Top 5 Best Kitchen Knife Sets
Updated November 2019
A good knife set is a must have for any cooking enthusiast because the blades included help you get the sharp and precise cuts that you need when working with fresh produce, meats and other ingredients. Most sets come with a pair of poultry shears that work just as well as cutting pizza slices as a pair does to cut through a turkey. The included knife block, which most manufacturers make from wood, protects the blades in between uses and keeps the edges sharp. You’ll also find sets made from metal that is safe for cleaning in the dishwasher and sets that come with an added knife sharpener.
After reviewing and comparing 29 different different kitchen knife sets, we chose what we considered to be the five best.
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Best Overall: Wusthof Classic 8901-1BL 7-Piece Kitchen Knife Set
The Wusthof Classic 8901-1BL is our top pick and we give it our highest recommendation. Made in Germany, every individual knife in this set is meticulously polished and buffed by hand and the blades are made extremely durable and sharp through the use of Precision Edge Technology. The handles on the knives are made out of a fade-resistent, ultra durable synthetic material that are held together by three rivets.
In order to create a smoother transition between the handle and high-carbon blade, Wusthof added a bolster made out of stainless steel, which also helps to extend the life of each knife. This set includes a smaller paring knife that is perfect for removing the peel from an apple and an 8\" bread knife with a serrated edge that can through the fluffiest and thickest of loaves without tearing the bread. You also get a serrated utility knife, prep knife and, of course, a chef's knife.
Incorporating a classic design, the Wusthof 8901-1BL also comes with a pair of poultry shears that fit nicely inside a dedicated spot in the included knife block. If you ever used kitchen shears before, you'd know that many of them can be hard to use. Also called poultry shears because of how easily a pair can cut through poultry (and even bones), the pair that comes with this set has a break apart design that makes the shears easier to use and even easier to clean. And to protect your investment, Wusthof provides a lifetime warranty on each knife set.
J.A. Henckels International Forged Premio 19-Piece Kitchen Knife Set
With 19 pieces included, the J.A. Henckels Forged Premio is another high-quality knife set that comes with pretty much every type of knife that you'll ever need in the kitchen, as well as specialty tools designed for use with certain ingredients.
Each knife in this set has a forged blade and a tang made entirely from metal that runs from the tip of the knife down to the handle, which increases both the lifespan and strength of the knives. The handles on the knives have a triple rivet design that uses three rivets evenly spaced across the surface to ensure that the handle stays together.
One reason so many people like this knife set is because it comes with eight steak knives, which is a full set. You’ll have enough knives for each member of your family or for guests who come over for a special occasion. Each of the steak knives has a serrated edge that can cut through thick cuts of meat easily without leaving behind any jagged edges.
In addition to the steak knives, you also get other tools for cooking like a 3" paring knife with a hollow edge. This hollow edge keeps the weight of the knife down, allowing you to more easily maneuver it around a piece of fruit or vegetable.
Best Value: Chicago Cutlery 1119644 Fusion 18-Piece Kitchen Knife Set
If you’re looking to get the best "bang for your buck," look no further than the Chicago Cutlery Fusion. This is a good, middle-of-the-road value knife set that uses strong, high-carbon steel blades, and comes with a set of steak knives that cost much less than similar sets do.
Along with your standard kitchen knives, this Chicago Cultery set also comes with a paring knife, slicing knife, santoku knife and a partoku knife. These knives are general purpose blades that you can use for most cooking jobs, including thin slicing of vegetables and the removal of bones from meat.
A feature that many people will love about this set is its contemporary and modern design that incorporates shiny metal with modern black accents. Each handle has a curved shape that has a sort of ergonomic design for enchanced comfort and grip. The included set of eight steak knives use an all silver and metal design.
The contemporary design also carries over into the design of the wood block itself. Unlike square and rectangular blocks that can look dull and boring, this one has rounded edges that help reduce its footprint.
4Ginsu 07112DS Gourmet Chikara 12-Piece Japanese Kitchen Knife Set
The Ginsu Gourmet Chikara is another good choice if you're looking for a decent knife set at a reasonabe price. What's unique about the knives that come with it is that they are made out of Japanese forged steel, which is known for its durability and ability to keep a sharp edge. And what's more, this steel is used in all parts of the blade, from the tip all the way down to the tang on the handle.
One thing that Ginsu is known for is designing knives with good balance, which you'll be able to feel as soon as you pick up one up. They fit comfortably in both your right and left hand, and the balance keeps the knife from slipping and sliding when used on certain ingredients, as well as helping you make more accurate and deliberate cuts.
You might remember Ginsu for the knives that it once sold on television, but this modern knife set comes with newer features that make it suitable for just about any home. Consumer Reports even named this set one of its Best Buys in five different years, which is quite impressive.
5Best Budget Model: Cuisinart C77SS-15PK 15-Piece Kitchen Knife Set
The Cuisinart C77SS-15PK is a great choice for college students in their first apartments and anyone else in need of a decent knife set who are strapped for cash. Don't expect them to last anywhere near as long as some of the higher end knife sets out there, like the Wusthof or J.A. Henckels on our list, but you really won't find a better set in its price range.
Perhaps the best feature of these knives is that each one has a hollow handle. Standard knives have a filled or solid handle that makes them heavier, which can make them more difficult to use. The hollow handles on these knives reduce their total weight, allowing you to cut or chop with greater ease while placing less strain on your hand and wrist. This hollow design also changes the balance of the knives and helps push the heavier blade down towards your cutting surface.
In addition, Cuisinart designed each knife handle to have an ergonomic design. When you hold one, you’ll notice that the handle has multiple curves that follow the curves of a palm inside a closed fist. This helps you keep your grip on the handle and also reduces the risk of your hand slipping off.
Kitchen Knife Set Buying Guide
While some people will tell you that you can get by with just a few knives instead of a knife block, these sets come with some benefits that standard knives don’t have. Those benefits include:
- Providing you with more tools for all your cooking jobs
- Keeping the blades safe from wear and tear and other types of damage
- Coming with optional accessories like a sharpener for those blades and/or a set of shears
Though you might think that most sets are exactly the same or quite similar, you will quickly find that some sets come with different features and types of knives. You can take a look at some of the top things to look for as you shop for a knife set for your own kitchen.
Included Knives
Start with a look at the type of knives that come with the set that interests you. You’ll also want to think about the type of foods that you cook and the ingredients you usually use to make sure that you buy knives that you’ll actually use. Buying a set just because it comes with lots of knives is a mistake because it’s like throwing away money. Some of the best knives include:
- chef’s knife
- all-purpose knife
- bread knife
- paring knife
An all-purpose knife has a blade length of around five-inches long and can handle most of the tasks that home chefs do. A chef’s knife has a longer blade and lets you put more force behind your cuts. This type of knife is good for chopping, slicing and cutting. Paring knives are among the smallest and often have a sharp tip that you can slip under a peel. If you bake bread at home, you’ll want a bread knife with a serrated knife that cuts the bread without tearing it.
Other types of knives that you may need include a butcher knife, a carving knife and a filleting knife. Carving knives are longer and thinner and designed for cutting even slices from larger pieces of meat. With a filleting knife, you can more easily remove thin and small bones from meats. Butcher knives have a wider blade that is good for chopping but harder to control.
Material
Looking at the blade material is the best way to find out how long the knives will last. Those that use a harder type of steel like high carbon steel will come already sharpened and ready to use. You might notice that the sharpness of the blade dulls very quickly though. The harder the steel is, the less sharp it will remain over time. This means that you’ll need to sharpen the blade more often. Softer steels may require sharpening to reach the edge that you want but will retain their sharpness longer.
Blade Formation
Blade formation is a term that refers to the way in which the manufacturer forged or made the blade. Most of the cheaper and more affordable sets that you see use stamped steel. The manufacturer will lay down a sheet of steel, place a template over the top and use the template to cut several blades at the same time. While these knives are suitable for new chefs and those just starting out, stamped steel doesn’t work well in most homes. The blades are more lightweight but are also much weaker than forged blades. With forged blades, manufacturers take a piece of thin steel and bring it up to a high temperature. They keep bending the sheet over and over again and increasing the temperature to forge the metal together. This creates a thicker blade that gives you more control. Forged blades will last twice as long or even longer than stamped blades do.
Balance
Checking the balance of a knife lets you see how easily you can use it. When you hold the knife in the palm of your hand, it should remain in one place. If it’s not perfectly balanced, the blade or the handle will lean to one side. Having a heavier blade is good for some home chefs because this keeps the blade near your work surface and away from your hand. Once you have more experience though, you’ll want one with better balance that lets you move the knife in different directions.
Cleaning
Consider how easily you can clean those knives too. Not all sets are dishwasher safe, and those that are will require that you clean the knives in a separate basket. Dishwasher cleaning can warp the blades on cheaper knives and leave behind scratches on more expensive models. You even risk the end chipping off. Some models made from a higher quality of stainless steel have a slick surface that allows ingredients to slide right off. These knifes are easily to clean and may only require a quick wipe down.
Handle Design
Pay close attention to both the design and the material used in the handle. Most knives come with a wood handle, but you’ll also find those that feature a plastic handle or one made from a similar material. Handles that are more lightweight are easier to use and may last longer too. You’ll also want to ensure that the handle has multiple bolts or pieces holding it together. Most manufacturers use two pieces to make the handle and use the bolts to secure the handle to the end of the blade. If it has less of these parts, the handle can come apart.
Included Tools
Read the description carefully to find out what other tools or accessories come with the set. You’ll often see sets described as having 10 or 19 pieces, but one of those pieces is the knife block itself. This block will have dedicated spots along the front that hold the knives in place and protect the blades from damage. Some use holes designed specifically to fit with certain models of knives in that set. This ensures that each tool has its own spot.
The tools that come with these sets may include steak knives. Unlike standard knives that have wider and longer blades, steak knives have thinner blades that are shorter too. Many have serrated edges that cut through steaks and other types of meat faster. Depending on the set that you buy, you may get four or eight steak knives or none at all.
Other accessories often found in these sets include kitchen shears and knife sharpeners. Kitchen shears look similar to ordinary scissors but have sharper blades. Some come with serrated blades too. These blades work with other materials that scissors cannot. With a knife sharpener, you can more easily maintain your knives and keep the blades sharp. The best sharpeners have a large handle that helps you keep it firmly in hand as you sharpen the blade.