8 Best Chef’s Knives That Make Food Prep a Breeze
Because you know that dull knife from your college days isn’t doing you any favors.
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We’re here to fill you in on a little secret: The key to optimizing your cooking life is investing in a quality chef’s knife. This workhorse of a kitchen tool is indispensable when it comes to meal prep, and you’ll be amazed at what a world of a difference a good chef’s knife can make when it comes to efficiency and, you know, enjoying that whole cooking thing.
Back in culinary school, my scariest day at the cutting board was our first knife skills tutorial. Staring at that sharp, pointy knife, I wondered how I was going to climb my way to Top Chef status with something so formidable looking. But once my chef-instructor assured the class that “a sharp knife is a safe knife,” I suddenly felt at ease. Ever since I started using the best chef’s knife I could find, I’ve never looked back — and never needed a Band-Aid in the kitchen again. But there are a few important factors to take into consideration before you invest in a chef’s knife.
What to Consider
First things first — what exactly is a chef’s knife? A chef’s knife typically has a blade that hovers around 6 to 8 inches. It may take a bit of trial and error to determine what length you prefer, but we’re partial to the extra cutting real estate an 8-inch blade gives you. In addition to blade length, you also want to look for a knife that has a comfortable, easy-to-grip handle. The sharper a knife is, the easier it will be to work with, so we recommend buying knives made from high carbon stainless steel as they hold a great edge. Carbon steel is also great, too, and slightly more affordable (say, around $10, as opposed to $15-plus for high-carbon stainless steel).
In terms of pricing, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $200, although super fancy chef knives can set you back even more. Longevity depends on how well you’re taking care of your knife and if you’re using it daily or just a few times a month, but chef knives can last a decade or even longer with the proper TLC.
Best Chef’s Knives
- Best Overall: Mercer Culinary M23510 Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife
- Best Runner-Up: J.A. Henckels Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife
- Best Value: Misen Chef's Knife
- Sharpest: Zwilling Pro 8-inch Chef’s Knife
- Design MVP: Hast 8-inch Chef's Knife
- Best Set: Our Place Knife Trio
- Best Budget Knife: Tramontina Forged 8-Inch Chef's Knife
- Best Short Knife: Misen Short Chef's Knife
How We Evaluated
Thankfully, post-vax summer gatherings have given us plenty of opportunities to get to chopping. We used many a chef’s knife to dice up mirepoix for vegetable stock and slice apples for galettes galore. To make sure we tracked down the absolute best chef knives on the market, we sifted through dozens of customer reviews, plus reviewed sites like Food & Wine, Good Housekeeping, and Wirecutter to check out their take.
Below are eight excellent chef knives that will have you slicing, chopping, and maybe even julienne-ing up a storm.
Mercer Culinary Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife
Mercer Culinary Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife
If you’re looking for the best chef’s knife, look no further. There’s a lot to love about this best-rated chef’s knife, which is affordable, comfortable, long-lasting. I’ve personally been using this chef’s knife for years for everything from dicing onions, slicing tempeh, and mincing at least ten boatloads of garlic per meal.
With an ergonomic handle, a high carbon stainless steel blade, and a comfortable weight that makes for superb efficiency, it’s hard to find a better knife at this price point — or in general.
Just ask the 3,010 and counting reviewers who gave it five stars on Amazon. Some of its many glowing reviews include a happy customer who raved that even “2.5 years later, the knife remains excellent, sharp, and durable.” Other happy customers deem it “a life-saver for older hands” and a ”high-end knife for a super low price!”
More: 7 Paring Knives That Will Make You Excited to Work on Your Knife Skills
HENCKELS J.A. Henckels Classic 8-Inch Chef Knife
HENCKELS J.A. Henckels Classic 8-Inch Chef Knife
A favorite among home cooks, this knife is made in Spain with high-quality German stainless steel. The long-lasting sharpness is a veritable delight, and the ergonomic design makes prep work a breeze and helps to keep things steady while you chop.
We think one reviewer put it best when he wrote, “treat it well and keep it sharpened, and you'll have a wonderful tool in your kitchen for many years to come.” On that note, we’re putting it in the dishwasher because it’s dishwasher-safe. Phew.
The Misen Chef's Knife has an average rating of 4.9 stars from more than 8,000 happy customers. The knife is constructed from AICHI AUS-10 steel, which offers an even better balance between lasting sharpness and durability with two times the carbon content of some other, pricier knives. We particularly appreciate the 15-degree edge angle that gives you an incredibly sharp cutting face. Plus, it’s available in blue, black, gray, and red.
HENCKELS ZWILLING Pro 8-Inch Traditional Chef's Knife
HENCKELS ZWILLING Pro 8-Inch Traditional Chef's Knife
The blade on this splurge-worthy knife is the real standout: A “Friodur” ice-hardened blade helps imbue the cutting surface with extended durability, so the edge stays sharper for longer, and the blade features corrosion resistance, to boot. We also like the triple-riveted handle for good balance and safety at the cutting board.
The stainless steel knife is technically dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing to help preserve its lifespan.
HAST Hast Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife
HAST Hast Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife
Allow us to introduce you to Hast, perhaps the most beautiful knife we’ve ever seen for under $100 that will fit right in with your minimalist kitchen aesthetic. Hast's Chef's Knife is a knife unlike any other. Winner of a Red Dot Design Award, this knife is built out of one piece of premium powder steel and stays ultra sharp. For those who prefer a lighter-weight knife, this one’s for you.
Bonus: Unlike some chef’s knives that we’ve found easy to maneuver on hard items but difficult to slice through softer ingredients like tomatoes or grapes, we find the Hast is equally adept at both hard and soft slicing tasks.
$170 $145 (14% off)
The star of this knife set trio by Our Place is hands-down the Everyday Chef’s Knife, thanks to its superb weight and 8-inch blade. The trio also includes the Serrated Slicing Knife and the Precise Paring Knife. Made with premium German stainless steel, the patent-pending grip comes with indents to support your hand properly while you cut.
The knives are available in popular Our Place’s shades, Spice (pink), Steam (beige), Char (gray), and Blue Salt, and you can mix or match colors as you please. It’s important to note these knives aren’t dishwasher-safe, so wash with warm soapy water.
Tramontina Tramontina Forged 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Tramontina Tramontina Forged 8-Inch Chef's Knife
This 8-inch chef’s knife is made with high carbon stainless steel and holds a solid edge that makes preparing fruits, veggies, and proteins a total breeze. The cutlery tool has a nice heft to it, along with a fully tapered and beveled blade complete with a satin finish. Given our lazy tendencies, we also love that this knife is dishwasher-safe.
Misen Misen Short Chef's Knife
Misen Misen Short Chef's Knife
Available in blue, back, or gray, this model features the same craftsmanship and design as the original shebang but has a total length of 12.3 inches to the original chef’s knife’s 13.5 inches. If you have smaller hands, this size provides enhanced control and comfort.
Perri is a New York City-born and -based writer; she holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Columbia University and is also a culinary school graduate of the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, which is now the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute of Culinary Education. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, Oprah Daily, Insider.com, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and more. She's probably seen Dave Matthews Band in your hometown, and she'll never turn down a bloody mary. Learn more at VeganWhenSober.com.
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