrafted Mag-Blok we recommend in our guide to small-kitchen gear —are better and safer. If you don’t want a magnetic strip mounted to your wall, buy a blade guard . That way you can store your knife in a drawer and keep the edge protected.

Use your knife only on a wood, plastic, or rubber cutting board . Do not, by any means, let your edge hit glass, granite, marble, or ceramics—not even a quick slice on a dinner plate. Master Smith Murray Carter explained, “Anything that has any degree of hardness that approaches metal, especially ceramic that’s 10 times harder than metal … as soon as it makes contact with the edge, it dulls it.”

Honing and sharpening

Maintain a sharp cutting edge with a honing rod. This tool doesn’t actually sharpen the blade—its sole purpose is to realign the microscopic teeth on the knife’s edge that get knocked out of alignment during use. We like to use a ceramic rod because it’s harder than the hardest steel but has a smooth grit, so it won’t chew up the edge of your knife while it realigns the edge. Hone your knife before each use, and you’ll be golden.

As you watch a chef whipping a knife down the rod toward their hand at lightning speed, it’s easy to see yourself taking a thumb off. But the task is not as difficult as it looks. There are two ways to effectively hone a knife.

The key with both styles of honing is to make sure the edge bevel is flush to the rod. If you’re starting out, it’s safer to place the tip of the honing rod on a cutting board, with the rod perpendicular to the board. Start with your knife toward the rod’s handle, and then pull down from heel to tip. Repeat on the other side of the knife, and continue for four or five reps.

Most pros point the tip of the rod up and pull the knife down toward the handle.

Eventually your knife will need sharpening. Depending on the composition of your knife’s steel and how often you use it, that could mean every six months to a year. You’ll know it’s time when you have to work to get through the skins of tomatoes or cucumbers.

If you want to send your knives out for sharpening, it’s important that you look for a professional who knows what they’re doing. Unfortunately, that’s really hard to find. We suggest asking a local chef where they would send their personal knives (not the cheap kitchen-prep knives). Generally, chefs sharpen their own knives, but they usually know of a reputable knife person.

We like these Japanese stones and have used them for years. It takes practice to become proficient on a whetstone, but this is an invaluable skill to cultivate. We suggest learning on old knives that you may have buried in the back of a drawer. For online tutorials, check out these Murray Carter and Korin videos, which show you how to use whetstones. After some education and a lot of practice, you’ll be able to sharpen any old knife to a pro-style edge.

You can also use a home knife sharpener. If you’re investing in a quality, expensive knife, like our main pick , we still believe that a whetstone used properly will provide the sharpest, smoothest edge. But if you want to sharpen our budget pick , a German steel blade, or an inexpensive paring or utility knife, try one of our knife-sharpener picks . In our tests we found that well-designed models worked nicely, causing minimal wear to knives while creating a fine edge. And because these sharpeners are convenient, people tend to use them regularly, which results in safer chopping and a happier kitchen experience. But be sure to avoid the cheapest knife sharpeners, which will quickly eat away too much of the blade’s metal.

Japanese-style knives

We gave the Global 8″ Classic Japanese Chef’s Knife an honorable dismissal. It would’ve been one of our top picks, but our testers were split down the middle: People either loved this knife for its lightweight and razor-sharp edge or hated it because of its dimpled steel handle (which could get slippery in wet hands).

The Togiharu Molybdenum Gyuto 8.2″ is a classic lightweight gyuto. Another honorable dismissal, this knife is sharp and precise. Like our runner-up pick, the Tojiro F-808 , it lacks knuckle clearance for large hands, but the F-808 is a better value.

The Mac TH-80 is similar to our top pick in blade design and size. It lacks the weight and the smooth transition from blade to handle, though, and we found that it simply wasn’t as comfortable to use.

The Mercer MX3 M16110 gyuto performed about as well as our runner-up pick from Tojiro. It was considerably more expensive at the time of our tests, but prices fluctuate. So if you can find this knife at a similar price to the cost of the Tojiro F-808, it’s a good option.

Even though the Mac MBK-85 is an objectively good knife, our testers were pretty lukewarm about it. The edge was sharp, and the knife itself was comfortable to hold. However, the 8.5-inch blade length was a little too much for home cooks.

Like the Mac MBK-85, the Mac HB-85 garnered lukewarm reviews from our testing panel. The HB-85 offers a good price-to-quality ratio, but our testing panel overwhelmingly chose the Tojiro F-808 as the better chef’s knife for the price.

The Tojiro Classic Damascus F-655 gyuto is a higher-end version of the Tojiro F-808. Most testers agreed that this model was a little too heavy for their liking.

German-style knives

The Five Two 8″ Chef’s Knife from Food52 has many characteristics we look for in a knife: a half bolster, a comfortable handle, and a gradual curved edge. But it’s made from a low-grade steel that doesn’t hold an edge as long as our picks.

We found that the Made In 8 Inch Chef’s Knife ’s deep blade curve and angled bolster (which sets the handle too far back from the blade) made chopping and slicing awkward.

The 8-inch Misen Chef’s Knife fell flat in performance. The slicing action was rough, and the edge felt a little toothy. It couldn’t make a straight cut down the middle of a butternut squash, and it split carrots.

We tested the Mercer Genesis M21078 as a budget option. Although it was sharper out of the box than our Victorinox pick, the latter was more comfortable to hold and had better balance.

The blade of the Messermeister Meridian Elite Chef's Knife 3686-8 was sharp enough, but it was not as smooth as that of the Mac MTH-80 or the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8″ Chef’s Knife. This knife was also heavier than the Wüsthof model, and our testers found it awkward to hold.

Another budget choice, the Messermeister Pro Series Wide-Blade Chef’s Knife 5025-8 was pretty much on a par with our budget pick. But due to the sharp edges on the spine, which kept digging into our forefingers, we found it uncomfortable to use.

The Zwilling Pro 8-inch Chef's Knife was just awkward to use. The curve of the blade was too severe and made chopping difficult. We had a hard time maintaining control.

The Shun Classic Chef’s 8″ DM0706 was mediocre. The long stick handle kept jabbing into my wrist, and the cutting edge was only adequate.

Mercer’s Millennia Chef’s Knife M22608 was not very sharp; the stamped blade split carrots and was uncomfortable to use.

We found the Rada Cutlery French Chef knife to be comically flimsy. Stamped from American stainless steel scraps, this knife couldn’t make straight cuts in butternut squash or carrots.

This article was edited by Gabriella Gershenson, Marilyn Ong, and Marguerite Preston.

Meet your guide

Lesley Stockton

Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.

Further reading

The Best Knife Sharpener

by Tim Heffernan

Easy to use, reliable, and able to put a razor edge on almost any type of knife, the best knife sharpener for home cooks is the Chef’sChoice Trizor XV .

Why I Use a Chinese Cleaver More Than Any Other Knife

by Brittney Ho

From hacking through bones and crushing spices to mashing pastes and making thin, precise cuts, the Chinese cleaver is the ultimate do-it-all tool.

The Best Knife Set

by Kathleen Squires

After more than 75 hours of researching knife sets and testing 18, we’re confident that nothing beats the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 6-Piece Starter Knife Block Set .

The Victorinox Chef’s Knife and Me: A Love Story

by Alexander Aciman

Even after almost a decade of use, the Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife continues to serve in the kitchen.

Best overall

Best budget, best mid-price, best professional.

• What to look for
• How we test
• Caring for chef's knives

The 4 best chef's knives of 2024, tested and reviewed

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From dicing onions to slicing steaks, a chef's knife is one of the most versatile tools in your kitchen. Think of it as a household basic, like silverware and dishes. The best chef's knife should be comfortable to hold and durable, with a sharp edge that slices and dices through every kitchen task. 

To find the best chef's knives, I tested 8 different knives by mincing parsley, chopping sweet potatoes, and more. We also spoke to Albert Nguyen, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education , about how to select and care for kitchen knives. Our top pick is the Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife because it easily powered through each task, all while being lightweight and comfortable in our grip. If you want to spend under $100 and still get a durable kitchen tool, the KitchenAid 8-Inch Damascus Chef's Knife is razor-sharp out of the box and beautifully designed.

Here are our top picks for the best chef's knife:

Best overall: Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best budget: KitchenAid Stainless Steel 8-Inch Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best mid-price: KitchenAid 8-Inch Damascus Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best professional: Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

This full-tang chef’s knife is a durable, legacy piece made from VG-Max layered Damascus steel. Its razor-sharp edge allows it to move through anything with ease.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Razor sharp steel
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Performs well on tough and delicate food
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Excellent edge retention
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Comfortable to hold
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Higher price point

Constructed with a pakkawood handle and full tang VG-Max steel, this knife combines comfort and strength. The blade is razor-sharp straight out of the box, and because it is made with Damascus steel, it retains that sharpness without frequent sharpening. The wood handle is comfortable to hold for both large and small hands, and the knife is lightweight while providing enough heft for a powerful cut. 

The blade is designed with a slightly curved "belly," which allows you to rock the knife while handling more delicate items. This comes in handy when mincing herbs — it easily passes through parsley, resulting in clean cuts and edges. 

Handcrafted in Japan, the Shun Chef's Knife has a beautifully detailed steel blade and your choice of a blonde or black handle. The knife can be purchased separately, or it is included in a matching three-piece or seven-piece knife set if you're searching for top quality across a variety of knife styles and uses. The bread knife earned a spot in our guide to the best bread knives .

KitchenAid’s line of gourmet cutlery features a full tang, stainless steel chef knife. It's surprisingly sharp and sturdy for the price point, which makes it a great value for starter kitchens.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. All stainless steel construction easy to clean
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Approachable price point
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Comes with blade cover
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not as sharp as higher end options

For starter kitchens or beginner cooks, this stainless steel knife from KitchenAid is an unexpectedly great kitchen tool for a budget-friendly price. The full-tang construction is made entirely from stainless steel, and the handle has a contoured design that makes it comfortable to hold in any grip. We did note that this knife lacks a substantial bolster. This just means that you need to be more careful when gripping the knife close to the blade. At 10.2 ounces, the knife is the second heaviest we tested, so this might not be the ideal tool for chopping marathons. 

This knife was sharp straight out of its packaging and held its edge after multiple tests. It sliced through tomatoes quickly and easily and minced delicate parsley without applying much pressure. While we struggled a little to get through the sweet potatoes, it got easier when we led with the sharpness near the tip. This knife is safe in the top rack of the dishwasher, but it's best to hand wash it to keep it in peak condition. The chef's knife also comes with a plastic sheath for protecting the edge and your fingers if you're storing it in a drawer.

With a forged Damascus steel blade and comfortable wooden handle, this KitchenAid knife is exceptionally durable and sharp out straight out of the box.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Luxury look and feel at an approachable price
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Partial tang keeps weight under 10 ounces
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Great edge retention
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Struggles a bit through tough foods

This hidden gem from KitchenAid was a top performer in our tests. The knife closely resembles our top overall pick, Shun's Classic Chef's Knife; it has a similarly detailed Damascus stainless steel blade and blonde pakkawood handle. The difference lies in the steel. This KitchenAid knife uses AUS-10 steel, which is high-carbon Japanese steel that is just a little less durable than Shun's proprietary VG-MAX blend. All this means that you'll need to be more diligent about checking and maintaining the edge of KitchenAid's knife.

A partial tang construction makes it relatively lightweight at eight ounces. Between the handle and the blade is an integrated bolster that keeps the knife balanced. The wooden handle is comfortable to hold in both small and larger hands. 

This was one of the sharpest knives straight out of the box. Though there was slight resistance working through sweet potatoes, the knife retained a sharp edge and was able to slice through tomatoes like butter. It made quick work of cutting through vegetables and herbs. 

A sturdy and dependable workhorse, the German-made Wüsthof Classic 8-Inch Cook's Knife is an ideal and efficient culinary cutting tool.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Durable for long-lasting use
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Comes with a limited lifetime warranty
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Available in 8 colors
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Heavy and can be awkward to hold

Many professional kitchens are home to Wüsthof knives because these knives are workhorses in the kitchen. The Wüsthof Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife is crafted from a synthetic polyoxymethylene handle with a high-carbon stainless steel blade; this full-tang knife is as sturdy as they come. The heavier weight and sharp edge help to move through tougher foods such as sweet potatoes with ease. During our tests, we sliced thin slices of tomatoes with hardly any resistance and easily chopped through parsley without any mashing of the herb.  

With a Rockwell Hardness Rating of 58, the Wüsthof is designed to retain its edge for longer than typical carbon steel blades. We saw evidence of that edge retention when we used the knife to smoothly cut through paper both straight out of the box and after performing multiple tests. The Wüsthof Classic Chef's Knife comes in eight different handle colors and includes a lifetime warranty. It is also sold in a three-piece and five-piece set with other essential kitchen knives including a bread knife and paring knife.  

We also tested the Wusthof Classic IKON 8-inch Chef's Knife , which is slightly more expensive than the Wusthof Classic that earned one of our top spots. We found it awkward to hold, especially in small hands.  

What to look for in a chef's knife

Comfort: This is on top on the list of things to consider. Since a chef knife can be used for almost every kitchen task, you want to make sure it is comfortable to wield and hold while prepping an entire meal. This includes the weight of the knife, along with the design and feel of the handle. 

Blade: To find the best chef's knife for your needs, note the blade material. According to Nguyen, carbon steel knives are quick to sharpen, but also quick to dull. Some chefs prefer to perfect stainless steel knives instead, which may hold a sharp edge longer but require more work to sharpen if and when the knife gets dull. Most blades are made with a blend of materials, but you can always look for the trusty phrase "high-carbon."

Handle: Chef's knives come in a variety of handle materials, from polyoxymethylene, a durable plastic, to different types of wood. Nguyen says that most chefs prefer a wood handle: "Over time the wood handle should form and soften to the shape and grip of the chef," he says. "Some chefs do prefer a plastic-handled knife for ease of care and durability."

How we tested chef's knives

Paper test: We cut through regular printer paper to assess the knife's blade and sharpness straight out of the packaging. This same test was performed after using the knife for multiple tasks to evaluate edge retention.

Cutting performance: We used the knives to mince parsley to see if the blade produced fine cuts and did not pulverize the herbs. Then, we sliced tomatoes, ensuring they could cut through the fragile flesh smoothly and without crushing it. We chopped through sweet potatoes with the skins left on, giving us a good idea of performance with tough foods. All tests were performed on a wooden cutting board.

Ease of use: Throughout testing, we paid specific attention to how easy the knife was to use, how comfortable it was to hold, and any other notable features. We evaluated each knife's blade and handle, along with blade hardness and angle, to see if these affected performances. 

How do you care for a chef's knife?

It's important to always wipe down or wash a chef's knife right after you use it. Nguyen says this is critical if you cut acidic ingredients like citrus; acid can discolor and even degrade steel over time. Also, pay attention to when your knife is dull and learn how to sharpen it properly. Cutting with a dull knife is dangerous for the user and makes it harder to rehone an edge. Check out our guide to the best knife sharpeners .

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

• Main content

We Sliced, Diced, and Chopped with 34 Chef’s Knives to Find the Best Multitaskers

Knives are personal, but blades from Wüsthof and Misono stood out as worthy investments.

Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the Senior Commerce Editor for Serious Eats. She joined the team in 2021.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Serious Eats / Dera Burreson

The Winners, at a Glance

What we learned.

• What Size Chef’s Knife Should You Buy?

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Chef’s Knife

Our favorite chef’s knives, the competition, why we’re the experts, straight to the point.

One of our longtime favorite Western-style chef's knives is the Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife , which is super-sharp and easy to handle. Invest in it and it will serve you well for years to come.

There is no kitchen knife more important than a chef's knife. This is what you’ll use to dice onions, chop carrots, cup up meat, and smash garlic. Sure, there's a whole array of specialized knives you can invest in, but, in a pinch, a sharp chef's knife can do most of their jobs, whether that's slicing delicate fish, carving a turkey, or mincing a shallot .

Due to its importance in the kitchen, a chef's knife warrants a splurge. We’ll tell anyone who can listen to save on their bread and paring knives and put that cash towards a good chef’s knife. Because while bread knives are nearly impossible to sharpen and our favorite paring knife clocks in at under $20, chef’s knives are in it for the long haul. They’re meant to be sharpened time and time again (preferably on a whetstone) and tucked into a knife roll for journies to kitchens with sub-par blades (just us?).

To find the best chef's knives, we tested 34 of them. Eliminating the duds was easy, but picking among the top performers was far more difficult. At a certain point, the question becomes less about quality and more about personal preference—how does this knife feel in your hand? Keep that in mind as you read this review, since, while all of our top picks aced our tests, so did several others. We also recently evaluated more chef’s knives, comparing them to our winners. While our favorites still stood out as top-notch picks (holding up to six years of evaluation), we found a few more blades we recommend.

The Best Western-Style Chef’s Knife

Wüsthof 8-inch classic chef's knife.

If you want a traditional German knife profile—characterized by a more curved blade that's bigger and heavier than the Japanese options—the Wüsthof Classic is a stalwart. It weighs more than most of the other knives we tested, giving it a solid and sturdy feel, but it still handles well and has a sharp edge. “I’ll happily call this the ‘best knife’ I own,” says senior commerce editor Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm . “I have it in this lilac color and it has just the right heft to it, deftly chopping and mincing.” 

The Best Western Chef’s Knife Under $50

Mercer culinary 8-inch genesis chef's knife.

One of the more affordable options among the German-style knives we tested, the Mercer Genesis chef's knife delivers good bang for its buck. The knife is lighter than the Wüsthof Classic and has a grippy rubber-and-plastic handle that's comfortable to hold.

The Best Budget Western Chef’s Knife

Mercer culinary 8-inch millennia chef's knife.

For those who just don't want to spend much, or who want a "beater" knife—one that they can use heavily without feeling guilty—this option from Mercer is hard to, um, beat. It's not the best knife, but it has an impressively sharp edge and an incredible price. It’s also a good practice knife for burgeoning cooks.

The Best Japanese Chef’s Knife

Misono ux10 8.2-inch gyutou.

With a deft and nimble blade, Misono's UX10 is one of the lightest-weight knives we tested. It's razor-sharp right out of the box and handles every task with ease, dicing an onion as if it were as soft as a blob of Jell-O and making paper-thin slices of smoked salmon. It's not a knife for beginners, though: Given its asymmetrical edge and difficult-to-sharpen steel, it takes skill and dedication (or a local knife-sharpening service ) to maintain. “I’ve been putting it through the paces daily for months and it still can slice through hardy produce like butter,” commerce editor Grace Kelly says. “The nimble, thin handle is a joy to grip, too.”

The Best Mid-Priced Japanese Chef’s Knife

Mac knife 8-inch hollow edge chef's knife.

We were impressed by all the Mac knives in our testing, across their range of price points, but one came out on top thanks to its combination of price and performance. The blade's hollow-ground dimples help reduce friction when cutting (which confers a small advantage for some tasks, such as thinly slicing delicate fish).

The Best Budget Japanese Chef’s Knife

Misono 8.2-inch molybdenum gyutou.

Even lighter in weight than its more expensive sibling, the UX10, the Misono 440 offers an incredibly agile experience, with an especially sharp out-of-the-box blade. It did well in every test, too. The price variance between this one and the more expensive UX10 mostly comes down to the steel used, a difference most home cooks won't likely notice, making this a good budget choice.

Kenji’s Pick

Misen 8-inch chef’s knife.

We’ll let Kenji describe this knife in his own words : “Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to call it: This is the holy grail of inexpensive chef's knives. Incredible quality and design, high-end materials, perfect balance, and a razor-sharp edge.”

Editor’s Pick

Material the 8-inch knife.

Comfortable in hand and with a blade that keeps its edge, commerce editor Rochelle Bilow has owned this knife for over a year. “Its lighter weight is manageable and not overwhelming; it's also what makes it good for everyday prep,” Rochelle says. “This is almost always the knife I reach for whenever I have to plow through a pile of vegetables.”

Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

• Edge Sharpness Test: We used a professional edge tester to evaluate each knife’s sharpness at the beginning (out of the box) and end of testing. 
• Paper Cutting Test: Also at the start and finish of testing, we attempted to slice through a sheet of paper with each knife, starting at the heel and ending at the tip. We wanted the blade to slice through it without snagging or tearing the paper.
• Onion Dicing Test: We used each knife to dice an onion—halving, trimming their ends, and dicing one half coarsely and the other finely. 
• Tomato Slicing Test: Because a tomato’s skin is taut and slippery, it’s an easy way to see how sharp a knife is. A good knife will slide through the skin without trouble, then shave down through the tomato flesh without crushing it. This is all to say, with each knife, we sliced a tomato as thinly as possible. 
• Carrot Cutting Test: We cut carrots crosswise into round and lengthwise into quarters. We also diced, julienned, and brunoise-d them.  
• Salmon Slicing Test: We used the chef’s knives to thinly slice smoked salmon (admittedly a better task for a slicing knife , but we were looking for truly all-purpose blades). 
• Pineapple Dicing Test: Finally, we saw how the knives did with big, tough fruit. We sliced, carved, trimmed, removed the eyes, and diced a pineapple.

Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore

Ask 10 experts what makes a great chef's knife, and you'll get 10 different answers. And there’s no right one in terms of the weight of a knife, the metal used, the handle design and material, or the length of the blade.

That said, there are some more universal criteria to consider, which we’ll go into individually below. Briefly, this includes:

• Japanese vs. Western chef's knives
• Build quality

Japanese vs. Western Chef's Knives

One of the first decisions to make is whether to buy a Japanese knife or a Western one . These terms can be confusing, so it helps to explain how we're using them in this review, as well as some of the main differences between the two.

Before we go any further, this is probably a good time to issue a disclaimer: The world of knives is a complicated one, with a huge range of metals, shapes, edge geometries, and build styles that can quickly overwhelm a shopper. Just remember that for nearly every rule of thumb, there's an exception, and for most strongly held opinions, there's an equally strongly held counter-opinion. To get through this review without it turning into a dissertation, we have to paint in broad strokes, which inevitably means oversimplifying things. 

The "chef's" knife, as a shape, is originally a Western one. The most famous are German-style chef's knives, which have thicker, heavier blades that curve significantly toward the tip. This makes for a knife that's better suited to a rocking-chop motion, such as what you would do to mince a pile of tender herbs . There are other European knife traditions, such as French knives, that have a similar knife design that's slightly less curved.

Western knives feature a double-bevel edge, meaning that it tapers evenly on both sides to a fine point, similar to the letter V. This geometry trades a bit of sharpness for more robustness. Western knives are also often made with softer steel, which can make sharpening easier and honing a more effective maintenance method (because the steel can be more easily bent back into alignment).

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Traditionally, Japanese knives don’t have a shape comparable to Western ones. Instead, there's a staggering variety of shapes and sizes that vary based on region, each one specially designed for its task, from fish-filleting to vegetable-cutting to sashimi-slicing knives. Most of those knives are sharpened with a single edge (also called a chisel bevel), meaning that the knife tapers from the spine to the edge on only one side. (This also means that the knives are exclusively either right- or left-handed.) A chisel bevel can reach superior levels of sharpness but is more prone to chipping if used improperly.

Around the middle of the 20th century, Japanese knife makers began producing knives that were more Western in style, including a chef's knife known as a gyutou (see one of our favorites from Misono ). This was what we included in this testing. Gyutou and other Japanese knives are generally made with harder steel, which can hold an edge longer but can also be more difficult to sharpen. They're also less suited to being used with honing steels since the more brittle metal doesn't bend.

Adding to the challenge, most Western-style Japanese knives have a double bevel that's asymmetrical. This means that they can be sharper, but are intended to be used in either the right or left hand. They're more forgiving in terms of handedness than traditional Japanese knives, but lefties should make sure theirs is sharpened with a left-handed edge geometry.

Japanese chef's knives are also less curved than the German style, trending more in line with a French knife profile. This makes them less adept at the rock-chop (though they can still be used that way), and more skilled at a pulling stroke. In terms of weight, Western-style Japanese knives also tend to be lighter and more fragile, making them an inappropriate choice for heavy-duty tasks, like hacking away at bones. In our tests, they excelled at thinly slicing smoked salmon (a delicate task if there ever was one). This is because the thin, sharp blades of Japanese chef's knives are closer in form to slicing knives than Western ones are. That doesn't make the Western knives worse in a larger sense (Japanese blades would do poorly at a bone-chopping test), but it does help illustrate their relative advantages and disadvantages.

If there's one takeaway here, it's that casual home cooks are arguably better off getting a Western chef's knife, since they're more robust and easier to maintain . For professionals and hobbyists interested in going deeper into edge geometry and whetstone sharpening, a Japanese knife can be a compelling purchase. 

For starters, a knife should be sharp right out of the box. Sure, if you're skilled with a whetstone , you can always fix an edge or change its profile to suit your preferences, but that's advanced stuff. 

During our initial sharpness tests, the Japanese knives moved through the parchment paper with the least resistance. Still, several of the Western knives were able to get through the paper without a hitch. Any blade that snagged or tore it was disqualified (like the Henckels and Messermeister ). 

Our prep work tasks (dicing onions and slicing tomatoes) were further revealing. Blades that crunched through rather than cleanly cut onions and squished tomatoes instead of cutting them into practically paper-thin slices were disqualified. 

Now, while paper, onions, and tomatoes were all great for checking the sharpness of an edge, it took a hard, dense vegetable like a carrot to expose problems in a knife's geometry. A well-designed and sharp knife can slice a carrot all the way through, leaving perfectly flat-cut faces on the vegetable. Knives that are too wedge-shaped, or that have some other design or edge shortcoming, however, have a tendency to crack the carrot before finishing the stroke, much the way an axe can split wood all the way through even if the axe itself gets stuck halfway. The telltale sign of a crack: a rough and uneven face on the sliced carrot instead of a smooth and even one. Notably, a model from Zwilling was eliminated after it cracked carrots repeatedly.

A knife should feel "balanced" as well, though that term is hard to define. It's not so literal as to mean that the handle and blade should perfectly balance each other when set on a fulcrum right where they meet. Once again, it's something more personal than that—when you hold the knife, does the weight fall comfortably in your hand? Does it feel like it works with you, not against you? There are a lot of factors that can go into this, including the size of your hand, how you hold the knife, and how you use it. Some cooks might prefer a knife that feels heavier in the handle, some might want one that's slightly heavier in the blade, and others may want to get the sense that the knife floats naturally between the two.

Build Quality

Of course, any knife should be well made regardless of its price point. The steel should be of good quality, the blade should be straight, and the handles, whether made of wood, resin, or some kind of plastic, should be solidly constructed, without any gaps, damage, or other obvious shortcomings. When a chef's knife is high quality, it is one of the kitchen tools that will last for years .

In our tests, we found knives with overly long handles bumped into our forearms as we worked—this was true whether we diced an onion or sliced through a pineapple.

What Size Chef’s Knife Should You Buy? 

We stuck to knives with roughly 8-inch blades, which is the most common size and can get just about any job done, including big ones like slicing through a watermelon. Go any shorter, and you’re in utility knife territory . However, longer is certainly an option. For most cooks, an 8-inch blade should be right, but some may prefer a 10-inch one (like those who are tall or have particularly large hands). 

Our top picks performed well in all of our tests and passed muster with multiple pros (including those who were right- and left-handed). The best chef’s knives were sharp out of the box and stayed that way, felt well-balanced in hand, were comfortable to use, and had well-constructed handles. All of our favorites are 8-inch models, though we note what other sizes they come in. 

What we liked: Wüsthof is one of the leading brands of German knives, and its Classic chef's knife proved that it's still worthy of consideration. The design is...well, as the name says, it's classic. The blade itself is forged high-carbon stainless steel with a full tang that extends the length of the riveted handle. It was decently sharp—certainly sharp enough for just about any task a home cook would need it for—though it didn't match the sharpness of the Japanese blades.

Once made of wood, the handle is now polyoxymethylene, a durable type of plastic that won't crack or degrade with extended use or when exposed to moisture. This knife weighed in at 264 grams, making it one of the heavier ones in our lineup, but it didn't feel overly leaden or clumsy.

What we didn't like: It has a full bolster, which means that a thicker portion of metal runs from the handle down to the heel of the blade. People are divided about whether that's a good thing. The full bolster can feel nice to hold on to when you're gripping up on the blade, but it can also make sharpening more difficult. For those who don't want a full bolster, Wüsthof makes several other lines of knives without it that might be worth considering.

• Handle material: Polymer
• Blade material: High-carbon stainless steel
• Blade length: 8 inches
• Lengths available: 6, 8, 10 inches
• Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Good to know: Handle available in other colors

What we liked: This chef's knife from Mercer, a North American producer that specializes in German-style kitchen knives, did well in all our tests. A common knife in culinary schools in the United States, the Genesis has a full tang that extends into the grippy handle, made from a material called Santoprene, which combines rubber with plastic.

The blade excelled in all the vegetable-slicing and -dicing tests. All in all, it’s a good starter blade.

What we didn't like: It snagged more than the other finalists on the smoked salmon (though, again, this is partly just the result of its wider, thicker German-style blade).

• Handle material: Santoprene
• Blade material: High-carbon stain-free German steel
• Blade length: 8.5 inches
• Lengths available: 6, 8, 9, 10 inches
• Weight: 8.8 ounces

What we liked: This list wouldn't be complete without at least one truly inexpensive knife. For that honor, the Mercer Culinary Millennia chef's knife came out on top. Its stamped blade has an impressive edge for the price, holding its own against knives that cost several times as much. Obviously, though, the build quality isn't as good.

The molded plastic handle (also made from Santoprene, like the Mercer Culinary Genesis) is large and easy to grip. If you were being generous, you'd say it's an ergonomic handle design, but in truth, it felt a little too chunky when we were gripping up on the blade, which is how we often use a chef's knife.

Still, for the price, it's a hard knife to top, and one you should feel comfortable using however you please, whether that's dicing an onion or hacking away at lobster shells .

What we didn't like: It's not the most balanced knife and its handle is thick.

• Handle material: Santoprene and polypropylene
• Weight: 6.7 ounces

What we liked: Misono is one of the better-known Japanese knife brands in the States, having built up a reputation among chefs for many years now. This knife, the UX10, is its top-of-the-line model.

Made from very hard Swedish (read: pure) stainless steel, it’ll hold its edge longer than many, requiring less frequent sharpening—though, when it does come time to sharpen, that hard steel is going to require more skill. It also has a nickel-silver bolster that claims to be more resistant to corrosion. The Misono was precise from the get-go, and its thinness and lightness made it feel incredibly nimble and agile. “This knife is a STUNNER,” Grace says. “Not only does it have an elegant blade (with a tapered tip shape akin to my favorite Tojiro petty knife ), but it's super, super sharp.”

What we didn't like: Keep in mind that the edge is sharpened asymmetrically, which means lefties should make sure to get one that has a more extreme angle on the other side.

• Handle material: Composite wood
• Blade material: Stain-resistant steel
• Blade length: 8.2 inches
• Weight: 5.6 ounces

What we liked: This knife struck a balance between cost and performance. The hollow ground edge gave it a slight boost, especially when slicing fish. (The idea is that the indentations reduce friction and adhesion of moist foods.)

Like most other Japanese knives, this one is relatively thin and lightweight, at 171 grams, roughly five to 10 grams heavier than the Misono options. Unlike most other Japanese knives, the Mac knives have a symmetrical edge, meaning the knives should work equally well for right- and left-handed users, which can be a big plus in terms of sharpening ease. “I love the slightly curved blade, the divots that help ingredients slide off after cutting, and the petite handle,” Grace says. “It's sharp, sturdy, and nimble—everything I want in a daily driver chef's knife.”

What we didn't like: This knife is an all-around solid pick, but it does dull faster.

• Handle material: Pakkawood
• Blade material: Alloy steel
• Blade length: 8.25 inches
• Weight: 9.1 ounces

What we liked: Another knife from Misono, the 440 is very similar to the UX10, at a slightly lower price point. This is, incidentally, the stainless steel version of editorial director Daniel Grizter’s favorite Misono carbon steel gyutou . 

Aside from some small design differences between this knife and the UX10 (including a less severely angled bolster here, which we prefer), the main change between these knives is the type of steel used—though it's hardly noticeable unless you spend a lot of time using and sharpening the knife on a whetstone . Overall, this blade is made from hard steel that, similar to the UX10, will hold an edge but is also more difficult to sharpen.

What we didn't like: Once again, this is an asymmetrical bevel, meaning lefties should make sure to get one that's been adjusted for their use.

• Blade material: Molybdenum steel
• Lengths available: 7, 8.2, 10.5, 11.8 inches

What we liked: This hybrid pick has a Western-style curved blade and the thin, lightweight stature of a Japanese-style knife. It would excel at rock-chopping and deftly chopped an onion in our tests. As Kenji said in his review, “As you move down the blade towards the handle, you'll notice that the knife has a forged bolster—that's the enlarged section where the knife blade meets the handle. This not only gives the knife superior balance and control, but also makes the blade more comfortable to grip.” We found the sloped bolster nice to hold.

What we didn’t like: It’s made of a softer steel that will need sharpening more regularly. 

• Handle material: Polyacetal 
• Blade material: AICHI AUS-10 steel 
• Lengths available: 5.5, 6.8, 8 inches
• Weight: 8 ounces

What we liked: “This is the knife when you want to feel confident at the cutting board. Its lighter weight is manageable and not overwhelming; it's also what makes it good for everyday prep,” Rochelle says. Its rounded handle and angled bolster are exceedingly nice to grip. Plus, it deftly sliced and chopped its way through all of our tests. 

What we didn’t like: A newer addition to this list, at $75, it's priced similarly (or higher) to some of our long-standing favorite knives.

• Handle material: Composite 
• Blade material: Japanese high-carbon and stainless steel
• Weight: 8.6 ounces

Chef’s Knives Still Worth Considering

• Mac Knife Professional Hollow Edge Chef's Knife : The Mac Knife Professional Hollow Edge Chef's Knife is a top-notch performer with a high-quality build.
• Tojiro DP Damascus Chef's Knife : This is an attractive blade with a great edge. It feels a little clunkier than the Misono and Mac knives but is still an excellent choice.
• Tojiro Dp Gyutou : In general, Tojiro's DP line is among the ones we use most often in the Serious Eats test kitchen: The knives are well made, sharp, and affordable, if just a tiny bit clunky. The Gyutou performed well in all the tests.
• Mercer Culinary MX3 Premium San Mai VG-10 Steel Core Blade : This is the company's stab at a more Japanese-style design. It performed well.
• Shun VB0706 Sora Chef's Knife : This model surprised us: The knife is sharp and easy to use, and moderately priced to boot.
• Mac Chef Series Slicing Chef's Knife : This doesn't feel as sharp or accurate as the other Mac options, but it's the most affordable. Given its reasonable price, it's a worthy option.

Knives We Don’t Recommend

• Made In Chef’s Knife : A handsome knife with a hefty, curved blade, the handle comes in three eye-catching bold colors. Unfortunately, the blade lost its edge after a few short tests, requiring sharpening soon after unboxing.
• Five Two Chef’s Knife : An attractively-priced knife with the aesthetics to match, this knife wins style points. However, we found it challenging to use a rocking motion while cutting vegetables, due to its relatively narrow edge.
• Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife : For years, media outlets have recommended the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife as one of the best affordable chef's knives on the market. They're not wrong, but we ultimately couldn't make it one of my top affordable picks, because the price is quite a bit higher than that of several other knives of a comparable quality level.
• Miyabi Kaizen Chef's Knife : The Miyabi Kaizen Chef's Knife was knocked out of the running after consistently falling short due to a blade edge that wasn't nearly sharp enough.
• Messermeister Meridian Elite Chef's Knife : This was disqualified after failing the initial paper-cutting test.
• Sabatier French Forged Stainless Chef Knife : Sabatier is one of the most famed French kitchen knife makers, and decades ago its blades were worthy of the reputation. But its French Forged Stainless Chef Knife had a surprisingly dull edge right out of the box.
• J. A. Henckels International Classic Chef's Knife : This snagged repeatedly on the paper-cutting test.
• Messermeister Four Seasons Chef's Knife : This also wasn't able to successfully slice through a sheet of parchment paper, earning it an early disqualification.
• Wüsthof Pro Cook's Knife : The long handle on the Wüsthof Pro Cook's Knife kept getting in the way, bumping into my forearms as we tried to cut with it. It'd work fine if you held it by the handle only and not at all up on the blade, but that's not how we hold a knife, nor how we’d recommend holding one.
• Rada Cutlery French Chef Knife : This was a particularly poor specimen, with a dull edge and low-quality construction. 
• Shun's DM0706 Classic : This is a good and handsome knife with a very sharp blade but with a heavier handle.
• Wüsthof Classic Uber Cook's Knife : This has a dramatically curved blade belly that we found awkward to use.
• Wüsthof Classic Ikon Cook's Knife : The Wüsthof Classic Ikon Cook's Knife is another knife whose overall quality is good, but the handle design caused it to awkwardly bump our forearms during use.
• Global G-2-8 Chef's Knife : Global knives are a divisive brand: People either love them or hate them. The G-2-8 Chef's Knife felt sluggish when dicing an onion. If you tend to like these knives, though, you'll probably enjoy this one.
• Mac Professional French Chef's Knife : This was a great blade with excellent performance, but Mac has several other offerings that we felt offered more bang for their buck.
• Zwilling J. A. Henckels Twin Four Star II Chef's Knife : This knife performed well on almost all the tests until it was time to cut the carrots, at which point it cracked them repeatedly instead of slicing through them cleanly.
• OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : This knife felt cheaply made and lacked a full tang.
• MOSFiATA 8-Inch Professional Chef’s Knife : Another knife that was unbalanced, with the handle/bolster being awkwardly heavy.
• Henckels Solution 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : The plastic handle felt very cheap and the lack of a bolster wasn’t preferred.
• F.N. Sharp Damascus Steel Chef Knife, 8-Inch : This blade felt extremely unbalanced. 

What should you use a chef's knife for?

Essentially anything. A well-made chef’s knife is designed to function as a kitchen workhorse. Although some tasks may be easier with specialty knives (slicing tomatoes with a serrated knife or segmenting citrus with a paring knife , for example), your chef’s knife should be nimble enough to handle it all. If you regularly use your knife for heavy-duty tasks (like breaking down whole poultry ), it’s worthwhile considering a boning knife for that task. But an occasional Sunday roast chicken won’t drastically dull your chef’s knives.

What's the difference between a cook's knife and a chef's knife?

Technically, nothing. The two terms are used interchangeably to refer to a chef’s knife. Diving deeper, when most Americans use either term, they’re referring to a Western-style chef’s knife.

How long should a chef's knife be?

Annoying but true: It depends. This is largely a matter of personal preference, taking into consideration how and where you grip the knife, and what you’re planning on using it for. That said, for most home cooks, an 8-inch knife is the sweet spot: Large enough to tackle produce like pineapples and butternut squash, but not so big that it feels unwieldy. If you have the budget and regularly tackle large-scale prep work, you may find it worthwhile to invest in a second knife at 10 inches or even 12 inches. Want to go shorter than 8 inches? You’ll find it worthwhile to consider a santoku knife.

Do I need a chef's knife and a santoku knife?

We think both are nice to have . A santoku knife is typically shorter than a chef’s knife (about six or seven inches on average). Both are intended to tackle a variety of prep work and chopping tasks. We'll note here that the major difference is not the length. Rather, it’s the shape of the blade. A Western-style chef’s knife, with its upward slope, is ideal for the rock-chop motion favored by some cooks. Santoku knives are fantastic at straight up-and-down chopping. Santokus are also lighter-weight and easier to maneuver—so if your santoku search brings you to a heavy and large blade, keep looking.

How often do you need to sharpen a chef's knife?

At a minimum, your knives should be sharpened at least once a year. More, if you use them every day. Even more, if you regularly prep tough foods like winter squash and root vegetables. If you outsource to a professional (and many home cooks do), make a plan to have them sharpened annually. That said, the benefit of learning how to sharpen your own knives means you can do it whenever you want, in your own kitchen.

What's the best way to store a chef's knife?

Like all knives, the blade of a chef’s knife should be protected. Knife blocks can be bulky, which is why, for most home cooks, we recommend a magnetic knife strip to keep blades free from harm. As a bonus, it also makes for efficient cooking—you can see all of your knives and easily grab the one you need. If you’re set on tucking the knives out of sight, consider a cork-lined drawer insert that will keep the knives snug without jostling.

How should you hold a chef's knife?

There are two main ways to hold a chef's knife: the handle grip and the blade grip. The handle grip has the user wrap their hand around the full part of the handle. However, since most well-made chef's knives have a weight-balance point near the bolster, a lot of professional cooks use the blade grip. This grip has the user pinching the flat side of the blade just over the bolster, giving the user better control and balance.

Should I buy a ceramic chef's knife?

Ceramic knives are, generally, very lightweight, which could be appealing for those who find steel knives too heavy. According to Kyocera , a manufacturer of ceramic knives, ceramic is "chemically inert." This means it "won’t brown foods, won’t transfer a metallic taste or smell, and will never rust," Kyocera says. However, ceramic is more brittle than stainless. Thus, we wouldn't recommend a ceramic knife as a chef's knife/primary knife, but can see it being handy as a utility knife or paring knife.

• Daniel Gritzer is the senior culinary director of Serious Eats and has worked for the site since 2014. He's a previous restaurant cook, has worked on organic farms, and is responsible for many of your favorite recipes on this very site. He's written a lot of equipment-related content for Serious Eats, including reviews of coffee grinders and cast iron skillets .
• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor of Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021 and previously worked for America’s Test Kitchen, Food52, and EatingWell. She’s written many reviews for the site, including dinnerware sets .
• We tested 34 chef's knives, using them to dice, mince, trim, slice, and more. We also recently tested more chef's knives (which either weren't available at the time of our initial testing or just weren't included), comparing them to our favorites. 
• Most of our top picks have stood up to about six years of consistent evaluation.

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15 of the Very Best Chef’s Knives

Finding one you feel comfortable using for all your meals is vital to your efficiency and success as a cook..

In this article

• Best overall
• Best Japanese-style
• Best European-style
• Best for beginners
• Best balanced
• Best super-small
• Best for utility
• Best high-end

My chef’s-knife collection is substantial . I’ve owned some since I moved out of my parents’ house a decade ago, I’ve received others as gifts, and I’ve tested quite a few for this story. And after so much time with so many blades that I’ve used to slice, chop, cut, and carve my way through many meals, I know that finding one you feel comfortable holding and using is vital to your efficiency and success as a cook. Beyond considering price, of course, chef’s knives are made of different materials, are different sizes, have different-feeling handles, and are different weights — and in none of those categories is there an absolute correct way to go. Also, it’s worth saying, more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. It’s like a white T-shirt : What’s the ultimate one to somebody else may not be the ultimate one to you. Here, I drew on my own expertise and spoke to 20 experts to determine some outstanding options — and then did my best to categorize and describe them to help you find yours. And if you’re in the market for more than just a chef’s knife, I’ve dug deep into the best knife sets , too.

What we’re looking for

Blade length.

Chef’s knives have blades that are most commonly eight inches long, sometimes seven, sometimes six. Though you don’t see it very often, they can go up to ten or 12 and down to five. What length you want comes down to personal preference. How large are your hands? How practiced are you in knife control? I’d also argue that it’s helpful to have different sizes for different tasks. I use my eight-inch blades for specific heavier-duty and larger-volume tasks like cutting through a squash or chopping up a huge amount of herbs, but I use my six-and-a-half-inch blade (which feels like a Goldilocks size for my hands) for most everything else. To keep things consistent, I’ve listed the eight-inch blade when available, and also when an expert didn’t specifically mention a different size. But if you know you have smaller or larger hands, or want to add some variety to your collection, certain blades are available in various sizes (which you can see when you click into the links to buy).

European- or Japanese-style

Not every chef’s knife falls distinctly into one of these categories (some don’t fall into either). But the terms are commonly used and the distinctions are notable enough that it’s good to have a sense of the main characteristics of each. European-style knives (which include German style, French style, and western style) tend to be heavier with a thicker, more curved blade — the shape of which assists in rocking back and forth with the tip down on your cutting board. Japanese-style knives are usually lighter with a thinner blade and straighter edge, ideal when you’re after extreme precision. To make the landscape more complicated, some Japanese companies make European-style knives, and some European and American companies make Japanese-style knives. Here I’ve denoted the style of each to the best of my ability, then gone into more detail in the descriptions.

I just mentioned that, in general, European-style knives tend to be heavier and Japanese-style knives lighter, but that’s not always the case. That’s why knowing the exact weight can be a helpful determiner of which you’ll personally find most comfortable.

Best chef’s knife overall

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Combination | Weight: 5.5 ounces

I first became interested in Global’s chef’s knife when I read Strategist contributor Nick Marino call it “the only knife you really need” in a heavily researched and vetted guide he wrote back in 2018. So I called it in to test it out for myself.

Now, more than a year later, I instinctively reach for this knife more than any other (and like I said up top, I have many to choose from). I find its weight — on the lighter side for an eight-inch — to be perfect. I can perform more delicate tasks, like making florets out of a head of broccoli or slicing through a tomato, without it becoming unwieldy. Still, it’s hefty. I use the blade to carve chickens, pushing through small bones, as well as to cut hard-as-can-be squash into pieces for roasting. The handle is on the shorter side, which adds to that feeling of control: My relatively small hands can get a very good grip and maneuver with ease. The curve is subtle, but helpful, allowing me to perform repetitive tasks (like dicing onions) quickly and efficiently.

Though it’s due for a professional sharpening soon, the blade has stayed exceedingly (even shockingly) sharp in the time I’ve been using it regularly with little maintenance. Smitten Kitchen ’s Deb Perelman told Marino how well it holds an edge, too, and confirmed the same to me all these years later.

And former Strategist editor Maxine Builder has also been a fan of Global for a long time. “I’ve had my Global chef’s knife since … 2013? Maybe even before then,” she says. “A decade and several new knives later , it’s still my most-used tool in the kitchen. Comfortable to hold, enough arc to the blade that you can really get into a rhythm with chopping, but the tip is sharp enough for some scoring and more delicate knifework.” Jeff Strauss, owner and chef of Jeff’s Table in Los Angeles, is another fan. “It has a blade that is Japanese in design,” he explains, “but influenced by the French-style knives. It has a bit more curve to the blade, a little more lift to the tip, and it can kind of work in both ways.”

Best Japanese-style chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Japanese | Weight: 7.7 ounces

The Shun Hikari chef’s knife is the first nice knife I ever bought myself more than six years ago, and it’s still one of my most used because of the extremely sharp blade. It’s a couple of ounces heavier than my Global — though, I’ll note, still lighter than several of the European designs below) and the edge is a bit more curved (which both allows for an even steadier rocking motion across my cutting board and creates even more of a distinct tip). Overall it feels balanced. And I’d be remiss not to mention how much I love the design: The wood handle, which swoops in slightly at the center, is gorgeous and nice to hold.

Recipe developer and cookbook author Samah Dada owns one, too, and calls it “the best knife I’ve ever used.” She says she “can be very dexterous with it, but it doesn’t feel unwieldy,” and also points out the acute edge. In fact, she says the blades are designed at such an angle and with such high-quality steel that you’re not even supposed to get them sharpened more than a couple of times a year because it’s unnecessary. I have had mine professionally sharpened a handful of times (with my own maintenance between sessions), and it always comes back as perfect as the day I got it, with an edge that lasts for many months before I notice any dulling.

Best less-expensive Japanese-style chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Japanese | Weight: 5 ounces

Matt Rodbard , food writer, editor, and author , loves his Seki Magoroku chef’s knife (and vegetable cleaver ) that he found digging through Tokyu Hands in Shibuya. To start, it’s an affordable $32 — the cheapest on this list. Its blade is on the softer side, meaning it won’t hold its super acute edge for ages, but it’s also much easier to sharpen when it dulls down. That can be totally fine — even better — for the home cook, Rodbard explains, since they’re more likely to use a sharpening gadget than a stone that takes a lot of finesse and practice. The plastic handle, which makes it even lighter weight than the Global, should also not be feared. “A heavy handle helps balance, for sure,” Rodbard says, “but I really like the feel of this one. It feels like a high-quality knife for the price.”

Best European-style chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: European | Weight: 9 ounces

If you want a classic European-style knife (heavier than those I’ve detailed so far), try Wüsthof. We named their knife set the best overall, and with good reason — it’s the brand preferred by some celebrity chefs, including Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay . Cook and Top Chef Canada host Eden Grinshpan was told to buy the “super-high quality” blades when she was in culinary school, and cookbook author Erin Gleeson registered for them when she got married a decade ago. Both still use them to this day because of how durable they are. Gleeson even notes that though she uses the chef’s knife for “everything,” including taking it with her when she travels somewhere with a rental kitchen , because it “rarely needs sharpening.” Joy Wilson, creator of Joy the Baker , is another fan. She likes the weight of it because “the metal runs all the way through the handle, which makes it feel even throughout the knife,” she explains. It’s heavier than both the Global and the Seki Magoroku, lending to a particularly controlled feel. “Also, the area where the handle meets the bottom base of the blade is so comfortable,” she says.

Best less-expensive European-style chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: European | Weight: 9.8 ounces

James Peisker, co-founder of Porter Road in Nashville, got this knife as a gift from his mom when he was 16 years old and still uses it to this day (he even has a tattoo of it on his wrist). Not only is it durable enough to last for decades, but Peisker says it doesn’t require very much upkeep, holding its edge for much longer than Japanese knives. He says he hones the blade after each use to realign the layers (as opposed to taking some of the steel off to create a new edge), so he only has to sharpen it about every seven months. As for its feel, Peisker says “it’s definitely heavy” but comfortable in the hand, thanks to the substantial heel or the wider steel part that sits against the end of the blade and the handle(a part most Japanese knives don’t have). He rests his index finger over it and “that positioning gives me such good control,” he says.

Most stylish European-style chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: European | Weight: 6.4 ounces

Chris Carter, Porter Road ’s other founder, says people are generally drawn to the look of Japanese knives because they tend to be particularly beautiful — but that this European model (his preference because of the hardier blade construction) is gorgeous. It delivers great versatility, durability, balance, and precision, he says, thanks to the strong German steel tang (which means the blade runs all the way through the handle instead of being forged together where the two parts meet). Still, it has an “elegant, soft, rosewood handle which is just really nice to look at and hold onto,” he says. “You wouldn’t want to hold hard plastic for a long time, but this feels great.”

Best chef’s knife for beginners

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Combination | Weight: 8 ounces

Learning to wield a lighter knife with precision can take a bit of practice, so those newer to cooking might prefer to start with Made In’s slightly heavier eight-ounce model. In my own testing, I found it to be particularly sturdy when dicing vegetables, helping my hand stay firm and straight as I rocked the super-sharp blade through onions, carrots, and celery. It feels solid and strong in the hand, and the rounded handle is nice to grip, too.  Culinary producer Kiano Moju , who owns multiple (and Made In’s other knives , too), says this knife also feels solid because of the full-tang construction, just like the Messermeister above. “It’s never wobbly,” she says, “and it balances nicely.”

Best less-expensive chef’s knife for beginners

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Combination | Weight: 8.3 ounces

Strauss is also a fan of Misen. He says their knife, which costs $80, is a great value for someone who wants to invest in their first good model. He laid out the main reason why when recommending the brand’s knife set : “One of the things knife nerds talk about is steel hardness,” he says. “This is on the hard end of bendy, which means it sharpens really well but isn’t so rigid that if you move it funky you can feel it, and even break it.” That level of firmness, in his mind, is a perfect sweet spot, and because of that he recommends this knife to pretty much anyone looking to take a step up from whatever big-box store-version they owned previously. Not only are they fit for beginners, but “I know a bunch of pro chefs who use them. You don’t have to be overly precious with them, but they’re still well made,” he says. “I own six.”

Best balanced chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Combination | Weight: 6.5 ounces

Hedley & Bennett is known for their aprons , but they recently started making knives, their first foray into actual kitchen tools. The chef’s knife was designed with input and testing from professional chefs — and in my own testing, I can tell that level of thoughtfulness went into it. While the knife weighs an ounce more than my Global, it’s not enough to really notice a difference. Plus, the weight is evenly distributed from handle to blade so it doesn’t feel cumbersome to hold. And as someone who has her knives out in the open, I also appreciate the aesthetic details, like the barely noticeable logo and brass rivets.

Both chef Melissa King and Zoya Roya, the founder of Fysh Foods , call it “well-balanced,” with Roya adding, “It’s not too heavy to handle, but heavy enough that it still glides through whatever you’re cutting with ease.”

Best less expensive balanced chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: Japanese | Weight: 9 ounces

I’ve been using Material Kitchen’s chef’s knife (along with the other two blades in its set ) for several months now and have found it a worthy addition to my collection. The handle is rounded and smooth, which makes it comfortable to grip. It’s a few ounces heavier than my Global (which, as you can probably tell, is the point of reference I often use since that’s my most-reached-for knife). Unlike the Hedley & Bennett above, you can, just ever so slightly, feel the weight difference here — but that can be helpful when cutting firm ingredients like squash and potatoes and even for having greater control when it comes to tasks like dicing onions evenly. Still, it’s full tang, so evenly weighted from tip to end.

Writer and recipe developer Rebecca Firkser has been using hers practically every day for five years. “I love everything about it,” she says. “I got it in the neutral color, which is just plain pleasing to me in a sea of black-handled knives. Straight from the package (and when regularly maintained — I sharpen mine at home every couple months), the blade can easily handle thin tomato slices,” she says, “which is my benchmark for a ‘good’ chef’s knife.”

Best super-small chef’s knife

Blade length: 5 inches | Style: Japanese | Weight: 3.8 ounces

Even though Wüsthof is a German company that specializes in German knives, it makes a Japanese-style santoku knife that is the choice pick from Amanda Cohen, chef of New York City’s Dirt Candy . In general, it’s a much-beloved brand (I found it to be the best overall pick if you’re investing in a knife set ) — and this small-but-mighty blade fits right in. “I’m a serial monogamist when it comes to knives, and right now, I’m in a long-term relationship with this one,” Cohen told me. “A shorter knife gives you more control, so I’m through with six-inch knives for the moment. This one holds its edge for a ridiculously long time. It’s really light — the lightest on this list, in fact — which Cohen says means she can use it for hours, “switching between really precise knife work and hacking away at tougher vegetables.”

Best chef’s knife for utility

Blade length: 10 inches | Style: European | Weight: 5.6 ounces

Cara Nicoletti , founder of the sausage company Seemore Meats & Veggie , wrote a piece for the Strategist several years ago about all of her favorite knives. She’s a fourth-generation butcher and grew up around her grandpa and his father and brother using the most utilitarian knives around (like, ones that would break down countless carcasses before they would need to sharpen the blade again). Then she found herself in New York City kitchens where professional chefs revered their knives, treating them with a care and pride previously unfamiliar to Nicoletti. Now, she says, “the knives I use most at home land squarely in between those beloved by my butcher relatives and those worshiped by my chef colleagues” — and chief among them are her Vicorinox knives. (This is still the case since she originally wrote her article — I checked.) “For my beater knives — or the ones I use regularly and roughly — I really love Victorinox,” she says. “They tend to last the longest and keep a sharp edge, even when being used daily on heavy projects. The blades are stainless steel, which make them easy to maintain, and I love the rosewood handle for grip comfort. You may not be breaking down full beef carcasses in your home kitchen (or maybe you are? What do I know!), but you still want knives that don’t need to be sharpened every time you break a chicken.” Nicoletti’s size of choice is ten inches, but that’s definitely on the larger end for most people. Victorinox makes the same knife in eight inches , too. One more endorsement: In Strategist contributor Sarah Leon’s piece about the appliances and tools that made up her makeshift kitchen during a big renovation, she also turned to Victorinox knives, calling them “indestructible and not precocious.”

Best chef’s knife for vegetables

Blade length: 7 inches | Style: Japanese | Weight: 8.9 ounces

With a straight blade shaped a bit like a small cleaver, a nakiri knife is designed to be particularly good at breaking down large vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage as well as slicing, dicing, and chopping onions, peppers, all manner of root vegetables, and more. But according to Emily Fiffer , a co-owner of Botanica in Los Angeles, it’s just as versatile as a chef’s knife and can be used for very similar tasks. It’s her own go-to blade even for delicate tasks like chopping herbs for salsa verde or cutting up a piece of fish. “The only thing I wouldn’t do with it is slice bread,” she says.

Best high-end chef’s knife

Blade length: 8 inches | Style: European | Weight: 9.5 ounces

This blade is expensive. Bob Kramer , a real artist and artisan, crafts handmade knives that he auctions off to eager fans and serious professionals. They regularly go for tens of thousands of dollars (or even, in the case of the one he made special for Anthony Bourdain, a quarter of a million dollars). This particular knife, however, is not a one-off, and comes from a collaboration with tried-and-true kitchen company Zwilling, which makes well-known knives of their own. It’s still very pricey, yes, but a much more accessible model of Kramer’s work, relatively speaking. I actually own one, (a prize I won at my old job at Bon Appétit for guessing closest to the correct number of pie weights in a jar — a silly but true story). It’s a real prize on my knife rack — always sharp with such a comfortable handle and Kramer’s signature damascus steel design on the flat surface of the blade (he combines two different types of steel to create the effect). It’s the heaviest one I own, so I tend to pull it out for big jobs, like slicing large hunks of meat and cutting through particularly firm squash.

Rodbard has one, too, gifted by a dear friend of his. “Would I ever buy myself a $400 knife?,” he says. “No. Was I afraid to use it for over three years? Yes. Have I now fallen so hard for it that a day doesn’t pass that I don’t pull it out just to feel the grip in my hand? Absolutely.”

Best chef’s knife for kids

Blade length: 4 inches | Style: European | Weight 5.3 ounces

Sara Kate Gillingham, co-founder of Kitchn and The Dynamite Shop , a cooking school for kids, endorses a Wüsthof for children, because she thinks they should learn with real tools and small blades make practice manageable. That said, for particularly young ones — ages 5 to 8 — she says the Opinel knife is the only kid-branded kitchen tool she’s into. “There’s no product that should replace a parent overseeing safety,” she says, “but the finger guard and grip hole work to teach proper positioning. It’s like training wheels.” While she warns that it’s not good for kids to become too dependent on said training wheels, she appreciates the fact that this isn’t a gimmicky product: “It’s a real knife but with some added protection.”

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These 7 Chef’s Knives Are Perfect for All Skill Levels and Styles

We chopped onions, tomatoes, and even sliced paper to see which chef's knives are worthy of your kitchen

The Spruce Eats / Dera Burreson

A chef’s knife is one of the most essential items for any kitchen. It’s the workhorse of cutting tools—used for slicing or chopping vegetables, crushing cloves of garlic, dicing onions, mincing, and even slicing meat. The best chef's knives will have a well-balanced anatomy , so they’re not tiring to use during long cooking sessions, and have handles that are easy to grip. Modern metal knives can easily be sharpened at home or by a professional. Ceramic ones can be super-sharp, but they require special sharpening tools or a return to the manufacturer for sharpening. Since the chef's knife is bound to become your kitchen's most-used tool, it's important to consider individual features like budget, style, and material.

To help you choose the best chef's knives to suit your personal needs, we tested out 21 of the most popular and highly-rated brands. Our rigorous testing process included slicing sheets of paper to assess the initial sharpness, making thin slices of tomatoes to test precision, evaluating balance by dicing onions and garlic, and chopping through hardier vegetables like butternut squash to test the blade's strength. Lastly, we used the results to rate each knife based on its design, size, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value.

• How We Tested Chef's Knives

Other Options We Tested

• What to Look For

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Best overall, mac knife 8-inch hollow edge chef's knife.

• Design 4 /5
• Performance 5 /5
• Ease of Cleaning 5 /5

Extreme sharpness that lasts

Lightweight

High-quality, durable craftsmanship

No sheath included

Mac Knives has a long-standing reputation for quality Japanese craftsmanship, so it's no surprise the Professional Series 8-Inch Hollow Edge Knife was the top overall choice in our testing. The hollow edge is the standout feature of this knife–It's balanced, easy to use, and cuts well, thanks to its lightweight design (6.75 ounces) and thin 2.5-millimeter blade and bolster . Plus, its Pakkawood handle offers a comfortable grip.

We tried the knife on a number of items, including garlic, onion, tomato, and a piece of paper. There was no tearing on the tomato, and the knife was able to slice very thinly with ease. It also smashed garlic easily and minced well. The knife's sharp hollow edge helped it glide through an onion, and it only experienced a slight drag when cutting butternut squash. It even sliced through paper twice with only minimal tearing on the second run.

Though the knife doesn't come with a sheath, which we would have preferred, it was easy to hand wash with no remaining residue or streaks after cleaning. In terms of long-term performance, it should hold its edge well (and recommend Mac Knife sharpeners for when you do need to resharpen the blade). This knife is not dishwasher-safe, but follow the care instructions carefully and it should last you years. While it may not be the cheapest, its versatility and durability make it worth the cost.

Blade Length: 8.25 inches | Material: Alloy steel | Handle Length: 4.25 inches | Handle Material: Pakkawood | Weight: 6.75 ounces

The Spruce Eats / Russell Kilgore

Best Japanese

Shun classic chef’s 8-inch.

• Design 5 /5

Beautifully designed

Proprietary core is extremely durable

Super sharp

Not the best for lefties

The popular Japanese knife brand Shun calls its classic chef's knife the "one knife you simply can't be without"—and it's easy to see why. This fully forged knife is beautifully designed with an ebony Pakkawood handle, a full tang for balance, and 34 layers of Damascus steel enveloping each side of the blade. In terms of quality and durability, all Shun knives are made with a proprietary VG-MAX cutting core that lends extra strength and corrosion resistance.

Furthermore, the ergonomic D-shaped handle provides a comfortable hold, although left-handed chefs may not like it as much as right-handed folks. It's meant to be "rocked" (the curved belly is better suited for this motion than straight chopping).

We love the Damascus steel and found the knife to be a comfortable weight to hold, but noticed that it may be a tad short for someone with really big hands. The knife was perfectly balanced and the blade was super sharp. The paper slice test yielded super smooth cuts both times it was performed, and on tomatoes, the Shun sliced beautifully with minimal effort and had no dragging or skin tearing. On garlic, the knife rocked nicely to crush cloves with ease and had great balance and precision when it came to mincing.

Dicing an onion was quite smooth, and even hefty butternut squash was cut with little effort (though some of the squash stuck to the blade a bit). We also noted that the knife cleans nicely, and the Damascus steel hides water spots.

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: 69 layers of Damascus steel | Handle Length: 4.75 inches | Handle Material: Pakkawood | Weight: 6.75 ounces

Best Mid-Range

Material 8-inch knife.

Comes in three attractive colors

High-quality, corrosion-resistant stainless steel

Comfortable grip

Handle may be awkward for those with smaller hands

Aesthetes will appreciate that Material Kitchen's chef's knife has a handle that comes in three colors, but it's more than just a pretty face: The blade is 8 inches of layered high-carbon and corrosion-resistant stainless Japanese steel. The tang extends into the handle for balance, and the handle is made with a comfortable grip. Designed to be low-maintenance, this chef's knife is affordable and high-quality.

We found this knife to be very good at most cutting tasks, leaving a pretty edge. However, the handle may be somewhat awkward to hold for those with smaller hands. It's a bit longer and straighter than similar knives, which had the end of the handle bumping into our forearm.

On the initial sharpness test, this knife cleanly cut the paper both times. Tomatoes were also sliced very thin with ease, and the tomato was cored with the tip of the knife as easily as if it were a paring knife. Mincing garlic required work to reach a consistent size, but cutting an onion was very easy and accurate. Butternut squash was cut easily and smoothly, as well. When cleaning the knife, there were spots, streaks, and scratches left behind. Still, overall, the knife performed well, had good balance, and is a good value.

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: High-carbon Japanese stainless steel | Handle Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Composite | Weight: 7.6 ounces

The Spruce Eats / Dora Burreson

The Spruce Eats / Will Dickey

Best for Beginners

Misen 8-inch chef’s knife.

• Design 4.5 /5
• Performance 4 /5
• Ease of Cleaning 4 /5

Great value

Stays sharp

Makes super precise cuts

High-carbon steel blade for added strength

Well-balanced

Prone to water spots

Any chef will tell you that a sharp knife is a safer one. That's because dull knives require more pressure and force to cut, which can cause the knife to slip and cause an injury. A knife that starts out sharp and stays sharp for longer also requires less maintenance and promotes proper grip and cutting techniques, definitely an added plus for those who are just getting started in the kitchen. This 8-inch chef's knife from Misen is a great budget-conscious choice with high-quality construction and materials (like pro-grade Japanese stainless steel with 2.5 times more carbon than similar blades) that rival much more expensive knives. It also comes in four different handle colors to help match your aesthetic.

We tested this knife long-term and were super impressed with the continued sharpness of the blade and the shape of the bolster. Even after 18 months of heavy use with regular honing, it was still just as sharp as when it first came out of the box. The knife finds a sweet spot between flexible and firm, so it's strong enough to tackle tough jobs like chopping pumpkin, yet precise enough to handle more delicate tasks like thinly slicing onions and even cutting chocolate pie. Although we did notice some water spots forming around the blade, that's an easy fix as long as the knife is dried immediately after handwashing.

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: AICHI AUS-10 stainless steel | Handle Length: 5.5 inches | Handle Material: Composite | Weight: 8 ounces

The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing

Best All-Metal

Global classic 8-inch chef's knife.

• Design 3 /5
• Value 4.5 /5

Lifetime warranty

Easy to clean

Unique, sleek design

Can be uncomfortable for larger hands

Unlike knives that have an attached handle, this entire knife is made from stainless steel, with no joints, rivets, or corners where food could accumulate. To provide a better grip, the handle has dimples that create a textured surface. The knife is designed to be lightweight (despite being made entirely from metal), so it’s easy to wield. Made from molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel, the blade is razor-sharp and will retain its edge, and it comes with a lifetime warranty against breakage.

The most unique feature of this knife is its design. Initially, we thought the handle would be less ergonomic and uncomfortable to use, but actually found the no-frills design appealing, balanced, and lightweight after testing. (But we do think it might not be the best fit for larger hands.) It performed beautifully on the paper slice test, leaving clean cuts both times. Tomatoes were easy to cut, even into thin slices.

The knife was easy to maneuver to crush garlic cloves and then mince them. Cutting onions was smooth and easy, too. While cutting the butternut squash, we were able to make smooth cuts, though thought a slightly heavier knife would have required less effort. This knife cleans easily with very few spots.

Blade Length: 7.5 inches | Material: Cromova 18 stainless steel | Handle Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Metal with divots | Weight: 5.9 ounces

Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife

Courtesy of Amazon

• Ease of Cleaning 4.5 /5
• Size 4.5 /5

Unique handle design

Warranty includes sharpening and buffing

Cutco knives have a bit of a cult following, perhaps because there was a time when they were only sold through their sales force. Now, they’re easy to buy since they’re available online. The Petite Chef Knife arrives very sharp and has a unique handle design that’s comfortable to hold. The blade is slightly shorter than most chef’s knives, but it was still able to handle all the kitchen tasks during our testing period, from slicing tomatoes to dicing celery. The blade is also rounded towards the tip and flat towards the handle, so it’s just as good for rocking cuts as it is for slicing and mincing, making it a true all-purpose knife.

Although the handle's curves may seem a little unusual at first, the design actually helps to comfortably place your hand into the perfect cutting position. The blade slid through tomatoes, salad greens, and meats smoothly and easily. While the knife is expensive to purchase, the lifetime warranty means you’ll never need to pay for a replacement—and the warranty also covers sharpening and buffing to keep it in good condition.

Blade Length: 7-5/8 inches | Material: 440A high-carbon stainless steel | Handle Length: 5.5 inches | Handle Material: Thermo-resin | Weight: 6.1 ounces

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie 

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie

Best Budget

Victorinox swiss classic 8-inch chef's knife.

• Ease of Use 5 /5
• Durability 5 /5

Nonslip handle

Easy to use

Doesn't feel super durable

Like most brands, Victorinox makes knives at several price levels. We tested its low-cost Fibrox bread knife (pictured below) and it performed well. As of August 2023, however, Victorinox has discontinued the Fibrox line. It will continue to be available for commercial kitchens, but it will likely be difficult to find. These knives are still available for purchase on Amazon, but Victorinox doesn't recommend purchasing the knife from any online retailers who may still have the product available—as they are not authorized retailers.

The company recommends the Swiss Classic collection as an alternative (linked above), as it offers the same blade, steel, and edge as Fibrox. We will update our reviews with results when we have fully tested this line. In the meantime, keep reading for our review of the Fibrox Chef's Knife.

If the Victorinox name seems familiar, that's probably because it's the manufacturer of the very popular Swiss Army knives. Like those knives, this one is made in Switzerland. The 8-inch blade is made from high-carbon stainless steel that will maintain its super-sharp edge. The blade is straight with a gently curved tip that encourages a rocking motion, so it’s also great for slicing meats. Though the knife's appearance is very utilitarian, a winning combination of price and efficiency helps make it a great value pick.

We love how this knife came seriously sharp right out of the box and maintained its edge well during our testing. Garlic cloves were easily smashed and neatly minced. The Victorinox also cut through and cubed a heavy butternut squash without any issues. Although it didn't feel as nimble as more expensive knives, we were able to cut through an onion skin comfortably. While slicing a tomato, the first slice was fine with no tearing, though further clean slices were tougher to get.

Blade Length: 7.9 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Handle Length: 5.6 inches | Handle Material: Thermoplastic elastomers | Weight: 5.6 ounces

Our top pick was the Mac Knife Professional 8-inch Hollow Edge Chef Knife because it cut smoothly and easily through all the items we tested. Beginners should consider the Misen 8-Inch Chef’s Knife , which offers great value and produces precise cuts thanks to its high-quality blade.

How We Tested Chef's Knives

We tested 21 chef’s knives side by side in our Lab and in our own home kitchens. After unboxing the knife, we measured the length of the handle and the blade, then tested for sharpness by slicing two sheets of paper and noting whether the paper sliced cleanly. Lab testers noted the weight and balance of each knife in their hand before cutting several common food items to test how smoothly and comfortably the knives could be handled.

For the tomato test, our staff noted whether the knife was sharp enough to make a clean slice or if the skin tore; in terms of precision, they noted whether the slices were equal in size, and how much effort was required. Testers then evaluated balance and comfort by mincing garlic and dicing an onion, paying special attention to any rocking and ease of maneuvering. Next, testers cubed a butternut squash, noting if any nimbleness or precision was lost when breaking down those tougher foods.

Testers also the comfort of the knife grip and the weight of the handle, noting any fatigue or discomfort during use. When it came to cleaning the knives, testers followed manufacturer instructions, noting how easy it was to wash without damaging the blade. Finally, each knife was rated on design, size, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value.

• Wusthof Classic IKON 8-inch Knife : This is a great knife performance-wise, but it is not weighted evenly. It's quite heavy and unbalanced—there are better knives out there for less money. We feel that this knife is priced too high for what it has to offer. It performed the paper slice test well, and we were able to get nice, thin tomato slices with no resistance. The weight of the handle while cutting garlic was noticeable but it cuts nicely. There were no issues when maneuvering with an onion or butternut squash.
• Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife : We tested three different Mercer Chef’s knives ( Mercer Culinary M21078 Genesis 8-Inch Short Bolster Chef's Knife and Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-Inch Chef's Knife were the other two), and this was our favorite of the three. But it ultimately still fell short. The handle could be improved, and the tip could be sharper. We had to force our way through the vegetables, noting that there was some slippage and the cuts weren't smooth every time. The knife also completely failed the paper tests (the paper just crumpled), although it did mince garlic well.
• ​​J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife : The Henckels Pro Classic Chef Knife is good for large hands, but it does not cut as well as other comparable knives. It has a very long handle, for starters. It did slice tomatoes well with no tearing, and it minced garlic easily. We needed a moderate amount of pressure to dice the onion, but the butternut squash was fairly difficult to cut and needed a good amount of pressure. Overall, it wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

What to Look for in a Chef's Knife

Chef's knives commonly range from 6 to 10 inches and there are different shapes and thicknesses for the blades. Longer blades are good for single strokes, and blades with a more curved tip are better for cutting food with a "rocking" motion. Some chefs prefer smaller blades, whether that's because their hands are smaller and they're easier to use, or they have a smaller kitchen or cutting board and chopping space is at a premium.

Maintenance

Consider how often you'll be using your knife and how often it needs to be sharpened—some hold an edge much longer than others. Also, consider how likely it is to rust or get water stains. While most manufacturers recommend hand-washing knives, some can be put in the dishwasher.

When you pick up a chef's knife, pay attention to how the weight is distributed throughout the knife. An overly-heavy handle can lead to wrist fatigue and loss of control while using the knife, especially when it comes to more tedious tasks like chopping herbs or mincing garlic.

What is a chef's knife used for?

A chef’s knife is a kitchen's all-around knife. It can handle slicing, dicing, and chopping fruits and vegetables, and it can also be used for prepping meats. In a pinch, it can also be used as a slicer, or for carving roasts. While other knives come in handy as the knife collection grows, a chef’s knife will always be one the cook reaches for.

How do you sharpen a chef's knife?

There are a number of tools that can be used to sharpen knives, from electric sharpeners to pull-through manual sharpeners to whetstones. Electric sharpeners are the easiest to use, with guides that make it nearly impossible to grind the knife at the wrong angle. The downside of an electric sharpener is that it can sharpen too aggressively. The manual method using a whetstone is much more gentle on knives, making it preferred for more expensive knives. The downside is that there’s a bit of a learning curve. No matter what method is used for sharpening, it’s wise to have a honing steel to touch up the knife as it’s used and keep it in good shape between sharpening.

How do you hold a chef's knife?

There are plenty of names for the proper hold on a chef’s knife . Some describe it as a handshake while others talk about a pinch grip. Generally, the thumb and forefinger are doing all the work, while the other three fingers grasp the handle more gently. With the proper grip, cutting will feel easy and comfortable, and the knife will always be under complete control.

Do you need a chef's knife and a santoku?

A chef’s knife and a santoku knife perform the same—or very similar—tasks in the kitchen. Both are good for cutting, dicing, slicing, and chopping, so it’s not necessary to own both. However, while chef’s knives are generally about 8 inches long, there are 5-inch santoku knives that may be more comfortable for cooks with smaller hands, or for taking over the tasks of a utility knife. An extra knife in the kitchen can be handy when there are helpers around, too.

Donna Currie is a cookbook author, food writer, and product tester for The Spruce Eats, and she personally tested three of the knives on this list. While she's somewhat partial to Wusthof knives, her knife block is a hodgepodge of brands from crazy expensive ones like Shun to some that are dirt cheap. She recommends going with one that feels comfortable in your hand—it's all about personal preference.

Rebecca Treon is a food and travel freelance writer, experienced home cook, and mother of two. She's always striving to help readers experience places or learn something new. Rebecca's work has been featured in BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Hemispheres, and Thrillist. 

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The Best Knives to Bring On Vacation — and How to Pack Them Safely

If you want to cook in your vacation rental and enjoy the experience, you'll want some decent knives. Here's what to bring and how to tote them.

Related To:

Photo by: Aleksandar Reba / EyeEm / Getty

Aleksandar Reba / EyeEm / Getty

Michelle N. Warner is a food stylist at Food Network.

When you show up to that vacation rental or Airbnb, you never know what the kitchen set up will be — and the knives available can often determine how well you'll actually be cooking for a crowd on your trip. Or maybe camping is more your speed; you'll want to tote some decent knives for cooking outside, too. Here's how to choose the best essential knives for traveling and how to pack them safely.

Try a Knife That's Easy to Travel With

Investing in an affordable, verstable and easy packable knife or two that you use expressly for trips isn't a bad idea. I really like the Kuhn Rikon colorful knives — they're great price and they stay sharp after many uses. If you want to pick just one knife to keep things simple, we suggest you get the Kuhn Rikon Santoku with a 6-inch blade. Its smaller size and dedicated sheath makes it easy and safe to pack, and it's efficient shape is great for slicing and chopping most things — except bread.

Kuhn Rikon Chef's Knife

If you're planning on picking up a crusty baguette to make sandwiches or enjoy with a cheese plate on your trip, you'll need a bread knife. Packing a full-sized bread knife can be cumbersome since they are often so long, but the Kuhn Rikon Sandwich Knife is only about 10 inches, and it glides through bread. Plus, it's a great shape for spreading mayo and has a super-handy grater tip for scraping and spreading butter smoothly.

Kuhn Rikon Sandwich Knife

Looking for a full set of knives dedicated to your travel needs? If you cook a lot on vacation, this isn't a bad idea. Amazon has a colorful 12 piece set that is easily totable — and you won't confuse them with the utensils already at the vacation rental. They're lightweight and each come with their own blade guard for easy packing.

Amazon Basics 12-Piece Colored Knives

Or pack whatever you already own — safely.

If you want to pack the knives you already use and love every day, get some magnetic knife guards for traveling. These do a great job at protecting your blades (and you!) when you're packing them. We like the magnetic guards because they can fit a variety of knife shapes and sizes, and they stay on tight, which is key for safety.

Victorinox Fixed Blade, Knife

Once protected with a guard, you don't want to just throw the knives in your suitcase. For easiest and safest traveling, pack them in soft case called a knife roll. Cooks use these when traveling between kitchens all the time and it keeps both you and your knives safe. The soft structure makes it lightweight and easy to use, but this is another reason the blade covers are important — you don't want them poking through the fabric.

This waterproof canvas knife roll is the perfect size for carrying just a few essential knives. Or if you’re looking for the mid-size option, this Messermeister eight-pocket roll is an industry standard that most chef’s use. And of course we’re not going to stop you from packing all of your favorite utensils if you really want — in that case, go big with this knife bag backpack that carries it all.

Heavy Duty Waxed Canvas Chef Knife Storage Roll Bag

Messermeister 8-Pocket Heavy Duty Nylon Padded Knife Roll

Chef Knife Bag Retro Backpack

Other tools for the trip.

Whatever size knife roll or bag you picked, you should have some extra spots for pakcing a few other essential utensils. Think about what you'll really miss if you don't have it. Our go-to items include a waiter's style wine and bottle opener. This one is fantastic because it has two steps for removing a wine cork, reducing the chances of it breaking. Plus it has a handy bottle opener for beer or soda. I'd also throw in a silicone spatula for all your stirring needs, and a turner for grilling or making pancakes. If you’re camping, a pair of tongs is always useful, and if you’re keeping it minimal a good pair of chopsticks will double as tongs and a whisk. And don’t forget the can opener! I love this one by Kuhn Rikon for its streamlined single handle.

Premium Waiters Corkscrew

Rubbermaid Commercial Products High Heat Silicone Spatula

OXO Silicone Flexible Turner

Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter/Can Opener

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The Best Chef’s Knife (2024), Reviewed by Our Experts

By Sarah Jampel and Alaina Chou

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

One thing’s for certain: A good chef’s knife is one of the most indispensable kitchen tools there is for beginners and professional chefs alike, right up there with a trusty skillet and a durable cutting board. But which chef’s knife is the best chef’s knife? That’s not so clear-cut. The truth is, the quest for the best chef’s knife can be a highly personal one. There are a million things to consider, from shape, size, and material of the blade and handle (do you prefer a Japanese- or Western-style knife? A sword-like 12-incher or a petite 6-inch blade?) to price point (are you willing to drop hundreds on the right model, or are you after a budget blade, even if you’ll need to replace it after a few years?) This is a tool you’ll use practically every time you cook, whether you’re mincing garlic and dicing veggies for your weekly meal prep, or carving a chicken at your next dinner party—so you’ll want to think carefully about which one you choose.

• Top tested chef’s knife : Mac Professional Hollow Edge 8-Inch Chef’s Knife , $144 on Amazon
• BA Test Kitchen's favorite chef's knife : Global Classic Chef’s Knife , $100 on Amazon
• The pro ‘s favorite chef’s knife : Moritaka 8.25" Aogami Super Carbon Steel Gyuto , $240 at Cutlery and More
• A great budget option: Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife , $61 on Amazon

If this all sounds overwhelming, don’t worry—we’re here to help you make sense of the infinitely vast world of chef’s knives. If you’re looking to start your knife shopping journey here, we’ve got recommendations for great knives at a range of price points from three different types of industry pros. Want to do a bit of research on your own and find that just-for-you knife? We’ll also equip you with the knowledge you need to set forth and seek out the knife that best suits your personal preferences.

Top tested chef’s knife: Mac Professional Hollow Edge 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Mac Knife Professional 8 Inch Hollow Edge Chef Knife

This knife from Japanese brand Mac checked all of the boxes in our sister brand Epicurious’s in-depth product test : It’s sharp enough to glide through food and produce paper-thin slices, lightweight enough to allow for nimble movements, and comfortable enough for you to make your way through a mountain of onions without your hand cramping up. It’s also extremely well priced considering its high quality—take good care of a Mac knife and it’ll last you for years to come.

This is a hybrid style knife, which means it combines the best qualities of both Western and Japanese chef’s knives: Its blade shape sits somewhere between the rounded edge of a Western-style model and the more straight-sided blade of a Japanese one, and its material makeup strikes a balance between the more durable type of steel typical of a Western-style knife and the sharper, more brittle steel used in Japanese knives. The result? A knife that’s highly versatile and at once super-sharp and less likely to chip. With a 50/50 double bevel (meaning both sides are sharpened to the same angle), this knife is also relatively easy to maintain.

Pat Alfiero of Philly butcher counter, sandwich shop, and restaurant Heavy Metal Sausage Co. uses a custom-made knife nowadays (more on his top picks below), but he’s owned Mac knives in the past and is a fellow fan of the brand. While he tends to opt for styles with a smooth surfaced-blade, you’ll notice that the one we’re recommending here based on our testing has dimples running along each side. These are what make it a “hollow” or “Granton” edged knife, and they’re there to help prevent whatever you’re slicing from sticking to the blade.

One thing to note about the Mac chef’s knife is that its relatively high carbon composition makes it more prone to rusting and discoloration. This means you’ll want to dry it especially thoroughly after hand washing.

NOTE: To read more about the testing process that went into this selection, along with the other knives we tested from brands like Zwilling , Victorinox , Miyabi , Shun , Wusthof Classic, and Mercer , head over to The Best Chef’s Knife, Tested and Reviewed on Epicurious.

Blade Length: 7.88 inches Weight: 6.5 ounces Material: Stainless steel with black Pakka wood handle Style: Hybrid, double-bevel

Bon Appétit Test Kitchen’s favorite chef’s knife: Global Classic Chef’s Knife

Global 8-inch Chef's Knife

Sur la Table

Williams Sonoma

“After years of cooking with a set of multicolored Ikea knives of questionable quality, I got my first real-deal chef's knife, made by Global, from my uncle for college graduation—the result of him having seen Anthony Bourdain cook with a similar model on TV,” says associate food editor Kendra Vaculin. She has since built out a full-fledged Global knife set, and their Classic Chef’s Knife remains her top category pick. “I love how malleable Global knives feel in my hand despite their size,” she says. That balanced malleability is due to the fact that, instead of a full tang (a blade that runs the full length of the hand), the knife’s hollow ergonomic handle is filled with just enough sand to perfectly offset the weight of the knife blade. While it’s technically heavier than the Mac, the Global knife feels lighter because of that perfectly balanced weight distribution. “It feels like an extension of my arm—in a good way, not a super villain way—and has made everything from weeknight dinners to big dinner parties easier to tackle,” says Vaculin.

It’s worth noting this knife also earned top marks in Epicurious’s testing, ranking on par with the Mac—and it rings in cheaper, too. Unlike the Mac, the steel blend of the Global’s blade is relatively resistant to rusting and staining. If you want a quality knife that offers supreme stability while cutting and the ability to make super thin, delicate slices, this is the one for you.

Blade Length: 8 inches Weight: 7.8 ounces Material: Stainless steel Style: Hybrid, double-bevel

The pro’s favorite chef’s knife: Moritaka

Moritaka 8.25-Inch Aogami Super Carbon Steel Gyuto

Cutlery and More

Pat Alfiero of Heavy Metal Sausage Co. is very particular about his knives—that’s why he now uses custom knives made in Philly by knife maker Steve Pellegrino . If you’re serious—and I mean very serious —about knives and want to make a significant investment to get the high-end knife of your dreams, know that the custom route is always an option, though prices over $1000 are not out of the question. For most home cooks, opting for a high-quality ready-made knife is the way to go.

So we wanted to know what Alfiero used prior to going custom. His chef’s knife of choice for eight years running was from Moritaka Cutlery—a Japanese brand that’s been around for over 700 years (!). For Alfiero, versatility is key when it comes to chef’s knives: “Most of the kitchens I've worked in are short on space, so I try to find something that can be a slicer and a prep workhorse just to cut down on the amount of knives I need.” Other features he looks for are “aggressive pointed tips” (which he does admit to inevitably breaking at one point or another), simple octagonal Japanese-style handles, and a decent amount of heft that’s balanced right where the blade meets the handle. “When I have a light knife, I feel like I have to smash through things,” he says. “If it’s heavier I feel like I can just let the knife do it.”

Moritaka knives check all of Alfiero’s boxes and then some. He notes that they’re particularly easy to sharpen because of their 50/50 grind and large bevels—i.e., because the blade is sharpened at the same angle on both sides and the bevel’s degree is a rather large one, it’s a cinch to figure out the right angle at which to sharpen each side whenever your blade starts to dull.

“They are carbon steel,” notes Alfiero, “so they do need a little bit more care.” Like the Mac knife, you’ll want to fully dry a Moritaka before putting it away to prevent corrosion. Alfiero also cautions against stashing these knives in a drawer with, say, spoons fresh out of the dishwasher —any residual water may turn into steam, creating a humid environment that may discolor the knife’s carbon steel blade.

Blade Length: 8.25 inches Weight: 5.6 ounces Material: Hand-forged Aogami Super blue steel Style: Hybrid, double-bevel

What’s the difference between Western- and Japanese-style knives?

Also called German-style knives, these are double-beveled (meaning both sides are angled inward, meeting at the blade’s edge) and originated in Western Europe. German knives’ curved blades lend themselves to a rocking motion in which the tip of the blade does not leave the cutting board. The blades are also typically thicker than those of Japanese knives, and most are beveled at the same angle on both sides, which makes them easier to sharpen. That’s particularly advantageous because these knives are typically made of a softer steel than their Japanese counterparts, which makes them less brittle and more durable—but also means you’ll need to sharpen them more often. They also tend to be more heavy duty, which some people think makes them feel more stable, but is really a point of personal preference.

Traditional Japanese knives are mostly single bevel (one side is straight while the other is angled), feature thin blades made of carbon steel, and are often used by professional restaurant chefs. They’re ideal for people who value sharpness and precision due to their lightweight nature and hard blades, which hold their edge for longer and require less frequent sharpening. The straighter shape of that edge means these knives lend themselves to an up-and-down slicing motion rather than the rocking technique you’d use with a Western-style knife.

Then there are Western-style Japanese knives like the ones featured here: These are double bevel, made of a more durable steel that’s simpler to maintain, and versatile. Some hybrid knives, though not the ones featured here, have asymmetrical edges, sharpened to two different angles, which contributes to the sharp blade. Two common shapes in the U.S. are the gyuto (which means “beef sword”) and the shorter santoku knife.

Alfiero likes and uses both single and double bevels, but his chef’s knives, paring knives, and butchering knives are all 50:50. “It’s just easier to maintain and sharpen,” he says. He also notes that it can be harder to learn to cut straight with a single bevel, particularly for vegetables: “You always have that angle pushing you backwards. Your knife kind of wants to go with that big hard bevel, so I prefer 50:50 for that stuff.”

How do you sharpen a chef’s knife?

Once you’ve found your perfect chef’s knife, show it the respect worthy of a prized kitchen tool. You can get your knives professionally sharpened, of course, but we’re of the opinion that you should only do so once a year, max—think of a professional sharpening as a haircut, whereas sharpening at home is more of a trim. A professional sharpener will remove more steel from the cutting edge than you would at home, which can affect the longevity of your knife. What tools do you need to maintain that new knife’s sharp edge at home, you might ask? Two things: A honing rod and a knife sharpener. And no, they are not interchangeable.

A honing rod is used to keep an already-sharp knife in tip top shape by aligning the existing edge of your blade. Step right this way for more about honing rods .

A knife sharpener —ideally a whetstone—is used to remove some of the blade’s steel through friction to create a new, sharper cutting edge.

Chef'sChoice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

Looking to brush up on your knife skills? Head right this way . And if you’re looking to expand your kitchen knife collection even further, check out our favorite nakiri knives and bread knife .

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• What to Buy

We Tested the Best Chef's Knife for Every Type of Task

Slippery tomatoes and hard butternut squash were no match for our top knife picks.

In This Article

• Our Top Picks
• Our Favorite Chef's Knife

Factors to Consider

• Our Chef's Knife Tests
• Other Chef's Knives We Tested

Our Expertise

Food & Wine / Nick Simpson

Whether you're an advanced home cook or a novice, having a sharp, durable, and sturdy chef's knife is essential when preparing a meal. It's one of the only kitchen tools you use almost every time you prepare food, so selecting high-quality kitchen knives can have major benefits for both safety and efficiency. In search of the best chef's knife, we tested dozens of leading models by chopping, slicing, and dicing ingredients.

Chef's knives aren't one-size-fits-all — there is no such thing as a truly universal chef's knife. Finding the knife that works best for you depends on the size of your hands, your cooking style, and what feels most natural while you chop and slice. However, a solid chef's knife should always be sharp , balanced, and comfortable to hold, no matter the size. Before shopping for one, it's important to assess what you'll use it for most, how often you cook, and how you plan to clean and care for it. We've found our favorite professional-quality kitchen knives to use, thanks to years of testing in our test kitchens and at home.

Best Chef's Knife Overall

Mac knife 8-inch hollow edge chef's knife.

A super-sharp blade and slip-free handle make this a standout choice for best overall knife.

This knife does not come with a sheath, so make sure to store it properly in order to safely preserve the super-sharp edge.

We've been thoroughly impressed by how easily the Mac knife performs in our tests year after year. It's lightweight and sharp, which any serious home cook knows are the two most important factors in finding a reliable chef's knife.

This Japanese-style knife features a thin blade and dimples that help prevent food from sticking. Throughout our testing, we found this knife surprisingly sharp, lightweight, and durable. We could slice through dense vegetables as easily as soft vegetables, and the blade had no trouble gliding through a sheet of paper or slippery tomato skin. The Pakkawood handle was easy to grip and felt sturdy in our hands, no matter the material we were working with. The Mac's super-sharp blade is expertly balanced with the handle, so pressure and strain on our hands and wrists was barely noticeable. Whether you need a workhorse chef's knife or a great gift that an aspiring cook will use for years, this kitchen knife combines a dimpled blade and full tang construction, built for steady rocking across your cutting boards.

Weight: 6.75 ounces | Blade material: Alloy steel

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

Food & Wine / Dera Burreson

Best Japanese Chef's Knife

Miyabi koh chef's knife.

It's one of the sharpest and lightest knives we've tested with excellent performance.

It requires care and shouldn't be placed in the dishwasher.

If you prefer a blade without dimples but still love a Japanese-style knife, this Miyabi chef's knife is also an exceptional pick. It has a gradual curve that we love for rocking and chopping. The handle shape and bolster give a great grip for tricky or stubborn ingredients, and the weight is balanced at the handle for the perfect amount of control. At just 6 ounces, it's one of the lightest knives we've tested. It handled the paper test, tomato, onion, and squash tests with ease (even cutting softer green onions without tearing). Whether you're a cooking professional or an amateur home cook, this tool can handle heavy prepping and everyday kitchen tasks.

Weight: 6.08 ounces | Blade material: FC61 fine carbide stainless steel

Food & Wine / Nick Simpson

Best Budget Chef's Knife

Paudin pro chef’s knife.

This very affordable knife holds up to our tests and surprised us with its performance during testing.

The handle could degrade over time given the separation between the bolster and the wood/resin grip.

This lightweight and budget-friendly chef's knife is a good fit for most hand sizes. We were pleasantly surprised with its performance during our tests—it's well-balanced, comfortable to grip, and cut easily through our vegetables, including the sweet potato, with little resistance. Since it is a cheaper blade, users should note that the sharpness might not last as long as higher-quality edges, but with decent care and regular sharpening it should hold up well for most home cooks.

Weight: 6.88 ounces | Blade material: High Carbon Stainless Steel

Best High-End Chef's Knife

Shun classic chef’s 8-inch.

This Japanese knife has a Western-style curve, which means you get the benefits of both blade styles in one knife.

This is a pricier knife that should be hand washed and diligently taken care of.

As far as Japanese chef's knives go, Shun is an industry favorite that consistently offers sharp, lightweight knives that are durable and sturdy. The Classic Blonde does not disappoint, as it comes equipped with a birch wood handle treated with resin for extra durability and designed for comfort in both left and right hands. The knife is handcrafted with 34 layers of forged stainless steel on each side, forging a flexible blade that is rust-proof, stain-proof, and stick-resistant. As a high-end option, we love how easily it achieves paper-thin slices, and the slightly curved blade allows for moderate rocking.

After using this knife for many years, our editors can attest to its quality, so long as you care for it properly. Make sure to hand wash and fully dry in between each use, and store it in a way that will safely preserve the razor-sharp edge.

Weight: 6.75 ounces | Blade material: Damascus steel

Best Workhorse Chef's Knife

Wüsthof 8-inch classic chef's knife.

This is a sturdy knife with a weight, grip, and stability to make cutting into tough ingredients easier and safer.

Though it's durable, this knife is definitely on the heavy side which means it can be cumbersome when tackling repetitive tasks over long periods of time.

This Western-style knife is one of the most durable, heavy-duty chef's knives we've tested. Wüsthof is a German kitchen brand known for making high-quality knives that are admittedly heavier than others, but that makes them ideal for tough tasks like breaking down whole chickens or cutting up dense root vegetables . It has a half bolster that helps protect your finger from touching the blade's edge. The blade had no trouble gliding through the paper in our out-of-the-box sharpness test and expertly achieved thin, consistent cuts in our vegetable tests. The handle is sturdy and slip-free, which makes applying extra pressure easy and safe.

Our editors, who have used this knife over the course of many years, have noted that the heavy handle can feel bulky and cumbersome when doing repetitive tasks like prepping large quantities of vegetables. So users should keep that in mind depending on their regular kitchen tasks.

Weight: 9 ounces | Blade material: High-carbon stain-free steel

Food and Wine/ Dera Burreson

Best Chef's Knife for Gifting

New west knifeworks 7-inch teton edge santoku.

New West Knifeworks

This knife is agile and easy to grip for kitchen tasks for any cook, and makes an excellent gift.

It's a hefty investment and the mountain etchings are less traditional that the typical santoku grooves.

New West KnifeWorks has been making premium knives for 25 years, and this santoku reflects the brand’s signature style of craftsmanship, which prizes aesthetics as highly as performance. While the blades of traditional santokus are dimpled, the edge of this knife features an etching of the Teton Mountain Range. That’s a nod to Jackson Hole (New West’s place of origin) and a functional detail: like with the dimples; the etching prevents food from sticking to the blade as the knife slices through. The generous width of this knife makes for easy gripping, and its moderate length translates to an extremely agile experience while chopping, no matter a cook’s experience or comfort level. It’s well worth the high price for serious cooks leveling up their knife repertoire.

Weight: 6.2 ounces | Blade material: S35VN "Powder Metal" high carbon, high alloyed steel

Best New Chef's Knife

Hedley & bennett chef’s knife.

Hedley & Bennett

The handle has a great feel to it and the blade performed well on paper and tomatoes.

The knife didn't tackle the sweet potato as easily, so frequent home cooks might prefer a different blade.

We already know that we trust Hedley & Bennett when it comes to kitchen aprons . Though we'll be testing this knife further, we were impressed with the balance, grip, and performance of the Hedley & Bennett chef's knife. It was easy to create a rocking motion for chopping, thanks to the shape of the blade, and it sliced through paper and tomato with no problems at all. We noticed sweet potato took a little more force, so this knife might be better suited for precision tasks versus workhorse prep. We'll determine after more testing if this knife remains among our top picks.

Weight: 6.5 ounces | Blade material: Three Layer Japanese Steel – AUS10 core and SUS1A-1 outer layers

Our Favorite Chef's Knife

The Mac Professional Mighty Hollow Edge Knife lets anyone prep food as quickly and efficiently as a professional line cook in your very own home. We love how sharp the blade is and how consistently it can cut through any ingredient that comes your way. This is a fantastic choice if you want to invest in a high-quality chef's knife that can handle meat, vegetables, and fish.

Blade and Handle Style

When shopping for a chef's knife, there are traditionally two styles. Heavy-duty, German-style models are usually made with a curved belly that allows for a rocking, chopping motion in which the tip of the knife doesn't leave the cutting board. German knives typically have a heartier blade that lends itself to tough tasks like breaking down a whole chicken or slicing through dense squash. As a result, the knives are typically heavier and more durable.

Alternatively, Japanese knives are lightweight with a sharp, straight blade, which makes repetitive motions like rocking and chopping difficult. However, this blade style is ideal for making precise slices and cuts on several different types of foods. Some Japanese knives—like a Santoku knife—also feature dimples on the blade, which aim to prevent food from sticking.

In addition to the shape of the cutting edge, it's important to consider whether or not the blade has a bolster. Bolsters sit between the blade and the handle and act as a guard that protects your fingers from touching the sharp edge. They're common in German-style models and are particularly helpful for cooks who like to choke up on the knife handle. Though bolsters provide protection, they add weight and sometimes cause the knife to feel heavy or unbalanced.

Types of Steel

The type of metal your knife is made from can have major implications on blade sharpness and how easy it is to clean. The much-simplified big picture is that if you need an all-purpose 8-inch chef's knife—one that's in a reasonable price range and carried by most retailers—you have a choice between heavy-duty, German-style models that are usually made with slightly softer steel alloys (like high-carbon stainless steel), or lighter Japanese-style models, that are usually made with harder steel alloys (like Damascus steel). Neither is necessarily better than the other. They are just different, especially in terms of the way they feel and move in your hand.

Harder steel holds a sharper edge for a longer period of time but can be more difficult to sharpen once it gets dull. A very hard, sharp edge can also be more delicate and brittle than a softer one, making cutting up a heavy squash a little risky to the blade. A softer steel alloy, like those used in the German tradition, might be less sharp to begin with and get dull a little faster. However, it can be easier to re-sharpen, and therefore better for heavy-duty jobs—like splitting bone-in chicken breasts —without worrying that you'll damage the blade. Harder steel is generally sharper and more delicate, while softer steel is tougher. If you're shopping for a knife, ask where it falls on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Low to mid-50s is on the softer end, mid-50s to low 60s is harder.

One of the most important aspects of a chef's knife is the balance between blade and handle. A knife with a heavy handle can strain your wrist, making long-term use painful and inefficient. Repetitive motions like chopping and slicing can be tiresome, so having a knife that is easy to control and maneuver is essential. The handle should not feel significantly heavier than the blade, and the knife should feel balanced from heel to tip. If you plan to use your knife frequently for prep work like slicing vegetables, chopping herbs, or mincing garlic, balance is a key factor to consider.

Our Chef's Knife Tests

We've been testing chef's knives for years, from early days in the test kitchen to our product testing lab and food editors' long-term insights after months of use. Most recently, we tried several new knives against classic quality brands we trust, and to date, we've tested over 80 different blades over the course of the past few years. Throughout our chef knife tests, we assess everything from how sharp the blades were to how balanced they felt from tip to heel. We also note the weight and grip of each handle and whether they felt heavy or light and slippery or sturdy. We checked how easy each blade is to clean and if the blades stain easily. We always include a few staple tasks to gather as many insights as possible.

Food & Wine / Dera Burreson / Amelia Manley

To test sharpness out of the box, we conducted a paper-cutting test. Holding the paper tightly with one hand, we dragged the blade of each knife through the paper along the entire length of the blade. We assessed whether or not we could achieve a clean slice and evaluated how easily each blade could move through the paper, noting any snagging or tearing. This test helped us establish a baseline by determining how sharp each knife was directly out of the box, without any prior use.

Vegetable Tests

After completing the paper test, we ran each knife through a series of vegetable tests to see how they performed using different food textures. To test basic prep functionality, we diced an onion both coarsely and finely, which helped us assess the sharpness of the blade as well as how easy they were to use. We made sure to use both the blade tip and the blade's belly to determine if the edge was consistent.

Next, we evaluated each knife by cutting through a tomato whose skins are taut and slippery. Tomatoes are notoriously hard to cut without mashing them, and chefs often use a serrated knife to help manage the uncooperative skins. Therefore, they serve as an appropriate test of blade sharpness and handle grip. We noted which knives could achieve thin, even slices and which caused the skins to wrinkle and tear.

Lastly, we used each knife to cube one of the densest vegetables we could find: a butternut squash. Cutting a thick, heavy vegetable allowed us to assess handle grip, balance, weight, and blade sharpness. Though lightweight knives are typically preferable, having a heavy-duty knife can make tough tasks easier and safer. (You can also check out the best vegetable knives while you're shopping around, especially if you eat a lot of veggies.)

Other Chef's Knives We Tested

Strong contenders.

Global 8-Inch Chef's Knife: If you're most comfortable with a very lightweight knife and want one that's easy to care for, this is a solid option. It's made of just one piece of metal, including the handle, which is hollow and filled with sand. The specific construction makes the knife feel perfectly balanced from heel to tip. Because the handle isn't weighted down with any extra material—like rivets—the knife feels sleek and ergonomic in our hands. The metal handle has dimples to provide a safe grip, and while some cooks think it gets slippery when used to cut chicken, meat, or anything juicy, we didn't find that to be the case. We found cleaning easy, though some ingredients left spots on the metal. ( amazon.com , $160)

Material 8-Inch Knife: Adding a simply designed, low-maintenance knife to your toolkit without making a major investment is easier than you think, and this option from Material is still a good choice. We found it ultra sharp when cutting through paper and vegetables and had no trouble breaking down tough ingredients like butternut squash. Though the design is attractive, note that classically trained cooks might find some tasks awkward with the smooth, long handle. We also noted some stains and water marks when cleaning it, so hand wash thoroughly after each use. ( materialkitchen.com , $85)

Kiwi Chef's Knife: Despite the extremely low list price, the Kiwi performed well during testing. It's only partial-tang, so it won't have the same longevity as high-end knives. Though the blade is great the handle doesn't feel as secure, which is why we wouldn't recommend it over other affordably priced knives. ( amazon.com , $12)

Takamura Santoku 170mm: One of the most popular gift knives sold by Coutelier, a knife shop in New Orleans, this high-performance santoku offers tremendous value for its high-end craftsmanship. “These are incredibly well made by the Takamura brothers out of Echizen in Northwestern Japan,” said Jacqueline Blanchard, owner of Coutelier. “They’re third generation and known for their amazing quality stainless steel production.” Due to this santoku’s slightly shorter blade, it has the added bonus of being comfortable for cooks with any size hands–whether you’re gifting or receiving. ( couteliernola.com , $170)

Masamoto VG Santoku Knife: The affordability of this knife makes it a great gateway into the world of santokus. Plus, the Western-style handle offers a balanced feel that will be familiar to cooks who are accustomed to Western chef’s knives. The clean, no-frills design and hyper-sharp edge make this knife a workhorse–use it for everything from pushing through thick cuts of meat to carefully slicing vegetables. ( chefknivestogo.com , $180)

Shun Classic Western Chef's Knife: We've been impressed with the quality of this knife as well as the sharpness of the blade. It easily slid through the paper test and achieved precise, thin, consistent cuts in the vegetable tests. The Western-style knife from Shun is slightly heavier than the Classic Blonde, which is one of the reasons we didn't select it as a top choice. Otherwise, this is a fantastic knife for any home cook willing to invest in a high-end knife. ($170, williams-sonoma.com )

Oxford Chef Kiritsuke Chef's Knife 8-Inch: This Japanese-style knife is still a good choice for any home cook trying to practice their professional knife skills. Throughout our tests, this knife stood out for its ability to glide easily through any cutting surface. We loved how the blade tip was just as sharp as the belly, which let them use it like a paring knife for tasks like mincing garlic and carving out seeds in butternut squash. We did find it is on the heavier side compared to some other knives on this list, and there are knives similarly priced that performed equally well without the extra weight. ($90, amazon.com )

Victorinox 6-Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife: This is an excellent choice for the price. It's sharp and strong—it easily cuts through onions and butternut squash—but we didn't find it particularly nimble when working with delicate vegetables like tomatoes. Despite its sharpness out of the box, our long-term testing revealed that the blade dulls easily and needs to be sharpened more frequently than others. It's still an affordable knife that is lightweight and durable — essential characteristics in any good chef's knife. ($30, amazon.com )

Victorinox Grand Maitre Chef's 8-Inch Chef's Knife: This knife excelled in our tests and had no trouble slicing through paper, tomato, onions, or garlic. The maple wood handle is sturdy, slip-free, and attractive, but the knife is heavy. We noticed that streaks and spots were left on the blade after cleaning. We feel it's a little too expensive for what it is, and better knives are available at the same price point. ($125, amazon.com)

What Didn't Make the List

• Imarku Chef Knife : We found this lightweight knife attractive and comfortable to hold. Though easily sliced through delicate foods, it struggled with heftier ingredients like butternut squash. It's an affordable option, but we'd recommend spending a little more for a higher-quality knife.
• Kramer Zwilling Euroline Essential Collection 8-Inch Chef's Knife : Designed by Master Bladesmith Bob Kramer, this special collection has a rounded spine and wide blade for increased knuckle clearance. Though it proved to be durable for cutting dense vegetables, it's also heavy and slightly awkward for people with smaller hands.
• Misen 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : A hybrid of Western and Japanese styles, this knife is affordable and great for common tasks like smashing and mincing garlic. We had trouble when tackling tougher tasks like chopping butternut squash and noticed that food stuck to the blade. The handle also didn't feel sturdy enough to cut through large vegetables.
• Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife : This knife failed our first test. When attempting to test sharpness out of the box, it could not slice through paper and crumpled it. We had no trouble mincing garlic or cubing butternut squash but found it difficult to achieve uniform cuts in the tomato test but
• Mercer Culinary Millennia Black Handle Chef's Knife : We found this knife a bit uncomfortable and unbalanced. The shape of the handle made chopping difficult, and the strain on our wrists was evident. It did not cleanly slice through paper and struggled when chopping an onion.
• J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife : This chef's knife has a particularly long handle, making it awkward and uncomfortable in our hands. The blade isn't as sharp as others, and it did not pass our tests.
• Kyocera Revolution Ceramic 7-Inch Chef's Knife : This knife is lightweight and can cleanly cut typical ingredients. However, the blade has no flexibility, which we found to be a hindrance when cutting dense squash. We also noticed streaks and spots left behind on the blade after cleaning.
• Made In 8-Inch Chef's Knife : It's balanced from heel to tip and excels at simple tasks like chopping onions or mincing garlic. However, though this knife is on the heftier end, it struggled when cutting through dense squash.

Frequently Asked Questions

A chef’s knife is the workhorse of your knife set , and one of the most essential kitchen products for home cooks , according to Sarah Blair , a chef and culinary producer. “It's easily the most used knife in your block or drawer. It can be used for many tasks, from chopping to slicing to mincing. The blade is typically anywhere from six to 14 inches long and has a broad and tapered blade,” she says. “This knife is more multi-purpose with less precision, so you would not want to use it for slicing fish or carving meat. Similarly, you would not want to dull the blade by doing more arduous and forceful tasks like butchering through bone and joints.” (Depending on the tasks, you'd want either a carving knife or a boning knife —or both—for tackling meat).

“This blade is designed to make a perpetual rocking, circular motion,” she says. “You want to angle the knife's heel upward and keep the tip on the cutting board. You then lower the knife down while pushing through. You repeat this process and then raise the heel back upwards. The tip of the knife never leaves the cutting board."

For most people, professional sharpening is recommended to keep your blades in good order. There are home electric sharpeners that can do a good job between visits to the pro. But if you want to sharpen like the pros, use a dampened sharpening stone and a sharpening steel rod to hone the blade, according to Blair.

“For a dampened sharpening stone, you want to hold the knife's blade near the handle with your index finger and thumb and then wrap your other three fingers under the bolster and handle of the knife. Then with a locked wrist, you want to place your index finger on top of the spine of the knife's blade, pointing towards the tip. Place the knife's blade about 45 degrees against the sharpening stone and angle the blade about 15 to 18 degrees against the stone (roughly two stacked quarters). Place your other hand's pointer and index finger lightly on top of the blade's heel while you glide the knife up and down the stone. The use of your second hand gives you optimal control. Glide the blade up and down in sections until you feel the entire first side of the blade is sharp. Repeat this process with the other side of the blade,” says Blair.

“When sharpening the second side, use your other hand's thumb (extra control for your nondominant side), pointer, and index finger to hold the knife's heel gently. Push the knife up and down the stone from heel to tip in fluid movements. Remember to lift the handle slightly as you come towards your body and lower the knife's handle back down as you push the blade away, gliding the blade up and down the stone using long, fluid strokes,” she says.

"For a sharpening steel rod, you want to angle the blade at 15 to 20 degrees (roughly three stacked pennies or one matchbook) against the steel and swipe it in one fluid motion from the heel to the tip. Turn the rod one-quarter turn with each swipe. You want to glide the knife away from your body and then back towards your body in even strokes. This process eliminates the waves or ripples in the knife and creates one sleek and sharp surface. You can point the steel outwards from your body and hold it like a sword. Or, you can place it linearly in front of your body and secure it on a table like you are planting a stake. Either position is correct, as long you’re using the right angle and motion," says Blair.

"For maximum control of your knife, you want to hold the blade loosely between your thumb and index finger,” Blair says. Gripping the blade itself, close to the hilt of the handle, will give you lots of control over the knife. “Then, you want to slide your three fingers under the bolster and handle of the knife. This grip is commonly known as a pinch grip, where you are essentially choking up on the blade with your index finger, giving you ultimate rotation and authority," she says.

• Laura Denby is a former professional chef who has spent years cooking in professional and private kitchens throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Hamptons. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education with a degree in Culinary Arts, Laura now uses her experience in the kitchen to guide her expert product reviews for sites like Food & Wine and AllRecipes. Her writing can be found on FoodNetwork.com, Delish, Southern Living, Real Simple, and more.

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Scott Gilbertson

The Best Chef’s Knives to Sharpen Your Home Cooking Skills

The kitchen is full of gadgets and innovative tech, but the cornerstone on which a great meal is built remains simple: You need a good knife.

But this seemingly uncomplicated device probably causes most of us more confusion and headache than a bevy of air fryers and Instant Pots. What makes the perfect knife for you will depend on many factors, including your comfort level with knives, the size of your hands, and what sort of food you like to cook.

For most of us, the basic 6- to 8-inch chef's knife is the place to start. It's the most versatile knife, capable of dicing veggies, slicing meat, smashing garlic, and chopping herbs and nuts. There's a bewildering range of chef's knives available, from dirt cheap to very expensive specialty blades. To help you make sense of it all, we tested dozens of knives until a simple truth emerged: The best knife to use is a sharp one. A poorly made $10 blade you sharpen every week is more useful than a $200 blade that's dull. Here are our picks.

Updated May 2023: We've changed our top pick to the Ninja 8-inch chef knife, added Case's excellent 8-inch Chef Knife, and updated prices and links throughout.

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Photograph: Ninja

Ninja's 8-inch Chef’s Knife is an all-around great knife. The rounded handle is comfortable, and the knife is well-balanced, making it easy to handle. The stainless steel blade is tough and holds an edge well. I've been using this knife daily for two months and felt the need to sharpen it only twice. There are more-expensive knives in this guide that are better in some ways, but for most people this is the best combination of quality and price.

Take the money you save buying this and invest in a good sharpener. Ninja sells this knife with a sharpener for $90 (separately, the sharpener is $50, so you save a little), but I haven't tested it. If you're a beginner, I suggest the simplicity of a two-stage electric sharpener like the Presto EverSharp ( $45 at Amazon ). If you know how to sharpen with a stone, I like Shapton’s medium grit (1,000) ceramic stone ( $50 at Amazon ). If you've never used a stone, fear not; it's not that difficult. YouTube is full of videos to get you started, but I really enjoy Ryky Tran's Burrfection guides .

• Victorinox's Fibrox Pro for $55 : Our former top pick is still a great knife. It doesn't have the same high-quality construction as the Ninja (the Victorinox’s handle is plastic), but it does have a nearly nonstick finish—hardly anything sticks to this blade, not even fresh cilantro. If the Ninja doesn't strike your fancy, this is also a great knife.

Photograph: Amazon

Kiwi knives have something of a cult following. They're cheap, and the thinness of the blade reflects that, but this is the knife I turn to 90 percent of the time. I love the thin, light blade, and I find that, for reasons I cannot explain, the Kiwi will hold an edge just as well as knives that sell for well over $100. I sharpen this once a week at most, and it stays razor sharp. Its thin blade is why this is not our top pick. I don’t reach for the Kiwi when I need to cut up a chicken, but when I'm done testing all the fancy knives below, this is the one you'll find in my hand most of the time.

If you decided to go this route, I suggest you spend a few dollars more and grab a set, which has the chef’s knife and the half-cleaver ( $15 at Amazon ), which I love for chopping herbs. Again, take the money you save here and invest it in a good sharpener.

Photograph: Case Knives

Case is probably best known for its pocket knives, but the company also has a couple of chef's knives worth checking out. I've been using this 8-inch, walnut-handled, high-carbon-steel blade for several months. After the Kiwis above, this is the knife I reach for the most. It's one of the thickest, sturdiest knives I've ever used. When it's time to cut up a chicken, slice through sweet potatoes, or do anything else that requires a heavy blade, this is the knife you want.

It holds its edge well too. It hasn’t needed sharpening after several months of steady use. Case also makes a 7-inch Santoku ($60) , which I haven't tested (currently out of stock), that looks very nice if you prefer that style of blade. Case knives are made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty.

Photograph: Chef Knives To Go

The Richmond Artifex II is a small update to the original Artifex, which I have used since my days as a line cook. It holds an edge very well for a knife at this price and makes a great first step into the world of Japanese knives.

It's a bit longer than many of the blades here, but unlike a lot of Japanese knives, it has a Western-style handle. A Western handle, or Wa handle, typically has two pieces with flat sides on either side of the metal, whereas a Japanese, or Ho handle, can be any shape but leans toward round (octagon is also common). The Artifex is the closest I've seen a stainless steel knife come to matching the advantages of a carbon steel blade.

Photograph: Opinel

French knife maker Opinel—best known for its folding knives—offers this mini chef’s knife set for kids who want to help slice and dice in the kitchen. It’s a real knife, with a real edge on it, but the size is good for child-size hands, and the red ring helps ensure they keep a good grip. It was a little small for my 10-year-olds, but my 7-year-old loves it. I think it's probably ideally suited for ages 4 through 8, but of course every child is different, so you'll have to use your own judgment.

I'm not convinced you need the finger guard. It does offer a good barrier to balance the blade against, and it teaches kids to form the "claw" grip you want to use with a knife, but it involves just two fingers, which might mean they'll need to relearn their grip when they graduate to a "real" knife. Still, the knife itself is well worth it if your younger child wants to help in the kitchen.

Global's G-2 8-inch chef's knife is popular with working chefs—it was the most common knife in the kitchen at every restaurant I've worked in. It's lightweight, it’s easy to handle, and holds an edge very well. In fact, it's very much like a carbon steel blade but without the hassles that come with maintaining carbon steel knives.

The other thing that makes this popular is the softness of the steel. It's not carbon steel—it's soft but much thinner and softer than most European-style knives and therefore easier to sharpen. One quirk worth knowing: The bevel from the factory is 15 degrees rather than the more standard 20-degree bevel. Keep that in mind when sharpening on a stone, as you'll want to hold it a bit differently to get that great edge back.

There are entire books, websites, and YouTube channels devoted to comparing all the varieties of Japanese knives. It can be overwhelming, and for the most part it has nothing to do with helping you cook a good meal. Still, if you want to spend some dough, there are worse ways than to invest in a good carbon-steel Japanese knife. Here are a few of our favorites.

Photograph: Korin

I owned a very similar Korin Gyoto knife for nearly 20 years (I recently gave it to a friend), and it remains one of the best knives I have ever used. Togiharu is Korin’s house brand, sourced from a knife maker in Japan. They're very well made and not terribly expensive. This model sharpens to a razor edge and holds that edge quite well. If you have small hands, or just like a smaller blade, the Korin Petty knives (about 5- to 6-inch blades) are also very nice.

Similar to Western-style knives, Gyotos are double edges—that is, sharpened on both sides, rather than the single-edged blades of most traditional Japanese knives. Many Gyotos do not have the 50:50 V-shape of Western knives, and to get them as sharp as possible you'll want to maintain the ratio (often 70:30) to achieve maximum sharpness.

Tojiro's DP Gyutou is a solid performer at a great price. It holds an edge nearly as well as blades twice its price, and it has a wonderful, solid feeling in your hand. The blade is capable of precise and very thin slicing that I would normally use a carbon steel blade to achieve. The only thing to watch out for with this one is the handle height, which is a little on the low side. I rapped my knuckles against my cutting board more than once using it. If you have large hands, you're better off with something else.

Photograph: Garrett Wade 

While the chef’s knife is the foundation of the kitchen, there are other essential slicers. The mandoline is another tool I highly recommend, especially if you find larger knives intimidating. When I'm slicing vegetables—cabbage for a slaw, cucumbers for dipping, tomatoes for a sandwich—I reach for a mandoline. It's fast, precise, and, dare I say, easier.

That said, a mandoline alone is too single-use for me. I prefer this combination of slicers from Garrett Wade. It has a mandoline as well as three graters, and it takes up hardly any space in your drawer. Between the two I can slice, grate, and shred to get just about any size I need. The rubber base keeps them from sliding on the counter, and the stainless steel construction makes for a solid, long-lasting tool. They don't have any kind of guards or protection, so I suggest picking up some cut-resistant gloves as well. I like these Dex Fit gloves ($13) . They'll protect your fingers and knuckles from cuts, and they have a nitrile coating on the palms, which makes it easier to grip wet veggies.

★ Alternative pick: This Mueller mandoline ($30) is similarly multifunctional, though it's made of plastic.

In a word: no. Unless you score a serious deal, knife sets are usually not a good investment. You don't need a lot of knives; you need a few good knives. Really, you only need one good one: an 8-inch chef's knife. Some people like to have a paring knife as well, and I do have one, but all it ever does is open bags of chips. The chef’s knife is really all you need to prepare just about any meal. Knife sets often cost twice as much as buying just one good chef’s knife. The large wooden storage blocks also take up useful counter space. Skip the set and invest in a sharpener instead.

A dull knife is dangerous. You will make up for the lack of a sharp edge by applying more pressure as you're cutting. That means that when your knife slips, you cut yourself more deeply. During my time as a professional cook I got to spend a couple of nights in the ER reflecting on this, and I have become somewhat religious about sharpening my knives.

In an ideal world, there would be one sharpener to rule them all, and I would just link to it here. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Different blade materials and shapes require different sharpening techniques. In particular, many modern stainless steel blades are too hard to effectively be sharpened by traditional water stones. (Water stones are great for carbon steel, though; as I said before, get these Shapton stones .)

For most people, I recommend an electric sharpener. As noted above, the Presto EverSharp is an excellent choice for most knives in this guide, except the Japanese knives. The softer steel and offset bevel of most of our recommended Japanese knives mean you'll want to sharpen them with a stone. Also beware that the EverSharp fluctuates in price from $45 to $35 every couple of months. Try to buy the dip.

For more sharpening options and some tips for how to put the best edge on your new knives, check out this guide from Epicurious on how to sharpen a knife the right way .

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The 4 Best Chef’s Knives, Based On Extensive Testing

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The versatile chef’s knife is the MVP of any knife collection. Designed to handle the lion’s share of chopping, slicing and cutting tasks, the best chef’s knives excel at precise knife work and tougher cuts alike: They chop through hard winter squash, mince herbs with necessary delicacy and break down raw chickens with ease. After extensively testing 10 popular blades, during which I considered sharpness, versatility, comfort and price, I found the MAC Professional Series Chef’s Knife (MTH-80) to be the best option for most home chefs, as it easily tackled just about every culinary task it faced.

The best chef's knives are kitchen workhorses, featuring super sharp blades and comfortable, secure ... [+] handles.

More than one blade impressed me, though. Here are all the winning chef’s knives from my testing process:

• Best Chef’s Knife Overall: MAC Professional Series 8-Inch Chef's Knife (MTH-80)
• Runner-Up Best Chef’s Knife: Global Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife (G-2)
• Best Budget-Friendly Chef’s Knife: Our Place Everyday Chef’s Knife
• Best German-Style Chef's Knife: Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8-Inch Chef's Knife

When a chef’s knife feels like a true extension of your hand—easy to hold, control and maneuver—you’ll know you’ve found the right one for you. While I believe the MTH-80 to be the best option currently available, the sleek, all-steel Global Classic Chef’s Knife (G-2) was a close runner-up, performing every task just as well. If you prefer heavier, German-style knives that shine during heavy-duty tasks, you can’t go wrong with the Wüsthof Classic Ikon . And for those seeking a more affordable pick, consider the Our Place Everyday Chef’s Knife , which performed nearly as well as the other winning knives for a much lower price. Ahead, here’s what I loved about these knives.

Best Chef’s Knife Overall

A sharp, agile, versatile chef’s knife, mac professional series 8-inch chef's knife (mth-80).

Blade material: Molybdenum steel | Handle material: Pakkawood | Weight: 6.5 ounces | Style: Western-Japanese hybrid

• Home cooks seeking something between a Western-style and Japanese-style knife
• Cooks who want a single knife they can use for almost anything
• Cooks who don’t mind a little extra knife care in exchange for longer-lasting sharpness
• You’re on a budget
• You don’t want to commit to a light amount of special knife care (primarily rinsing and drying the knife immediately after cutting foods to minimize the risk of stains and/or rust)

The MTH-80 is MAC’s most popular everyday knife, and after testing it’s easy to see why. A hybrid of Western- and Japanese-style knives, the MTH-80 (often referred to as the MAC Mighty) is sturdy yet agile, the kind of knife you feel you can bend to your will before you even pick it up. Perhaps most importantly, it boasts an extremely sharp factory edge that makes it a pleasure to use right out of the box. For these reasons, it’s my pick for best chef’s knife overall. (Check out my full review of the MAC MTH-80 .)

The MAC MTH-80 yielded beautifully neat, precise diced onion.

Throughout testing, the knife excelled at slicing, dicing and chopping whatever I threw its way. It effortlessly julienned scallions and cut some of the neatest diced onions, and it was easy to maneuver around the curves of the baby watermelon rind. The thin blade also slipped through dense butternut squash with ease—it didn’t feel overly delicate or brittle like many Japanese-made carbon steel knives (though it’s still wise to use a high-quality wooden cutting board with this pick). What’s more, it remained comfortable to hold. Weighing in at 6.5 ounces, the MTH-80 is one of the lighter chef’s knives I tested, and I found I could put in lots of cutting time without any undue wrist or hand strain. The ergonomic resin pakkawood handle, featuring a slight curve at the end of the handle for your pinky to rest, adds to the knife’s overall grip.

Like the majority of the knives I tested, the MTH-80 features a partial or half-bolster, which allows you to sharpen the full length of the blade. More about the blade: It’s stamped, meaning the metal was cut out of a sheet of steel and extends all the way through the end of the handle. The blade also features dimples on both sides, which are intended to reduce how much food sticks to the knife. If you believe as much as I do that investing in a great, high-quality knife will make meal prep faster and cooking more enjoyable, the MAC MTH-80 is absolutely worth the investment.

Long-term testing notes: Throughout a year of regular use, this knife has proved again and again that it’s the best option out there. To start, it’s retained its sharp edge impressively long (I took it to be professionally sharpened after 11 months of relying on it as my main blade). Equally as important, it’s continued to be a joy to use. Thanks to its sturdy construction and ergonomic handle, I don’t dread tedious prep work when I use this knife, as it effortlessly glides through all kinds of produce and other foods, keeping me pain-free. If you’re looking for a knife that’s nimble yet sturdy, you’ll find none better.

The 2024 Forbes Vetted Best Product Awards are here: Explore our 150 top-recommended items across categories after extensive research and testing.

Runner-Up Best Chef’s Knife

A super sharp (but divisive) chef’s knife, global classic 8-inch chef's knife (g-2).

Blade material: Stainless steel | Handle material: Stainless steel | Weight: 6 ounces | Style: Japanese

• Home cooks who like their knives incredibly lightweight 
• Those who favor a thin blade for precise knife work
• Anyone drawn to a minimalist design
• You want a knife with a bolster
• You tend to favor heavier or bulkier knives

The entirely stainless steel Global G-2 chef’s knife is my runner-up to the MAC MTH-80 because while it performed every cutting test just as well as the MAC, some elements of the knife’s design can be polarizing (which I’ll get into). Weighing in at 6 ounces, the Global is incredibly lightweight. No matter what you’re chopping, it feels like the blade flies right through.

The Global’s stainless steel stamped blade features a steep edge that is incredibly sharp out of the box and passed my cutting tests with flying colors: It made no noise as it sliced through scallions, and it produced perfect swaths of watermelon rind with minimal waste. It was particularly fun to dice onions with the Global, as the blade slipped through the allium with remarkable ease. Because of how lightweight this knife is, I was initially concerned it wouldn’t be able to stand up to sturdier ingredients like butternut squash and chicken. But in my testing, the blade smoothly sliced through the dense squash flesh and chicken joints better than some of its weightier competitors.

Now onto the knife’s love-it-or-hate-it design: It lacks a bolster, the cuff of metal that typically sits where the knife blade meets the handle (which is filled with sand for weight). While its absence didn’t affect the blade’s performance, there were times when the side of the blade pressed up against my finger uncomfortably. J. Kenji López-Alt, the author of the New York Times –bestselling books The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science and The Wok: Recipes and Techniques , has similar thoughts on the Global: “They’re nice and well balanced, but when I’m holding it, the blade can dig into my finger a bit.”

Additionally, this was the only knife I tested that features a stainless steel handle, which takes some getting used to in terms of the feel. The signature dimple pattern all over the handle is meant to provide a nonslip grip, to which this sweaty-palmed cook can attest. However, be careful not to get your hands too greasy while using this knife, as things might get slippery.

Long-term testing notes: I’ve tried many chef’s knives over the years, and after nearly a year of using the Global G-2, I’m still blown away by its sharpness. Since adding it to my cutlery arsenal, I’ve only had to sharpen it once—after about nine months of regular use. While this knife did lose its edge about a month sooner than the MAC MTH-80, professional sharpening restored it beautifully. To this day, it’s my favorite chef’s knife for super precise cuts.

Best Budget-Friendly Chef’s Knife

A surprisingly great affordable knife.

Our Place - US

Our Place Everyday Chef’s Knife

Blade material: German stainless steel | Handle material: Thermoplastic | Weight: 7 ounces | Style: Western

• Anyone on a budget
• Beginner cooks who want to work on their knife-holding technique
• Those drawn to chic, colorful kitchen tools
• You need a bolster

At $70, the Our Place Everyday Chef’s Knife provides great value for a knife that consistently performed almost as well as my pricier top picks. Featuring a full-tang, stainless steel blade, this German-style knife feels strong without being weighty. Additionally, the thermoplastic handle comes in six trendy, muted pastel colors, which add a fun pop of color and make the knife enjoyable to look at. (Read my full review here .)

Out of the box, the factory edge on the knife was extremely sharp, making tasks like thinly slicing onions a breeze. It also had the agility and maneuverability to easily follow the curves of the watermelon rind, which isn’t something I can say about many of the other blades I tested. Even more notably, the Everyday Chef’s Knife earned top marks in my butternut squash test—a real feat, considering how difficult a vegetable it is to chop.

The Our Place Everyday Chef's Knife features a “proprietary intuitive pinch grip handle,” designed ... [+] to help you master the knife-holding technique preferred by the pros.

Of the 10 knives I tested, the Our Place knife was the only one that came with a protective sheath for storage, which is a nice touch. The handle, too, stands out for its uniqueness. Described by Our Place as a “proprietary intuitive pinch grip handle,” it features a groove that’s meant to coax you into holding the knife in a pinch grip, the grip commonly used by the pros. If you want to master the pinch grip but need to work on your current knife skills, the Our Place knife might help get you there. If you’re not invested in mastering the pinch, though, the groove may feel like it’s in the way of your natural grip.

Where the Our Place knife falls short of higher-end knives such as the MAC and the Global is its overall construction: It doesn’t feel as well crafted. But it’s a small price to pay for all the other benefits you get in one well-priced package.

Best German-Style Chef's Knife

A classic western-style pick that does it all, wüsthof classic ikon 8-inch chef's knife.

Blade material: German stainless steel | Handle material: Synthetic material (polyoxymethylene) | Weight: 9.75 ounces | Style: Western

• Home cooks who prefer a heavier chef’s knife
• Those who do a lot of tougher cuts at home—chopping winter squash, chocolate and the like
• People with larger hands
• You prefer lighter, Japanese-style knives
• The majority of your knife work is precise

If you prefer a thicker, heavier chef’s knife that’s ideal for robust chopping tasks, the elegant Wüsthof Classic Ikon features the hallmark details that are characteristic of German knives: Its wide, rounded blade is conducive to rock-chopping, as well as scooping up and transferring food from the cutting board to the pan. Despite being the heaviest knife I tested—it clocks in at nearly 10 ounces—I found this pick to be balanced overall, plus easier to control and maneuver than many of its much lighter competitors.

Thanks to its curved ergonomic handle, the Wüsthof Classic Ikon is remarkably comfortable to hold. While it feels sturdy in your hand, it’s not bulky, distinguishing it from some of the clumsier German-style knives I tested. When slicing through butternut squash and peeling watermelon, for example, the blade glided through the hard produce with ease. That said, I found the knife to be slightly less accurate during some of my precision work. For example, the Classic Ikon wasn’t as adept at neatly dicing onions and chives, and I had some trouble getting clean cuts through the chicken skin.

That’s really the only drawback of the knife: While it makes a great all-purpose blade, it’s not as precise a slicer as the MAC or Global knives, which both have thinner blades. (In general, Japanese knives excel at fine knife work over German knives, for this reason.) But if you want a knife that’s robust, hefty and durable—all characteristics associated with German-style knives—this may be your blade.

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The best daypacks of 2024, based on months and miles of testing, other chef’s knives i tested.

In addition to the four winners, I tested six other chef’s knives that didn’t make the cut.

Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : This popular budget-pick knife was a solid middle-of-the-road performer across all my tests, which means it ultimately didn’t get top marks. While it made relatively clean and easy cuts, it often required extra effort to maneuver the knife.

Miyabi Kaizen II 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : While this knife’s flashy Damascus pattern makes it a looker, it had mixed results in my tests. The knife has a very handle-heavy balance point that works against the blade as you cut, meaning it takes more effort on the cook’s part to simply halve an onion or dice squash. (Speaking of squash, the thin blade wanted to bend while I was cutting rounds of butternut.)

Zwilling Twin Four Star II 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : I liked how this knife excelled at cutting through chicken bones, but that’s where my compliments end. Regardless of whether I was slicing chives or dicing onions, whenever I was doing finer knife work, this knife felt like it had a mind of its own, as if it were somehow resisting my direction.

Material 8-Inch Knife : This is one chic-looking knife. Unfortunately, the goods didn’t match the looks in my testing. From the onions and squash with jagged edges, to the fact that I was exhausted after expending the effort it took to get this knife through all my tests, the Material knife did not live up to my expectations.

Wüsthof Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife : At $160, this was one of the most expensive knives I tested. Unfortunately, the blade edge kept threatening to slip while I was dicing onions and cutting squash, ultimately making it not worth the price tag.

JA Henckels Forged Premio 8-Inch Chef's Knife : This was the only knife I tested that came with only the blade of the knife packaged in hard plastic, and the exposed handle had a tiny ding in it. For the price, I wouldn’t be afraid to use this knife for more aggressive tasks such as butchery and chopping big blocks of chocolate, but I couldn’t get it to yield good-quality precise knifework.

After extensive research, I decided to test 10 top-rated chef's knives.

How I Tested The Best Chef’s Knives

I selected 10 knives to test based on extensive online research and reviews of bestselling knives at major retail outlets, as well as recommendations from food industry professionals. I considered a mix of German-style chef’s knives from widely available, well-known knife brands such as Wüsthof and Zwilling, as well as some knives from newer, direct-to-consumer brands such as Our Place and Material. While chef’s knives can range in size from 6 to 14 inches long, I considered 8-inch knives, which is the ideal size for most people.

Because a sharp edge is paramount when considering which chef’s knife to buy, I put each knife through a series of cutting tests designed to see how the blade’s edge held up. But chef’s knives not only need to be razor-sharp—they must also be versatile enough to transform a wide range of foods into a variety of specifications.

Cutting paper: Running a knife down the length of a sheet of paper is a fairly common party trick to show off the sharpness of the blade. For this test, I took each knife—fresh out of the box—and ran it through a sheet of printer paper, pulling the blade from the top to the bottom. I looked for how smoothly and easily each knife sliced through the paper and noted whenever a knife got caught in or tore through the paper.

Slicing scallions and chives: This test was inspired by one of my all-time favorite anecdotes about proper knife sharpness and technique. In an old episode of the Sporkful podcast featuring López-Alt, he recalls that the chef at his first restaurant job could tell he was slicing scallions incorrectly simply by listening to the sound they made as his knife cut through them. When using the proper technique with a sharp chef’s knife, you’ll neither hear nor feel scallions crunching underneath the blade. What I looked (and listened) for in this test was a smooth and quiet gliding through the scallions.

I also used each knife to mince chives to see which knives turned out light and fluffy herbs with minimal blade stickage, rather than ones that resulted in bruised and/or damp chives that stuck to the blade significantly more (a result of less-sharp knives that crush the cell walls rather than cleanly slicing through them).

Dicing onions: Similar to scallions, diced onions can tell you a lot about the knife that was used to cut them. I worked my way through several pounds of onions, finely dicing them to see which knives glided through as if the onion were butter, and which ones struggled to make clean cuts (due to lack of sharpness).

Chopping butternut squash: Next, I used each knife to cube hard and dense butternut squash, the perfect example of a vegetable that is infinitely more dangerous to cut with a knife that’s even slightly dull. I looked for how smoothly each knife slid through the squash and how easy it was to produce neat, even cubes.

Peeling baby watermelons: To see how well the knives maneuvered around curves and grooves, I used each blade to slice away the rind of baby watermelons. Specifically, I noted how it felt to follow the curve of the rind as I sliced, as well as how many strokes it took to fully peel it off.

Breaking down raw chickens: I wanted to see how easily each knife could cut through the joints and smaller bones of raw chickens as I broke them down into eight pieces per chicken; I also examined the knives afterward to see if the test caused any chipping of the blades.

Cutting paper (again): After performing all of the above tests on each knife, I ran them all through a final paper test to determine whether any had lost significant edge sharpness.

As I made my way through each test, I also considered how comfortable each knife was to use, how easy it was to wield and maneuver and how precisely it executed my desired results. These criteria guided my selection of the winners.

Long-Term Testing

Since January 2023, Forbes Vetted home and kitchen editor Amanda Arnold has been using the winning knives in her home kitchen, noting how well the blades hold up to regular use. Her long-term testing notes have been incorporated throughout this piece.

How To Pick A Chef’s Knife

There’s no such thing as a “wrong” chef’s knife, and the buying process is highly subjective. (Remember: The best knife for you should feel like an extension of your hand.) Whenever possible, try to shop for knives in person so you can immediately get a sense of the weight, balance and feel of a particular knife in your hand. That said, buying knives online can also be a great option if you don’t have access to a trusted knife or kitchen store—as long as you know what to look for. Here are some criteria from the experts to help you narrow down your options.

One of the biggest decisions you’ll want to consider when buying a chef’s knife is whether you want a stainless steel or carbon steel blade. Stainless steel blades are very popular for their ability to take a bit of a beating in the kitchen without too many consequences. A trade-off of opting for stainless is that you’ll generally end up with a knife that will dull more quickly (i.e., needs to be sharpened more often) and is harder to sharpen than a carbon steel knife. Carbon steel blades lack that protective chromium film and thus require more TLC than stainless steel to keep them spot- and rust-free. It’s especially important to promptly wash and thoroughly dry a carbon steel knife after every use. Carbon steel is also generally more brittle and fragile than softer stainless steel. But if you’re willing to put in a little extra care, carbon steel knives are generally sharper—and stay sharp longer. “If you can look after cast iron, you can look after carbon steel,” says Donald. “If you can sharpen it, it’s a great material to work with.”

Finally, you may come across many knives marketed as “high-carbon stainless steel,” which conjures a vision of a happy medium between stainless and carbon steel blades. However, Donald says using this phrase to play up a knife is akin to how food brands will slap the term “all-natural” on everything from milk to granola—it doesn’t always mean all that much. “Technically culinary steel is high-carbon steel,” he says. “It’s kind of a marketing thing. Manufacturers want to play up that their stainless steel is good quality.”

Chef’s knives come in a huge range of prices, from $20 to hundreds and even thousands of dollars. But you don’t have to spend a fortune on a great chef’s knife to find one that works for you. When looking at different price points, consider the brand’s reputation, how transparent it is about its manufacturing and forging practices and what you’re willing to spend. Remember: Spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy knife you’re too scared to unsheath isn’t a great idea. You want to buy a knife you’re encouraged to use all the time.

My Expertise

As a professional recipe developer and avid home cook, I use chef’s knives every day, both for work developing new recipes and for pleasure; I’m also a former professional line cook and previously developed recipes for Bon Appétit . Because I make a living cooking food and testing recipes, I seek out knives that maximize my efficiency, which in turn makes cooking feel like a pleasurable activity rather than a chore. More than any other blade in my kit, I depend on a good chef’s knife to prepare a wide variety of foods every week, from dense and bulky vegetables like winter squash to fine, tender herbs like chives to delicate fish and whole chickens.

For this piece, I interviewed Josh Donald, a cofounder of the renowned San Francisco knife shop Bernal Cutlery ; I also consulted his book, Sharp: The Definitive Introduction to Knives, Sharpening, and Cutting Techniques, with Recipes from Great Chefs . In addition, I spoke with two chefs: J. Kenji López-Alt, the author of the New York Times –bestselling books The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science and The Wok: Recipes and Techniques ; and Niki Nakayama, co-owner of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant N/naka in Los Angeles.

What Knives Do Top Chefs Recommend?

Considering how personal the experience of buying a chef’s knife can be, it’s not surprising that chefs generally recommend going with the knife that feels best to you . “It’s hard to say a Wüsthof is universally better than a Henckels or a Japanese knife,” López-Alt says. “It’s about what feels right to you... What fits my hand and what’s right for me might not feel right to someone else.”

How Should You Care For a Chef’s Knife?

There’s no special knowledge needed to take good basic care of any blade in a knife set . Get into the habit of washing your knife by hand and drying it with a cloth after each use; this will go a long way toward extending its life. Even if a knife brand claims its products are dishwasher-safe, never put your knife in the dishwasher or leave it soaking in the sink, as this will speed up corrosion and destroy the blade edge.

Keep a ceramic or metal honing rod (like this one ) in your kitchen to realign the edge of the blade, as it will naturally slope to one side with use. While honing won’t sharpen the blade, it will preserve an already-sharp edge so you can get more use out of your knife between sharpenings. Finally, sharpen your knife when the blade edge inevitably gets dull. At some point, you’ll want to decide whether you want to do this step yourself with a knife sharpener or whether you want to bring it to a professional sharpener. If you’re interested in learning how to sharpen your own knives, you might consider getting a carbon steel knife, which will be easier to sharpen. If you’re not interested in sharpening your own knives, stainless steel might be a better pick for you, with the caveat that you’ll need to be more vigilant about getting them professionally sharpened a couple times a year.

How Long Do Chef’s Knives Last?

Some people claim chef’s knives can last a lifetime—but that’s true only so long as you’re not really using them, Donald says. The reality is that knives are meant to be used; those knives will inevitably dull with use, and each time they get sharpened, you’re removing a little more metal off the edge. “Once you grind off a quarter of the blade, there won’t be enough room for your knuckles to clear the knife,” Donald says. In other words, that knife will no longer be functional. So how long will a well-loved chef’s knife last? For a celebrated chef like Nakayama, it could be five years. For a home cook, it could be 10 years or more. But one thing is for certain: The only knives that “last a lifetime” are the ones you don’t use.

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Best chef's knives

• Lydia Anderson

Arguably the most important in your arsenal, the multifunctional chef's knife is the go-to for most tasks. We put a range to the test – discover which came out on top.

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A chef’s knife is an indispensable tool in any kitchen. Distinguished by a large, long blade (typically between 20-30cm) and sturdy, robust handle, a chef’s knife is the tool cooks reach for to complete almost every kitchen task. The multifunctional design means they’re larger than utility and paring knives, but feature a smaller, wider blade than a carving knife. They will come as standard in all knife sets.

Most chef’s knives are made from steel, but the way the steel is treated means knife performance can vary hugely. Carbon steel is arguably the best choice for a chef’s knife as it’s easy to sharpen and tends to hold its edge for a long time.

• Read our guide to the best knife sets

Though, if not cared for, carbon steel can rust. Stainless steel is a widely accessible material, meaning knives made from this tend to be more affordable. It can’t be sharpened to the same edge as carbon steel, but it’s a hardy material that’s less likely to rust.

Some knives are laminated and layer both stainless and carbon steel in an attempt to get the best out of both materials. Knives can also be made from ceramic – these hard knives hold their edge for a long time and do not rust, but they are brittle and at risk of chipping. All of the knives on our list are made from steel.

You can use a chef’s knife for most tasks, be it finely chopping soffritto for spaghetti bolognese , cutting salted matcha fudge , slicing through bavette steak or halving squash for our stuffed butternut squash recipe. The only thing chef’s knives tend to be less suitable for is fine work, such as supreming citrus fruits or coring ingredients. For these tasks, opt for a paring knife. We'd also recommend something hardy, like a cleaver, if you need to chop through bones.

More like this

We tested two of the most common styles of chef’s knives: Japanese and European. The in-depth differences between these two knives can be found at the bottom of this page, but at a glance, Japanese knives are ultra-sharp and thin, whereas European knives have a robust, thick blade.

We chopped, sliced and crushed our way through a range of produce to find the best chef’s knives. Discover our top picks below.

Jump to section

Best chef's knives at a glance, best chef's knives to buy 2024.

• What is a chef's knife used for?
• What to look for in a good-quality chef's knife?
• How to sharpen a chef's knife
• How we tested the best chef's knives
• Best chef’s knife: Takamura VG10 Gyuto 210mm, £148.75
• Best European chef’s knife: Zwilling Pro chef's knife, £109
• Best Japanese chef’s knife: Miyabi 5000MCD67 chef’s knife, £449
• Best-value chef’s knife: Victorinox Swiss Classic carving, £37
• Best lightweight chef’s knife: Victorinox Swiss Classic modern carving, £62
• Best full tang chef’s knife: Global chef's knife, £100
• Best chef’s knife for large hands: Victorinox Grand Maître chef's knife, £158
• Best chef’s knife for basic chopping: Katana Saya olive wood knife, £84.95
• Best cheap chef’s knife: Rockingham Forge Equilibrium, £19

Takamura VG10 Gyuto 210mm

• Available from Kin Knives (£148.75)

Best chef’s knife

Star rating: 5/5

Blade length: 21cm

• Attractive knife
• Comfortable handle
• Struggled a little with thicker ingredients

Featuring a tsuchime (hammered) finish and ultra-nimble blade, the Takamura VG10 Gyuto is not only the most attractive chef’s knife we tested, but it also excelled in test.

This knife offers the best of both worlds: the deft precision of Japanese steel and robust assurance of European handles. It looks and feels high-quality, and has a reassuring weight to it. In the hand, the knife is comfortable to hold and well-balanced. More than anything, it feels like an extension of the hand.

It cut through the majority of our test ingredients with ease, slicing through onion, celery and carrots like butter. Though thin, we were able to confidently crush a garlic clove under the blade. Our chef testers noted that the fine tip makes this knife ideal for precision cutting, and they were able to chop a variety of produce easily. The Takamura faltered slightly when cutting through a butternut squash, as a decent amount of force was needed to get through it. Though, once we’d portioned off a round, removing the skin and dicing the flesh was a breeze.

This razor-sharp knife is well worth the investment. It’s comfortable in the hand and isn’t likely to cause strain if used for a prolonged period of time. Just be sure to invest in a sturdy sheath to protect the blade.

Available from:

• Kin Knives (£148.75)

Zwilling Pro chef's knife

• Available from Zwilling (£109)

Best European chef’s knife

Blade length: 20cm

• Nicely curved
• Classic design
• Sturdy handle
• Angular handle
• Some rubbing if you hold with pinch grip

If someone asked you to picture a knife, this is the one that would appear in your mind’s eye. It’s about as classic in design as you could possibly get, with a curved tip and sturdy riveted handle.

The handle is rather angular, though we liked the addition of the pinky rest at the back. Zwilling says that the bolster (the part where the blade and handle meet) encourages a pinch grip, though our testers who like to chop with a pinch grip disagree, noting that the bolster began to rub after prolonged usage.

This knife is razor-sharp and made its way through our test ingredients with ease. Like the Takamura above, a little extra effort was needed to get through the butternut squash.

Our chefs agreed that this knife is a pleasure to use, sturdy and nicely weighted. It’s not quite as balanced as our first-place knife as the handle is slightly heavier, but it is by no means unbalanced. A robust and reliable knife, built to last.

• Zwilling (£109)

Miyabi 5000MCD67 chef’s knife

• Available from Zwilling (£449)

Best Japanese chef’s knife

• Well packaged
• Comfortable to use
• Ultra-sharp
• Tester struggled with fine chopping

There’s no denying this is an attractive knife: an ergonomic black ash handle and Damascus-patterned blade make this a real treat to behold. Straight out of the box, you can feel its quality – the handle is sturdy and the blade strong and well made.

The blade is nimble and ultra-sharp. We managed to achieve wafer-thin slices of carrot and celery when chopping, and this knife posed no real issues when slicing through butternut squash. Our chef commented that they found this knife lightweight and comfortable to use, though they struggled when doing fine and precise work using the tip.

The handle is smooth and comfortable. Notably, we found the blade slightly heavier than the handle, though this isn’t particularly noticeable when you’re using the knife.

We had one slight grumble about this knife: it’s the most expensive on our list (and completely worth the price), so it was disappointing to discover that no sheath or blade cover is provided.

• Zwilling (£449)

Victorinox Swiss Classic

• Available from Amazon (£37) , Victorinox (£37)

Best-value chef’s knife

Star rating: 4.5/5

Blade length: 19cm

• Textured handle
• Not ideal for heavy duty tasks

Equipped with an ergonomic textured handle, this Victorinox knife offers a sturdy grip when chopping. The knife is a decent size and available in a range of colours (black, orange, yellow, pink, red, yellow). It was notably nimble when chopping a variety of ingredients.

This knife is very light, weighing just 92g. It’s balanced in the hand, but the handle feels plasticky and the blade itself is very flexible – almost as flexible as a fish knife – which makes it uncomfortable to cut through hard and heavy duty produce. But, this knife excelled when cutting through everyday items such as onions, carrots and celery. It cuts cleanly and is very sharp.

We were a little tentative when cutting through butternut squash: it didn’t cut through smoothly, but we easily cut off the rind and cubed the squash.

• Amazon (£37)
• Victorinox (£37)

Victorinox Swiss Classic modern carving

• Available from Victorinox (£62)

Best lightweight chef’s knife

• Lightweight
• Feels like an extension of the arm
• Blade feels a little flimsy

This Victorinox knife features the same soft, textured handle as the knife above. Rather than being ergonomically shaped, this one is modern and angular. Thankfully, the angles are smoothed out, making it comfortable to hold.

We were able to smoothly chop through a variety of vegetables. Our chefs found it a little difficult to be precise due to the length of the blade. But, when chopping and dicing, this knife excelled.

This knife didn’t feel as sharp as its Classic counterpart above. We found we needed to roll the butternut squash around the knife, rather than seamlessly cutting through it. But, the rind came off with total ease.

It’s a little heavier than the Victorinox above – 148g – but still definitely lightweight. Though, it's not so light that it feels out of control in the hand.

• Victorinox (£62)

Global chef’s knife

• Available from Harts of Stur (£100) , Amazon (£120.89)

Best full tang chef’s knife

• Dirt traps in the handle
• Some rubbing on forefinger

Global knives were the brand of choice for Anthony Bourdain, and Michel Roux Jr reaches for them today. It’s easy to see why. The chef’s knife is attractive, with a classic, smooth shape. The knife is full tang, meaning it can withstand more force than its half-tang counterparts. While it’s unlikely you’ll be putting the knife through its paces quite like a professional chef, it’s reassuring to know that the knife is designed to stand the test of time.

It sliced through the majority of ingredients with ease. Our chefs noted how direct this knife was when chopping, meaning they felt in control the whole time. Like some of the other knives we’ve tested, the butternut squash proved a little too tough for the knife, and we needed to roll the squash. Thankfully, this sturdy knife allowed us to put as much pressure as needed behind the knife.

Generally, the knife was comfortable in use, though some testers noted that the knife rubbed on the forefinger after prolonged usage.

• Harts of Stur (£100)
• Amazon (£120.89)

Victorinox Grand Maître chef’s knife

• Available from Victorinox (£158)

Best chef’s knife for large hands

Star rating: 4/5

Blade length: 22cm

• Good for large hands
• Reassuring weight
• A little uncomfortable on forefinger
• Handle very angular

Featuring a sweeping, curved blade and ergonomic handle, this Victorinox knife easily achieves a smooth, rolling chop when working through large quantities. Its big, wide blade makes it an efficient choice.

This knife features one of the thickest blades of all the knives we’ve tested. As a result, we struggled to achieve the precision needed for fine slicing and dicing. But, it powered through butternut squash easily.

The handle is long and smooth. There’s a thick bolster, which proved an irritant for those who use a pinch grip when chopping. Testers with smaller hands found the handle a little too big, though those with larger hands said it felt just right. So, if you often find the handles on knife a bit small, this Victorinox knife is worth considering.

• Victorinox (£158)

Katana Saya olive wood chef’s knife

• Available from Knives from Japan (£84.95)

Best chef’s knife for basic chopping

• Sheath provided
• Beautifully presented
• Chunky handle
• Handle almost too smooth

Unboxing the Katana Saya chef’s knife was a real joy. It arrived in a wooden presentation box and even comes with a sheath to protect the blade.

This is an attractive knife. The blade is Damascus steel and the handle is made from olive wood. The handle is pretty chunky. This, coupled with the lack of ergonomic shaping and smoothing, means it's not the easiest to grip. We felt the handle was almost too smooth. This posed no real issue when chopping through basic vegetables, but we felt a little less secure when we were required to use some real force.

The blade is sharp, though not as sharp as some others on this list. But, for onions, celery and carrots, we cut through with relative ease. We also confidently crushed a garlic clove under the blade.

It's a knife geared towards loose-gripped, basic chopping as opposed to hard, intense work.

• Knives from Japan (£84.95)

Rockingham Forge Equilibrium chef’s knife

Best cheap chef’s knife

• Lovely rocking motion
• Struggled with squash
• Can’t use full length of knife

This curved knife was built for those who enjoy chopping ingredients with a rocking chop. The blade flicks upwards and the handle is ergonomically shaped, making it very comfortable to hold. The shape of this knife meant we chopped, brunoised and minced with total ease.

It’s not the sharpest knife on our list, and as a result we struggled to get through butternut squash without lots of force.

One of our chef testers noted that the shape of the blade is slightly restrictive. For example, when you want to use the tip of the knife for fine work, you’re forced to contort yourself in a slightly uncomfortable way. Similarly, the curved shape stops you from using the full length of the knife comfortably.

But, the blade itself is sturdy and the rocking motion achieved is controlled and efficient.

What is a chef’s knife used for?

A chef’s knife is a multipurpose, everyday knife. It’s the most versatile knife in the kitchen and the one you’ll reach for most when cooking. Chef’s knives are particularly adept at cutting meat, vegetables and other hard and soft ingredients. You can also use them to carve and debone, and use the flat side of the blade to crush garlic.

We also believe you should be able to use your chef’s knife for fine chopping: dicing carrots, celery and onions for soffritto, for example.

What to look for in a good-quality chef’s knife

The first question you need to ask yourself when buying a new knife is: “Do I want a European or Japanese knife?"

European knife features:

• More robust, thick blade
• 20-degree edge
• Made of a softer steel than Japanese knives
• Needs sharpening more often
• Not as difficult to sharpen as Japanese knives
• Handles tend to be synthetic, are generally larger and heavier

Japanese knife features:

• Light, thin blade
• 15-degree edge
• Retain sharp blade for longer than European knives
• Sharpening can take time, as you should use a sharpening stone or go to a professional
• Made from a harder steel than European knives, but the thin blade is brittle and prone to chipping if used incorrectly
• Handles made from wood or wood composite – they taper inside the handle

Hybrid knives

We’re starting to see more hybrid knives on the market; these tend to merge the robust handle of a European knife with the agile and sharp blade found on Japanese knives.

A chef’s knife with a blade between 20-22cm is a good size for most everyday tasks. Those that are 23-30cm are better for larger tasks only.

Stamped or forged?

A stamped knife is cut from a single sheet of metal. Stamped knives tend to be cheaper, but they can be weaker than forged knives.

A forged knife is made from liquid metal that has been formed into a knife. These tend to be stronger than stamped knives.

This is subjective, but you need to choose a knife that strikes the balance between having a reassuring weight and not being too light. A heavy knife may seem as though it’s the better choice, but you don’t want to become tired while using it. Equally, a light knife is easy to control, but it may not be able to stand up to harder foods. A knife should feel like an extension of the hand when you’re using it.

How to sharpen a chef’s knife

There are many ways to sharpen a chef’s knife but at home. A whetstone or handheld sharpener are two of the most common methods.

A handheld sharpener is usually small and has a V-shaped section for you to pull your knife through. The “V” is made from two plates with differing grades of abrasion, similar to sandpaper. Some sharpeners will just have a single pair of plates, while others with have two or three with different abrasion levels. Little skill is needed to use these sharpeners – simply pull the knife through in a controlled manner.

A whetstone requires much more skill. These stones need to be soaked in water before use, which can take around 15 minutes. When it's time to sharpen, simply slide your knife along the stone at either a 15 or 20 degree angle, depending on the type of knife you’re sharpening. This technique can take around 20-30 minutes, depending on how dull the knife is. (Most sharpening stones have two different grit levels. Begin by working on the more abrasive size, then flip to the smooth side.) But, this does yield the best results.

Because of the brittle nature of Japanese knives, we’d advise against sharpening your knife using a handheld sharpener. European knives can be sharpened using both methods.

How we tested the best chef’s knives

To put chef’s knives to the test, we prepped a variety of hard and soft produce, including carrots, celery and onions. We chopped, julienned and brunoised to discover how the knife performed when completing large and small tasks. To test the strength of the blade, we crushed a garlic clove and sliced through tough butternut squash.

We also gave the knives to our chefs to use while they were recipe testing; they gave their real-time feedback as they worked.

Knives were also scored against the following criteria:

• Balance: we looked for a well-balanced knife that wasn’t weighted too heavily towards either the blade or handle
• Comfortable to hold: knives should fit into the hand with ease and shouldn’t rub. We favoured knives that were comfortable to hold, whatever the user’s preferred knife-holding style
• Sharp blade: blades that cut through ingredients with ease scored more highly than those that required force
• Strong blade: sturdy and robust blades offer more versatility than those that are flexible. We wanted to feel confident using the knife; we were less trusting of weaker knives
• Well-shaped: we preferred knives that allowed us to use the full length of the blade. Blades that were upturned at the tip offered less comfortable usability
• Sustainable: knives that came in cardboard or wooden boxes scored highly, as did those that provided long warranties

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Our Search For The Best Camping Chef Knife

By Andrew North

Updated on May 21, 2024

We Have Found a Few Great Camp Cooking Knives that have their Place at the Campfire

Good food needs good tools, even if it isn’t in the kitchen. The older we get the more we find we need good food on our camping trips, so we put together this list of our favorite outdoor-friendly knives to cook with.

Most of these knives we used with a single cast iron pan, grill, and a stump. Sometimes there was a cutting board when we had room to pack it along, but we also went out for some side-by-side testing for the initial round of picks, and that involved a picnic table by necessity.

That means that each of the knives on here have been used beyond the bounds of what a regular kitchen knife is used for, which brings us to the crux of the matter:

Our Top Picks For The Best Camping Chef Knives

Off grid grizzly v2.

The Grizzly V2 cuts so much smoother than it looks like it should, but that’s par for the course with Off-Grid Knives. Those people know blade geometry. So when I say that they made the Grizzly V2 with food prep in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that it cuts as well as any high end santoku I’ve ever used.

The edge cuts so well because it’s very thin, so bear in mind that the edge should stay within the range of food preparation.

Top that off with the meaty handle with a bit of tapering at the top, and you have something that genuinely feels like a respectable kitchen knife.

Off-Grid chose to go with Sandvik 14C28N stee l in the upgraded version of the Grizzly which has better edge retention than the AUS8 steel used in the original version without sacrificing corrosion resistance.

Sandvik 14C28N steel is one of our favorite steels for outdoor or indoor knives, because it is easy to sharpen, it takes a great edge, and it has good corrosion resistance. It may seem a little outdated compared to some of the modern super steels that have recently been released. But of everything we tested for this article, the Grizzly consistently stood out as one of the best in terms of comfort and cutting ability.

The effortless slicing ability of the Grizzly V2 is what sets it apart, but its kydex sheath is also a standout feature. The sheath sits low on the hip for maximum comfort, and it has a large thumb ramp to make blade deployment quick and easy.

While it isn’t chef’s-knife size, the Silax is one of the few knives on here that I’d use in my kitchen day-to-day. It’s very lightweight and has good balance while having a great edge with manageable steel.

What makes this a good camping chef’s knife is that the steel is tough, but has good edge stability, so there’s a certain ease in maintenance that is especially useful on a long camping trip.

But I love this knife as a whole. Not just for food prep. I love the blade shape because it creates such a strong tip that can get an enormous amount of work done despite the relatively small size. In kitchen-knife terms this is more of a utility knife than a chef’s knife, but the edge is so well done and the handle is so comfortable that I’m more likely to pick this up over the majority of the other picks on this article for a quick cut.

Messermeister Chef Knife

There is a lot to like about the Messermeister Overland chef knife. It has excellent fit and finish, a nitro-cobalt steel blade with amazing edge retention, a hidden bottle opener and a tough canvas Micarta handle. It’s also one of the best knives we’ve tested for cutting raw meat, which is especially useful when camping.

Unfortunately all of this comes at a cost. At $250 the Overland is by far the most expensive knife in this article.

Some of the other knives we talk about here are capable of campfire cooking tasks and other camping relating tasks like chopping or carving. The Overland is really just designed for outdoor food prep, but it does that extremely well. It cuts meat better than most indoor kitchen knives we’ve tested, but its thick spine and low grind give it a little more tensile strength than other kitchen knives.

The 60/40 blade grind makes it a little weird to cut with, but it’s also probably the reason it cuts soft-textured things so well. The Nitro-cobalt steel blade is hardened to 62HRC which means it has a good corrosion resistance, but the edge retention is complicated. It will hold an good edge for a while, but since the grind is so low (compared to normal kitchen knives), it’s going to get harder to keep the edge thin the more you sharpen it.

The Overland does not ship with a sheath, but there is a compatible leather sheath that can be bough separately from Messermeister, which pads the price a little more. But it rides surprisingly well for being made by kitchen cutlery company.

Check out our in-depth review of the Messermeister Overland to see if it might be the campfire hero on your next overlanding or camping trip.

The Messermeister Overland is a 2022 Drunken Hillbilly Award winner.

Off-Grid Sierra

As is usual for Off Grid knives, the Sierra has an aggressive edge that cuts for days. The handle is a little thinner than most other Off Grid fixed blades, though. The way it’s shaped gives you a lot of knuckle clearance in a gorilla grip, and it leaves a bit of room for a good pinch grip.

This joins the Off Grid Grizzly as an outdoor knife with food prep in the intended design, which is to say that even though this looks like a mean, overbuilt survival knife in some ways, it was not meant for chopping wood. It’s a great knife for cutting up meat.

Where the Grizzly has a santoku shape that we liked quite a bit for cutting vegetables and other produce, the Sierra leans more French chef’s knife. It has a thin point that’s nice for scoring steak or breaking down whole birds.

It rides pretty well in the sheath. We found it comfortable enough for wearing around the campsite. It doesn’t flop around much, and it’s nice to draw thanks to the updated thumb ramp Off Grid started putting on all their sheaths. The only thing is the handle is pretty long, so it can still be awkward to draw sometimes and every now and then it would poke at the ribs if we leaned too much one way while sitting or crouching.

Other than that, the Sierra packs easy, rides well on the belt, makes nice, clean cuts, and has a steel that can hold up great against the elements.

Messermeister Adventure Chef Folding Knife

It’s odd that one of the only knives on this list that highlights itself specifically as a chef’s knife is actually my least favorite to cook with, but the concept is solid.

The handle is clunky, the blade isn’t all that sharp, and I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to put a liner lock on an 8-inch folding knife, but it makes for a pretty janky experience.

With all that said, the zipper pouch and little folding cutting board that comes inside have been used extensively by us (you can see the cutting board in a lot of the pictures in this article). The whole thing easily fits inside boxes and backpacks without creating much bulk, so this is a pretty low investment option in terms of weight and space.

The knife itself really doesn’t need much modification to become something genuinely good. Some of those modifications (sharpening and stropping) can be done easily enough by the end user. But with a better handle and a better lock, I’d probably keep this in my regular camping kit.

As it is, I like the idea enough to take it out every now and then, and it’s the only pick here that has something like a traditionally western chef’s knife shape.

Condor Bush Slicer

The “slicer” in the name of this knife is misleading. It’s more of a bush chopper. Slicing can get tricky with it, especially where food is concerned, but there’s so much edge to work with that you can get the job done one way or the other.

The real benefit here is that the Bush Slicer is the only knife you need to take. You can chop wood and start the fire that you’re going to cook on, and while the food might not always look pretty or delicate if cut with this knife, it will be cut and the benefit of having a chopping edge on a tall blade that can double as a spatula makes cooking on the pan pretty nice.

It’s also nice that I never feel particularly concerned about damaging the edge even when I’m stirring food on a cast iron pan because 1075 steel is pretty easy to work with, and there is an enormous amount of it here in a convex grind. In a worst case scenario I can just reprofile the blade, but until then there’s something to be said for managing your entire campsite, from tent stakes to beef steaks, with a hefty cleaver.

If you want to learn more about the Bushslicer, check out our in-depth review .

Civivi Kepler

The shape is mostly what makes me like the Kepler for food prep. There’s a lot of knuckle clearance, and you can get a fairly comfortable pinch grip on this. Also the cleaver shape provides some of the same strong-point benefits as the Silax and the Grizzly.

Except that the edge grind is much wider. This was not designed for food prep, after all. In that sense it falls more in line with the Bush Slicer, but it has the benefit of stainless steel. The blade is impressively durable and a mean chopper, but it takes some stropping to get this into any kind of satisfying food-cutting shape.

Even then the angle of the grind is so wide that it has a habit of making your cut turn on larger, harder foods like onions and apples. But so long as you’re content with a rustic spread, the Kepler can take you pretty easily from a pile of meat and vegetables to a halfway respectable sandwich melt.

I wrote an in-depth of this review of the Civivi Kepler if you want to learn a bit more about this knife.

OKC Camp Plus Kitchen Folders

This is the design Messermseister needed for their Adventure Chef knife: a smaller backlock folder with a reasonably sized handle that manages to fit the blade without creating too much complication with the grip. They’re not exactly optimized for knuckle clearance, but they’re still enormously usable knives for the price.

Ontario’s trio of Camp Plus kitchen folders hits a lot of other points right for fireside camping. The blades are thin, but they’re made with a soft steel that doesn’t feel like much of a risk around rough terrain; each knife is very lightweight and pretty comfortable considering the material and purpose they’re working with; and all three knives together end up being cheaper than every other knife on this article right now (with the exception of the Old Hickory butcher knife, which is also happens to be made by Ontario).

None of these knives are going to be winning performance awards, although they do cut pretty well out of the box and that plain 420 steel can take a pretty mean edge. But Ontario Knife Co. excels at making absurdly tough, cost-effective designs that somehow end up getting used twice as much as anything else I own.

What Makes a Good Outdoor Chef’s Knife

A good set of criteria to use for a food prep knife on the campground is thin edge geometry, toughness, and mobility. So basically, a knife that emphasizes food preparation with a nod to toughness that’s easy to carry or pack.

The importance of each of those elements will probably be different depending on what kind of camping you’re doing, though. When we tested all these knives, mobility usually wasn’t quite as important to us as toughness, but we always have to prepare for the fact that we are not the most careful people, and things happen: knives get dropped, and rocks find their way onto the cutting board (assuming we remembered to bring a cutting board in the first place).

You could simplify it as any knife you’re brave or dumb enough to take to a camp site. I know people who camp with fully custom chef’s knives packed in a knife roll, but even they usually take that knife because something makes it tougher than the other stuff in their collection.

If you’re not into the whole hybrid-use thing, though, you can always just get a regular kitchen knife.

For a reasonably priced chef’s knife, you can check out some of the brands in our Best Kitchen Sets Under $200 (a Buck or a Victorinox wouldn’t be bad options). Or if you want some of that sweet Japanese kitchen cutlery, we have a whole article about that (we’d personally recommend a MAC or Tojiro for this kind of thing).

Easy Packing

It either needs to be able to pack up cleanly in a bag or on our belt. Ideally it can do both. Anything that comes in its own belt sheath is a plus, but it’s good enough if it can be tucked into a backpack or box without taking up much space.

Sheaths are a big deal for us because we tend to have a lot of gear, and it’s easier to keep track of the food-prep knife when it’s strapped to our hip. If a big thin knife had a kydex sheath we could either strap to the belt or run paracord through, it had a greenlight to chop up onions in the woods.

Knuckle Clearance

Just like in the kitchen, we need some room for our hands at the campground. There are usually ways around needing that clearance when you’re cutting something on a stump, but it helps a lot when a knife has a tall blade that helps keep the hand clear of whatever we’re using as a cutting board.

Durability and Versatility

A lot of our picks tend to be knives made of steel that’s tough and easy to fix up and reprofile.

It’s not that we want our camping chef’s knives to be able to chop and baton (although some of our picks can), but when we use a knife for cooking outdoors we tend to use the one knife for food prep and cooking and usually a little extra. A lot of the time we can’t count on having much empty table space for extra knives and tools lying around, so one knife might need to be the fork, spoon, and spatula.

A knife should at least be able to break the skin of an onion easily. Because of this, we mostly pick flat grinds for this list. Things like scandi grinds don’t usually make it on here because even when an edge like that is sharp, it’s hard to cut even slices through larger foods.

A thin edge is a little hard to find in the outdoor knife world, but we weren’t exactly looking for 12-degree Japanese angles. Sometimes a thin edge means a gradual slope from the secondary bevel , and sometimes it means a highly acute microbevel. We just like the knife to cut food cleanly. And if it can’t do that, it should be easy to grind it down so that it can be made to cut food cleanly (see durability and versatility above).

About Andrew North

Andrew has been a commercial writer for about a decade. He escaped from a life of writing mundane product descriptions by running away to the woods and teaching himself how to bake and chop stuff up in the kitchen. He has a background in landscaping, Filipino martial arts, and drinking whiskey.

Imarku 16 Piece Japanese Knife Set Review

Kramer by zwilling essential collection chef knife review, 15 thoughts on “our search for the best camping chef knife”.

When a Andrew degrades a knife because its not “sharp” he confirms both his lack of knowledge of knives and his lack of ability to sharpen a knife. Why would I listen to a reviewer of knives that does not understand knifes. If he was telling us the steel in the knife is inferior as it will not hold an edge or that the steel is so hard its difficult to sharpen that would have been beneficial. However his only comment was “the blade isn’t all that sharp” which tells me he still writes mundane descriptions and drinks too much whisky.

Did writing that make you feel better, or would you like to comb through a few more of our blogs for other little details to criticize? I’m just wondering how large the next shot I pour should be.

As long as we’re nitpicking little details – why would I trust the knife knowledge of a commenter when he writes “knifes”? Thanks Andrew for the well written review!

Thanks for reading, Scott, my only friend in this whole comment section.

I agree with Bill, “blade isn’t all that sharp” is not a useful description – sharpen it. Since that blade is made from 1.4116 steel, I assume you meant that it won’t stay sharp.

It’s more about the fit and finish than the edge. And I do, in fact, mention that it’s easy to strop and sharpen some forty-odd words down from the phrase you two are so caught up on.

Consider an inexpensive Japanese style knife for camp cooking. A smallish 165mm Santoku will work for everything.

Something like this will completely outclass all of the items mentioned above. It won’t be as tough, but it will be lighter than most, for you weight weenies and will cut like a laser.

https://knivesandstones.us/collections/santoku-all-purpose/products/masutani-vg10-damascus-small-santoku-135mm-western-handle-with-free-premium-knife-guard

I guess my wife leaving the Tojiro DP in the sink every day is as good a test as any for the possible rigors of camping, but I’d still rather have the Off Grid Grizzly around the campfire, and I wouldn’t want either of those knives on an extended backpacking trip. You’re not wrong, though. We’ll put some links to our kitchen knife articles in here.

Hi Andrew, when you pour yourself a shot, pour me a double will ya. Enjoyed the article. I’ve been looking for a good camp knife for a while now. Tried a Nordsmith Canteen, but if never really connected with me. I was hoping it would become one of those holy grail one knife to rule them all type thing, but I found it didn’t really excel at anything. Thought I would look into a more dedicated camp cook knife, and that CJRB Silax looks like a good option. I hadn’t heard of it before and might check it out. Thanks for all the suggestions.

The CJRB is definitely a good way to go if you’re looking for really clean cutting performance with food. The thing about the Nordsmith Canteen, and knives like it, is that it was designed for a very broad range of outdoor tasks. The tall blade and handle contouring make it easier to grip for food prep, but the primary grind is too low and wide to really excel the way some people seem to expect when they read the words “excellent food preparation tool”. The Canteen is a great knife and it can cut food, but it can also cut a branch in half and carve out feather sticks. If you want a knife for doing only one of those things, you’ll be happier getting something a little more specialized.

That Grizzly V2 was worth the wait. I have the V1 and have waited for the V2 for what felt like an eternity. I use my V1 everywhere I have access to wood to cut on. Camp, kitchen, pool or, processing, I can use the V1 or V2 for the ease of cutting and the comfortable handle and geometry.

I definitely agree. The V1 was good, but the V2 really feels like the same thing with everything done a bit better. It’s pretty quickly become our gold standard for camping chef knives.

Not a single one from the USA but you are looking for the best? The best at supporting other economies? The best for keeping manufacturing down in the USA? What is your criteria for best?

I feel like we covered our criteria pretty well under the section called “What Makes a Good Outdoor Chef’s Knife”, but we could probably shorten the whole thing to “cut good, no chip, has sheath”. I’ll admit US manufacturing is underrepresented here, and you are of course free to make a suggestion to rectify that, but in the meantime you sound like you might be interested in looking over our Guide to American Made Knives .

I think the best camp chef knife is the Ron Hood designed HCK1 that was sold by CRKT and made by Tops but it is now discontinued. I think the second best would probably be the FMS XL that is also made by Tops, although it does have a longer, slightly different design. I would put both of these ^ knives over any on that list.

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Can I Travel with Cooking Knives? (Yes, here’s how…)

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Last updated on July 15th, 2023 at 07:24 pm

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At A Glance Yes, you can travel with cooking knives, but there are specific rules to follow. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), all types of knives, including cooking knives, are permitted in checked baggage, but not in carry-on bags. They should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors. In addition to TSA regulations, it’s crucial to be aware of local laws, individual airline policies, and rules for international flights, as these may vary. For safety, each knife should be wrapped individually and secured with packing tape. Investing in blade guards is also advised for additional protection, especially for high-quality or long-blade knives. Always check with your airline and the laws of your departure and destination locations for specific requirements.

Traveling with cooking knives can be a concern for those who are passionate about their culinary tools. Whether you’re attending a cooking class, competition, or simply preparing a meal at your destination, knowing if you can travel with your favorite knives is essential. While air travel introduces a variety of restrictions, it’s important to know the ins and outs of knife transportation.

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines,  knives are allowed in checked baggage  but not in carry-on bags. This rule applies to all types of knives, including cooking knives such as chef knives. To ensure safety and compliance, it’s crucial to pack your knives properly and securely when including them in your checked luggage.

Understanding TSA Regulations and Laws

When it comes to traveling with cooking knives, there are a few key regulations and laws to consider to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey. This section will delve into TSA Regulations, Law Enforcement, Airline Regulations, and International Flights.

TSA Regulations

The  Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  has specific guidelines for carrying knives during air travel. According to their regulations:

• Carry-On Bags : Knives are not allowed in carry-on bags except for plastic or round-bladed butter knives.
• Checked Bags : Knives are allowed in checked bags, provided they are sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.

It is essential to follow these guidelines to avoid issues during security screening at the airport.

Law Enforcement

In addition to TSA regulations, travelers should also be aware of local laws governing the possession and transport of knives. Different states and countries have their own rules regarding knife carrying. Ensure that you familiarize yourself with the laws of your departure location, destination, and any layovers to avoid legal complications.

Airline Regulations

While the TSA provides a general framework for what is permissible, individual airlines may have their own specific regulations regarding knives and other sharp objects. Make sure to check with your airline’s guidelines, often available on their official website, to confirm if there are any additional restrictions or requirements.

International Flights

When traveling internationally, it is crucial to consider the destination country’s laws and regulations regarding knives. Some countries may have stricter knife control laws than others, and it’s the traveler’s responsibility to adhere to these rules. Additionally, some international flights may have additional security measures in place, particularly for military or government personnel.

In conclusion, always make sure to research and follow the guidelines set forth by the TSA, law enforcement, individual airlines, and destination countries when traveling with cooking knives. This will help ensure a smooth travel experience and avoid any legal issues or complications.

Packing Cooking Knives

Checked luggage.

Yes, you can pack cooking knives in your  checked luggage , but there are certain regulations and precautions to keep in mind. Blade length, type, and construction materials play a crucial role in determining their permissibility. Ensure your knives are clean and dry before  packing them , as dirty or damp knives increase the chance of developing rust during transit.

Carry-On Luggage

You should not pack cooking knives in your  carry-on luggage , as TSA regulations do not permit sharp objects in carry-on bags. However, you can safely bring plastic knife utensils in your carry-on, personal items, or pockets without restrictions on the number carried or requirements for concealment.

Safety and Security

To ensure safety during your travels, take necessary precautions to secure and protect your knives.

Here are a few tips:

• Wrap each knife individually in thick materials such as newspaper or towels to prevent accidental cuts and damage during luggage handling.
• Use packing tape to secure wrapped knives, and group them together for better organization inside your luggage.
• Invest in blade guards as an additional layer of protection, especially for high-quality knives and long blades.
• Consider using durable locks and secure luggage to guard against potential theft.

Events and Exceptions

When traveling with chef knives, there may be specific events and exceptions where certain rules or regulations apply. In this section, we will discuss the nuances of these exceptions in different scenarios such as military and law enforcement situations, as well as concealed carry laws.

Military and Law Enforcement

In some cases, members of the military and law enforcement officers may be required to travel with specialized knives or tools as part of their official duties. These individuals are usually granted permission to carry such items through security checkpoints and onboard aircraft, provided that they have proper identification and documentation to verify their status. However, it is still advisable for personnel in these positions to check with their respective organization’s regulations and the airline’s policies before attempting to travel with knives or other restricted items.

Concealed Carry Laws

Concealed carry laws vary significantly across different jurisdictions. Depending on the location, certain types of knives may be permitted for concealed carry, while others, such as switchblades or automatic knives, may be restricted or prohibited entirely.

➤ Read More: State Knife Law Directory

When traveling to or through areas with differing concealed carry laws, it is essential for individuals who wish to carry a knife to research the specific regulations and restrictions applicable to each place. This may include checking the laws governing the type of knife, blade length, and any other relevant factors.

In general, to avoid complications while traveling, it is recommended to keep chef knives and other bladed tools securely stored in checked luggage, ensuring they are appropriately sheathed to prevent accidental injuries to baggage handlers or TSA agents.

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How to Pack Knives for Travel

Published Aug. 25, 2023.

Whether you’re moving to a new house, getting your gear together for a camping trip, or heading to a rental home on vacation, bringing a set of knives with you is a must for the enthusiastic home cook.

But packing them for travel can be tricky—what is the safest way to tote them around, both for yourself and for your much-loved knives? Some of America's Test Kitchen's equipment experts and test cooks weighed in with their top tips.

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Knife-Packing Essentials

1. A knife guard

No matter how you end up packing your knives, having a knife guard —especially for the bigger ones—is the best way to ensure safe transport. A knife guard is essentially a holster for your knife that fits snugly around the blade to avoid it coming into contact with fingers or poking through travel bags.

The very best knife guards have a secure, tight fit, which means there’s no such thing as a best overall choice . . . just the best choice for your knife. ATK Reviews Senior Editor Miye Bromberg put together a guide on how to find the right guard for your knife .

2. A knife roll

Miye also suggests that once you’ve secured your larger knives in a knife guard, you’ll want another layer of protection from a knife roll. Knives tend to rattle around in knife rolls, meaning the knife guard will prevent them from dulling.

The Best Chef’s Knives for $75 or Less

How to pack knives without a knife guard or knife roll.

If you've found yourself with travel plans but without these specific knife-packing items, that's OK. There are still safe ways to transport your precious knives without needing to take a trip to the kitchen supply store (prepping for travel is tough enough on its own!).

If you find yourself in the midst of packing without a knife guard, for example, you can make one yourself . All you’ll need is a manilla folder or sheet of thick cardboard.

Cook’s Country Senior Editor Matthew Fairman also gets in the DIY mood when packing knives. “I've used both corrugated cardboard and heavy paper from shopping bags to wrap up the blades of my knives,” he said.

To use cardboard, Matthew simply cuts the sheet to size, folds it in half, and tapes it closed over the knives, ensuring the sharp blades are facing towards the folded cardboard. For the heavy paper technique, he wraps the blades in multiple layers of the paper, rolls the knives in an apron or kitchen towel, and secures the bundle with rubber bands.

For those who like to plan ahead, Senior Editor Jessica Rudolph keeps her knives’ packaging for times like this. “I keep the original packaging that my good knives came in and put them back in their wrapping and boxes for big moves,” she said.

Finally, America’s Test Kitchen cast member Lawman Johnson suggests using an item of clothing for maximum safety: “I wrap an old undershirt around my knives, securing it with rubber bands when they’re fully rolled up,” he said.

Knife-Packing Tips

Once you’ve secured the essentials, here are five more tips to ensure a safe trip with your knives:

• While you should take every precaution with larger knives, you can skip guarding your smaller knives before packing them in a knife roll. “I'm generally not super careful about smaller knives (like paring knives)—they tend not to bang into other knives in a knife roll the way the larger ones do,” Miye notes.
• Ensure your knives are clean and dry before you pack them to avoid the possibility of rusting or dulling.
• Label any boxes that contain knives or knife rolls. You wouldn’t want to be absentmindedly rifling around in a box with knives, no matter how secure they are.
• Once you’ve arrived at your destination, immediately unpack your knives and set them out in a designated location away from moisture or where they cannot be accidentally bumped into.
• When repacking your knives, don’t be lazy about those knife guards—pack them away the same way you brought them, and they’ll arrive back home as sharp as when they left.

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Adventure Chef Folding 6 Inch Chef's Knife - Maple

Cook outside like a pro, with our 6" Folding Chef’s Knife, designed with celebrity Adventure Chef, Adam Glick. We carefully looked at the edge geometry to create the best hand clearance and contact with the board. The wide 6” blade is balanced at the bolster for perfect control while for chopping or slicing, and the edge is ground to a razor sharp 15-degree. An open frame design allows water to flow through the handle slot for thorough and easy cleaning. We have also included a locking mechanism in the handle liner to keep the blade safely in place when in use. The blade is made from German 1.4116 steel so that you can easily re-sharpen your knife and use it for a lifetime.

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ABOUT ADVENTURE CHEF KNIFE COLLECTION

Historically, high end quality knives and traveling do not mix. When traveling as a cook, two problems usually arise: lugging around a bulky collection of quality knives and worrying about damaging them.  Enter the Adventure Chef Collection, inspired by Chef Adam Glick’s adventures and designed by Messermeister. It is the perfect chef’s kit for any traveling cook. The possibilities of cooking on-the-go are as endless as are your adventures thanks to its compactability and versatility. Use the Adventure Chef Collection for campsite cooking, deep sea fishing, glamping in the woods, backyard bbq, tailgating and more. Outfit yourself with full-size kitchen knives that are safely compact and portable. Most of all, these knives use the same Messermeister chef grade quality used in the most high end kitchens around the world. Go beyond the limits!

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Command Your Kitchen with a Chef Knife

From slicing and chopping meats and vegetables to mincing tiny ingredients like garlic cloves, a high-quality chef knife can do it all. Though originally designed as a butcher's tool, these knives have grown to be one of the most commonly used knives in home kitchens and in commercial settings. Professional chef's knives can be purchased separately from top-quality brands like Zwilling J.A. Henckels, Shun, Global and Wusthof or as a part of a chef knife set.

Cooking with Chef's Knives

The main draw of these multi-purpose knives is in the clever blade design. The blade's broad base tapers to a point, allowing the user to rock the knife back and forward quickly for fast and precise chopping. The blade's length and wide surface area also help to accelerate the chopping process, saving you time when cooking large meals.

Use these versatile knives for kitchen tasks like:

• Chopping and dicing fruits, vegetables and proteins.
• Slicing steak or tofu into thin, even pieces.
• Chopping large quantities of fresh herbs at once.
• Scraping chopped ingredients from a plastic or wooden cutting board directly into bowls, pots or other cookware.

While they can handle a variety of other cooking tasks, these knives are not ideal for:

• Tasks which require extra precision, such as peeling fruits and vegetables. Use a potato peeler or a paring knife instead.
• Slicing delicate baked goods like bread. Use a serrated bread knife instead.
• Carving roast beef or poultry dishes. Use a carving knife set instead.

Top Quality Chef Knife Options

Traditional chef's knives generally feature a sharp blade measuring eight inches in length and about one and a half inches in width. However, many cutlery fabricators have created variations that make great additions to any cutlery collection.

• To try the classic version of this knife, look for blades like the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro Traditional 8" Chef's Knife or the Global Classic 8" Chef's Knife.
• For extra control and precision chopping, try a shorter blade like the Shun Classic 4 1/2" Chef's Knife.
• Get the best of both worlds with a set like the Zwilling Gourmet 2-Piece Chef & Paring Knife Set.
• If you'd prefer a wider blade with more surface area, try a knife like the Wusthof Classic Chinese Chef's Knife.

With their incredible versatility in the kitchen, professional chef's knives are every cook's secret weapon. Their sharp and balanced blades are perfectly designed to handle large and small cooking tasks with ease. Pick up a single knife from amazing brands like Zwilling J.A. Henckels, Shun, Global and Wusthof or choose a full chef knife set to fulfill all your cooking needs.

I Test Cooking Tools for a Living, and This Affordable Chef’s Knife Is a Cut Above the Rest (It’s on Sale!)

W hen it comes to outfitting your kitchen, a good chef’s knife is the first thing you’ll want to look for — especially if the knives you’re currently working with are less than stellar. In fact, while garlic crushers and mandolines are great, a sharp, high-quality chef’s knife is really the only meal prep tool you need. That’s because chef’s knives are super versatile, and a good one can take the place of an entire knife block (though you’ll probably want to snag a paring knife and a bread knife to make your life a little easier). Over the years, I’ve had the chance to test a bunch of blades — both good and bad — so when I find a new knife that I like, it’s a big deal. I recently tried out the Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef Knife from the internet-famous knife-sharpening company that we love for keeping our blades wicked sharp, and I’m a big fan. 

Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef's Knife

$73.50 (was $98)

What Is the Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef Knife? 

This relatively affordable chef’s knife (especially right now, while it’s on sale!) is a sleek, chic chopping machine. Made from top-tier German steel and designed for “seamless resharpening” with the Tumbler knife sharpening system (which I’ve used for a while now), this knife is easy on the eyes and the hands, thanks to its ergonomically designed handle that offers solid balance and control when in use. With a fun orange hue and a perfect five-star rating on the site, it’s easy to see why shoppers are stoked. 

Why I Love the Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef Knife

As far as chef’s knives go, I’m looking for a few things. First and foremost, they have to perform. I’ve put away a few bags of onions with ease so far, and last night I trimmed the fat off some center-cut pork chops and had no problems. The blade comes supersharp out of the box, and the angle of the tip is such that it makes precision cuts like boning out a chicken a breeze. The next thing I look for in a knife is how it feels in the hand while you work, since even the best-performing knife can be a huge drag if it tears up your hands or feels slippery when you grip it. With the Tumbler chef’s knife , I didn’t have to worry about those problems, since the grip is totally solid and the tapered bolster lets me choke up on the blade when I’m in need of a little more control. My last metric for chef knife greatness is how it looks. While not as important as the first two, I have so many knives from years of testing kitchen tools that if a chef’s knife doesn’t look awesome, I probably won’t add it to my collection. That being said, the Tumbler chef’s knife looks great, in my opinion, and the fun orange color really pops on my magnetic wall strip. (If you’re going for a muted kitchen aesthetic, though, this might not be the blade for you.) 

So whether you’re in the market for your first chef’s knife, looking to upgrade your existing blade, or hoping to add to your extensive collection, you really can’t go wrong with the Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef Knife . It’s high-quality, extremely aesthetic, and very affordable — especially while it’s still on sale! 

Buy: Tumbler Signature 8-Inch Chef Knife , $73.50 (normally $98)

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

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HERSENT Knife Roll, Chef's Knife Roll Bag, Portable Knife Bag, Travel Chef Knife Case Carrier Storage Bag with 4 Slots, Knife Pouch for Chef or Culinary Enthusiasts Men Women,Butcher Knife Roll Bag

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About this item.

• CONVENIENT ACCESSIBILITY CHEF KNIFE ROLL BAG:4 knife sleeves holds 4 kitchen knives and accessories, such as paring, carving, ceramic, scissors, and other chef utensils or tools. Perfect father's day gifts for dad, cool gadgets for men, women, dad, husband, carpenters.
• QUICK & EASY STORAGE CHEF KNIFE CARRIER HOLDER :This knife rolls hold knives up to 14" in length, store utensils as well as a knife sharpener, and form a tight roll when wrapped.
• LONG -TERM DURABILITY CHEF KNIVES ROLL BAG: These Knife Rolls are Cut and Puncture Resistant and they won’t scratch, nick or damage your knives; durable for long-lasting support as you learn, grow and become a master chef!
• TRAVEL-FRIENDLY CHEF KNIVES STORAGE BAG: Conveniently and Functional Portability to carry your knives with ease and safety when going to work, camping, or barbequing.
• UNROLLED MEASUREMENTS ONE YEAR QUALITY WARRENTY&AMAZON SHIPMENT: 21" wide x 14" can holds knives up to 14" in length. Design with canvas cord which allows convenience and portability to carry your knives with ease and safety when going to work, culinary school, camping, or barbequing. We are confident with our knife roll quality, if you are not satisfied with our product within one year, feel free to contact us, you will get a full refund with no question asked.

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Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 6.3 x 1.89 inches; 7.37 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ HGJ03-P-Black
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Hersent
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07D32LV3X
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• #33 in Knife Cases, Holders & Protectors

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Customers say

Customers like the quality, size and value of the carrier bag case. They mention that it's well made, holds a good amount of knives and is perfect for everyday use. They appreciate the ease of use, and foldability. That said, some complain about the durability, saying that their knives sliced through the stitching. Opinions are mixed on appearance.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the quality of the carrier bag case. They say it's well made, durable, and secure for safe handling. Customers also mention that it'll be a great addition to any kitchen.

"...This roll holds 3 knives perfectly and feels sturdy . I did order some blade guards so the knife points wouldn't cut through the fabric...." Read more

"...I immediately noticed the quality of the craftsmanship , the roll it felt extremely durable...." Read more

" Solid durable small knife roll worth it" Read more

" Good quality , However, I’m sending it back Only because it didn’t fit my knifes the way I hoped they would. Good quality canvas and worth the money." Read more

Customers like the size of the carrier bag case. They say it's great for everyday use, fits a good amount of knives, and is the perfect travel size for just a few knives. Some say it holds knives as advertised and protects them well. Overall, customers find it excellent for taking their favorite knives and is portable.

"...This roll holds 3 knives perfectly and feels sturdy. I did order some blade guards so the knife points wouldn't cut through the fabric...." Read more

"...I was able to fit all four of my knives perfectly including an 8” Chef’s knife and my large cleaver...." Read more

"...Overall excellent for taking your favorite knives . Bear in mind that the knives need to be in edge protector sleeves." Read more

"Bought this as a present for my Chef son. He loves it. Just the right size and amount of protection for his work knives." Read more

Customers appreciate the value of the carrier bag case. They mention that it is a great product and worth the money.

"...It seems like a good value for the price ." Read more

"...I was very happy with my purchase, I felt it’s worth the money ." Read more

"...Good quality canvas and worth the money ." Read more

" Convenient case great value ." Read more

Customers find the carrier bag case simple and easy to use to keep filet and specialty knives in one place.

" Easy and durable!" Read more

"Simple and easy to use to keep filet and specialty knives in one place, secure for safe handling." Read more

" Nice and simple ..." Read more

Customers like the foldability of the carrier bag case. They mention that it folds nicely and rolls up into a nice tight roll with a little tie.

"...The bag rolled up into a nice tight roll with a little tie as advertised, for easy and safe transportation...." Read more

"...Not too stiff but not flimsy either. Folds/rolls up nicely ." Read more

"... Folds up nicely . I got this because the kitchen I work in a small and I needed a smaller bag and it works great" Read more

Customers are satisfied with the performance of the carrier bag case. They mention that it works well.

" Works well . Knives should have come with knife holder of some sort" Read more

" Works really well ..." Read more

" Works as advertised ...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the appearance of the carrier bag case. Some mention it's well made, hand washable, and still looks like new, while others say it'll get the job done but is not well designed and has poor craftsmanship.

"Excellent quality product, finish . I recommend" Read more

"Gets the job done but not well designed ." Read more

"This is a nice and simple knife roll . I wish the fabric was a little thicker but for the price I can’t complain. No problems so far." Read more

"Great idea, but poor craftsmanship . The tie straps fell off after only six months, rendering the entire thing useless...." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the durability of the carrier bag case. They mention that their knives sliced through the stitching.

" Knives went through the stitching just from being carried around." Read more

"...force within the first 36 hours of use my chef’s knife sliced through the end pocket ’s stitching...." Read more

"...knife into the pouch, no matter how gently, is the tip of the knife severs the stitching on the pocket. Worthless." Read more

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