The best kitchen knives for your culinary adventures
The most important blade in your kitchen, a quality kitchen knife will get the prep done faster and with greater precision. Here’s our pick of the finest, whatever your budget
The best kitchen knives are objects of functional beauty, letting you slice, dice, and chop your way effortlessly through any culinary challenges you care to throw their way –like a real life Fruit Ninja. From paper-thin tomato slices to perfectly proportioned pieces of meat and veg, having one or more high-end kitchen knives can have a huge impact on how much you enjoy spending time in the kitchen.
It sounds like hyperbole, but trust us — the first time you find yourself blitzing through ingredients with lightsaber-like ease, you’ll wonder how you survived for so many years without a proper chef’s knife. Not only that, but razor-sharp knives are much, much safer than their dull counterparts, as you won't find yourself having to push as hard, reducing dangerous blade slips. Gordon Ramsey would be furious if he caught you with a blunt knife, so do the right thing.
With that said, we’ve rounded up some of the best kitchen knives below, to help guide you in the right direction. We’ve gone for a mixture of budget and premium individual knives, along with a couple of sets for those looking for a more complete package. We’d recommend sets for those who regularly cook up a storm with friends and family, while one or two quality knives should be more than enough for most people.
Fancy more than a knife? Check out our pick of the best kitchen gadgets or even the best coffee machines or the best air fryers to take your kitchen skills to the next level.
What are the best kitchen knives to buy in 2024?
Whatever you're after, most people could happily stop reading here, and simply pick up this Victorinox knife from Amazon. Cheap, super-sharp, low-maintenance and functional, it's widely regarded to be the best knife for 99 per cent of people.
A certified work of art (in our eyes, at least), this stunning blade is hand-forged by master Japanese blacksmiths, with a cutting edge that's terrifyingly sharp. One for true connoisseurs.
ProCook's set is ideal for those looking for multiple quality knives, and a slick way to show them off for all the world to see.
One of the most innovative knife sharpeners we've come across, the beautifully-designed Horl 2 uses a clever sharpening cylinder and magnetic knife holder to achieve perfectly precise, sharp blade edges, each and every time.
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- Best kitchen knife for most people: Victorinox Chefs Knife, (£35.53)
- Best luxury kitchen knife: Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White #2 Gyuto, (£210)
- Best kitchen knife sharpener: Horl 2, (£159)
- Best all-metal kitchen knife set: Global, (£328.99)
- Best futuristic kitchen knife set: Dalstrong Shadow Black, (£570)
- Best sustainable kitchen knife: Allday Goods Santoku, (£115)
What are the most important features to look out for when choosing a kitchen knife?
As a rule, look for a sharp, robust blade made using good-quality steel. High-carbon and Damascus steel – with their intricate patterns and beautiful patina – look fantastic, but the key factor for most home chefs should be comfort, durability, how easy it is to clean and, obviously, how well it cuts. Often stainless steel ticks all these boxes, while also offering solid value for money.
Good kitchen knives should be a jack-of-all-trades, just as happy dicing, slicing and fine-chopping meat, herbs and vegetables. Most kitchen knives have 20cm blades, but you’ll easily find much larger (and heavier) and smaller options, like a standard 8-inch chef's knife. The key is what you’re comfortable using, to make sure it's as ergonomic as possible, and it doesn't have to be the most expensive knife to get the job done either. Typically you'll find western-style knives in the shape of a traditional chef's knife, while Japanese-style knives, or knives actually made in Japan, will have a slightly different shape, with the santoku knife being one of the more popular models.
When holding a well-balanced knife properly, with your forefinger near the heel, it should feel equally weighted on each side, so neither the blade nor handle is significantly heavier than the other. And, regardless of what the handle is made from, it has to be smooth and comfortable or you’ll simply hate picking it up.
When choosing your knife you may see a figure for the “Rockwell Hardness Scale” (RHC). Essentially, this figure – usually 54-56 for an everyday chef’s knife – is a measure of how hard a blade is. Professional knives – 58-64 – have ultra-thin, super-sharp blades but knives this hard can chip easier and take more effort to sharpen. German blades tend to be softer than Japanese knives, which are often razor-sharp but brittle.
How should you look after your kitchen knives?
Hand-washing your knife is always preferable to dishwashing, even if the brand says your blade is “dishwasher safe”. And if you have a high-quality Japanese steel or German steel knife, you should never subject it to the likes of a dishwasher. The hot water and salt of the dishwasher will do your blade no favours, so as soon as you finish using it give it a wash and dry thoroughly to avoid corrosion.
Most brands recommend a wooden chopping board over plastic and avoid storing your knives in a drawer as the blades will simply get chipped and damaged by other utensils. Instead, opt for a magnetic knife rack, wooden or bristle block that keeps them safe.
And, no matter how sharp your knife is at first, you will need to learn the basics of honing and sharpening. Honing, done with a sharpening steel, ideally before every cooking session, maintains an already sharp blade, while sharpening removes metal to bring the blade back to peak condition. A good knife shouldn't need sharpening more than a handful of times a year, but when the time comes, it can be done using a manual V-shaped sharpener or, better still, a classic whetstone.
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What are the best kitchen knives to buy in 2024?
- 1/9
Lakeland Damascus Chef's Knife
Pros: Good all round knife, includes a 25 year guarantee
Cons: On the expensive side for a single knifeProduct Specs
- Handle material: Pakka wood
- Hardness rating: 55-59
- Block included: No
When it comes to carefully crafted knives, we’re big fans of this Lakeland Damscus Chef’s Knife, the kind of all-rounder that you can pretty much use for anything and everything you need to get creative in the kitchen. To start, it’s made from 67 layers of Japanese Damascus steel, including a carbon steel core, meaning it’s a professional quality pieces that’s more than capable of whatever you might need it to handle. This, paired with the ergonomically designed Pakka wood handle, a hard-wearing choice, makes it easy to use and comfortable when you’ve got a big chopping task ahead of you. It is £85, which can feel like a lot for a single knife, but given its versatility, and the 25-year guarantee, we’d say that’s well worth the investment.
- 2/9
Ninja StaySharp Stainless Knife Set
Pros: Comes with a knife block and built-in sharpener, versatile set
Cons: The knife block has a very industrial design style which won’t suit every kitchenProduct Specs
- Handle material: Stainless steel
- Hardness rating: Not stated
- Block included: Yes
You’ll know Ninja best for the brand’s portfolio of viral kitchenware, whether that’s the ice cream making Ninja Creami, or the Dual Zone air fryers that took TikTok by storm a few years ago. But Ninja’s kitchen prowess goes beyond just appliances, and we’d argue it has some of the best kitchenware and knives around. This StaySharp set is one of the brand’s newest releases, featuring six knives, all crafted from rust-resistant German stainless steel. The design is specifically created to have extra strength and durability, with a blade that extends fully from the tip of the knife to the handle (a ‘full tang design), and the built-in knife sharpener means you’ll never put yourself at risk of working with dull blades. The set includes a Chef Knife, Slicing Knife, Bread Knife, Utility Knife, Paring Knife and scissors, as well as the dark wooden block.
- 3/9
Victorinox Chefs Knife
Pros: Very affordable | Razor sharp | Easy to sharpen
Cons: Bland designProduct Specs
- Handle material: Fibrox (thermoplastic elastomers)
- Hardness rating: 56
- Block included: No
If you want a single, affordable, reliable, sharp, and hassle-free kitchen knife that covers 99 per cent of your cooking needs, you can stop reading the rest of this article and simply pick up the Victorinox Chefs knife with no regrets. Granted, it doesn't have the most alluring design, but it's sharper than anything knocking around in your cutlery drawer, and absolutely built to last. Without a doubt, one of the best kitchen knives for most people.
- 4/9
ProCook Damascus 67 Knife Set with Magnetic Oak Knife Rack
Pros: Attractive design | Magnetic wall-mounted storage block | 25-year guarantee
Cons: PriceyProduct Specs
- Handle material: G10 fibreglass/epoxy resin
- Hardness rating: 60
- Block included: Yes (magnetic, wall-mounted)
ProCook's attractive Japanese-style knife set features a variety of blades for different use cases, including a bread knife for making short work of crusty loaves. Made from 66 layers of Japanese Damascus steel, each blade has a finely-hones cutting edge for delightfully easy slicing and dicing. And while its handles might be synthetic, they certainly look the part, with the bonus of being sturdier and lower maintenance than wood.
- 5/9
Horl 2
Pros: Perfect for pros and beginners alike | Attractive design | Innovative method
Cons: Expensive compared to some more traditional knife sharpenersProduct Specs
- Material: Walnut or oak
- Hardness: Coarse diamond grinding disc
- Accessories included: Yes
The eagle-eyed among you will notice that the Horl 2 is, in fact, not a knife. But it's still worthy of this round-up, as it's one of the most innovative knife sharpeners we've seen — and there's no point buying a quality knife if you don't keep its wicked cutting edge. Simply attach the knife to the magnetic edge of the block, and roll the cylinder along the blade's edge. The latter has a coarse diamond cutting disc on the end, which sharpens the blade at a precise 15 or 20-degree angle, with no effort on your part.
- 6/9
Global 6 Piece Knife Block Set
Pros: Modern design | Perfectly balanced | Easy to clean
Cons: You might prefer more traditional aestheticsProduct Specs
- Handle material: Cromova18 stainless steel
- Hardness rating: 56-58
- Block included: Yes
The Global G-2 20cm cook's knife is the best-selling Japanese kitchen knife ever made, and with good reason. Forged from stainless steel, its one-piece, wood-free approach makes it a perfect workhorse without the worry of damage or extra maintenance. This particular set also includes a bread knife, vegetable chopper, utility knife, and pairing knife, all of which are housed safely in a non-slip knife block.
- 7/9
Allday Goods Santoku
Pros: Handle made from recycled waste plastic | Each piece is unique | Super sharp
Cons: ExpensiveProduct Specs
- Handle material: Recycled waste plastic
- Hardness rating: 60
- Block included: No
The octagonal handle on this knife (and, indeed, all knives from Allday Goods) is made from 100 per cent waste plastic. Not only is that better for the environment, but it makes it a sturdy offering too, with each piece being unique in the process. Featuring a high-carbon stainless steel blade with a Rockwell hardness of 60, it's not messing about on the quality front either, providing scarily sharp slicing power for quick and easy meal prep.
- 8/9
Dalstrong Shadow Black Knife Set
Pros: Futuristic design | Durable | Honing rod included
Cons: You might not need all the knives on offerProduct Specs
- Handle material: G10 black fibre resin
- Hardness rating: 58+
- Block included: Yes
If Batman had time to cook in between knocking out nefarious thugs, he'd probably have a knife set like this. Featuring a futuristic geometric all-black design, Dalstrong's Shadow Black set won't be to everyone's tastes. But if you want to wield something a little different (and feel like you'll make use of most of the knives on offer), then this could be the perfect set of knives to show those ingredients who's boss.
- 9/9
Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White #2 Gyuto
Pros: Stunning design | Handforged by Japanese master blacksmiths | Insanely sharp, and stays sharp
Cons: ExpensiveProduct Specs
- Handle material: Octagonal teak or walnut with black buffalo bolster
- Hardness rating: 61
- Block included: No
Forged by master Japanese blacksmiths, this gyuto knife is a veritable work of art. Made from white #2 carbon steel, it's about as insanely sharp as any knife you're ever likely to come across in your lifetime, which is why it deserves to be treated with the utmost respect. Given its material, you'll want to ensure it's hand-cleaned and wiped dry soon after use, to ensure decades of faithful service. And if you find that someone's popped it in the dishwasher, it's perfectly reasonable to cry. A lot.
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