Best Choice
- LAST UPDATED: September 24, 2020
Today's review guide is brought to you by product expert Jordan
Published 12:20 pm
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Ask me; using a kitchen knife can either be fun or a disaster. I know because I love cooking and stuff, so I know the value of using the best knife set in your kitchen. At work, I am part of the kitchen staff, and at home, I am the ‘head chef.’ As such, I have quite some experience when it comes to kitchen tools, equipment, and appliances.
To help you find the best kitchen knife set for your everyday needs, we have put together a comprehensive guide and done all the hard research for you. These Kitchen knife sets are available from amazon, so please feel free to navigate to the links listed below. Whether you are after a budget collection of knives or you are a master chef looking for a premium upgrade, these great selling knife sets have been thoroughly researched, brainstormed and even tested by our in-house team. We hope you enjoy this article.
The Best Kitchen Knife Set
Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Kitchen Knife Set
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Why You’ll Love it: If you are looking for a well-made knife set with modest variety and a reasonable price, this is it. It’s my choice for a baseline model to use to compare with the other kitchen knife sets. Cuisinart made this set to last from high quality, stainless steel material.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 15 Pieces
Weight: 8.11 Pounds
Dimension: 6.5 X 14.9 X 11.1 Inches
PROS
Appearance: From the look of it, the stainless-steel color is rather dull and boring. While the appearance is likely to suit various kitchen designs, it might not be ideal if you want to add a bit of color and spice to your cutlery.
Stainless steel material: As much as this high carbon stainless steel material is superior to its cousin, it’s still inferior to the real high carbon blades used in some other kitchen knife sets. The set is not as hard as knives made from pure carbon blades, and this makes the set likely to break over time, especially when used on hard surfaces.
Serrated Steak Knives: I prefer steak knives that have smooth blades; it’s more of a preference than a downside on my part. A smooth blade makes it reasonably easy to slice meat as opposed to tearing meat using a serrated steak knife.
CONS
Appearance: From the look of it, the stainless-steel color is rather dull and boring. While the appearance is likely to suit various kitchen designs, it might not be ideal if you want to add a bit of color and spice to your cutlery.
Stainless steel material: As much as this high carbon stainless steel material is superior to its cousin, it’s still inferior to the real high carbon blades used in some other kitchen knife sets. The set is not as hard as knives made from pure carbon blades, and this makes the set likely to break over time, especially when used on hard surfaces.
Serrated Steak Knives: I prefer steak knives that have smooth blades; it’s more of a preference than a downside on my part. A smooth blade makes it reasonably easy to slice meat as opposed to tearing meat using a serrated steak knife.
Chicago Cutlery 1119644 18pc Kitchen Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: If you are looking for a kitchen knife set with the greatest number of blades, then you need not look any further than the Chicago Cutlery 1119644. Some may find this set to be somewhat pricier, but it’s most likely worth your attention.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 18 Pieces
Weight: 13.45 Pounds
Dimension: 9.6 x 8.4 x 14.8 Inches
PROS
Variety: This might be one of the unique and compelling selling points of this knife set. This set has a lot of knives and leans towards the Japanese style of knives. It has both partoku and santoku knife available instead of the standard chef’s knife. The partoku, with a more rounded edge, is excellent for cutting your veggies. This set comes with a peeler, paring knife, utility knife, a bread knife, a collection of steak knives, a slicer, and a steel sharpener.
Aesthetics: The angling on the block and the finished wood coloring are quite attractive. You might also love the steel coloring of the knives as they sit pretty on your countertop. This set is ideal if you like a bit of diversity in your kitchen.
Easy to sharpen: The taper-ground knives are sharp by default and quite easy to resharpen. You don’t have to be a sharpening expert to make the edges of your blade sharper.
Handles: Lined with rubber and beautifully curved, these handles give you an excellent grip of the knives. Since the handle is your point of contact with a knife, a comfortable handle is required to ensure that you make the best use of your knife. The curved handles and rough rubber lining increase the overall grip, thus making usage of the set a breeze.
CONS
Price: While not too pricey compared to my earlier-mentioned baseline, I find this knife set is a bit expensive.
Not Dishwasher-friendly: the edges are a bit brittle and best washed by hand.
Calphalon Classic Self-Sharpening Kitchen Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: If you are looking for a mid-range, budget kitchen knife set, then you should consider the Caphalon Classic Self-Sharpening set. I found this to be an excellent choice for amateur cooking enthusiasts and anybody else in the house in need of a good knife set at an affordable price.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 15 Pieces
Weight: 4.7 Pounds
Dimension: 6 x 12 x 5 Inches
PROS
Block: This set has a beautiful looking block and an exciting design that doubles as a sharpener. They’ve built the ceramic sharpening edge into each knife’s slot. You don’t have to use a blade sharpener separately as you can use your block to service your knives and leave their edges sharp enough to slice meat and grocery.
Blades: The high carbon stainless steel is the kind of solid material that I’ve cherished; it’s as good as regular high carbon steel and doesn’t blunt easily. The high carbon content makes this blade tough enough to last and serve you for years.
Price: Compared to the baseline, the price here is almost double but is well worth it. You get long-lasting and aesthetically appealing knives that will serve you for long
Variety: This knife set has one of the most extensive types of knives available in the market today. It comes as a 12 piece set including the santoku knife, chef’s knife, serrated utility knife, six steak knives, paring knife, sharpening block, and shears.
CONS
Handles: This is a personal opinion. I’ve never quite liked blocky handles. If you are like me, you might find them uncomfortable, reminding you of the kind of knives you get in some funny steakhouse restaurants. If you fancy easy to use handles that come with tough grips, then you won’t like the handle design of this beautiful set. Other than the handles, this set is among the best in the market.
Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: These are a unique series of high-quality knives renowned for providing most of the essential features you require in your kitchen. Although it doesn’t have a great variety of knives, the set comes with the basic ones that will get the job done.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Steel
Size: 6 Pieces
Weight: 8.1 Pounds
Dimension: 10 x 4 x 15 Inches
PROS
The Grip: With santorene grips (an extra-flexible rubber), these knives are moisture-wicking and non-slip, and they don’t break down even if you expose them to oil. The superior grip features make this set one of the most convenient when it comes to ease-of-handling and slip resistance.
Steel: These are non-staining knives, and most notably, they are not stainless steel. The blades are hardened, extraordinarily sharp, and easy to sharpen if you take the minimum care they require. You don’t have to fuss too much about regular maintenance when it comes to this set.
Variety: Although this set lacks some of the knives, you’d consider staples, it still includes excellent versions of chef’s Knife, paring Knife, boning Knife, bread knife, and a utility knife. Of course, these take care of most of your kitchen requirements.
Price: the price is comparatively high but still reasonable, given the functional benefits you get from this set.
CONS
Knife Block: Again, this is my personal opinion. The metal frameset in the wooden block with a transparent glass viewport, at least to me, looks rather ugly.
Lack of Variety: The set comes with six knives, which is quite a small number when compared to other sets that come with over ten different knives.
TUO Kitchen Knife Set with Wooden Block
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Why you’ll love it: The Tuo Kitchen knife set is an essential Japanese knife set that is reasonably priced. However, it comes with a limited number of blades. The set comes with amazing handles that are bound to serve you well for an extended period of time.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Japanese AUS-10
Size: 8 Pieces
Weight: 7.1 Pounds
Dimension: 13.8 X 2 X 3.9 Inches
PROS
Block: This looks and feels much better than many of the kitchen knife sets in the market. The block boasts of a well-angled design that makes the removal of knives fairly easy. The overall appearance of the block might come off as too much, but if you love unique designs, then this is your best fit.
Handles: The set comes with beautiful and sturdy pakkawood handles. This material doesn’t shrink or expand over time and is somewhat moisture wicking. The handles are unique and come with impressive shapes that allow for easy usage. This knife set is a great asset to have for serious chefs and amateurs as well.
Steel: The sharp German steel used is probably the best to make these kitchen items. The steel is high in carbon content, making it hard and durable for long term use. You don’t have to worry about slicing meat or vegetables with tough coats.
Overall Appearance: The Tuo Kitchen Knife set is aesthetically appealing and is bound to turn heads. The set comes with unique and quality handles that designed to aid your chopping and slicing activities.
CONS
Although this set has a paring knife, a utility knife, a santoku, a cheese knife, and a cleaver, it still lacks in other vital knives such as a butcher’s knife, bread knife, and even a carving knife. You won’t have a great variety when using this set.
The cost is also a bit high, considering you won’t get several knives in this set.
Cangshan N1 Series Forged Kitchen Knife Block Set
Why you’ll Love It: If you fancy variety in a knife set, then you shouldn’t look any further than the Cangshan N1 Series Forged Knife. With 23 different pieces of cutlery, this variety-packed block set will completely transform your kitchen experiences. These knives, made from German steel, are highly durable and rust-resistant. The use of quality German steel means this set doesn’t require too much maintenance other than proper handling.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: German Steel
Size: 23 Pieces
Weight: 25.6 Pounds
Dimension: 10 x 7 x 10.5 Inches
PROS
Variety: The Cangshan N1 Series Forged Knife Block Set comes with 23 different types of knives. From a cleaver to a santoku knife, a chef knife, bread knife, boning knife, carving knife, serrated utility knife, fine-edged utility knife, and eight other serrated steak knives. As if that is not enough, the set also comes with a pair of sturdy kitchen shears and a carving fork.
Steel: The steel has a high carbon concentration that scores 58 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale, which is above the threshold of 56 for good steel. Impressively, the knife set is well polished, a feature that makes it appealing to the eye and ideal for adding that extra pinch of beauty to your kitchen. The high-grade steel is designed to last and comes with a lifetime warranty against possible manufacturer defects. The steel is NSF graded and certified to be safe enough for use in the kitchen for cooking.
Block:Another impressive feature of this quality knife set is its unique block made from walnut wood. The block is handcrafted and well-structured for smooth fits.
Price: Compared to other products, the Cangshan N1 Series Forged Knife Block Set is affordable. However, it is costlier than most sets that come with over 20 pieces.
CONS
Despite the great job done by the manufacturers when it comes to knife variety, the set disappoints in regards to handles. The handles have a hollow design that makes usage difficult, especially for extended periods. The handles are cool, but the great appearance does little to improve usability.
Shun Classic 6-Piece Slim Kitchen Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: Despite its aesthetically appealing design, the Shun Classic 6-Piece is quite costly when compared to other six-piece sets. It will cost you some dollars to get this bad boy knife set; however, you will get quality and durable knives in exchange for your hard-earned money. The steel is high in carbon, making it durable and easy to maintain.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Vg-max Core With 34-layers Damascus Stainless Steel
Size: 6 Pieces
Weight: 8.9 Pounds
Dimension: 17.6 x 13.8 x 9.4 Inches
PROS
Blades:The blades rank well on the Rockwell hardness scale, managing an impressive score between 60 and 61. The edge is superior and tough enough to last you long without regular sharpening. However, you will need to practice extra caution as these knives need to be dried immediately to prevent rusting. That should be much of an issue considering you get quality blades that can slice and maintain sharpness.
Handles: The design of the handles, made from quality pakkawood, will provide extra comfort and are sure to be long-lasting. Although they appear weak and easy to wear out, they are durable due to the use of high-quality raw material.
Block: One great feature of the Shun Classic 6-Piece is the slim block size. Some designs come with large-sized blocks that take up a considerable amount of space. With this set, however, the block is ideal as it boasts of a neat, slim profile that perfectly fits even the smallest sized countertops.
Variety: The set comes with a santoku knife, paring knife, chef’s knife, honing steel, and shears. While the Shun Classic 6-Piece is not the most versatile set in the market, the knives are designed to perform several functions, thus making it ideal for regular use in the kitchen.
CONS
Price: Hands down, this is among the most expensive knife sets in the market. It costs up to five times than regular sets despite coming as a six-piece set. Although the knives are durable and made from high-quality material, the price is too costly, more so for buyers looking for affordable knife sets.
Damascus Cladding: The Damascus cladding makes the set appear classy and aesthetically appealing. However, the manufacturer could have done a better job had they used Damascus steel instead as it is long-lasting and durable.
Wuthsof Classic Slim Knife Block Set (Acacia)
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Why you’ll love it: The Wuthsof Classic Slim Knife Block Set boasts of one of the most appealing blocks in the market. The Wuthsof logo is strategically embedded on the handle to allow for a unique look. You will also love how the knives fit seamlessly into the wood-inspired block.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Polyoxymethylene
Size: 7 Pieces
Weight: 6.8 Pounds
Dimension: 17.1 x 12.4 x 4.1 Inches
PROS
Handles: The grip is made from Polyoxymethylene, which is one of the best materials for making handles. Polyoxymethylene might not have the sturdiest grip in the market, but you can count on it to last for long without chipping, discoloring, fading, or cracking, unlike rubber handles.
Blades: On top of being extra strong, the blades are sharp and easily sharpened, features that make this knife set convenient for use in a busy kitchen. Despite being made from stainless steel, it also has a high carbon variant that places it miles above other knives made from stainless steel.
Block: If you love unique blocks, then you will appreciate the slim acacia wood-inspired block that comes with this knife set. The block is unique and occupies little space, thus making it ideal for both small and large kitchen countertops.
Variety: Although this set doesn’t come with a lot of knives like other brands, the knives present will take care of most of your slicing or chopping activities. It comes with a serrated utility knife, a paring knife, a chef’s knife, a bread knife, and a kiritsuke prep knife. The set also boasts of detachable shears that are easy to clean.
CONS
Chef’s Knife: Although the set comes with a chef’s knife, I wouldn’t rank it among the best chef’s knives in the market. In terms of quality, however, the chef’s knife is built to last mostly due to its thick edges. I don’t fancy it for regular use in the kitchen, but some love it.
Price: Manufactures seem to be keen on selling their knife sets at the highest possible prices. This set is among the best in the market. However, that doesn’t justify its cost, which is over six times that of our baseline model.
Global 7-Piece Ikasu Kitchen Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: The Global 7-Piece Ikasu Knife Block Set has a unique stainless-steel design. Its aesthetic appeal places it above several sets when it comes to countertop compatibility. The color of handles blends well with the block design, making this set one of the best for kitchens with contemporary themes.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 7 Pieces
Weight: 2.2 Pounds
Dimension: 4.7 x 9.7 x 14.2 Inches
PROS
Blade: The blade has symmetrical bevel grinds, which is way better than knives that have asymmetrical grind edges. The blades are easy to resharpen and hold their edge pretty well, thus making this set ideal for day to day use in the kitchen.
Handle: The handle is another great feature that comes with this knife set. Although not the most comfortable handles to hold, they do look great and create a serious fashion statement in the kitchen. We like how the handle designs are compatible with most contemporary kitchen designs. The shiny appearance is also ideal for matching with other kitchen appliances such as microwaves and water heaters.
Impressively, the handles come with holes that help to make them resistant to slipping due to sweat or moisture. This feature improves overall grip during use.
CONS
Handles: Although the handles come with a beautiful design and coating, they are not the most comfortable to hold. I had issues handling these knives (maybe due to my large hands). Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend going for this set if you have large hands like me. For people with small palms, however, this set can fit well and prove to be comfortable for recurrent use.
Block: I find the block to be a bit too extra. Its straight down and transparent design is not too bad; however the glass addition is unnecessary and only serves to give you additional work when it comes to cleaning.
Variety: An ideal knife set should come with several knives that you can use for different purposes in the kitchen. This set, however, only comes with seven pieces, making it score low points when it comes to variety.
Price: While the Global 7-Piece Ikasu Knife Block Set is not the most expensive in the market, its cost is a good range above the average market price. Be prepared to spend extra dollars when buying this set. The knives are of excellent quality, meaning you will trade your dollars for a quality set if it fits your budget.
Cuisinart C55-01-12PCKS Kitchen Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: The Cuisinart C55-01-12PCKS Knife Set is among the cheapest in the market, thus allowing you to get quality products at affordable prices. A point to note, though, this set doesn’t come with a block, which explains its low cost.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 12 Pieces
Weight: 1 Pounds
Dimension: 1.1 x 5.5 x 13.4 Inches
PROS
Color Coding: Each knife in the set comes with its color scheme. We find this to be a unique beautification technique that makes the set among the most colorful and vibrant to have in your kitchen.
Price: I highly doubt that you can find a cheaper set with the features present in this colorful set. It costs only 1/3 of the total cost of our base product, making it among the most affordable knife sets in the market.
Variety: Although this set is not the richest when it comes to variety, it does come with some basic types of knives like a paring knife, serrated utility knife, chef’s knife, slicing knife, santoku knife, and a serrated bread knife.
CONS
Blades: The blades are stainless steel, meaning they have a low carbon concentration in their makeup. The edge is horrible, and the blades are soft, thus making it hard to resharpen and maintain. I also hate how flimsy and thin they are; without adequate care, you can easily break these knives.
Color Schemes: While some people might like the vibrant color concept that inspires this set, I would warn anyone who wants a simplistic kitchen appearance against buying this product. The colors make this knife set incompatible with several kitchen appliances.
Handles: The weak handles tell everything about this cheap set. They can come off easily and are likely to wear and tear when washed several times. Despite having wild colors that seem unlikely to match any kitchen theme, the handles are uncomfortable as they don’t fit well.
Victorinox Swiss Army Cutlery Fibrox Pro Knife Set
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Why you’ll love it: The Victorinox Swiss Army set comes with four knives, a feature that makes this product ideal for people looking for a simple, hassle-free set. It doesn’t come with unnecessary features like an annoyingly massive block, and it only packs four essential knives that can get the job done with relative ease.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: European Steel
Size: 4 Pieces
Weight: 1.5 Pounds
Dimension: 19.5 x 6.8 x 1.8 Inches
PROS
Blades:The blades, made from cold tampered quality Swiss steel, are easy to sharpen. I wouldn’t rank the knives in my all-time top five list, but they are fairly durable and easy to maintain, exactly why most people love the set.
Handles: Another great feature I love about this set is its unique, non-slip handles. The handles are conveniently shaped, thus allowing for easy use. The simplistic handle design makes this set compatible with most kitchen themes.
CONS
Variety: The set falls short when it comes to variety. It has only four knives, a paring knife, a chef’s knife, a utility knife, and a bread knife. While these knives are capable of performing basic slicing and cutting tasks, they could prove too limiting, especially if you fancy preparing different types of meals.
No Block: The set comes without a means of storage. It neither has a knife sleeve or block, meaning you’ll have to store them in a drawer or improvise.
Farberware 5152497 Stainless Steel 15-Piece Stamped High-Carbon
Why you’ll love it: This set comes packed with 15 knives, making it among the most versatile and convenient products in the market. It also boasts of multi-functional kitchen scissors and a storage block made from black wood.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 15 Pieces
Weight: 5.64 Pounds
Dimension: 8.86 x 4.57 x 13.58 Inches
PROS
Versatility: The set comes with different types of knives, including a 6-inch slicer, 4.5-inch santoku, 3-inch paring knife, 5-inch serrated utility knife, 6-inch bread knife, and an 8-inch chef’s knife, which makes these set highly diverse. You also get six steak knives with this set as well as multipurpose kitchen scissors.
Blades: The blades are made from high-carbon, quality stainless steel that ensures they maintain their sharpness.
Handle: The handles boast of satin finishes that make them comfortable and easy to use. The ergonomically designed handles help to boost overall precision.
CONS
Color: The knives come in a uniform shiny grey color, which, when combined with the gray block, might leave your countertop appearing fairly dull. This is my personal opinion, though, since some might prefer this color scheme to match with contemporary kitchen themes and decor.
Those were our reviews of the best kitchen knife sets on the market – see how they compare and find the one that suits your cooking style and needs. There’s always a kitchen knife set for everyone’s taste and budget, and we’re sure you’ll find one to your liking.
Some people think a knife is a knife, right? Wrong! Not all blades perform the same functions. Just try using a butcher’s knife in the kitchen and see the results. Some knives are specifically for use in the kitchen.
Remember, you use it to chop onions, lamb chops, to cut cucumbers, and so on. If you use the wrong knife or a poor-quality kitchen knife set, the consequences can be discouraging if not disastrous.
Don’t forget, this is not just my personal experience but what I also gather from my colleagues in the kitchen in the restaurant where I work. (That remains nameless lest everyone comes looking for us for some piece of advice – pun intended).
Individually and collectively with my workmates, we have quite some experience with the use of kitchen tools and devices. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that we decided to come up with this website to share our experience with other kitchen enthusiasts like you.
If you love kitchen knife sets (and you have all the reasons to do so if you are passionate about culinary matters), then you are in the right place.
Yes, whether you are just a passionate home-chef or a professional chef in a restaurant, our dice has favored you. This website is all about having a great experience when you are using kitchen equipment to prepare those memorable and yummy dishes. This passion is the primary reason why I’m delving into the facts about kitchen knives in the first place.
But kitchen knives come in different brands and models. How do you choose the best kitchen knife in the market today?
The following are vital considerations that you should make when picking the best kitchen knife set:
The Materials
You may be thinking, stainless steel might not be the best option for your kitchen knife requirements. Why? Maybe you know that this material is hard to sharpen a knife, and it deteriorates much faster with time.
Yes, what you are –or should be – looking for is high carbon steel, preferably above 6% carbon at an affordable price. Well, indeed, you can still get hand-forged kitchen knives with a more top quality of steel, but that is not what this guide is all about. Many in the latter category must be custom-made, which makes them quite expensive.
Ceramics
The edge, or, in other words, the sharp side of your blade, could be either plain or serrated. Both variants have their advantages – the serrated blades are the ones that make cutting and slicing an easy task to do, while the plain ones will allow you to make really accurate cuts. There are, of course, blades that come with edges that are only partly serrated, which will give you more options once the need arises. If you don’t know what sort of cutting you’re mostly going to do, go for the plain edge.
The Construction
Other than the material, it’s wise also to consider the construction of the knife.
Solid Handle
Solid piece of material and riveted is an excellent material for a good kitchen knife handle. That’s why, after inspecting all my knives, I strictly avoid any knife that is made using two or more pieces or made of welded metal.
My top choice for the best kitchen knife set is the Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Block Set, selected for its overall quality, modest variety, and reasonable price. While this is my top pick, your needs and aesthetic preferences may be different.
With this informative review, you are on your way to making your kitchen experience a breeze by using any one of the above kitchen knife sets. Select the option best suited to your needs and enjoy your kitchen knife set in your favorite cooking place. What meal are you going to prepare first?
We hope that we’ve helped you – now it’s time to choose a kitchen knife set you like the most! Thank you for taking the time to read our article, we hope you find this helpful and informative. Happy slicing!
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