11 Best Chef's Knives, According to Experts
A good knife can make or break your meal.
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A good kitchen knife is key to helping you prep your food safely and quickly. The long, sharp blade of a chef's knife allows for all sorts of cutting tasks, so you can slice a steak, chop a cucumber, dice an onion or mince some herbs. This versatile style of knife comes in a variety of sizes — from six- to 14-inch blades — so you can find the one that feels best in your hand whether you have a larger or smaller grip.
Our top picks:
When shopping, the two main types of chef's knives you'll find are German knives, which are sturdy and thick, especially at the bolster (where the blade meets the handle), and Japanese knives, which are lightweight and razor-sharp with thinner blades. Within these categories, you'll find a variety of blade and handle materials and constructions, which affect how the knife feels and how long it will last.
The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test everything you'll need to whip up some of your favorite meals, including knives of all kinds. We've spent years testing serrated knives, butcher knives, fish fillet knives, electric knives and more, and we reviewed more than 30 chef's knives for this article. Our experts considered factors like how well each knife cuts a variety of foods (such as whole chicken, cheese and garlic cloves) and how comfortable it is to hold as well as the weight and ease of cleaning.
Below, we share more information on how we test kitchen knives as well as expert insight on what to look for before shopping for a new knife for yourself or a new home cook. For more recommend knives, consult our guides to the best boning knives, paring knives and steak knives.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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