In my 20+ years of cooking — first in culinary faculty, then professionally, and now for my incessantly hungry household of 4 — I’ve gone by means of what I now see as a number of completely different eras of chef’s knives. In culinary faculty, my fellow Johnson and Wales college students and I discovered no finish of amusement speaking concerning the size of our Dicks—our school-issued F. Dick 10” Chef’s Knife, that’s. As soon as I landed a spot in knowledgeable kitchen, I saved up for a Shun Santoku as a result of it was the knife Alton Brown swore by (although I didn’t spring for the now discontinued particularly Alton Brown-branded one as a result of it appeared too foolish). By my twenties, I gravitated in direction of the practically disposable however constantly dependable Kiwi blades I discovered at Tan-A, my native Asian grocery retailer (in no small half as a result of Prime Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh as soon as mentioned they have been adequate for him, and he’s recognized for his unimaginable knife abilities). Nowadays, as a every day house cook dinner, it’s all concerning the BIFL (purchase it for all times) choice — knives that can serve me properly for the remainder of my knife-wielding life. I’ve used this information from my private {and professional} analysis to deliver you this information to the perfect chef’s knives.
Whereas a typical chef’s knife roll could have a dozen knives inside, a real, huge, multipurpose chef’s knife is an all-rounder, the sort of device that may deal with winter’s bulbous, cruciferous produce and large hunks of meat as simply because it renders paper skinny slices of summer season’s ripest heirloom tomatoes. It ought to really feel sturdy however not heavy, evenly balanced, and may sharpen simply, holding its edge for a protracted day within the kitchen. I studied the supplies, weight, stability, and sharpness of knives from manufacturers I knew properly and a few newer choices with loads of pro-chef clout behind them.
To check the knives featured right here, I diced candy potatoes and pumpkins, minimize bunches of chives into slivers, and sliced tomatoes as thinly as a Ginsu knife infomercial. I additionally used every knife for at the very least one full day (usually longer) to see which of them carried out the perfect total after a day of prepping three meals for a household of 4. These are the blades that I’d advocate for his or her versatility and total efficiency, and for no matter period of chef’s knife you end up in today.
Finest All-Round: Miyabi Koh 8-inch Chef’s Knife
As quickly as this blade got here into my life, I knew it might be my ceaselessly knife. It’s impeccably balanced, gentle sufficient to make use of for the lengthy haul but additionally reassuringly substantial in my fingers. What I really like most about this knife is that I can use it to tame a mound of leafy kale with the identical ease as shredding razor-thin ribbons of cucumber. It’s additionally the knife I belief most to halve an avocado with out incident. For folk preferring the light-weight ease of Japanese-style knives, Miyabi’s 8-inch, full-tang, effective carbide chrome steel chef knife delivers, holding its impeccably sharp edge after a number of makes use of.
Professionals
- Versatile
- Effectively-balanced and light-weight
- Full-tang development and stable wooden deal with are nice for sturdiness
- Lifetime guarantee
Cons
- Greater value level
- Smaller blade could also be higher for smaller fingers
Chef-iest: MAC Skilled Collection 8” Chef’s Knife with Dimples
Lots of cooks I do know, like my pal Hans Doxzen of Tuckahoe Seafood and the pop-up sequence Quarter Horse, maintain MAC knives because the gold commonplace. Doxzen explains, “MAC knives are nice workhorses at an approachable pricepoint — good worth for every day drivers. Their metal boasts wonderful edge retention, and so they keep in sharp working order for a [long] time.” So I used to be to see how they’d carry out in my house kitchen. After prepping pumpkin, potatoes, and bunches of Swiss chard for Thanksgiving dishes, I gave the MAC 8” Chef’s Knife a powerful “sure, Chef!” The skinny 2.5-millimeter blade works its approach by means of even the bulkiest of produce like a laser. The knife is fantastically balanced and simply achieves a swift, rocking technique for issues like herbs and leafy greens. Plus, the marginally dimpled blade releases from the outcomes effortlessly, making fast work of no matter you set in entrance of it.
Professionals
- Versatile and extremely sharp
- Skinny, dimpled blade releases simply from meals
- Effectively-balanced and light-weight
Cons
- Greater value level
- Smaller than common deal with could also be higher suited to smaller fingers
Most Trendy: Hedley & Bennett 8” Chef’s Knife
Sensible, dependable, and exquisite? Say much less! Really, I’ll say a bit extra: The Hedley & Bennett 8” Chef’s Knife shortly turned one in every of my every day blades as a result of it feels sturdy however not too heavy in my fingers; retains a pointy blade after many makes use of; and appears objectively cool doing it, due to the Shiso Inexperienced deal with I opted for (it’s additionally obtainable in black, white, a tawny brown, and a vibrant blue). This knife is made with three layers of Japanese metal (generally known as San-mai within the knife world), which suggests it’s constantly sharp and proof against chipping.
Professionals
- Balanced and versatile weight
- Made with chip-resistant San mai Japanese metal
- Obtainable in a number of interesting colours
- Straightforward to sharpen and stays sharp after many makes use of
- Lifetime assure
Cons
- Could minimize a contact extra slowly than knives with thinner blades
Most Versatile: Made In 8” Chef Knife
Equally suited to huge honkin’ produce, wee brunoise cuts, and even breaking down proteins, The Made In 8” Chef Knife makes a severe case for locating a spot in your knife rack. Obtainable in 5 colours, together with crimson, blue, and a beautiful olive wooden deal with, this knife comes with a lifetime guarantee that backs up the French-made, nitrogen-hardened German metal blade. It does require common honing and sharpening, so this may not be your best option for extra of a hands-off house cook dinner, however for anybody who’s helpful with a honing metal, this razor-sharp, full-tang knife will carry out properly for years. (This was the do-it-all knife I gave to my nephew this yr when he moved into his first solo condo.)
Professionals
- Versatile; appropriate for every kind of meat and greens
- Razor-sharp out of the field and with continued care
- Gorgeous aesthetics
- Lifetime guarantee
Cons
- Requires periodic sharpening for greatest efficiency
- Awkward hole between deal with and blade takes some getting used to
Finest for Massive Arms: Wüsthof Basic 8” Chef’s Knife
Superb for larger fingers, the Wüsthof Basic 8” Chef’s Knife is a hefty, full-bolster knife beloved by execs and residential cooks alike. This can be a nice selection for breaking down huge burly root greens or hulking summer season melons, nevertheless it’s not as well-suited for refined knife work, so save this one for when it’s essential to chop an entire pumpkin or a bag of potatoes, and discover a smaller knife for extra meticulous duties. This one comes with a lifetime guarantee and is accessible in eight colours, together with a vibrant Purple Yam and complicated Wild Blueberry.
Professionals
- Simply takes on massive produce or cuts of meat
- Nice for bulk meal prep
- Higher for larger fingers
- Sturdy full-bolster development
Cons
- Not as deft at effective knife work
- Must be sharpened extra usually
- Greater value level
Finest Low-Upkeep Decide for Informal Cooks: Our Place On a regular basis Chef’s Knife
Should you, like so many others, fell in love with Our Place’s internet-famous All the time Pan, you’ll discover room in your coronary heart (and kitchen) for the model’s On a regular basis Knife, a German metal knife with a full tang, obtainable in 5 of Our Place’s signature dreamy colours, like Lavender and Spice. At $70 (on sale for $60 at the moment), this can be a licensed steal of a knife that’s able to making brief work of cumbersome produce whereas nonetheless navigating small objects simply as properly.
Professionals
- Effectively-balanced
- Sturdy full-tang development
- Lower cost level
- Lifetime guarantee
Cons
- Rounded plastic deal with could really feel awkward or low cost to some
Finest Finances Chef’s Knife: Imarku Japanese Chef’s Knife (8”)
We’ll by no means cease singing the praises of the Imarku chef’s knife, which performs simply in addition to blades that price 3 times the value of this traditional 8-inch chef’s knife. The blade is made out of high-carbon chrome steel, and it handles with a powerful quantity of stability. Plus, it is available in a swanky little crimson velvet-lined field that makes it very giftable. (Learn extra about our senior commerce author Francky Knapp’s love of the Imarku knife right here.)
Professionals
- Reasonably priced
- Effectively-balanced
- Arrives in a gift-ready field
- Deal with is made out of sturdy Pakkawood
Cons
- Wants occasional sharpening
- Doesn’t include its personal sheath
