Best Overall: Wusthof Classic 9-Piece Knife Block Set
What We Like
- Perfectly balanced
- Sharp and hefty
- Good assortment
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive
We think these classic knives are just about perfect and worth the splurge. Forged and full tang, they feel good in your hand, are easy to control and are neither too heavy nor too light. On the chef’s knife, called a “cook’s knife” by Wusthof, there’s a rounded blade that glides when you’re lifting it to cut a carrot or onion and that can be rocked back and forth when you’re mincing a mound of parsley into confetti. Right out of the box, it’s sharp enough to slice ripe tomatoes without squishing. Yet, it also has the heft to cut a whole chicken into quarters.
The knife handles are synthetic, so they’ll never warp or splinter and will always feel smooth in your grip. In the block, you’ll find a great assortment including all the must haves plus a scissors, and a honing steel. If you run your knives along the steel at the correct and consistent angle, you can use it to “tune up” the blades, but eventually you will need to resharpen them.
Best Self-Sharpening Set: Henckels Classic Precision Self-Sharpening 15-Piece Set
What We Like
- Self sharpening
- Labeled slots
- Large assortment
What We Don’t Like
- Somewhat lightweight
As we’ve already pointed out, the best knife is a sharp knife. In the block that comes with this set each of the fine-edged knife slots has a mechanism that hones the blade every time you pull the knife out of and return it to its slot. You don’t have to worry about pulling out a steel or holding the blade at the correct angle to maintain sharpness and because you’ll be honing them regularly, you may be able to go longer before you need to put a whole new edge on your knives.
These forged well-balanced knives aren’t as heavy as the Wusthof’s, which will make them more comfortable for some cooks. The only time the light weight is a bit of a disadvantage is when it comes to hacking through an acorn squash or a chicken leg.
Each of the knives has its own designated slot. The slots are labeled to make sure you place each piece in the correct one. You get a wide array of tools in this set including a santoku, a serrated tomato slicer, and eight steak knives. However, note that there is no carving knife so if you make a lot of roasts, you can either use the all-purpose chef’s knife or invest in an additional tool.
Best Asian Knife Set: Shun Classic 5-Piece Starter Block Set
What We Like
- Very sharp
- Smooth blade
- Compact
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive
- Bread knife not included
This Shun set give you the very best in Asian knives. Crafted by hand in Japan, they’re forged of Damascus steel which is created by welding together different alloys and folding them into layers. The process leaves a beautiful swirled pattern on the blades and also gives them durability and keeps them sharp. You’ll notice the blades are highly polished and super smooth and carrots and potatoes fall away from the blades rather than stick to them.
Their construction also makes these knives expensive, which is why you get a highly-curated set. With their thin, lightweight gliding blades you can easily use them for carving or filleting a fish, but you probably won’t want to tackle a crusty loaf of sourdough or debone a leg of lamb with one of these beauties. As the bamboo block is small, it won’t take up unnecessary space on your countertop. If and when you have these knives resharpened, make sure you use a sharpener designed for Asian knives or bring them to a pro who’s familiar with them.
Best Value Set: Ginsu Gourmet Chikara Series 8-Piece Set
What We Like
- Reasonably priced
- Sharp
- Santoku included
What We Don’t Like
- Bread knife not included
Forget about those old TV ads that hawked Ginsu knives by cutting through cans and succeeded in making them a laughing stock. This brand actually makes high-quality tools from Japanese steel that sell for an unbelievable price. Not only are they sharp out of the box, they maintain their edge and they feel exceptionally well balanced in the hand. The rounded handles look a lot like the ones found on far more expensive Asian cutlery but the chef’s knife has the classic European shape that’s good for chopping and rocking and even has the heft to whack through chicken bones. For slicing vegetables or cutting meat into very thin slices for a stir fry, a santoku is included.
Best Basic Set: Misen Essentials Knife Set
What We Like
- Reasonably priced
- Contains the 3 basics
- Sloped bolster
What We Don’t Like
- Block not included
This 3-piece set is aptly named Essentials Knife Set because it contains the three knives we think you absolutely must have. With the 8-inch chef’s knife, you can not only chop, mince and slice, you can also carve a roast and debone a chicken, even whacking through bones with the heavy heel. The paring knife comes in handy for peeling an apple, taking the core out of a tomato or slicing a single clove of garlic. Every home needs a serrated knife for cutting a crusty baguette. While the knives in this set rival the ones from the well-known European brands for quality, they’re much more reasonably priced because they’re sold directly from the manufacturer.
While the edge on the chef’s knife is as thin as on an Asian-style knife for precision cutting, it has the shape of a western blade for heft. You’ll find it easily sails through a tomato, creating paper thin slices but also rocks back and forth for mincing garlic or herbs. On all of the pieces, the bolster is sloped, so you can comfortably use the pinch grip that the pros use to give them good control.
Misen specifies that these knives should be hand washed. You can choose between red, blue, black and gray for the handle color. If you like, you can purchase a 5-piece set which includes a 7.5-inch Santoku and a 5-inch utility knife. A block, magnetic strip and in-drawer storage are sold separately.
Best Design Statement: Material The Knives + Stand
What We Like
- Reasonably priced
- Contains the essentials
- Sloped bolster
What We Don’t Like
- Scalloped knife is short
Everything about this set, including the packaging, is beautifully designed. As soon as you open the box, you get the same wow feeling you experience when you unpack a new iPhone. And once you arrange the knives on the magnetic block and place them on your countertop, your kitchen gets an immediate style upgrade. However, this set is more than eye candy. The rounded matte knife handles give a good grip and the blades are well-balanced and super sharp. On the chef’s knife, there’s a sloped bolster that invites you to use the pinch grip the pros prefer. As the parer, which Material calls “the almost 4” knife”, has a rounded blade, which can serve as a mini chef’s knife for mincing garlic or just a handful of parsley leaves. Our only quibble is that the scalloped knife is only 6 inches long so while it easily slices tomatoes or a baguette, it might not make the cut when it comes to a round loaf of sourdough bread.
The stand which comes in your choice of white ash or walnut, is thin and compact; because it’s magnetic, you can place the knives anywhere on the surface. As this set is only sold from the manufacturer’s website, it’s more reasonably priced than high-end assortments from well-established brands. The knife handles are available in black, white, sage, or mocha.
What to Consider Before Buying a Knife Set
Weight and Feel
Material
Style