Best kitchen knives and chef’s knives in 2024 for home use

22 October 2024 12:19pm BST

Finding the best kitchen knife is no simple matter. Chefs’ knives are used in different ways for dicing veg, slicing salad, carving meat and cleaving joints and come in different thicknesses, types of steel, lengths and styles. Should you go for a Japanese or German-style knife? Carbon steel or stainless steel? It’s a lot to take in. There’s an FAQ section at the end of this feature which will help you on your way.

Decent chef’s knives can broadly be separated into two categories: Japanese and German (also known as Western-style, including brands such as Wüsthof and Henckels). Japanese-style knives tend to have a straighter blade and be made from harder (and so slightly more brittle) steel. German knives are heavier, tougher and have a rounded blade. 

“In the broadest terms, European chefs tend to rock the blade, which is why the knives have a pronounced curve, whereas Japanese chefs tend to slice more, so their blades are straighter,” says Laurie Timpson, a knifemaker at Savernake Knives. “It’s a different cuisine and a different method.” We’ve reviewed both German and Japanese knives below, but if you’re in a hurry here’s a quick look at our top five:

Which are the best kitchen knives in 2024? At a glance:

• Best overall – ProCook Professional X50 Contour chef’s knife
• Best value – Victorinox Fibrox chef’s knife
• Best chef’s knife – Wüsthof classic cook’s knife
• Best universal kitchen knife – Zwilling Pro 20cm chef’s knife
• Best steel chef’s knife – Global G-2 cook’s knife

You will also need to keep your knives in good condition. Our guide to the best knife sharpeners has everything you need to know.

What should you look for in a kitchen knife?

“If anyone asks me what you should look for in a knife I’d say it’s the hardness, which should be as close to 60 as possible on the Rockwell hardness scale,” Laurie says. “But there’s a huge difference between the numbers, so if the knifemaker says their knives range between 55 and 58 Rockwell, that’s sort of like me telling a policeman I was driving somewhere between 10 and 80 miles an hour. 60 is really the top end. You might find some Japanese knives at 64, but that is just ridiculous.” 

That brings us nicely to the question: exactly why is everyone so obsessed with Japanese knives? “It began when Global came on the scene in the 90s. Traditional Western knives weren’t much to look at and they were pretty heavy. So the Japanese came along with a different aesthetic. They were lighter and significantly harder,” says Timpson. “For chefs, it was a quantum leap. Since then, Western makers have caught up.” 

Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended

Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product at the best price. No manufacturer ever sees copy before publication and we do not accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.

How we tested the best kitchen knives

We tested a range of Western and Japanese-style kitchen knives in the £30-£300 range at home over a period of four weeks, using them for a variety of kitchen tasks like dicing an onion, finely slicing radishes, deseeding chillis, chopping parsley, slicing raw fish and carving steak and chicken. We were looking for sharpness, a durable blade and a good weight balance so that the knife is easy to use. We also quizzed experts on the best and most reliable brands.

You can watch a free knife skills workshop from chef Mark Hix for the Telegraph here.

Best kitchen knives

1. ProCook Professional X50 Contour

£34, ProCook

Best kitchen knife overall, 9/10

We like: excellent value

We don’t like: there are sharper and harder options (but not at this price point)

• Length: 20cm
• Weight: 171g
• Rockwell hardness rating (HRC): 55
• Material: Stainless steel

Chef and Telegraph Magazine editor Lisa Markwell recommends ProCook as a decent mid-range option for chef’s knives (you can get a whole six-piece set for £49). When I tested their Professional X50 Contour knife, I was impressed by how weighty and balanced it felt given its comparatively low price. It could win the top spot on this list on appearance and comfort alone – I loved the solid, incredibly smooth triple rivet handle and the fact that it’s balanced with both a front and rear bolster. The blade is similarly impressive. 

It’s made from durable German stainless steel with a Rockwell hardness rating (HRC) of 55, which is not the hardest on our test but slices vegetables and meat with impressive precision, resists nicks and keeps its edge. The stainless steel is corrosion and stain-resistant and easy to maintain. At this price, it’s hard to find a better all-round chef’s knife. It’s also available in a 15cm version for £32.

It’s also worth taking a look a bit further up ProCook’s range. Their Damascus 67 Santoku is an affordable entrée to the world of high-end Japanese-style knives. It’s available in 13cm (£79) and 18cm (£109) sizes. 

Right at the top is their new Damascus Elite range, with an octagonal resin wood handle and a highly polished blade, ranging from a £69 paring knife to a £139 20cm chef’s knife which we’ve tried and love. They’re all made of 66 beaten layers of Japanese stainless steel with a VG10 carbon steel core and a Rockwell hardness of 60. Like many Japanese knives, they’re sharpened to a razor-like 12º.

2. Victorinox Fibrox

£27.58, Nisbets

Best value chef’s knife, 7/10

We like: high Rockwell hardness rating for the price

We don’t like: it feels less sturdy than others

• Length: 15cm
• Weight: 90g
• HRC: 56
• Material: Stainless steel

Victorinox, who make the famous Swiss Army knives, come recommended by most experts as a good beginner’s option. Laurie Timpson says: “pound for pound, they’re probably the best value knives you’ll get.”

On testing, I can definitely tell the difference between this and a more expensive knife – it’s utilitarian in appearance and the “soft grip” plastic handle feels less sturdy than the models above (although it offers great grip, even when wet). It’s less well-balanced than competitors. But the blade is incredibly sharp and excellent for fine slicing, dicing and mincing, remarkably good for this price point. At just 90g, it’s also very comfortable to hold. 

Reader input:

Reader Artur Misztal has had a Victorinox Fibrox for 15 years. “I used it initially when working as a chef,” Artur says, “and now use it at home. I can’t fault it. It’s the best quality knife for the price.”

3. Wüsthof 18cm

£63, Kitchen Knives

Best chef’s knife, 9/10

We like: a well-balanced German blade

We don’t like: it’s the heaviest on this list, so you have to make sure to hold it correctly for balance

• Length: 18cm
• Weight: 260g
• Rockwell hardness rating (HRC): 56
• Material: Stainless steel

The classic German-style cook’s knife, Wüsthof stands out for its sturdiness and balance. When held lightly at the bolster (the lump in the middle, between the blade and the handle), neither the blade nor the handle feel overly weighty, a sign of a well-balanced knife.

I like the very classic French-German look, with full tang (the rear half of the blade that forms the core of the handle) and three visible rivets. The blade curves up at the end, which makes certain tasks a little easier, particularly quickly mincing herbs. The handle, while not rounded, is incredibly smooth, so none of the edges dig into the palm. 

The blade, which has a Rockwell rating of 56, is broad enough to use on the flat to crush garlic cloves without fear of injury. All in all, a great knife for making the first step up into the world of serious cheffing.

Reader input:

Reader Roz Adams owns the Wüsthof 18cm and considers it excellent. “It lasts a long time and has beautiful balance,” she says.

4. Zwilling Pro 20cm

£109, Zwilling

Best universal kitchen knife, 9/10

We like: it will last you forever

We don’t like: more expensive than the very similar Wüsthof above

• Length:  20cm blade
• Weight: 258g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 55-58
• Material: stainless steel

Germany’s top three knife-makers are Wüsthof, Zwilling and Henckels – the latter two being part of the same company. Henckels is slightly more affordable, so the fight at the top end is between Wüsthof and Zwilling. Wüsthof’s blades, including our #3 pick above, are slightly harder but Zwilling’s are said to last longer before chipping.

This Pro chef’s knife is “Friodur ice hardened”, a type of tempering supposed to increase the steel’s flexibility and resistance to erosion. Whether that justifies the £20 premium over the Wüsthof is hard to gauge. The first thing you notice is its big, weighty feel. It’s much heavier than the Japanese knives below and leads you to adopt a pinch-grip where the handle meets the blade. 

This is intentional, and gives you more accuracy when using the tapered end of the blade for fiddly work like de-seeding chilli peppers. But the Zwilling also feels good as a rocking, veg-chopping knife and the tapered shape is particularly good for making long, effortless slices in meat and fish. One advantage of the (imperceptibly) softer steel is that it’s easier to resharpen. So, while this is not a cheap option, it’s a solid all-round workhorse that should last years.

5. Global G-2, 20cm

£152.38, Nisbets

Best steel chef’s knife, 8/10

We like: the sword-like aesthetic

We don’t like: it requires fairly regular honing

• Length:  20cm blade
• Weight: 222g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 56-58
• Material: Cromova stainless steel (with chromium, molybdenum and vanadium)

As knifemaker Laurie says above, Global made a huge splash when they came on the scene, with a lot of talk about Samurai sword-making tradition that isn’t entirely called for (the factory made western-style tableware until 1983). They are very impressive knives though.

This G-20, their top seller, is a revelation if you’ve never tried a Global knife before. It’s markedly lighter than all the European knives, made from a single piece of steel with a hollow handle weighted with sand for perfect balance. It’s very comfortable to work with, giving you a sushi chef’s lightness of touch (in your own mind) even though it’s designed in the round-bellied European style, not straight-edged like a santoku. 

When new, the G-2 is one of the sharpest chef’s knives I’ve ever used, ground to an extremely acute 15º. That’s almost too much razorlike precision for chopping veg, although it is designed to be an all-rounder, and after a while, it will certainly need honing (which is different from sharpening). I’ve been using a Global for ten years and they do deserve most of the hype.

Reader input:

Reader Brendan Mullooly owns a Global G-20. “It’s very light, with an excellent edge,” he says, “but it is pricy. At this price range I would recommend trying Kai-Shun, especially their santoku.”

Reader David Bate owns a Global breadknife. “For many people, I’m sure a good breadknife is just as important as a chef’s knife,” he says. “Over the years I’ve found the Global to be brilliant for feel and performance, acing the German equivalents. Stays sharp, too.”

Reader Lynn Bean says: “I have several Global knives. The narrower 15 degree angle is what makes Japanese knives so superior to European knives. If you keep them sharp, they are fantastic. Kasumi knives are even better.” 

6. Tsunehisa Santoku

£120, Kitchen Provisions

Best looking chef’s knife, 8/10

We like: the ‘kuroichi’ matt black finish to the blade

We don’t like: the cherrywood handle is a little light 

• Length: 17cm blade
• Weight: 133g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 63-64
• Material: Aogami super carbon steel (with tungsten and chromium)

Once you get into Japanese knives, you’re soon in over your head. Do you want gyuto, bunka, santoku or ajikiri? London-based specialist Kitchen Provisions have dozens of types from about 50 different Japanese makers and some of them are very specialised indeed. 

Your best bet if you’re going for an all-round chef’s knife is probably a santoku, which translates as ‘three virtues’ meaning it’s equally useful for meat, fish and vegetables – or perhaps slicing, dicing and mincing (opinions are divided). Kitchen Provisions sourced this one from Japanese brand Tsunehisa and it’s a thing of beauty. 

There are three visible layers: at the cutting edge you’re seeing the aogami (‘blue paper’) super steel core. Above that is a nashiji (‘pear skin’) strip that’s slightly mottled and helps with food release, while at the top is a kuroichi (‘first black’) strip, still bearing the furnace scale from the forging process.

Aogami steel keeps an extremely sharp and hard edge and this is a solid, durable knife for veg prep, with additional uses on fish and chicken (you’ll want to avoid hard bones). The only downside is that the traditional, cherrywood octagonal handle is a little light, making it less relaxing to use for long periods.

I did notice it start to oxidise pretty much straight away, but that doesn’t affect the cutting edge and over time it has given the blade a grey patina that blends quite nicely with the nashiji effect. You definitely have to keep this knife dry to stop the patina turning into rust. I like to keep it in the protective wrapping of Japanese newspaper that it’s delivered in, a bit of fun that adds to the exotic appeal.

7. Everyday Santoku

£120, Allday Goods

Sharpest chef’s knife, 9/10

We like: the Rockwell hardness rating of 65 is off the scales

We don’t like: starchy veg doesn’t fall off the broad, flat blade so easily when sliced

• Length: 16cm blade
• Weight: 125g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 65
• Material: SK4 high carbon Japanese steel

London-based Allday’s Santoku has been one of our favourite British knives for a while now, but it’s undergone a bit of a transformation. Previously made in Sheffield from high-carbon recycled steel with a hardness rating of 60, it’s now made in Seki from higher-grade SK4 Japanese steel and has a scarcely believable hardness of 65. It is fairly macho and absolutely razor sharp. 

It’s almost too sharp, in fact. When slicing potatoes for a dauphinoise, I found the slices sticking to the blade as if it had cut through their subatomic bonds. A little flick of the wrist fixed that. For meat, fish, fruit and non-starchy veg, though, this broad, sturdy, flat-topped razor cuts like a force of nature.

It’s also eco-friendly. Creator Hugo Worsley is a chef who wanted to do something about waste in the food industry and makes the handles out of recycled plastics. Each knife is different, depending on what’s available – it might be plastic waste from beaches or broken milk crates. You get a friendly leaflet about its journey in your knife case. 

It’s a nice idea and makes for a different-feeling knife: humble and no-nonsense, but with an uncompromising eye for quality. The only thing to watch out for is chipping the super-thin cutting edge. I keep it in its box for that reason. Regular honing will help.

8. TOG Santoku

£345, TOG Knives

Best Japanese-style chef’s knife, 10/10

We like: high Rockwell hardness rating and beautiful design

We don’t like: the sky-high price tag

• Length: 17cm blade
• Weight: 143g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 59
• Material: ACUTO 440 steel

If Global’s Samurai heritage is a bit oversold, TOG’s is easier to justify. They’re a British firm but their blades are made by hand in Seki, about 200 miles west of Tokyo, each passing through the hands of eight different craftsmen. They’re released in small batches and they cost an awful lot – but they feel qualitatively different to use. I used to be a motoring journalist and the feeling is similar to your first time driving a Ferrari. (You can see how people come over all unnecessary about Japanese knives.)

TOG’s range goes from a £195 three-inch paring knife to a £395 sujihiki slicing knife of the type sushi chefs use. Each uses 21 layers of high carbon Japanese steel with antimicrobial copper layers folded in, giving them their distinctive orange stripes. The full-tang handles are Kebony maple wood with a distinctive scooped form that makes them beautifully light and precise to handle. 

This santoku is a thing of beauty, as much an heirloom as it is a kitchen knife. In terms of quality, it should really be our number one pick, but the high price makes it hard to recommend to the average home cook. For professionals and connoisseurs, this is just about as good as a knife gets.

9. Viners Assure 8-inch stainless steel chef’s knife

£6,Viners

Best safe chef’s knife, 7/10

We like: easy to hold, with no pointy bits

We don’t like: can’t match the others here for sharpness

• Length: 20cm blade
• Weight: 133g
• Rockwell hardness: not rated
• Material: Stainless steel

At the very opposite end of the price scale is this eight-inch chef’s knife, from 110-year-old Sheffield cutlers, Viners. The selling point here is not the Rockwell hardness rating (it’s not even rated), but the safety features.

Anyone with less than perfect eyesight or less than dextrous hands will have suffered nicks and cuts from the pointy ends of knives in the washing up bowl. I know I have. The Viners chef’s knife has a rounded tip, making it much less stabby. The soft, chunky rubber grip also makes it easier to hold than all the other knives on this list. 

Viners make a paring knife, bread knife, carving knife and santoku in the same design, with a black non-stick coating that helps food to fall off the blade. It actually makes this a better knife to use in some situations than the £200 competition above. It’s tough and durable and, with honing and occasional sharpening, could last a good ten years.

It won’t win any beauty prizes, but this is the one to choose people who are independent enough to use a sharp knife, but would rather avoid the hazards of the pointy end.

10. Savernake Knives SK18 large Nakiri

£199, Savernake Knives

Best handcrafted knife, 10/10

We like: they’re razor sharp, durable and customisable

We don’t like: it’s so special I save it for special occasions

• Length: 18cm blade
• Weight: 190g
• Rockwell hardness rating: 60
• Material: SF100 British steel

At the very top end of the market are the luxury, hand-made chef’s knives from London’s Blenheim Forge and Wiltshire’s Savernake: not only are they razor-sharp and durable but you can get them engraved, customised and even built bespoke. 

The price is justified by the fact that it takes Savernake’s Laurie Timpson, interviewed at the top of this feature, and his team 50 hours to handcraft this Nakiri – which, despite its meat cleaver-like appearance, is actually for slicing vegetables.

I’ve been using it for a month now and the Nakiri’s incredibly thin blade slices through all vegetables like a whisper – as long as you use the Asian method, which is to slice, not chop or rock the blade. It also works on fish and to a degree on meat, but is definitely not designed for cutting through bones or joints. 

It’s light compared to European chef’s knives and, though you can’t balance it on your finger as some people like to do, is well balanced and comfy to use. The drawback, of course, is that to have a full set of Savernake knives you’re looking at over £1,000. I also find that I tend to ‘keep it for best’, to avoid wear and tear. This is probably not something a professional chef would do. 

11. HexClad Essential Six-Piece Damascus Steel Knife Set

£359.99, HexClad

Best knife set, 9/10

We like: excellent steel, elegant handles

We don’t like: damascus steel has to be scrupulously dried to prevent rust

• Length: 9cm, 13cm, 18cm, 20cm and serrated 20cm
• Rockwell Hardness 60
• Material: AUS-10 Japanese damascus steel

Designed in California, made in China and endorsed by Gordon Ramsay, the HexClad brand is a fairly big deal in America. Their high-end knives have just launched here at prices that are high, but not crazy given the quality of the steel. 

From the 20cm chef’s knife to the 9cm paring knife, they’re all made from 67 layers of Japanese damascus steel, identified by that lovely ripple effect on the blade, and are as hard and sharp as you can get. Beautiful pukkawood handles make them light and easy to wield.

The big ones cost about £100 each, the smaller ones about £50, so although it’s a big outlay, this Essential Set, which includes five knives and a honing steel (which you definitely need for knives this sharp) is actually good value. Clearly aimed at the ‘About-time-I-got-some-decent-knives’ market, it comes in a posh gift box which you will be tempted to use as a show-offy knife drawer.

12. TOG Pankiri

£395, TOG Knives

Best bread knife, 9/10

We like: the lifetime guarantee 

We don’t like: given the price, it’ll have to last a lifetime (or several)

• Length: 25cm
• Weight: 167g
• Rockwell Hardness: 59
• Material: Accuto 440 high carbon Japanese steel

TOG’s Japanese-style perfectionism doesn’t come cheap. This pankiri – literally, bread cutter – costs even more than their santoku (see above), so why is it worth a separate entry? Because this is the only breadknife we’ve come across that’s as razor-sharp and durable as a high-end chef’s knife.

It wasn’t easy to make, which is why there are only limited numbers available. For strength along its extended length, they had to use thicker, 2.2mm Accuto steel, beaten into 17 layers with softer metals for durability – hence the copper-coloured ripples along the blade. The scalloped serrations (rather than saw-toothed) have to be sharpened with a honing rod, one serration at a time, but give it an amazing ability to cut bread in clean, sharp lines. When I order sourdough in a posh restaurant, the cut surfaces are slightly shiny, almost pearlescent. They must be using one of these.

Where the pankiri really makes a difference, though (and almost justifies the price) is cutting tomatoes and sausages, whose delicate skins are weirdly resistant to even the sharpest nakiris and santokus. This slices through them like a whisper. It’s also much better for cutting pastry than a straight knife and is excellent for carving meat.

No-one’s claiming it’s an affordable option, but with a lifetime guarantee you can reasonably expect your granchildren to be telling their dinner guests, “I bet you’ve never seen one of these.”

Kitchen knife and chef’s knife FAQ

What are the three most important knives in a kitchen?

The single most important knife in your kitchen is the all-purpose, roughly eight-inch chef’s knife of the type reviewed above. However, if you do want to branch out, the top three are simply “small, medium and large,” says Laurie Timpson, a knifemaker at Savernake Knives.

“The small one will be for the more fiddly tasks like peeling an apple or other things that you’re holding in your hand, and they’re usually called paring knives. 

“Your medium knife will probably be your main knife that you use for most things, and that’s usually what people mean when they say chef’s knife. The standard chef’s knife is about 28cm long with a curved blade. 

“Your larger knife could be a cleaver or a carving knife. There’s no hard rule.”

What should I look for when buying a chef’s knife?

Let’s start with the question of what your knife should be made of. “Some people will tell you carbon steel has the edge for hardness and durability,” says Laurie. “Back in the 80s, when stainless steel was quite bad, that might have been true. But carbon steel is not corrosion resistant. Good stainless steel today is definitely preferable.”

What is Rockwell hardness rating?

This is named after the American Rockwell brothers who developed a machine for testing hardness in the 1910s. The machine applies a force to a material and measures how much of a dent it makes. If you see the letters HRC on a knife’s packaging, the numbers that come after it are its Rockwell hardness rating. You want something over 55. Very hard knives with a higher HRC can hold a sharper edge, but they are more vulnerable to chipping. 

If a knife’s manufacturer doesn’t disclose the steel type and hardness, it is probably not the highest quality. 

How do I maintain and care for my chef’s knife?

The first thing is to prevent rust. Stainless steel won’t rust, but carbon steel will if it is left in contact with moisture. Always wipe your knife down carefully after washing and store in a dry place.

The second thing is honing. The cutting edge of a knife will develop microscopic kinks and deformations each time it is used. You may not be able to see them, but over time the blade won’t cut as well. Regular honing corrects these deformations and only takes ten seconds. Run your honing rod from the heel of the blade to the tip in one smooth movement and repeat on the other side. Always hone from heel to tip. Professionals hone every time they use a knife.

If a knife won’t cut any more despite being honed, it needs sharpening. If you use the same knife every day, you may need to do this once a month. Professionals do it once a week. Occasional chefs probably only need to do it a few times a year. Read our guide to the best knife sharpeners to learn more.