With so many professional kitchen knives available today, finding the perfect one to fit your requirements isn’t easy. Given that some of them cost several hundred dollars, it’s important to buy the right one from the get-go.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best knives for Chefs and what makes them so unique.
As professional culinary employees, Chefs need the right tools to perform their tasks efficiently. There’s probably no other tool that Chefs use more than their knives.
Having the right knife will make cutting, chopping, filleting, dicing and slicing not only easier, but more precise and faster as well.
With that in mind, here’s a list that we’ve compiled of the best Chef knives. Our list includes both Japanese and Western-style knives suitable for any budget.
The Best Professional Chef’s Knives
The first category lists the best all-around knives currently available on the market. Budget didn’t come into consideration here since we wanted to find the best knives out there.
The three knives listed in this category are versatile, durable and made by world-renowned knife manufacturers.
Mac’s Professional Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife With Dimples
Mac is a popular Japanese knife manufacturer. Their 8-inch Professional Series knife is extremely versatile.
What makes it versatile is its blade. The blade is 8 inches long and 1 inch thick. These are standard length and thickness figures for Chef knives.
Where this knife truly stands out is its structure, which includes hollow grounds with dimples. This feature makes it easy to cut through sticky foods.
Source: macknife.com
Price: $175.00
Shop here: Professional Series 8-inch Chef’s Knife with Dimples (MTH-80)
Global Cutlery’s 8-Inch Classic Japanese Chef’s Knife
Global Cutlery is a U.S. knife maker that specializes in crafting Japanese-style knives. The 8-inch Classic is what they call a “multipurpose workhorse”.
It has a standard blade length constructed of a single piece of steel. It also features a hollow handle filled with sand for perfect balance and weight.
Additionally, it has an ergonomic handle made out of stainless steel.
All of these features make this knife great for cutting, slicing, chopping and doing all sorts of prep work.
Source: globalcutleryusa.com
Price: $124.95
Shop here: 8-inch Classic Japanese Chef’s Knife
Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef’s Knife
Why fix something that isn’t broken? This is one of the most popular German-style knives in recent history.
The Wüsthof knife has a curved blade that’s bigger and heavier than the two Japanese options we mentioned above.
This extra weight gives you a better feel for the knife. So, despite the added weight, it’s easy to handle.
The Wüsthof Classic Chef’s Knife blade is 8 inches long and 1.9 inches wide. This makes it ideal for cutting meat, chopping herbs or mincing garlic.
Source: wusthof.com
Price: $170.00
Shop here: WÜSTHOF Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
The Best Budget Chef’s Knives
Not everyone has $100 to spend on a Chef’s knife. For that reason, we’re also listing three exceptional knives that are more suited for budget-oriented buyers.
Even though these knives are more affordable than the ones we listed above, they’re still high quality and extremely popular.
Here are our three budget options:
Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife
This knife is made to stand up to anything you put on your cutting board. Victorinox is a knife maker based in Switzerland, with a history of producing quality knives that dates back to 1884.
Their Swiss Classic Chef’s knife has a normal straight edge. The blade length is 7.5 inches, which is slightly shorter than the standard for this category. However, its ergonomic handle and lighter weight make it extremely easy to handle.
Source: victorinox.com
Price: $60.00
Shop here: Victorinox Swiss Classic Chef’s Knife
Henckels Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
This knife is manufactured by Zwilling J.A. Henckels — one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of kitchen knives.
Their 8-inch Chef’s Knife features a finely honed blade. The smooth transition from blade to handle allows for precision and balance, while the traditional triple-rivet handle makes it comfortable to hold.
These properties make it one of the best Chef’s knife choices for the money.
Source: zwilling.com
Price: $69.99
Shop here: Buy Henckels CLASSIC Chef’s Knife
Dalstrong’s Gladiator Series Chef’s Knife 7-Inch
This is one of the coolest-looking knives for professional Chefs. It features a unique and versatile blade shape that’s made from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel.
This Chef’s knife is ideal for kitchen prep work, as its wide-blade profile allows you to easily transfer chopped foods from the cutting board right into a plate, pan or pot.
It also features an ergonomic, triple-riveted, military-grade handle for durability and comfort.
Source: dalstrong.com
Price: $89.00
Shop here: Barong Gladiator Series 7′-Inch Chef’s Knife
The Best Japanese Chef’s Knives
Japanese-style knives are famous for being extremely sharp and durable. They’re made using traditional sword forging techniques and high-quality Japanese steel.
As a result, their blades are not only very sharp and durable but also lightweight.
Check out some of the best traditional Japanese knives:
Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Shun is a well-known Japanese knife manufacturer. The Shun Classic is ideal for cutting pretty much anything.
It has a wide blade and a curved belly. This allows you to gently rock it through spices and foods. The thin blade makes it light, allowing you to use it for longer periods without straining your hands.
Source: shun.kaiusa.com
Price: $169.95
Shop here: Shun’s Classic Chef’s 8-Inch Kitchen Knife
Tojiro DP 8.2-Inch Chef Knife
A handcrafted Japanese knife that has won awards for design and functionality. It’s the ideal choice for professional Chefs who want an affordable knife that lasts a long time.
The Tojiro DP features a slightly longer-than-standard blade made of hand-polished, high-quality steel. The handle is comfortable and well-balanced, allowing you to work with the knife for extended periods.
Source: tojiro-japan.com
Price: $85.99
Shop here: Tojiro DP | 8.2-Inch Chef Knife (Gyuto)
Kuma Damascus 8-Inch Steel Chef’s Knife
A premium, multi-purpose Japanese knife made of 67 fine layers of Japanese Damascus steel. This knife is everything a Chef needs to perform various types of cuts.
The blade is 1 inch thick, allowing you to make precise and easy cuts. The knife’s profile makes it easy to handle and use.
Source: kumaknives.com
Price: $150.00
Shop here: KUMA Japanese Damascus Steel Chef’s Knife
The Best Western-Style Chef’s Knives
These knives are also called European-style knives. They are typically sturdier and heavier than Japanese knives. The added weight makes them ideal for tougher jobs like thick meat cutting and bone chopping.
Western-style knives also typically have a curved edge. This makes them great for slicing meat, chopping veggies and filleting fish.
Here are our top three Western-style knife choices:
Case’s 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Case is an American manufacturer of household cutlery. This particular Chef’s knife features a standard 8-inch stainless steel, full-tang blade and a solid walnut handle.
It’s a multi-purpose knife suitable for a wide range of cutting tasks, including slicing and chopping.
Source: caseknives.com
Price: $58.99
Shop here: Case Household Cutlery 8″ Chef’s Knife
Opinel’s Les Forgés 1890 Chef’s Knife
A rigid and stable Chef’s knife for chopping, stripping, dicing and crushing all types of food. This French-made knife has a hard stainless steel blade to ensure perfect cuts.
The blade is full-tang to make it robust and well-balanced. The handle is made from beechwood and stabilized to improve water resistance. The whole knife is made with an ergonomic design to provide grip comfort.
Source: opinel.com
Price: $145
Shop here: Chef’s Knife — Les Forgés 1890
Our Place’s Everyday Chef’s Knife
Our Place’s Everyday Chef’s Knife is simply that — a knife for everyday use for all types of cutting tasks. It’s great for slicing, dicing and mincing.
This knife features a full-tang blade made of premium stainless steel. It also features a guided grip and is designed for prep work, cooking and serving tasks.
Source: fromourplace.com
Price: $60
Shop here: Our Place’s Chefs Knife
The Best American Chef’s Knives
If you want to support American businesses or just enjoy American-style knives in general, we also included a list of three outstanding Chef’s knives made in the United States.
Lamson’s 8-Inch Vintage Chef’s Knife
This is a 100% American-made knife using hi-carbon American steel.
The blade is made using cutting-edge laser technology. As a result, you get an extremely sharp blade with long edge retention.
Moreover, Lamson’s Vintage features an ergonomic, hand-finished, stabilized walnut handle that provides a timeless look and feel.
It also comes with a life-long warranty for extra piece of mind.
Source: lamsonproducts.com
Price: $89.99
Shop here: 8″ Vintage Chef’s Knife with Walnut Handle
Cutco’s Petite Chef Knife
Cutco’s Petite Chef Knife has a slightly shorter blade than most Chef knives.
It’s 7 and ⅝ inches long, making it slightly lighter and easier to handle than most knives in this category. Still, there’s no noticeable difference in performance.
Besides that, the blade is rounded towards the tip. This makes it great for rocking cuts, slicing and mincing.
Source: cutco.com
Price: $119.99
Shop here: Cutco Petite Chef Knife
Dalstrong’s Shogun Series Kiritsuke 8.5-Inch Chef’s Knife
This is a double-bevel “kiritsuke” knife with a long, straight edge and a sword-like tip. It’s considered a push-cut master — a Japanese version of a multi-purpose knife.
Its blade design is a combination of traditional Japanese fish slicers and vegetable knives.
In Japanese cuisine, kiritsukes are reserved for master Chefs. This is because they require a lot of skill to use. However, the double bevel design of Dalstrong’s Shogun Kiritsuke makes it easy to use and maintain even for beginners.
Source: dalstrong.com
Price: $139.00
Shop here: 8.5-Inch Kiritsuke Knife Shogun Series
