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 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 in regards to 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). Via my twenties, I gravitated in the direction of the almost disposable however persistently dependable Kiwi blades I discovered at Tan-A, my native Asian grocery retailer (in no small half as a result of High Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh as soon as stated they have been adequate for him, and he’s identified for his unbelievable knife abilities). Nowadays, as a each day dwelling cook dinner, it’s all in regards to the BIFL (purchase it for all times) possibility — knives that may serve me nicely for the remainder of my knife-wielding life. I’ve used this data from my private {and professional} analysis to carry you this information to the perfect chef’s knives.
Whereas a typical chef’s knife roll could have a dozen knives inside, a real, large, multipurpose chef’s knife is an all-rounder, the form of instrument that may deal with winter’s bulbous, cruciferous produce and massive 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 will sharpen simply, holding its edge for an extended day within the kitchen. I studied the supplies, weight, steadiness, and sharpness of knives from manufacturers I knew nicely 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, reduce bunches of chives into slivers, and sliced tomatoes as thinly as a Ginsu knife infomercial. I additionally used every knife for a minimum of one full day (typically 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 could be my eternally knife. It’s impeccably balanced, gentle sufficient to make use of for the lengthy haul but in addition 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, high-quality carbide stainless-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 building and strong wooden deal with are nice for sturdiness
- Lifetime guarantee
Cons
- Increased worth level
- Smaller blade could also be higher for smaller fingers
Chef-iest: MAC Skilled Sequence 8” Chef’s Knife with Dimples
Plenty 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 customary. Doxzen explains, “MAC knives are nice workhorses at an approachable pricepoint — good worth for each day drivers. Their metal boasts glorious edge retention, they usually keep in sharp working order for a [long] time.” So I used to be to see how they might carry out in my dwelling 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 means by even the bulkiest of produce like a laser. The knife is superbly balanced and simply achieves a swift, rocking methodology for issues like herbs and leafy greens. Plus, the marginally dimpled blade releases from the outcomes effortlessly, making fast work of no matter you place in entrance of it.
Professionals
- Versatile and extremely sharp
- Skinny, dimpled blade releases simply from meals
- Effectively-balanced and light-weight
Cons
- Increased worth level
- Smaller than common deal with could also be higher suited to smaller fingers
Most Fashionable: Hedley & Bennett 8” Chef’s Knife
Sensible, dependable, and delightful? Say much less! Truly, I’ll say a bit extra: The Hedley & Bennett 8” Chef’s Knife rapidly turned one in every of my each 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, because of the Shiso Inexperienced deal with I opted for (it’s additionally out there in black, white, a tawny brown, and a vibrant blue). This knife is made with three layers of Japanese metal (often known as San-mai within the knife world), which implies it’s persistently 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
- Simple to sharpen and stays sharp after many makes use of
- Lifetime assure
Cons
- Might reduce a contact extra slowly than knives with thinner blades
Most Versatile: Made In 8” Chef Knife
Equally suited to large 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 purple, 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 won’t be the only option for extra of a hands-off dwelling cook dinner, however for anybody who’s useful with a honing metal, this razor-sharp, full-tang knife will carry out nicely for years. (This was the do-it-all knife I gave to my nephew this yr when he moved into his first solo residence.)
Professionals
- Versatile; appropriate for every kind of meat and greens
- Razor-sharp out of the field and with continued care
- Beautiful 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 Palms: Wüsthof Traditional 8” Chef’s Knife
Superb for greater fingers, the Wüsthof Traditional 8” Chef’s Knife is a hefty, full-bolster knife beloved by execs and residential cooks alike. It is a nice selection for breaking down large burly root greens or hulking summer season melons, but it surely’s not as well-suited for refined knife work, so save this one for when you want to chop a complete pumpkin or a bag of potatoes, and discover a smaller knife for extra meticulous duties. This one comes with a lifetime guarantee and is offered in eight colours, together with a vibrant Purple Yam and complex Wild Blueberry.
Professionals
- Simply takes on massive produce or cuts of meat
- Nice for bulk meal prep
- Higher for greater fingers
- Sturdy full-bolster building
Cons
- Not as deft at high-quality knife work
- Must be sharpened extra typically
- Increased worth level
Finest Low-Upkeep Choose for Informal Cooks: Our Place On a regular basis Chef’s Knife
If you happen to, 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, out there in 5 of Our Place’s signature dreamy colours, like Lavender and Spice. At $70 (on sale for $60 presently), this can be a licensed steal of a knife that’s able to making quick work of cumbersome produce whereas nonetheless navigating small gadgets simply as nicely.
Professionals
- Effectively-balanced
- Sturdy full-tang building
- Cheaper price 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 value 3 times the worth of this traditional 8-inch chef’s knife. The blade is made out of high-carbon stainless-steel, and it handles with a formidable quantity of steadiness. Plus, it is available in a swanky little purple velvet-lined field that makes it very giftable.
Professionals
- Inexpensive
- 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
