Best Chef’s Knives: Top Picks for Home Cooks & Professional Chefs

June 27, 2024

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The chef’s knife is the undisputed champion of the kitchen, the workhorse you’ll reach for time and time again. It’s your go-to tool for dicing onions, chopping carrots, slicing meat, and crushing garlic. While there’s a whole world of specialized knives out there, a good chef’s knife can tackle most kitchen tasks, from filleting fish to carving poultry to mincing herbs.

Given its essential role, the chef’s knife is a worthy investment. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen tools, prioritize the best chef knives over bread knives or paring knives. While those have their uses, a quality chef’s knife is built to last, designed to be sharpened repeatedly (ideally on a whetstone), and even accompany you on culinary adventures where lesser blades might be found (we’ve all been there).

To help you find the perfect chef’s knife, we put 34 contenders to the test. While weeding out the duds was straightforward, choosing the best chef knives among the top performers proved a tougher challenge. At a certain level, the decision comes down to personal preference – how does the knife feel in your hand? Keep this in mind as you explore our findings, as many knives performed exceptionally well. We’ve also recently re-evaluated more chef’s knives, comparing them to our top picks. While our favorites still reign supreme (even after six years of testing), we’ve discovered a few more worthy contenders to recommend.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Western-Style Chef’s Knife

Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef’s Knife

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTGJZSC1

For those seeking the classic German knife profile—a heavier, more curved blade than its Japanese counterparts—the Wüsthof Classic stands as a steadfast choice among the best chef knives. Its weight, exceeding most knives we tested, lends a substantial and sturdy feel, while maintaining excellent maneuverability and a sharp edge. In the words of senior commerce editor Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, “I’d gladly call this the ‘best knife’ I own. Mine is the lilac color, and it has that perfect heft, adeptly chopping and mincing.”

The Best Western Chef’s Knife Under $50

Mercer Culinary 8-Inch Genesis Chef’s Knife

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DT1XFSQ

If you’re seeking a budget-friendly option among German-style chef knives, the Mercer Genesis is an excellent value proposition. It’s lighter than the Wüsthof Classic, offering a comfortable grip thanks to its rubber-and-plastic handle. Despite its lower price point, the Mercer Genesis doesn’t sacrifice performance, earning its place among the best chef knives for those seeking quality without breaking the bank.

The Best Budget Western Chef’s Knife

Mercer Culinary 8-Inch Millennia Chef’s Knife

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PS2XI4

If you’re on a budget or prefer a “beater” knife—one you can use and abuse without remorse—the Mercer chef’s knife is hard to beat. It may not be the absolute best chef knife out there, but it boasts an impressively sharp edge and an incredibly affordable price. It’s also a fantastic practice knife for those just starting their culinary journey.

The Best Japanese Chef’s Knife

Misono UX10 8.2-Inch Gyutou

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/Misono-UX10-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000XSX8IA

The Misono UX10, with its agile and nimble blade, is a standout among the best chef knives for its lightweight design. It arrives razor-sharp and effortlessly tackles any kitchen task, dicing onions as if they were butter and producing paper-thin slices of smoked salmon. However, it’s not the ideal choice for beginners, as its asymmetrical edge and challenging-to-sharpen steel require skill and dedication (or the assistance of a professional sharpening service) to maintain. In the words of commerce editor Grace Kelly, “I’ve been using it daily for months, and it still slices through tough produce like butter. The slender, comfortable handle is a pleasure to grip as well.”

The Best Mid-Priced Japanese Chef’s Knife

Mac Knife 8-Inch Hollow Edge Chef’s Knife

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Professional-Hollow-8-Inch/dp/B000N5H2XU

Throughout our testing, Mac knives consistently impressed us across their various price points, but one model emerged as a clear winner due to its exceptional balance of affordability and performance. The blade’s distinctive hollow-ground dimples effectively reduce friction during cutting, providing a slight advantage for specific tasks like thinly slicing delicate fish. This Mac knife stands out as a top recommendation for those seeking a high-quality, versatile chef’s knife that won’t break the bank.

The Best Budget Japanese Chef’s Knife

Misono 8.2-Inch Molybdenum Gyutou

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XT2Z2Y

Weighing even less than its pricier counterpart, the UX10, the Misono 440 delivers an exceptionally agile cutting experience with an impressively sharp edge right out of the box. It excelled in all our tests, proving itself a worthy contender among the best chef knives. The price difference between the 440 and the UX10 mainly stems from the type of steel used, a nuance most home cooks won’t perceive, making the Misono 440 an excellent budget-friendly option for those seeking a high-performing Japanese-style chef knife.

Kenji’s Pick

Misen 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Amazon link : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WRHBBK1?

To truly capture the essence of this exceptional chef’s knife, let’s turn to Kenji’s own words: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to call it: This is the holy grail of inexpensive chef’s knives. Incredible quality and design, high-end materials, perfect balance, and a razor-sharp edge.” This eloquent description perfectly encapsulates the remarkable value and performance this knife offers, making it a standout choice among the best chef knives for those seeking excellence without a hefty price tag.

Editor’s Pick

Material The 8-Inch Knife

link amazon : https://www.amazon.com/Material-Stainless-Japanese-Chopping-Razor-Sharp/dp/B0BKR9FBXH

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The Tests

A person slicing a piece of paper with a Misono UX10 8.2-Inch Gyutou — Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

Paper Cutting Test: At the beginning and end of testing, we attempted to slice through a sheet of paper with each knife, starting at the heel and moving towards the tip. The goal was for the blade to cut smoothly without snagging or tearing the paper.
Onion Dicing Test: We used each knife to dice an onion, halving it, trimming the ends, and then dicing one half coarsely and the other finely.
Tomato Slicing Test: The taut and slippery skin of a tomato makes it a good indicator of a knife’s sharpness. A sharp knife should glide through the skin effortlessly and then slice through the tomato flesh without crushing it. We aimed to slice each tomato as thinly as possible with each knife.
Carrot Cutting Test: We cut carrots crosswise into rounds and lengthwise into quarters. We also diced, julienned, and brunoise-diced them.
Salmon Slicing Test: We used the chef’s knives to thinly slice smoked salmon (admittedly a task better suited for a slicing knife, but we were looking for truly versatile blades).
Pineapple Dicing Test: Lastly, we tested the knives on a large, tough fruit. We sliced, carved, trimmed, removed the eyes, and diced a pineapple.

What We Learned

a variety of Japanese style chefs knives — Japanese chef’s knives are lighter, thinner, and straighter than their Western counterparts.Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore

If you ask 10 experts what constitutes a great chef’s knife, you’ll likely get 10 distinct responses. There’s no single “right” answer when it comes to the weight, metal, handle design, material, or blade length of a knife. However, despite individual preferences, there are some fundamental criteria to consider when selecting a chef’s knife. These include:

Japanese vs. Western chef’s knives: Understanding the differences between these styles can help you choose the knife that best suits your cutting techniques and preferences.
Sharpness: A sharp knife is essential for efficient and safe food preparation.
Balance: The knife should feel comfortable and well-balanced in your hand, allowing for precise control and minimizing fatigue.
Build quality: A well-constructed knife will be durable and long-lasting.
Length: The appropriate blade length depends on your individual needs and the tasks you’ll be using the knife for.

We’ll delve deeper into each of these factors below, providing you with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision when choosing your chef’s knife.

Japanese vs. Western Chef’s Knives

Close-up of the handle on a Misono UX10 8.2-Inch Gyutou — A Western-style Japanese knife has a straighter edge and lighter weight than a true Western one; the steel is usually harder as well, meaning a honing steel is not an effective method of maintaining the edge between sharpenings.Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

The first choice you’ll likely face is deciding between a Japanese and a Western chef’s knife. This can be confusing, so let’s clarify how we’re using these terms in this review and highlight some key distinctions.

Disclaimer: The realm of knives is intricate, with a vast array of metals, shapes, edge geometries, and construction styles that can easily overwhelm anyone. It’s important to remember that almost every general rule has an exception, and for every strongly held belief, there’s an equally passionate opposing view. To keep this review concise and avoid delving into excessive detail, we’ll focus on broader generalizations, which may inevitably involve some oversimplification.

The chef’s knife, as a shape, originated in the West. The most recognizable are German-style chef’s knives, characterized by their thicker, heavier blades with a pronounced curve towards the tip. This design is ideal for a rocking chopping motion, perfect for tasks like mincing delicate herbs. Other European knife traditions, like the French style, feature a similar design but with a slightly less curved blade.

Western knives typically have a double-bevel edge, meaning the blade tapers symmetrically on both sides, forming a fine point like the letter V. This geometry sacrifices some sharpness for increased durability. Western knives are often made from softer steel, making sharpening easier and honing a more effective maintenance technique (as the steel can be bent back into alignment more easily).

Graphic showing the shape of double-bevel, chisel, and asymmetrical knife edges — Three basic edge geometries common to traditional Western, traditional Japanese, and Western-style Japanese knives.Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Japanese knives, traditionally, don’t have a direct counterpart to the Western chef’s knife. Instead, they offer an astonishing diversity of shapes and sizes that vary regionally, each meticulously designed for specific tasks like filleting fish, cutting vegetables, or slicing sashimi.

Many of these knives are sharpened with a single bevel (also known as a chisel grind), meaning the blade tapers from the spine to the edge on only one side. This results in exceptional sharpness but also makes the blade more susceptible to chipping if misused. As a consequence of the single bevel, these knives are specifically designed for either right- or left-handed use.

Slicing thin pieces of salmon with the blade of a chef's knife — In our tests, the Japanese blades did better slicing fish. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Around the mid-20th century, Japanese knife makers began producing knives with a Western flair, including a chef’s knife called a gyutou (check out our favorite from Misono). These were the types we included in our tests. Gyutou and other Japanese knives are typically crafted with harder steel, which retains its edge longer but can also be more challenging to sharpen. They’re not ideally suited for use with honing steels due to the brittle nature of the metal, which doesn’t bend easily.

Adding another layer of complexity, most Western-style Japanese knives feature a double bevel that’s asymmetrical. This translates to increased sharpness, but it also means they’re designed for either right or left-handed use. While they’re more adaptable than traditional Japanese knives regarding handedness, left-handed users should ensure their knife is sharpened with a left-handed edge geometry.

Japanese chef’s knives also tend to have less curvature than their German counterparts, leaning more towards a French knife profile. This makes them less proficient at the rock-chop motion (although they can still be used that way) and more adept at a pulling stroke. Additionally, Western-style Japanese knives are generally lighter and more delicate, making them unsuitable for heavy-duty tasks like cutting through bones.

In our tests, they excelled at thinly slicing smoked salmon (a delicate task indeed), thanks to their thin, sharp blades that resemble slicing knives more than Western chef’s knives. This doesn’t necessarily make Western knives inferior (Japanese blades would struggle with bone-chopping), but it highlights their distinct advantages and disadvantages.

In conclusion, casual home cooks might be better served with a Western chef’s knife due to its robustness and easier maintenance. However, for professionals and enthusiasts interested in exploring edge geometry and whetstone sharpening, a Japanese knife could be a worthwhile investment.

Sharpness

Hands slicing a red onion with a Misono UX10 8.2-Inch Gyutou — Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

First and foremost, a knife should be sharp right out of the box. While skilled users with a whetstone can always refine an edge or modify its profile, that’s considered advanced knife maintenance.

In our initial sharpness tests, Japanese knives effortlessly glided through parchment paper, showcasing minimal resistance. However, several Western knives also performed admirably, slicing through the paper without issue. Any blade that snagged or tore the paper was immediately eliminated from contention (such as the Henckels and Messermeister).

Our practical tests, which involved dicing onions and slicing tomatoes, provided further insights. Blades that crunched through onions instead of making clean cuts, or those that squished tomatoes rather than producing paper-thin slices, were deemed unsuitable.

Hands slicing a red onion horizontally with a Mercer MX3 8.25-Inch Chef Knife — A chef’s knife *should* slice through an onion with ease. Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

While paper, onions, and tomatoes served as excellent indicators of edge sharpness, it took a hard, dense vegetable like a carrot to reveal any issues with a knife’s geometry. A well-designed and sharp knife effortlessly slices through a carrot, leaving perfectly flat-cut surfaces. However, knives with a wedge-shaped design or other flaws tend to crack the carrot before completing the cut, similar to how an axe can split wood even if it gets stuck halfway. The telltale sign of a crack is a rough and uneven surface on the sliced carrot instead of a smooth and even one. Notably, a model from Zwilling was eliminated from our testing due to repeatedly cracking carrots.

Balance

Hands mincing garlic with a Mercer MX3 8.25-Inch Chef Knife — Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

Balance is another crucial aspect of a knife, although it’s a subjective concept to define. It doesn’t literally mean the handle and blade should perfectly counterbalance each other on a fulcrum. Instead, it’s a more personal experience—when you hold the knife, does the weight feel comfortable in your hand? Does it feel like it works harmoniously with you, rather than against you?

Numerous factors contribute to this feeling of balance, including the size of your hand, your grip style, and how you use the knife. Some cooks prefer a handle-heavy knife, others prefer a blade-heavy feel, and some seek a knife that seems to float effortlessly between the two.

Build Quality

Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

Regardless of price, every knife should be well-crafted. The steel should be of high quality, the blade should be straight, and the handles, whether wood, resin, or plastic, should be solidly built without any gaps, damage, or other visible flaws. When a chef’s knife is made with quality materials and construction, it can be a kitchen tool that lasts for many years.

Cutting the end of a pineapple off with a chef's knife — Knives with overly long handles were no-gos. They bumped into our forearms. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

During our testing, we noticed that knives with excessively long handles would bump against our forearms while we were working, regardless of whether we were dicing an onion or slicing through a pineapple.

What Size Chef’s Knife Should You Buy?

A chef's knife on a kitchen scale, with other knives in the background — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

We focused our testing on knives with approximately 8-inch blades, which is the standard size and versatile enough to handle most tasks, even large ones like slicing through a watermelon. Anything shorter falls into utility knife territory. However, longer blades are certainly an option. For most cooks, an 8-inch blade should suffice, but some, especially those who are taller or have larger hands, might prefer a 10-inch blade.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Chef’s Knife

A person using a chef's knife to slice a tomato. — Serious Eats / Nick Simpson

Our top choices excelled in all of our tests and received high praise from numerous professionals (both right- and left-handed). These outstanding chef’s knives were sharp right out of the box and maintained their edge throughout testing, felt well-balanced in hand, provided comfortable use, and boasted well-constructed handles. All of our favorites feature 8-inch blades, although we’ve also mentioned other available sizes for each model.

Our Favorite Chef’s Knives