7 Best Kitchen knives & Chef Knives: To slice, chop, mince & cut.

Whether you are a Sunday cook or a chef recognized (by your friends), it is essential to have the right equipment to achieve feats in the kitchen. And that starts of course with the purchase of a good kitchen knife , which will be the object at the base of all your preparations. To slice, chop, mince, cut, the knife will be your best ally. Whether it is to cut meat, where you will have to monitor its cooking temperature using a kitchen thermometer , but also to cut vegetables, you can quickly get lost with the number of knives available on the market. So  how do you choose the best kitchen knife?

What we will see in this guide, for which we have tested different knives, for all budgets. Best Comparatif gives you here our opinions on these different products, as well as our advice to buy the best kitchen knife.

What is a good kitchen knife?

Depending on the preparations you are used to in the kitchen, you may not necessarily use the same utensils every time. With one exception: your kitchen knife . The vast majority of cooking recipes will require that at one time or another, you grab a kitchen knife to prepare your meats, your fish, then cut your vegetables or your fruits, and thus have your basics to cook good little ones. dishes.

The kitchen knife is therefore essential, but it is not necessarily easy to choose one. When we start to look at the subject, we realize that there are many categories of knives which vary in size, function, blade, and which can be reserved for a very specific use. A sole fillet knife does not only have the function of slicing fish, for example.

And what about the origin of kitchen knives? Are Japanese knives that good? Why such a price difference between these two models? And can I use my kitchen knife to do it all, or do I have to own a complete set of knives?

To help you see more clearly, we have reviewed 7 knives and we give you our opinion here.

Best Kitchen Knife Comparison

Classic knife Wüsthof – The best kitchen knife 18 cm

We can tell you that this is the best 18cm kitchen knife, for efficient cutting, whatever the ingredients and dishes you are cooking. This is the ideal knife for cutting the right way and you should quickly be able to do without it. A very good investment therefore for a high-end knife. The know-how of the German brand Wüsthof has indeed been recognized for a long time and this knife is a fine example.

Good size (18 cm long), its blade both thin and rigid allows you to cut anything that passes or almost! Meat, fish, vegetables and fine herbs, it takes care of small and large foods. Even if they are dense or compact, they do not stand up to this steel blade with a cutting edge guaranteed for life  !

In terms of ergonomics, here too, this knife excels: it allows a good grip and is handy . For people with small hands, it can sometimes be just heavy enough to handle . Due to the fact that it is made of stainless steel, it requires only a minimum of maintenance . It is certainly easy to clean, but you can not put it in the dishwasher , if you want its sharpness to remain effective.

You should know that it does not come with a box to store it safely. To be used of course with good cutting boards to maximize its efficiency. You can also get a knife sharpener to  ensure proper maintenance of this blade every 2 or 3 months.

Imarku 20 cm – The best professional kitchen knife 20 cm blade

This kitchen knife is truly multifunctional  : thanks to its precision blade in stainless carbon steel and its ergonomic handle, it can be used both as a vegetable knife, a practical blade for slicing herbs for example, but also as a knife for peeling vegetables. potatoes, knife for meat or cold cuts and even for meat bones.

Its blade is thin, very sharp and hard , guaranteeing its formidable efficiency, even over time. Be careful, however, not to let it be handled by the youngest. It also stays shiny because it is treated to be anti-corrosion and anti-tarnish.

The handle of this knife is really pretty and well designed  : it is made to offer good support and limit fatigue when in use. Made from Pakka wood , an exotic wood that comes from Africa, it offers strength, stability and comfort at the same time. It holds well in the hand and is not too heavy and also offers a nice rendering. In addition, it comes in a nice box, which makes it even more practical.

In short, a great knife that can serve as a chef’s knife and which will quickly become essential in your kitchen, whatever your daily menu. It is easy to clean and, as we have seen, retains its shine, even over time. However, avoid putting it in the dishwasher if you want it to stay quality.

The Classic Chef’s Knife Wüsthof 26 cm – The best kitchen knife

The Wüsthof brand is a German company which since 1814 deals with cutlery. It is therefore an understatement to say that his expertise is proven, and it is not this chef’s kitchen knife that will contradict that.

Here we have a chef’s knife with a 26 cm wide, rigid blade that allows you to carve meat and cut fish, or mince any food in the simplest way. Its blade is made of stainless steel, which allows a substantial lifespan (but do not put it in the dishwasher, otherwise the edge will be damaged) and foolproof strength. In addition, state-of-the-art Petec technology from Wüsthof guarantees a high-quality cutting edge.

Its handling is also impeccable! It is a real pleasure to hold this chef’s knife in your hand and we were able to cut up all the food that came our way effortlessly. No need to force, the blade easily sinks into different foods. After a few cuts, we sharpened it again with a rifle, as recommended by the brand.

It is a high quality multifunction knife model that we have here, which in addition has a lifetime warranty.

Kai’s Santoku Knife 7

A Santoku knife is a Japanese chef’s knife, perfectly suited to all kitchen tasks. It slices wonderfully, cuts into thin strips the most resistant foods thanks to a slightly curved blade, and often has a remarkable design, in the purest Japanese tradition.

And this chef’s knife from the Kai brand is no exception to the rule of Japanese knives. To the eye, we can already see how well this object is finished: a dark wooden handle, finished with a metal seal, and on the other side an 18 cm Damascus steel blade, which perfectly follows the imposed curves. by the name Santoku.

Apart from its appearance, we quickly found that the kitchen knife from the Tim Mälzer series was very efficient in use. Its hammered blade passes easily through all kinds of food and it excels when it comes to thinly slicing vegetables or slices of meat or fish. Due to its Japanese origins, it will do wonders when preparing Asian dishes that often require great precision of movement.

Beautiful and efficient, it is a Japanese kitchen knife that totally seduced us.

Victorinox Chef’s Knife (large)

Victorinox offers a kitchen knife model here at a very advantageous price. This chef’s knife has a 25 cm blade, which makes it suitable for a variety of uses.

If the nylon handle is a bit clogged, its stainless steel blade does not, which easily penetrates the toughest fruits or vegetables. This makes preparing certain dishes so much easier! We tested it with, in particular, sweet potatoes that we wanted to transform into fries, and the result was 10 times faster than expected.

Simple, practical, and available for a small price , we can only recommend this classic kitchen knife which will meet the expectations of new chefs and those more experienced. Only complaint, the handle seems slightly fragile which does not allow us to guarantee a lifespan of several years … But if you use this knife to cook at home from time to time, then no problem!

The Shan Zu Japanese Kitchen Knives

Is it possible to find a quality Japanese knife at a low price? Well it seems that Shan Zu’s Japanese kitchen knife allows us to answer in the affirmative.

Indeed, as soon as we had it in hand, we never stopped praising this Santoku kitchen knife. The Shan Zu brand wanted to offer here a knife that everyone will like, being at the same time as sharp as a chopper, as resistant as a knife with high carbon content and as beautiful as Japanese knives should be.

Result? A very good kitchen knife, with a Damascus steel blade 18cm long and 2.5mm thick. It is designed to resist rust, and to cut and slice cleanly (without tearing food) for a long time.

Finally, its slightly curved handle allows you to grip the knife naturally and to use it simply. It is a real pleasure to hold it and prepare good recipes quickly.

In short, this Japanese Santoku knife is a very beautiful object , which will delight cooking enthusiasts and knife lovers! In addition, it is guaranteed for life!

The Nexgadget Professional Chef’s Knife

If you are looking for a very versatile knife , at an affordable price, you might be delighted to cross paths with this Professional chef’s knife.

It has all the main characteristics of a chef’s knife, with the possibility of cutting meat, fish, fruits and vegetables very easily, and an ergonomic handle in pakka wood , which allows an optimal grip in the hand .

The blade of this multifunction kitchen knife is made of stainless steel with a composition that includes 0.35% carbon and 14% chromium. This allows it to be both sharp over time but also resistant to rust and wear.

Very classic in its design – it is the chef’s knife as we imagine it – it is nonetheless pleasant to handle and well balanced. You just need to sharpen it regularly enough (with a gun or a whetstone) to allow it to cut longer.

In our opinion, it is a knife with a remarkable quality / price ratio.

Buying guide for a good kitchen knife

You have seen with the kitchen knives presented above that there are several types of knives, with different blades and varying functions. For this, it is important, before choosing the kitchen knife that will help you cook, to compare the products. For this reason, we have listed here the most important characteristics that one should find in a good kitchen knife.

The blade and its composition

This is the main element and the one that requires your attention the most. First, you will have to choose between a traditional blade, that is to say straight and classic like that of the knives of European chefs, or a more rounded blade, as can be those of Japanese knives.

Apart from aesthetics, this will also influence the precision of your preparations , since Japanese knives are known to be more precise.

For the blade, it is also worth looking at its composition. The quality and origin of the steel plays an important role. There are stainless steel knives, Damascus steel knives and carbon-based steel knives.

Stainless steel blades are the most common and the cheapest. Solid, they will not last forever and they will have to be sharpened often to succeed in maintaining an effective level of sharpness. Carbonic metal blades, very popular in Germany, are more resistant and keep their sharpness much longer. Finally, the Damascus steel blades, forged by putting several layers of metal, offer incredible resistance and remain sharp at all times.

There are now ceramic blades, very solid but which have a tendency to slip when you force too much and to break if you bend them …

Sharpness and resistance

It was mentioned that the edge of a knife must be taken into account and the time before the next sharpening also. It can be very restrictive to have to sharpen a knife after each cutting of fruit, or a piece of meat. Worse, some knives have a blade that simply does not cut.

So pay attention to this point.

The resistance is essential and will be due to the steel of the blade, but also to small details too often forgotten: the tang, that is to say the invisible part of the blade which enters the handle, will have to be as long as possible to last as long as possible. Likewise, the bolster of the knife, this thick piece of metal that binds the blade and the handle must be fixed perfectly. Better, the tang, the bolster and the blade can be forged together on the best knives, to offer resistance to all tests.

The length

Depending on how you use your kitchen knife, the length of the blade you choose may vary. The standard models offer blades between 14 and 30 cm, for the multi-purpose knives that are the chef’s knives.

For all the classic tasks in the kitchen, we recommend chef’s knives of 18cm, 24cm or even 30cm, to carry out a maximum of operations in a practical way. Be aware that there is a specific knife for each culinary achievement and that the best thing is to have all of these knives! But if you only have to choose one, take a Chef’s knife!

The making

There are 2 ways to produce quality knives : by forging them or by cutting them.

Generally speaking, professional cooks prefer forged blades , which are heavier, stronger and sharper. The handling is very easy, and these knives are known to last over time. They are forged from a single block, with part of the blade that goes into the handle, ensuring great resistance.

Die-cut blades are lighter, less strong but also less expensive. Often, knives sold in inexpensive blocks are made this way. However, a cut blade does not mean poor quality. As we explain to you here, there are several factors to consider when judging a kitchen knife.

Balance, once in hand

The balance and the grip of your knife are essential. But what do we mean by balance?

The balance between the weight of the handle and the weight of the blade must be perfect. It’s pretty subjective, but a good kitchen knife won’t tip either side or side, as if it has an ideal balance. This allows, when cutting, to put my pressure on one side or the other and not to tire yourself unduly by forcing.

In this regard, the quality of the handle is also of paramount importance in your choice of a chef’s knife: prefer stainless steel or plastic handles, with wooden handles that will quickly deteriorate when washed. The handle should be solid, and there should be no space between the blade and the handle.

Ease of use

This is a bit of a balance sheet of the previous features: by choosing the best kitchen knife, you will find that most cutting and slicing tasks are extremely easy. The handle fits in your hand, the knife cuts everything effortlessly on your part, it washes easily, is resistant to time and washing and you take pleasure in using it. This is the comfort of use: a good kitchen knife should not give you a hard time!

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a kitchen knife

Now you know how to choose a good kitchen knife, but there are still a few mistakes we wish you didn’t make. For that, here are our recommendations!

• Pay attention to sharpening: very often, users do not know how to properly sharpen their favorite kitchen knife. It is however a capital step, to maintain its cutting edge as long as possible. Moreover, it is better to carry out a small regular sharpening than to have to sharpen a blade completely.

Use a whetstone, gun, or whetstone, but it is recommended that you avoid electric sharpeners, which, if used improperly, do more harm than good to your blades. In this regard, it is advisable not to put your kitchen knives in the dishwasher, as this dulls their edge and can even sometimes eat away at the blade!

• Choose a knife that is not suited to your daily life: Do you only eat vegetables? Why buy a huge knife with a 30cm blade? Choose a very good peeler and a paring knife! Ditto if you are a big preparer of fresh meat: a chef’s knife will be a very good idea, and the price will be wise. You will combine the pleasure of cutting your meat as it should be with that of enjoying perfectly sliced ​​pieces. Fans know that it makes the difference.

To keep it simple, buy the knives that serve you the most, choosing the maximum quality, rather than opting for a pack with 25 poor quality kitchen knives that you will not use. It is estimated that an average amateur cook uses only 3 knives in his preparations: a paring knife, his chef’s knife and a peeler!

What is the best kitchen knife for you?

Now you have what to choose the best kitchen knife for you.

Simple kitchen object for some, a real companion for experienced cooks, the choice of a kitchen knife should not be left to chance, as you have seen in this comprehensive guide.

There are many criteria for choosing a good knife, and some will depend on your use of the knife. However, owning a good knife is always a pleasure , and when the time comes to prepare a beautiful recipe for your loved ones, what a joy to have a sharp blade available that will enhance your preparation.

Take the time to analyze your needs and choose the knife you like! All you have to do is put yourself in the kitchen to test it!