A knife is probably the only kitchen tool you must use every single time you prepare food. Even a stove can be optional—you can do without it to make a salad, say, or tartare, but a good chef's knife is indispensable. Humans' reliance on knives goes way, way back—some scientists say that what really made us human was the moment when, about two and a half million years ago, some pre-human ancestors used a crude stone blade to cut up a carcass. The ability to cut up meat, share it, store it, and carry it, allowed us to consume more calories and to relate to each other differently.
Our brains got bigger, our jaws got smaller, our tools got more sophisticated and our cooperation improved—the whole progression of human history sparked by the knife. Related: The Best Knife Sharpeners. There is no such thing as the best chef's knife—finding the knife that works best for you involves considering many variables, like the size of your hands, the style of your cooking, and what feels natural and comfortable to you.
Loosely, two attributes characterize a Western or hybrid style chef's knife. First, the belly of the blade is more or less curved, so that you can use the rocking chopping motion—in which the tip of the knife doesn't leave the cutting board—that's common in Western kitchens. And second, the blade edge is beveled on both sides, creating a cutting edge shaped like a "v," rather than beveled on only one side, as is traditional for some Japanese knives.
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 does get dull. And a very hard, very sharp edge can also be more delicate and brittle than a softer one, making cutting up a heavy squash, say, a little risky to the blade.
However, a knifemaker can mitigate that brittleness by adding another element to the mix: Molybdenum, for instance, is often used to give a very hard steel more flexibility. A softer steel alloy, like those used in the German tradition, might be less sharp to begin with and get dull a little faster.
But it can be easier to re-sharpen, and better for heavier-duty jobs, like splitting bone-in chicken breasts , without worry that you're going to damage the blade. Speaking very generally, harder steel is sharper and more delicate, while softer steel is tougher.
If you're shopping for a knife, you can ask where it falls on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Low to mids is on the softer end, mids to low 60s is hard. It's intensely personal. A little emotional. A little experiential. Hayward's advice? Bring a bag of overripe tomatoes with you to the knife store. All that being said, it's quite possible to narrow down the field first, to help you identify a knife that might be best for you.
I tested 14 knives over the course of two weeks. I used them in the normal course of my daily cooking, just to get to know them, and I also tested them in six important tasks: dicing an onion , slicing basil into chiffonade, slicing tomatoes , cubing butternut squash , supreming an orange , and cutting up a whole chicken.
Though I used kitchen shears to cut through the chicken ribs to separate the breast from the back, as no chef's knife is really meant to cut through bone, only through joints and cartilage. Those tasks tell you almost everything you need to know about whether a knife is nimble and sharp, sturdy and powerful, and above all, comfortable and secure-feeling.
They ranged in weight from 5. A note on keeping your knives sharp: You can buy the best knife there is, but eventually you will need to sharpen it or it will be useless. Honing a knife on a ceramic rod is not the same as sharpening; honing will smooth and maintain the blade between sharpenings. Home cooks can bring the knife to a professional or can buy a simple, plastic wheel grinder, which makes sharpening cheap, fast, and foolproof.
Like this one , which works for most chef's knives, though it is recommended for MAC. Hayward says that he likes to relax at night with a glass of wine and a whetstone and painstakingly sharpen his hundreds of knives. But, take his advice: "If you want a life, you want a wheel grinder," he said. Hayward calls this knife a "terrific all-rounder," and I agree. Made in Japan, it has a hard, super-sharp blade and a simple wooden handle that's extremely comfortable and feels secure in the hand.
It's razor-sharp for a reason—MAC's founder modeled the company's knives on razors. The blade is beveled to a very thin, very acute angle, which makes it extraordinarily sharp. The high carbon stainless steel makes it quite hard, but also has a dose of molybdenum, which lessens brittleness and makes the metal more flexible, less likely to chip.
It's light and feels balanced, with a shape that's natural and easy to control. It can chiffonade basil cleanly, without bruising the leaves at all. It effortlessly bites through tomato skin and dices an onion with ease.
It supremes an orange quickly and precisely. The combination of the razor-like blade and the familiar, comfortable blade shape and handle were, for me, what made it the very best choice overall. It is on the light side, but not the lightest of the light: It is less well suited to cutting up a whole chicken or butternut squash than the German knives, but it was the best Japanese knife for those tasks, with just enough heft to get the job done.
But just as essential as narrowing down the right type of knives for you in the sea of gadgets and accessories, is how you care for them once you start cooking. Another thing to keep in mind before knife shopping is that it all comes down to personal preference and how that option feels in your hand. That way you can customize your knife collection to suit your individual needs. There are countless knife options in every price point to consider, as well as oversized sets with flashy components, so how do you determine the best investment for your needs?
Prescott emphasizes that finding the right knife is extremely personal. Too light? This will ensure you have a good steel that will maintain a sharp edge. A higher quality knife that costs more will typically hold an edge better and last longer because it is made from a higher quality steel, adds Proto, while their less expensive counterparts are made from cheaper steel that dulls faster. Which is why Prescott advises sticking to those essential few and investing in the best quality you can afford.
Before making any purchases, stop and consider what you actually need in the kitchen. From a beloved budget-friendly chef knife to a santoku knife worth splurging on, these are the essential home knives across price points that our experts recommend investing in. And remember, you don't have to build up your knife collection overnight — a few key pieces is more worthwhile than a massive set with a wide variety of mediocre knives. This was my first knife and I still use it today.
Plus, the stainless steel blade has the convenience of being dishwasher safe for a low-maintenance option that still offers sharp precision. They are known for their durability and how long they maintain their sharp edge. Made from steel, the stain-resistant, razor sharp blade features dimples for added ease when slicing through potentially sticky foods. Used for a variety of tasks in the kitchen, from cutting meats to chopping nuts, a santoku blade typically ranges from five to eight inches long.
With an ebony pakkawood handle and Damascus steel-clad, hand-sharpened blade, this Japanese knife is equally beautiful and durable. We also especially enjoyed slicing tomatoes and cutting carrots with this knife — it was almost too easy!
This Mercer Culinary chef's knife felt good in our hand from the moment we picked it up. It felt sturdy and not too heavy. With its high-carbon, no-stain German steel blade, it effortlessly sliced through tomatoes and cut carrots — we barely had to use any pressure because the blade was so sharp! It sliced through onions very easily, too.
The Victorinox Rosewood Forged Knife doesn't just look beautiful. In our testing, it made quick work of chopping parsley, slicing tomatoes, dicing onions, and even boning a chicken. The knife's gorgeous rosewood curved handle gives you a comfy, ergonomic grip. When there's a product everyone's talking about on the internet, we know we have to get our hands on it.
The Made In 8-inch Chef's Knife did not disappoint: In addition to being very pretty to look at, it performed every cutting task well. We loved how easily it diced onions and how smoothly it sliced celery.
The Chef's Knife may be bought individually or as part of a 3- or 4-piece set. It comes in cute packaging that is not only safe and easy to open, but also instructs you how to hold the knife and how to use the entire blade like a pro. The Kramer by Zwilling J. Henckels Chef's Knife is one of the top selling knives on Amazon. We've been using the same one for years and can vouch that it stays sharp a long time between honings. It does just as excellent a job at slicing through delicate ribbons of basil as it does plowing through a rough-and-tough butternut squash.
Pampered Chef's unique bolster makes it very easy and comfortable to hold. It practically guides you to hold the knife exactly how you should by pinching the bottom of the blade. The handle sits in the center of your palm, making this knife a true extension of your hand.
This fully forged, high-carbon German steel knife cut through almost every task very easily. It also comes with a protective plastic covering, making it extra safe to store. This 8-inch chef's knife is lightweight and super sharp , which made it very easy to cut through all off the veggies in our test without tiring our hand or wrist.
Its pakkawood handle is smooth, strong, and easy to grasp with a full tang that helps it feel balanced in your hand. The blade is thin, which allows for precise cuts, and its rivets help prevent sticking; the pointy tip allows for close cuts to the bone for the neatest cuts and most yield when it comes to serving meat.
At the end of the day, finding your go-to chef's knife is largely based upon personal preference. What might feel perfectly balanced to one cook may feel heavy to another.
Here's what to consider:. The type of material affects the weight of the knife, the feel of it, as well as the price. Tang : Some knives also have a full tang, which means the blade runs through the handle and helps balance it. Bolster : How the blade flows into the handle, aka the bolster, is another point of differentiation. Some are angled, while others are straight. Our best words of advice: Look for a knife that feels like an extension of your hand and keep it sharp.
Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States.
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