A quality kitchen knife set is an essential piece of equipment for home chefs. Chefs need a high-quality knife to prepare any meal. Using a high-quality sharp knife can make the chef's job faster and safer. Kitchen knives are usually composed of some patented combination of steel.
Knives are manufactured in different countries such as Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. A sharp, high-quality kitchen knife is one of the best ways to become a better home cook or a more efficient professional chef. A high-quality kitchen knife set is a sizeable investment, so when selecting a brand, consider your needs and the offerings of each specific kitchen knife brand. Wüsthof is a craft knife company based in Solingen, Germany.
The family business has been operating for seven generations. Mostly, Wüsthof sells high-end kitchen knives at reasonable prices for home cooks and professional chefs. In fact, Consumer Reports recognized Wüsthof's Classic and Grand Prix series knives as the best. Most of the company's employees work in Germany, where the knives are manufactured, but the knives are sold in more than eighty countries.
The company's trademark is a pitchfork in a circle. The company makes ten different knife series, some used by celebrity chefs such as Martha Stewart, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey. Henckels is a knife manufacturing company located in Solingen, Germany, with some additional production sites in China and Spain. The company is one of the largest and oldest knife producers in the world; specifically, Peter Henckels opened the knife company in 1731.
Henckels began selling and marketing knives in New York City, Berlin and Vienna. The manufacturing process involves forging a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, which is quenched and finished in liquid nitrogen. This differentiated process reduces metal fatigue as the blade is used. Henckels is one of the best brands of kitchen knives.
Shun Cutlery is a kitchen knife brand located in Tokyo, Japan. The company has produced various cutlery over the years, such as folding knives, razors and assorted kitchen cutlery. However, the knife has only been accessible in the Western market since 2002, and now Shun knives are sold in more than thirty countries. Shun Cutlery is a chef's favorite knife.
In 2003, the Santoku Shun Classic Hollow-Ground won the Knife of the Year award at a Blade Show. The company has won other awards over the years and has become a staple in domestic and professional kitchens around the world. Imarku kitchen knives are used by both chefs and home cooks. What differentiates these high-quality kitchen knives is that they are handmade by renowned Japanese craftsmen.
Knives are sold at reasonable prices so amateur cooks can enjoy the benefits of a good knife. It is one of the most popular brands for everyday cooking. The most popular knife is the 7-inch knife, which is a steak knife style knife made of stainless steel and designed to be multifunctional. Imarku sells 16 and 15 piece knife sets with block storage units.
The knife uses German engineering to maintain a sharp edge that makes chopping and food preparation easier. Global Cutlery is a brand of Japanese chef's knives. Global knives have black dimples on the handle that help the chef grasp the knife properly and have added aesthetic value. Blades are often sold and stored in a knife block.
Global knives are some of the best-selling knives in the country. A special feature of Global knives is the fifteen degree angle, which produces a sharper knife that allows for more precise chopping, dicing and slicing. In addition, Global Cutlery recommends using ceramic sharpening rods to keep knives sharp. Professional chefs who have used Global knives include Anthony Bourdain and Michel Roux, Jr.
Victorinox is a knife manufacturer that makes knives in Schwyz, Switzerland. In particular, Victorinox manufactures excellent Swiss knives composed of a mixture of steel from France and Germany. The company's standard bread knife and kitchen knife are Victorinox's two most popular items. Home cooks, professional chefs and the Swiss military have been using Victorinox products with pleasure for years.
Mercer Culinary Focuses on Meeting the Needs of Professional Chefs. The brand's goal is to ensure that chefs can be as efficient as possible. Mercer Culinary partners with the National Restaurant Association and the American Culinary Association. Mercer Culinary is also Barfly's home company, equipment for expert or novice waiters.
The knives are a combination of contemporary technology and specifically designed German steel. Mercer Culinary offers several types of knives such as Genesis, Renaissance and Millennia, all of which have the characteristic black handles commonly associated with Mercer Culinary. Many professional chefs use some version of the Mercer Culinary equipment. Bob became one of 120 master knifes in the United States, as appointed by the American Bladesmith Society to achieve its goal of making the best knives possible.
Bob Kramer offers custom knife options that come with a certificate of authenticity and warranty. Otherwise, knives are sold through auctions where people looking for a Kramer knife at a designated date and time are invited to participate. Follow Kramer Knives on social media to learn more about custom knives and ways to buy one of these fantastic creations. MAC knives are crafted, polished and sharpened by skilled Japanese craftsmen.
Knives are created in Japan, and knives are known for having razor-sharp edges with comfortable handles and exceptional balance. Since 1964, MAC Knives has sold more than 25 million knives. MAC knives offer more than seven different knife series, such as the Superior Series, the Chef Series and the Japanese Series. MAC knives are also sold according to purpose; for example, chefs can purchase a blade, bread knife, or sashimi knife.
MAC Knives is one of the most reputable Japanese knives on the market and is used by both home cooks and professional chefs. Having a high-quality brand of knives can improve the chef's ability to prepare food effortlessly. Using sharp stainless steel knives can improve the skill of a home cook and increase the insight of a professional chef. From Germany to Japan and Switzerland, high-quality knives are produced and sold all over the world.
From cutting vegetables into julienne strips for the quiche to cutting a perfectly roasted ribeye steak, having one of the best brands of kitchen knives makes preparing multiple dishes more fun and ultimately more successful. If you're interested in learning more about cutlery and preparing some of the most delicate creations, check out these best chef-recommended sushi knives. Erin lives in East Passyunk and enjoys visiting local restaurants in South Philadelphia and beyond. Her favorite restaurants are those with spicy food and outdoor seating so she can take her dog, Miss Piggy.
Use these meat thermometers to make sure your food is cooked to perfection. Our Review of the Latest ChefStemp Digital Meat Thermometer. Learn how to store your kitchen knives with these knife blocks and other holders. We have been independently researching and testing products for more than 120 years.
If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process A good chef's knife is key to a quick and safe prep job in the kitchen. The long blade allows chopping, dicing and chopping, as well as shredding a roasted chicken or cutting a steak for serving. They come in a variety of sizes, usually from six to 14-inch blades, so you can find one that feels best in your hand.
When buying chef knives, the two main types to choose from are German knives, which are heavy and thick, especially on the head (where the blade meets the handle) and Japanese knives, which are light and sharp with thinner blades. In addition to blade length and style, they vary in blade and handle material and the way they are manufactured, affecting feel and durability. Below you will also find more information on how we tested kitchen knives. And we're sharing expert insights on what to look for before buying a new knife for yourself or a new home cook.
This 8-inch Wüsthof chef's knife is very sharp and super versatile. It was one of the only knives in our test that could cut tomatoes, chop onions, chop carrots, bone a chicken, and create thin ribbons of basil. This classic German is fully forged and has a full tang (meaning that the metal of the blade runs all the way through the handle), helping it feel perfectly balanced and ergonomic in the hand. Dishwasher safe (a rarity for cutlery), but we recommend hand washing to extend its lifespan.
The Henckels classic chef's knife has the weight, shape and performance of a chef's knife worth splurging on, but comes at a much better price. It's an affordable, quintessential, multi-purpose tool that does a great job when chopping parsley, chopping onions, and boning a chicken. One of the sharpest knives we've ever tested, Global's Santoku is made of a single piece of stainless steel, so there are no cracks where the blade joins the handle that could trap food. The blade also has hollow indentations along the blade, so food doesn't stick together when cut.
This Japanese knife excelled at every task, but it surprised us with its ability to pierce chicken bones. Shun's beautiful chef's knife literally glides through ripe tomatoes with its sharp edge. The rounded black pakka wood handle is comfortable even for small hands to move. We think this 6-inch blade will be perfect for those who find an 8-inch knife (the most common length of a chef's knife) to feel excessive and heavy.
The 8-inch is our pick for the best overall Japanese knife, and the Premiere is another favorite that has a wider handle that fits comfortably in the hand and a sturdy, dimpled blade that cleanly cuts through food without feeling brittle. The Made In 8-inch chef's knife is pretty to look at and did all the cutting tasks well. We loved how easily he diced the onions and how smoothly he cut the celery. The chef's knife can be purchased individually or as part of a three or four piece set.
It comes in a nice package that is not only safe and easy to open, but also tells you how to hold the knife and how to use the entire blade like a pro. Victorinox forged rosewood knife is as efficient as it is beautiful. In our tests, it did a quick job of chopping parsley, chopping tomatoes, chopping onions, and even boning a chicken. The knife's gorgeous curved rosewood handle gives you a comfortable and ergonomic grip.
This chef's knife stands out for its lightweight one-piece design. The handle fits comfortably in the hand and cuts smoothly with its thin, sharp blade. Comes in three colors, including silver (pictured), matte black and shiny gold. In our tests, we were able to make thin cuts like the paper of ripe tomatoes without bruising the outside, as well as sliding through the layers of onion to dice and slice.
Its pointed tip was effective in reaching the most difficult to reach areas. This 8-inch chef's knife offers some weight but is still light compared to the western style knives we tested. It has a thin, rounded handle, similar to Japanese-style knives, but feels sturdy and natural in the hand, a pro for new cooks. We tested the knife on a variety of ingredients, such as onions, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella; we cut each one into slices with ease.
It comes in two other colors, blue, gray and almost black, and we're fans of the three-piece knife set that includes it, as well as the slim knife holder. This 8-inch chef knife is lightweight and super sharp, which made it super easy to cut all the vegetables in our test without tiring our hand or wrist. Its pakka wood handle is soft, strong and easy to grip, with a full tang that helps it feel balanced in the hand. The blade is thin, allowing for precise cuts and its indentations help prevent sticking.
The pointed tip allows cuts close to the bone for cleaner carnication and greater performance when it comes to serving meat. At the Appliances and Kitchen Innovation Laboratory, we tested more than 30 kitchen knives to find the best on the market. We tested with home cooks in mind and evaluated how well each knife cut and retained a sharpness after chopping and chopping onions, whole chickens, cooked steak, carrots, and cheddar cheese. Cut the basil into thin ribbons, the tomatoes into slices and the garlic and parsley chopped.
The most impressive knives were super sharp and made paper-thin tomato slices without any effort. Making quality kitchen knives, especially hundreds at a time, is no easy task. You need high-quality steel, skilled traders, rigorous quality control systems and, ideally, your own heat treatment facilities (a very expensive proposition). Not all knife makers are up to the task, especially many novice companies that emerge as wildflowers.
The kitchen knife brands in the list above Zwilling J, A. Henckels, Wusthof, Messermeister, Global, MAC and Shun have proven track records and lifetime warranties. Some have been making knives for hundreds of years. Top 10 knife brands are MAC Knives, Wüsthof, Zwilling J, A Henckels, Global Knives, Made In Cookware, Mercer Culinary, Korin, Shun, Victorinox and Cook Potluck.
They all use excellent quality materials, produce a range of sharp and durable knives, and there's something on this list that fits every kitchen need and budget. I would like nothing more than to be able to say: “The Wusthof Bla Blah knife is the perfect chef's knife for you. For any home cook who wants to practice their professional knife skills, this Japanese-style knife is a must have. But if one or two knives slip through the quality control of a high-quality knife manufacturer, it doesn't necessarily mean that the manufacturer's knife line is categorically inferior to another manufacturer's.
For more help in this process of finding the best knife for you, you should also check out How to Buy a Great Chef Knife. The slicing knife you would use for larger cuts of meat, such as roasts and pieces of fish, and the steak knife you would use to quickly cut around bones, whether with raw or cooked meat. If you're looking for a knife that's a little more specialized, check out the best oyster knife. The higher the chromium content in the blade, the less likely the blade is to corrode and the more durable the blade will be.
My favorite chef's knife is a tie between the Shun Elite, Bob Kramer chef's knife and the 10-inch Shun Classic chef's knife. I've always been a German knife guy (just a passionate amateur chef, definitely not professional), but ever since my old Wusthofs (bought 18 years ago) have finally reached the point where the knife sharpening service told me they wouldn't do it again last time, it's time to buy new ones. Henckels Twin Pro S 7-Piece Knife Set Henckels Twin Pro S 7-Piece Block Knife Set I have to admit it's quite hard to believe. You should be careful with any of these knives and, to be honest, I wouldn't recommend someone to buy a knife like this as their first knife.
That's why it's so important to find the best knife for you, as I explain in my article How to Buy a Great Chef's Knife. Technically, unless you cook roasts constantly, you can probably get away with using a chef's knife for these tasks; however, it's a useful knife to have on your block. There are many different ways to sharpen a kitchen knife, depending on both the knife you are sharpening and the sharpener chosen. There is no such thing as the best universal chef knife, because finding the knife that works best for you involves considering many personal variables, such as the size of your hands, the style of your kitchen, and what feels natural and comfortable to you.
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