A chef knife is more than just your typical knife. It is made to perform different slicing tasks like chopping fruits and vegetables and preparing more delicate dishes.
Finding the best chef’s knife is not easy; you have to make sure that it is made from the best quality materials as it would be used for various kitchen tasks. We listed down some of the top chef’s knives that you can find in the market right now and included a short buying guide to help you.
Best Chef’s Knife Reviews
Comparison Chart
Chef Knife – Kitchen Knife – 8 Inches Chef’s Knife – Sharp Knife Made Out Of Stainless Steel with Ergonomic Handle Protective Finger Guard – Chef Knives Cooking Knife by Home Hero
Bravedge Chef Knife Kitchen Knife Santoku Knife, Versatile Cooking Knife with 7″ Sharp Stainless Steel Metallic Paint Blade, Ergonomic Handle PP Sheath, Great Gift Choice Elegant Gift Box
1. Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Anyone who truly appreciates knives will be well aware of the Mercer Culinary brand. The brand is considered to be one of the leaders in the culinary world and comes backed with over three decades of experience.
The Mercer Culinary M22608 is an excellent chef’s knife which will become your go-to knife the minute you start using it. Let’s discuss some of its top features.
Product Highlights
The Mercer Culinary M22608 Chef’s Knife is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a knife that they can be used regularly. It is made using non-staining Japanese steel that resists corrosion, rust, and discoloration.
Additionally, it is precision-made for durability and strength. Thanks to its razor-sharp edge, it makes chopping and cutting a piece of cake. Best of all, the knife is equally easy to maintain.
What’s particularly great about this knife is its handles. The Mercer Culinary knife comes with an ergonomic handle that is made from Santoprene for excellent comfort and polypropylene for durability.
If that’s not enough, it also comes with textured finger points that provide the knife with slip resistance and superior grip. As an added security feature, the handle gently widens where it meets the blade so that your fingers are protected.
This eight-inch knife is available in a plethora of colors and is NSF certified as well. As an icing on the cake, the makers of this knife have offered a limited lifetime warranty too.
What’s to like about the Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
There’s a lot to like about this knife but, to sum up, the knife is made using superior quality materials that are not only long-lasting but also easy to maintain. Furthermore, the knife is certified by the NSF and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
What’s not to like about the Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
The only downside to this knife is that it needs to be sharpened a bit too often than you would like.
PROS
- Easy to maintain
- Made using superior materials
- Features ergonomic handles
- Safe to use
CONS
- Needs to frequently sharpened
2. HomeHero Chef Knife
This is a premium chef knife made by HomeHero. It is a great chef knife that can provide both comfort and function.
Product Highlights
The HomeHero Chef Knife has a blade made from an eight-inch premium-quality stainless steel. The blade itself is very durable and comes with a TPR-protected polypropylene handle. With these two main parts, this chef knife is guaranteed to last for a long time.
This chef knife also features an ultra-sharp cutting edge that would make it easier for you to slice and dice ingredients. It has a curved, 1.5-mm-thick blade with a non-stick coating that would prevent the food from sticking to the blade.
The HomeHero Chef Knife is made from rust-resistant steel, which means that rust stains can be prevented even after using it for several years. It can retain its sharpness for a long time and will not get dull easily.
HomeHero also offers a full refund if you are not satisfied with the knife. They provide a 100% money-back guarantee on their products.
What’s to like about the HomeHero Chef Knife
The best thing that you would like about the HomeHero Chef Knife is its ergonomic handle. It is very comfortable to use and fits perfectly in your hands. The blade is extremely sharp and won’t require regular honing or sharpening.
What’s not to like about the HomeHero Chef Knife
The only thing that you would not like about it is the lightweight handle. The handle should have a bit of weight so that there won’t be a lot of pressure on your hands when using the knife.
PROS
- Money-back guarantee
- Extremely sharp
- Ergonomic handle
- Non-stick blade
CONS
- Lightweight handle
3. Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is an amazing knife that can make your food preparation faster and more comfortable. You can work on different types of food without having any problems because of its sharp blade.
Product Highlights
The blade of the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is stain-resistant. Even if you slice or chop colored fruits and vegetables, the stainless steel will be able to resist discoloration. It is also easy to maintain, and the high-carbon stainless blade can be honed with just a few strokes. The blade also has amazing edge-retention, so you won’t have to sharpen it regularly.
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife became popular because you can use it to skin fruits and vegetables with amazing precision. In fact, the super-sharp edge allows you to cut almost any type of food.
This chef’s knife also has an ergonomically designed handle. Even if you are cutting hard food items, your hand won’t feel numb or uncomfortable. The handle provides enough comfort to prevent your wrist and hand from hurting and a firm grip even if the handle is wet.
This is made from the best quality materials to make sure that the knife will last for a long time. The materials are also corrosion-resistant, so you won’t have problems slicing or chopping acidic foods.
What’s to like about the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is extremely flexible and can be used for almost all types of tasks. The blade is solid enough to chop hard meats, and you can also peel fruits and vegetables with amazing precision.
What’s not to like about the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife
The only issue with the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is the lightweight handle. The handle is comfortable to use, but it is made from lightweight plastic material, which makes the weight imbalanced.
PROS
- Stain-resistant blade
- Extremely sharp blade
- Ergonomically designed handle
- Proper length for increased versatility
CONS
- The handle is too lightweight
4. Bravedge Chef Knife
Bravedge is considered one of the most popular manufacturers of quailty kitchen knives They have been in this industry for more than 20 years, and they are devoted to developing various products that improve the lives of their consumers. The Bravedge Chef Knife is one of their finest creations.
Product Highlights
The Bravedge Chef Knife is known for its durable and sharp high stainless steel blade. It has a metallic-painted double-bevel blade that is lightweight, non-stick, and extremely sharp. The blade spine has a moderate thickness to make sure that the knife is well-balanced.
This knife also features a comfortable ergonomically designed wood grain handle. It is extremely comfortable to use and fits in your hand perfectly. Your hand won’t ache even after using it for a long time.
The weight of the handle is also balanced and directly complements the blade of the knife. This means that you won’t have to put too much pressure when slicing or chopping.
The knife is available for left- and right-handed people. What’s more, you can clean it in the dishwasher. It comes with a PP sheath and arrives in an elegant gift box, which makes it a great gift option for your friends, parents, lover, and more.
What’s to like about the Bravedge Chef Knife
The best feature of the Bravedge Chef Knife is its lightweight and sharp blade. It can easily slice through soft and hard food items, which makes it a good choice for general slicing and chopping tasks. The unique and modern design is also a plus.
What’s not to like about the Bravedge Chef Knife
The only issue with the Bravedge Chef Knife is edge-retention. You might need to hone the knife regularly to make sure that it will stay sharp for a long time.
PROS
- Has a sharp double-bevel blade
- Non-stick blade
- Features a woodgrain handle
- Available for right- and left-handed users
CONS
- Requires frequent honing
5. AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife
The AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife is an elegantly designed chef’s knife that combines appearance and functionality into one. This is a popular chef knife not only because of its design but also because it is made from the best quality materials.
Product Highlights
The AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife has been a top choice for home chefs and professionals for a long time because of its amazing performance. It has a durable and razor-sharp blade that can effortlessly chop and slice different types of food.
This is an eight-inch chef’s knife made from the best quality stainless steel with high carbon content. The blade is extremely sturdy, with about 0.6% to 0.75% carbon content. This makes it more durable compared with other knives.
This knife also has a non-slip handle, which is a great help when slicing and dicing ingredients because you won’t have to worry about the knife slipping from your hands. It will help prevent painful injuries and will speed up food prep time.
Moreover, this knife arrives in an exquisite gift box, which makes it the perfect gift for different occasions. The manufacturer also offers a lifetime warranty along with a 100% money-back guarantee.
What’s to like about the AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife
The best thing about the AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife is its high-carbon blade. If you want a sturdy knife, this is the best choice because it has twice the amount of carbon compared with other blades. It will not easily break or chip after slicing or dicing hard ingredients.
What’s not to like about the AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife
The only problem with the AUIIKIY Professional Chef Knife is corrosion. Since it has a high carbon content, it is more prone to rust. This can be resolved by cleaning the knife carefully after every use.
PROS
- Extremely sharp edge
- Durable blade
- Non-slip handle
- 100% money-back guarantee
CONS
- Low corrosion resistance
Buyer’s Guide
The search for the best chef’s knife doesn’t have to be stressful, but you need to be very picky to make sure that you only spend your money on something worth it. You have to remember that the knives will be used directly on the food that you are preparing, so choosing the right one is very important.
Below, we listed some of the things that you need to consider when buying a chef’s knife. In this way, you are able to make a well-informed decision.
1. Weight
The weight of the knife plays an important role in the comfort that you will get while using it. In a sense, a heavier chef’s knife is better because it provides more force when slicing or chopping. Then again, a lighter knife will allow you to maneuver the knife freely and use it skillfully.
You cannot simply buy a heavy or lightweight knife, though. Instead, you need to look for a knife with proper balance. It should not be too heavy and not too light, as well. The best thing to do is to try several knives and see what type of weight is ideal for you.
When buying a knife, check the weight first and try using it. Make sure that you take note of the weight, and once you found the right weight, you can buy a specific knife within that weight range.
Always put your comfort first when looking for the right weight. If it feels uncomfortable using it, choose a lighter or heavier knife.
2. Balance
This particular factor is directly related to weight because the weight of the knife can affect the balance of the knife. The first thing to do is to grip the knife by its handle and try using it. If it is uncomfortable to use, it means that the balance of the knife is not for you.
Always remember that an unbalanced knife will make you work harder when slicing ingredients. It will put more pressure on your hands, causing it to hurt only after a couple of minutes of slicing.
The side-to-side balance should also be observed. This is to make sure that the blade will not be unstable when you are chopping or slicing.
3. Size
There are a few discussions when it comes to the size of the blade. The size of a chef’s knife may range from six inches to as long as 12 inches. Professional chefs are actually using 12-inch blades, but it is mainly because they already have experience in using it.
For home cooks, 12-inch blades won’t be a good choice as these would be very hard to use. Seven- or eight-inch blades would be a better option as they are more versatile and allow you to maneuver the knife with ease.
Smaller knives with six-inch blades might be a good choice if you need more agility. What’s more, it can also work like a paring knife. However, this kind of knife is a bit short when slicing through something bigger.
4. Blade Material
There are a lot of different blade materials used for a chef’s knife, and you cannot really pinpoint the best one among the rest. The blade materials all have different benefits and disadvantages. Hence, you will have to rely on your preference when it comes to the material.
Most chef knives are made from 1055 steel. It has about 0.55% carbon and manganese. It has high carbon, but it is not high enough to cause problems regarding corrosion. It is extremely hard to break and also provides excellent edge-retention.
The 1095 high carbon steel is almost the same as the 1055 steel, but it doesn’t have manganese. The carbon content is significantly higher than the 1055 steel, with about 0.95%. It is extremely sturdy and is very hard to break even when slicing tough ingredients.
The 4116 Krupp is also a popular type of stainless steel produced in Europe. It is used for high-end knives, medical equipment, and top-of-the-line kitchen knives. It provides a perfect balance when it comes to edge-retention, toughness, and rust-resistance.
5. Handle Material
Like blade material, handles can also be made from different materials, and they all have pros and cons, as well. Most handles are made of plastic materials, but there are some that are made of wood, as well.
Here are the best handle materials for a chef’s knife:
- Wood
Wood is traditionally the best knife handle material. It is extremely durable and looks very attractive at the same time. The handle can be made from different types of wood.
- Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon
This is a very inexpensive and strong material that will not require any maintenance. It is a cost-effective option that can be mass-produced easily. Although it is not as sturdy as the other handle materials, this is a good choice if you have a tight budget.
- G-10
This kind of handle material is a fiberglass resin laminate. Layers of fiberglass are actually soaked in resin, and they are compressed and baked. This is the most popular handle for chef knives.
6. Price
The price of the chef knife is not really an issue. Choosing the price should depend on your own budget. You should never buy a knife that is too expensive if you are only using it for your home.
If you plan to buy knives for your restaurant, you need to look for the best quality knives. More often than not, expensive ones are definitely worth the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of you probably have a lot of questions about chef knives, so we will try to answer some of them below.
1. What size chef knife should I buy?
The size of the knife you choose depends on a few things. First, you need to choose the size based on what you want to use the knife for. If you plan to use it for slicing and dicing small ingredients, a six-inch blade will do.
If you are a professional chef, you should buy something with a longer blade. Eight- to 12-inch blades are usually the best choice for chefs. This is because they often slice larger ingredients when they are cooking.
For home cooks, seven- to eight-inch knives are already a good choice. These would already allow you to slice different sizes of ingredients.
2. What brand of knives do professional chefs use?
Bravedge, Victorinox, HomeHero, and Mercer Culinary are some of the popular manufacturers of chef knives in the market. There are more brands to consider, but it would depend on your preference.
If you have been using a specific brand in the past, you might want to stick with that if you don’t have any issues with it. It is always better to use a specific brand that you are comfortable using.
3. What knives are in a chef’s kit?
A chef requires different types of knives. Unlike home cooks, chefs use different types of knives depending on the slicing job that they need to accomplish.
A chef should always have a total of six knives:
- Chef’s knife
- Paring knife
- Bread knife
- Utility knife
- Carving knife
- Boning knife
4. What is the difference between a chef knife and a Santoku knife?
The main difference between a chef knife and a Santoku knife is the cutting technique applied when using them. Chef knives have a high blade, which is about four to five centimeters. With this, you can use your fingers to hold the ingredients against the side of the blade.
Santoku knives are used in a different manner. The flat blade of the santoku will not rock on the cutting edge, so you have to hold the handle and cut by moving from back-up to down-front.
5. What is the most versatile of all kitchen knives?
Of all the kitchen knives, chef knives are the most versatile because they can be used for almost any type of cutting and slicing jobs.
Final Verdict
Choosing the best chef’s knife can be a bit time consuming, but spending time to find the best one is totally worth it. If you are using the best knife, you won’t have a hard time slicing and dicing ingredients. What’s more, you can save time in preparing the food.
