The Top Chefs Knives to Own
Nailing the purchase of a trusty Chefs Knife is one of the first steps for establishing cooking mastery. Consider the chefs knife as your de-facto arm in the kitchen. It’s a highly versatile blade that can cut just about anything, and chances are pretty high that you’ll use the chefs knife in almost any food prepping task.
If you’re planning on cooking every day, plan on using your chefs knife every day, too. A well maintained chefs knife should last you a long time, so it’s important to nail this purchase. You won’t want to pick up a knife that dulls or chips easily. But the process of deciding which knife to invest in can be exhausting, and there’s a ton of different brands to choose between.
We looked at some of the top knives on the market to help cut through the clutter. It’s important to understand that not all knives are created equally. The most important aspect of any knife is the sharpness, handling capability, balance, size, and of course the price! While the blades of chefs knives usually range between 6-9 inches long, we tested (and prefer) blades along the 8 inch variety.
Here are our picks for the top 5 Chef Knives on the market.
The number one chefs knife on our list comes curtesy of non other than Wusthof. It’s no surprise that this legendary German knife maker makes the most well rounded and balanced chefs knife on the market. The 8 inch knife is a true kitchen workhorse. While the blade is heavy and thick, you can rest assured that the size does no compromise it’s world class handling and maneuverability. The blade is powerful enough to cut through tough and heavy items with ease, but also precise enough to handle delicate tasks.
The Wusthof 8 inch chefs knife was also amongst the sharpest blades that we tested, a major bonus when coupled with its versatility. The $150 price tag is standard for a high quality blade, and all things considered this knife is a bargain. From its productivity, durability, and ability to preform cutting, chopping, and slicing at a high level, this knife can be trusted by amateur and professional grade chefs for years.
If you’re looking for a lightweight chefs knife that provides supreme handling and maneuverability, the 8 inch Global chefs knife is the way to go. Weighing just 7.8 ounces and equipped with a unique no-slip grip, this knife can be comfortably wielded by anyone in the kitchen. That, coupled with the razor sharp blade, make this knife perfect for delicate tasks.
The price ($110) is also an attractive jumping point for such a reliable knife. It stays remarkably sharp, and the knife’s light weight doesn’t impede it from performing admirably when chopping and cutting heavier items. The unique yet simple design and ease of use make this a favorite of professional chefs – for good reason.
If you’re looking fora knife equal parts functional and beautiful, this 8 inch chefs knife by Shun is the way to go. A meticulously crafted, well balanced knife that sacrifices nothing, this blade is well balanced, light weight, and insanely sharp. The knife is comfortable preforming all types of tasks; from slicing and dicing, to mincing, to chopping and boning. It’s surprisingly durable for such a light weight blade, and the wooden handle provides well balanced, non-slide handling.
A mid priced option at $150, this knife is a true statement piece that we consider a bargain. Japanese knives are known to be top quality, and the Shun 8 inch blade is simply no exception.
MAC, the makers of this blade, fancy themselves as the makers of the “worlds sharpest knives”, and for good reason. With a design inspired by razor blades, this comes in as one of, if not the, sharpest blade that we tested. In fact, this chefs knife was the best in terms of slicing. The dimpled ridges on the blade of the knife help grip slippery and wet items like fruit or poultry.
The blade is light weight but well balanced, and despite it’s razor sharp blade, is durable enough that you won’t have to worry about chips and dings when handling tougher prep tasks like boning. Usually available for purchase between $150-175, it’s a reasonably priced chefs knife that will last forever, and get almost any job done.
If you’re not looking to break the bank, this chefs knife from Victorinox is an excellent choice. The makers of the iconic swiss army knife, their kitchen blades provide exceptional value at around $50. While this clocks in at the cheapest (and biggest bargain) option on our list, the knife itself provides unparalleled value. It’s a no frills blade that’s still razor sharp, and the plastic handle is well balanced and non-slip for great handling, even when wet.
While we wouldn’t recommend to use the dishwasher to clean any blade, it should be noted that this knife is technically dishwasher safe. So if you’re OK with the possibility of some slight chips or scratches, it allows for pretty easy cleaning. We don’t consider this knife to be a life-time investment, but if properly maintained it should last many years, and can be counted on as a trusty and versatile every day knife.
