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The Best Chef Knives of 2024

Last updated on Dec 12, 2024

Chef knives are the cornerstone of a professional kitchen, used for anything ranging from mincing garlic to butchering meat. However, choosing the best chef knife for your toolkit is daunting, especially with the vast array of materials, styles, and sizes. While the perfect pairing between chef and knife boils down to personal preference, we narrowed the field by selecting our choices for the best chef knives on the market for commercial kitchens.


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Our Top Choices for Chef Knives

Critical for food preparation, a chef knife is a versatile, multipurpose instrument that needs precise weight and sharpness for maximum efficiency. The knife type, style, and material cater to specific tasks and settings. Ultimately, a good chef knife should be durable, precise, and comfortable in your hand.

Based on feedback from our team of industry experts, we compiled our top choices for different styles of chef knives at various price points.

Check Out Our Top Choices for The Best Chef Knives

  1. Best overall chef knife: Mercer Culinary ZüM®

  2. Best budget chef knife: Schraf Chef Knife with TPRgrip handle

  3. Best workhorse chef knife: Victorinox Chef Knife with Fibrox handle

  4. Best Japanese chef knife: Shun Forged Kiritsuke Knife with pakkawood handle

  5. Best German chef knife: Wusthof Classic Forged Cook's Knife with POM handle


Note: All prices are current to time of publication. See product page for updated pricing

The Best Chef Knife Overall

A chef using a Mercer Culinary ZüM® to cut a red onion

The Mercer Culinary ZüM® is the perfect workhorse chef knife for professional chefs in any setting, and we love everything about it. The full tang gives it a sturdy weight and extra durability. Moreover, the forged high carbon steel blade handles the grind of a full day's prep work without losing its edge. With proper care, the ZüM® will be with you every step of your career.

Price: $50.49

Read Mercer Culinary ZüM® Customer Reviews
Pros
  • Features a full tang and shortened bolster
  • Forged blade for excellent sharpening
  • Handles wear and tear with no sharpening issues
  • High quality at an affordable price
Cons
  • The ergonomic handle design might be uncomfortable for some

The Best Budget Chef Knife

A chef using a Schraf Chef Knife to cut a vegetable

If you want a starter knife that can handle consistent use or a set of knives for community use in your kitchen, the Schraf Chef Knife with TPRgrip handle is ideal. This knife is sturdy, versatile, and efficient, but its defining characteristic is the TPRgrip handle. The material prevents slippage and provides a soft grip, promoting knife safety and preventing accidents from inexperienced users. Beginners and experienced chefs can utilize this knife for everyday tasks without breaking the bank.

Price: $16.99

Runner Up: Choice Chef Knife with allergen-free handle

Read Schraf Chef Knife Customer Reviews
Pros
  • Superior durability and rust resistance
  • TPR grip handle provides a soft grip with less slippage
  • Good flexibility
  • Extremely affordable
  • Great for beginners and commercial kitchen community knives
Cons
  • Not full tang
  • Requires frequent sharpening over time
  • Short blades don't balance as well as long blades

The Best Workhorse Chef Knife

A chef using a Victorinox Chef Knife to cut cabbage

As any chef knows, most of your time in the kitchen involves food prep. The Victorinox Chef Knife with Fibrox handle is designed for comfort and prolonged use, allowing you to buckle down and work efficiently. Victorinox blades are known for their superior sharpness and durability, and their light weight design prevents fatigue over time. While other knives are suited for specialty tasks, this knife is the go-to for carrying the load of everyday prep.

Price: $70.00

Runner Up: Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Chef Knife

Read Victorinox Chef Knife Customer Reviews
Pros
  • Extremely sharp, long-lasting edge
  • Low maintenance required
  • Slip-resistant handle
Cons
  • Not full tang
  • Stamped construction, not forged
  • Weight is great for prolonged use but too light for some applications
  • More expensive than runner-up option

The Best Japanese Chef Knife

A Shun Classic Forged Kiritsuke Knife lying beside chopped peppers

The Shun Forged Kiritsuke Knife with pakkawood handle is a violin in the symphony of knives - precise, piercing, delicate, and fluid. It stands apart from other Japanese knives thanks to its forged construction, superior sharpness, and excellent balance. Craftsmen utilize a specific forging method to produce Damascus steel for the blade, creating a sophisticated appearance and razor-sharp edge. Due to the cost and design, this knife is best for precise work and shouldn't be the workhorse of your kitchen.

Price: $179.95

Runner Up: Mercer Culinary San Mai Japanese Gyuto

Read Shun Forged Kiritsuke Knife Customer Reviews
Pros
  • Extremely sharp edge
  • Precise
  • Light weight and fluid
Cons
  • Expensive
  • More delicate and requires proper technique to maintain the blade - not a workhorse knife
  • Handle shape might inhibit some users

The Best German Chef Knife

A chef using a Wusthof Classic Forged Cook's Knife to chop a red pepper

When considering German-style chef knives, Wusthof immediately distinguishes itself for its long history of quality construction and excellent blades. The hefty Wusthof Classic Forged Cook's Knife with POM handle is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, known for its strength, sharpness, and precise weight. It offers a full tang, bolster, and fingerguard for precise control. Additionally, the Wusthof manufacturing method produces blades that are tempered to 58 degrees on the Rockwell scale.

Price: $170.00

Runner Up: Victorinox Stiff Chef Knife with wood handle

Read Wusthof Classic Forged Cook's Knife Customer Reviews
Pros
  • Made from forged high carbon steel for superior durability and sharpness
  • Full tang triple-riveted to the handle
  • Full bolster and fingerguard for increased safety
  • Solid weight for better control and cutting
Cons
  • Curling handle might be uncomfortable for some
  • Heavier construction has the potential for fatigue with prolonged use
  • Expensive

How to Choose a Chef Knife

A chef using a Choice Classic Chef Knife to chop zucchini

The best chef knife is durable, comfortable, and agile. Its balance and sharpness allow a chef to wield it deftly as an extension of their arm. As you experiment with different types of chef knives, consider the make, material, weight, balance, and sharpness before making your selection.

1. Make

Chef knives are crafted by two methods: stamping or forging. Stamped knives are machine-made from high-quality materials, resulting in a more generic and less expensive option. They are still highly effective but might require more effort to break in to match your preferences.

Forged knives are handmade by expert craftsmen utilizing specialized machinery to shape heated metal into a precise blade. Because of this process, these knives are the gold standard among chef knives. They cost more than stamped knives, but proper care will ensure they perform just as well in 20 years as on day one.

2. Material

Chef knife materials vary, but most are steel alloys that create a stronger, harder, or lighter blade than regular steel. Popular choices include:

  • Carbon steel: By adding iron to steel, the blade gains more durability and a sharper edge. However, carbon steel requires more upkeep to maintain knife quality, which is a deterrent to some.
  • Stainless steel: With many of the same qualities as carbon steel, stainless steel has the bonus of resisting corrosion. However, these blades do not maintain a sharp edge for long and don't sharpen well over time.
  • High carbon stainless steel: Combining the best qualities of carbon steel and stainless steel, this material is reserved for professional chef knives with a hefty price tag. Their pros far outweigh their high price tag for chefs relying on a quality knife for their trade.
  • Ceramic: Ceramic knives are light weight, nonreactive, hard, and incredibly sharp, but they aren't as durable as steel knives. They shatter if dropped and require a special sharpening method to retain the edge, so use them with care.

3. Weight

A chef knife's weight is subjective to the user's preferences and duties, but our experts consider it the most influential factor when choosing a knife. While heavy knives are ideal for cutting through dense meat and bone, other chefs might find them too unwieldy over long periods of prep work. In contrast, light knives are challenging to control for precise cutting and require more effort to complete a cut.

4. Balance

Balance and weight go hand-in-hand, and you should test both before investing in a knife. To test balance, hold the knife with the tip pointing away from you and try to keep it straight. After that, perform the same test by holding the knife at a right angle to your arm. If either grip strains your arm, the knife is not well-balanced.

5. Sharpness

Dull knives can result in injury or ill-prepared food, so examine sharpness as part of your research. Knife sharpness is judged by how sharp the blade gets, how long it stays sharp, and how often it needs sharpening. These qualities are a factor of blade material, so consider this as part of blade upkeep.

A high-quality chef's knife is a fundamental piece of your toolkit, but a chef's success is only as great as their mind. According to our in-house professional chef Larry Williams, "The best piece of equipment a chef has is their mind and creativity." These traits set chefs apart, allowing them to explore the art of food. As you search for the right knife for your style, select one that compliments your creativity and elevates you to the next level.

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