Best Kitchen Knife Sets Reviewed & Rated for Quality

In a Hurry? Editors choice:
 Mercer Culinary Genesis
Test Winner: Mercer Culinary Genesis
Amazon Link
I know it seems like a no brainer but you need a good set of knives. Ask a chef if they have their own knives, and they'll say: Yes of course." It would be like playing golf with someone else's clubs. There are plenty of different sets that you can pick from and they have a wide variety of different price points. The higher priced knives are more durable and will stay sharper for longer periods of times. Of course, there are plenty of inexpensive ones sold that will also hold a good sharp edge as long as you take good care of them.

Standout Picks

 Mercer Culinary Genesis
Mercer Culinary offers a set of knives that are a great middle of the road option. They are made of high-quality steel that will stay sharp and look new for a long time. You will love the well-designed handle that is fastened to each of the knives that allows you to grip them securely and comfortably at the same time.
Amazon Link
$44.08
 Wusthof Classic Slim
Here is a full collection of knives that make an excellent addition to any cooking area. They are a premium collection and have excellent features that make them long lasting and usable at the same time. All of the handles have three rivets so that they do not detach from the blades and the blades are made with high-quality steel that lasts.
Amazon Link
 Cuisinart Advantage
Cuisinart is a brand that is well known in any kitchen. It is associated with quality and makes plenty of smart choices when they are designing their products. This collection of knives is a great example since they have a high-quality edge that stays sharp and also is coated with a non-stick surface. The colors also look great and protect you from illness.
Amazon Link
$22.13
 Victorinox
This collection of knives is made by the same company that brought you the Swiss Army Knife. Each of the knives is made for professional cooks and chefs so you can trust that they will last a lifetime and stay sharp. All of them are stamped with the seal of the NSF so that you can trust that they are sanitary.
Amazon Link
$37.77
 Vremi Colorful
This is a colorful collection of essential knives for your kitchen. You can use them for any task that you may need to perform during food preparation. They are great for carving, slicing, and chopping. You can also pick out each of the knives easily thanks to them being color coded. All of them will last thanks to the blade guard.
Amazon Link
 Chicago Cutlery Fusion
You will love the high quality that you get from the well known Chicago Culterly. This is a full collection of knives that includes knives for preparation as well as eating. All of them are long-lasting thanks to the high-quality handles and the carbon steel that is used to make the blades. This is a set that you will love for years.
Amazon Link
 Stone Boomer
This is an amazing collection of knives for your cooking area. It has a modern design that allows them to look great while they are stored on your countertop. All of the knives that you need for food preparation are included in this collection which means that you have everything you need to prepare the perfect meal for yourself or guests.
Amazon Link
 Utopia Kitchen
The Utopia Kitchen 12 piece knife collection includes a variety that should cover your every food preparation need. The knife set is in an acrylic see-through stand that allows you to see what knife you are selecting.
Amazon Link
 Zwilling J.A. Henckels
You will want to check out this product if you need a full collection of knives. It features a special formula of steel that will help all of the blades last for a long time. All of them were polished and sharpened by hand at the factory so that you can trust the quality of the steel used to make these knives.
Amazon Link
$344.34
 Ginsu Gourmet Chikara
This is a brand of Japanese kitchen knives. They are made of forged steel from Japan and are extremely well balanced. You will love how each of these knives feels in your hand while you are preparing food for a meal. When you are done, you can wash them by hand easily and then store them in the wooden knife block.
Amazon Link
$129.00

Criteria Used for Evaluation

Features

The handle matters because it is what you are going to hold onto while you are using the knife. For this reason, you are going to want to make sure that you are comfortable with the handle and make sure that it is something that you like. There are a couple of things that you can look for to make sure that you have a good handle on your knife. The first one is to make sure that the handle is strongly attached to the blade. The premium knives have rivets that are used to connect the handle and the blade and such designs tend to be more durable. Less expensive knives have a handle that is made of the same piece of metal as the blade or the handle is glued onto the blade. Both of these designs are more likely to snap and break.

Another characteristic of a well-made knife handle is that it has a non-slip surface. This is important because you may have wet hands while you are preparing food. Knife handles are made out of various types of materials, including wood, plastic, metal, and synthetic materials. A slippery handle can cause you to lose control of the knife which can lead to serious injury. It can also result in you dropping the knife on the floor and contaminate it. The best handles have grips that will allow you to maintain a firm hold on the knife even when your hand or the handle is wet. Handles made of wood or rubbery surface will ensure a better grip if your hands are wet when using your knives. Finally, you should check to make sure that the knife handle has a comfortable grip. If the handle is too hard, then it won’t be comfortable for you to hold onto the knife while you are using it. Many brands of knives have softer grips that are easier on your hands.

Materials

There are two different common manufacturing processes that are used to make knives. One is forged and the other is stamped. Forged blades cost more to make but also tend to last much longer than stamped blades. Forging refers to the process in which steel is heated up and then it is beaten into shape. This makes the blade strong and sturdy since all of the molecules in the steel are properly aligned. Furthermore, blades that are forged tend to bend less and are also less likely to break. However, forging requires more time and energy since the metal has to be heated up and beaten into shape until it is ready. You will need to keep in mind that there are some knives that are advertised as forged when they are made with a different process. It can be hard to detect the knock-off so you will need to be careful and verify that a forged blade is really forged.

Stamped blades cost a lot less because they are made with a piece of steel that is cut by a cookie cutter like a machine. Due to the lack of beating the blade with a hammer, the blade does not have a bolster or a heel and isn’t as strong as forged. However, the process takes less time and energy which is why stamped blades are inexpensive to make. There are plenty of high-quality knife sets that work as well as forged but generally speaking, a stamped blade is more prone to bending and breaking than a forged blade. If you don’t mind sacrificing quality for a lower price, then stamped is a good option.

Style

When you are picking out a collection of knives for your kitchen, you will want to take a look at what sort of knives are included in the set. At a minimum, you are going to want to look for a collection that has at least five knives. The essential knives are the chef’s knife, a slicing knife, bread knife, utility knife, and a paring knife. Without all of the knives, the collection isn’t going to cover everything that you are going to need in order to do your food preparation.

The chef’s knife is the main knife and is used for preparing the food. You can use it for dicing, chopping, and slicing food so that it is ready for cooking. Typically a utility knife is used for the same purposes but it is smaller than the chef’s knife which makes it more ideal for fruits and vegetables. The paring knife is a small knife that you use for coring out fruits or peeling fruits and vegetables. Serrated knives are used for cutting through foods that have a harder outside and softer inside, such as bread, rolls, or an angel food cake.

You may want to look for knife collections that have more knives in the set. In most cases, the additional knives will be variations of the five essential ones. However, some sets also come with steak knives that can be used to set the table so that your guests can cut their food while they are eating. You may also see scissors and a sharpener in the set as well which can be useful. It is best that you think about what knives you need in the set ahead of time and pick out a collection that has all of them.

Size

There is a good chance that your knife collection will have some means of storing knives when they are not being used. Premium collections generally have a wooden block that has slits in it for you to put the knives. A less expensive collection may have a clip on or slide on blade covers. Of course, there is always the chance that there is no storage solution provided with the knives at all. You are going to have to pick the kind that is most suitable for your needs. The storage device protects the knife edges from being dinged together and dulling the edges prematurely. Some storage devices have a built-in blade sharpener.

Sometimes there is a reason to get knives that do not have any storage with them. If you already own a knife block or have magnets in your kitchen, then you can save the extra expense but not purchasing something that you do not need. There are also collections that have a blade cover. These are small plastic covers that either slide over the blade or clip onto it. They prevent accidents by making sure that the sharp edge of the blade is covered so that you do not hurt yourself. Additionally, such covers also protect the blade from rubbing against other objects and getting dull.

You will also see knife sets that are sold with a stand or a wooden block. In this case, the stand is usually placed on your countertop and you slide each knife into the slot that is cut into the stand. You can remove the knife by grabbing onto the handle so there is no chance that you can accidentally grab the knife by the blade. This will help the knives stay organized and help to prevent injuries by keeping them organized.

Ease of Use

Eventually, you are going to need to wash and sharpen your knives which is why you will want to think about what you need to do to care for your knives. You aren’t going to want to get a set of knives that start to develop rust or corrosion the first time they are washed. Another concern is how often you are going to need to sharpen the knives. The less care that is required, the more time you can spend focusing on food preparation.

Many people leave dirty knives in the sink or wash them in the dishwasher which can cause the knives to develop rust and corrosion. All knives will last longer when they are washed and dried immediately after use but some of them are dishwasher safe which makes it easier to care for them. If you are someone who doesn’t always do their dishes right away, then you will want to look for knives that are resistant to corrosion.

The other thing that you are going to want to think about is the edge. A common complaint that many people have with their kitchen knives is that they get dull easy. Higher quality blades will hold their edge better and stay sharper for a longer period of time which means that you will not have to sharpen them as often as a lower quality blade. For many people, sharpening a knife can be a hassle so you may be happier getting a set that doesn’t require as much work as other sets. The less you have to do to care for your knives, the happier you are going to be with them.

Knife blade materials can consist of ceramic, stainless steel, as well as stamped and forged steel. Ceramic blades are much harder than steel blades and can hold their edges better, but due to the hardness, ceramic blades can break if too much side pressure is exerted on the blade. The edges can also chip if not handled properly.

Best Kitchen Knives Reviewed & Rated for Quality

1. Mercer Culinary Genesis

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$44.08
 Mercer Culinary Genesis
Amazon Link

Mercer Culinary offers a set of knives that are a great middle of the road option. They are made of high-quality steel that will stay sharp and look new for a long time. You will love the well-designed handle that is fastened to each of the knives that allows you to grip them securely and comfortably at the same time.

Santoprene Handle
They feature at a handle that is made of Santoprene. It has an ergonomic shape that feels great in your hands and is specifically designed to last in the kitchen.

German Steel
The blades are made of high carbon steel from Germany. They are forged to make them strong and long lasting so they won't rust, discolor, or get corroded after you have used them.

Cost and Value
You will find this collection sold at a price that is slightly higher than the average price. The higher price comes from the high-quality steel used to make each of the blades.

Amazon Link
$44.08

2. Wusthof Classic Slim

Where to buy
Amazon Link
 Wusthof Classic Slim
Amazon Link

Here is a full collection of knives that make an excellent addition to any cooking area. They are a premium collection and have excellent features that make them long lasting and usable at the same time. All of the handles have three rivets so that they do not detach from the blades and the blades are made with high-quality steel that lasts.

Cherry Block
The collection comes with a block that is made of Cherry wood. This gives you a safe place to store the knives when you aren't using them and it looks great on a counter.

Precision Forged
The blades are made of steel that has been precision forged. This helps to improve the overall durability of the steel so that it lasts longer and resists rusting.

Cost and Value
Since this is a premium collection of knives, you will need to plan on seeing it sold at a price that is well above the average price. It's worth it since they will last a lifetime.

Amazon Link

3. Cuisinart Advantage

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$22.13
 Cuisinart Advantage
Amazon Link

Cuisinart is a brand that is well known in any kitchen. It is associated with quality and makes plenty of smart choices when they are designing their products. This collection of knives is a great example since they have a high-quality edge that stays sharp and also is coated with a non-stick surface. The colors also look great and protect you from illness.

Color Coded
You will notice that each knife has its own unique color. The colors are to help you keep track of the knives so that you don't accidentally cross-contaminate food during preparation.

Blade Guards
There is a guard for each of the knives in this collection. The blade guards help to prevent injury and also keep the knives look great for years at a time.

Cost and Value
You will love these knives when you hear about the rock bottom price that they are sold at. This will let you purchase a high-quality collection without breaking the bank.

Amazon Link
$22.13

4. Victorinox

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$37.77
 Victorinox
Amazon Link

This collection of knives is made by the same company that brought you the Swiss Army Knife. Each of the knives is made for professional cooks and chefs so you can trust that they will last a lifetime and stay sharp. All of them are stamped with the seal of the NSF so that you can trust that they are sanitary.

Laser Tested
All of the knives have been tested with a laser to make sure that they are sharp. You can trust that they will stay sharp throughout their lifetime as well.

Patented Handles
The company holds a patent on the handles. The handles are dishwasher safe so that they are easy to clean and they won't allow bacteria to grow on them for food safety.

Cost and Value
This is a premium collection that is sold at a price that is higher than the average price. The cost will vary depending on the number of knives that you get but all of the collections are sold above the average.

Amazon Link
$37.77

5. Vremi Colorful

Where to buy
Amazon Link
 Vremi Colorful
Amazon Link

This is a colorful collection of essential knives for your kitchen. You can use them for any task that you may need to perform during food preparation. They are great for carving, slicing, and chopping. You can also pick out each of the knives easily thanks to them being color coded. All of them will last thanks to the blade guard.

Blade Covers
The entire collection has a blade cover for each of the knives in the set. This will prevent injury and also help you pick out the knives quickly and easily.

Balanced
Vremi has taken extra care to make sure that all of the knives are well balanced. This will make them comfortable to use and also help to prevent injury.

Cost and Value
You will notice that this set is sold at a price that is lower than the average price. The low price turns them into a bargain buy since you don't have to pay a premium for them.

Amazon Link

6. Chicago Cutlery Fusion

Where to buy
Amazon Link
 Chicago Cutlery Fusion
Amazon Link

You will love the high quality that you get from the well known Chicago Culterly. This is a full collection of knives that includes knives for preparation as well as eating. All of them are long-lasting thanks to the high-quality handles and the carbon steel that is used to make the blades. This is a set that you will love for years.

Comfort Grip Handles
The handles are made with a comfort grip handle. The handle has an ergonomic shape to it so that you do not experience pain in your wrists and they are non-slip.

Taper Grind Edge
The blades feature a Taper Grind Edge so that you can get the maximum amount of sharpness from each blade. It also makes it each to re-sharpen the set when they get dull.

Cost and Value
You will find this collection sold at a price that is higher than the average price. The higher price is due to the fact that it is a premium brand that has 18 knives in it.

Amazon Link

7. Stone Boomer

Where to buy
Amazon Link
 Stone Boomer
Amazon Link

This is an amazing collection of knives for your cooking area. It has a modern design that allows them to look great while they are stored on your countertop. All of the knives that you need for food preparation are included in this collection which means that you have everything you need to prepare the perfect meal for yourself or guests.

Lightweight
The handles and the blade have been designed to be as light as possible without sacrificing quality. This will help you make precise cuts and allows them to be easy on your hands.

Modern StandV
The stand has a compact and modern design. It is clear so that you can easily see the blade of each of the knives so that you don't accidentally grab the wrong one.

Cost and Value
This collection is sold at a price that is lower than the average price. The lower price is great because it allows you to have a great set without having to pay a premium.

Amazon Link

8. Utopia Kitchen

Where to buy
Amazon Link
 Utopia Kitchen
Amazon Link

The Utopia Kitchen 12 piece knife collection includes a variety that should cover your every food preparation need. The knife set is in an acrylic see-through stand that allows you to see what knife you are selecting.

Blade Types
The set includes (6) serrated steak knives, an 8” serrated bread knife, 8” straight edged Chef knife and slicing knife, 5” utility knife, and 3.5” paring knife.

Acrylic stand
The knife set comes with an acrylic stand to hold the knives, protecting the blades and organizing them when not in use.

Cost And Value
This knife comes in at a nice midpoint price.

Amazon Link

9. Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$344.34
 Zwilling J.A. Henckels
Amazon Link

You will want to check out this product if you need a full collection of knives. It features a special formula of steel that will help all of the blades last for a long time. All of them were polished and sharpened by hand at the factory so that you can trust the quality of the steel used to make these knives.

Three Rivets
Unlike other brands of knives, these knives have three rivets on the handles. The rivets will keep the handles from falling off while you are cutting with the knives so they will last longer.

High Carbon Steel
The blades are made of a special formulation of high carbon steel. This helps to protect against rust and will make them last longer even when they are washed in the dishwasher.

Cost and Value
This is a premium brand of knives so you will have to plan on seeing them sold at a price that is higher than the average price for that reason.

Amazon Link
$344.34

10. Ginsu Gourmet Chikara

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$129.00
 Ginsu Gourmet Chikara
Amazon Link

This is a brand of Japanese kitchen knives. They are made of forged steel from Japan and are extremely well balanced. You will love how each of these knives feels in your hand while you are preparing food for a meal. When you are done, you can wash them by hand easily and then store them in the wooden knife block.

Consumer Reports "Best Buy"
This collection has been rated at "Best Buy" by Consumer reported five different times. This means that you can trust the quality and the value of the knife collection since it has been tested by Consumer Reports.

Balance
The blades are balanced so that you can easily cut through the food. This will make it easy on your arms and wrists so that you don't strain these parts of your body.

Cost and Value
You will find this product sold at a price that is average. The price can vary since there are 4, 8, 12, and 19 piece options that will affect the final price.

Amazon Link
$129.00

Sources

  1. Consumer Reports, Kitchen Knife Buying Guide, Website
  2. Ginny's Recipe's & Tips, Kitchen Knife Buying Guide, Website
  3. Wikihow, Sharpen-Serrated-Knives, Website