The 5 Best Chef's Knives of 2024, Tested by Allrecipes

Chef's Knives Testing — Photo: Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

For professional and home chefs alike, a knife is the most important tool in the kitchen. A good chef's knife can make all the difference in your cooking experience; it's almost like an extension of your hand. Knives can be highly specific tools (think: cheese knife), but a chef's knife is a multipurpose jack of all trades that you'll use for a majority of your tasks. Sure, a high-quality carving knife is the best tool for breaking down that Thanksgiving turkey tableside, but a chef's knife can also get the job done in a pinch.

To find the best chef's knives available, we assessed the price, weight, usability, and design of 21 different models. We then imitated the normal wear and tear a home cook would put their knives through and measured each knife's performance on aspects like sharpness, comfort, and ease of cleaning. Tests included slicing through sheets of paper, slicing tomatoes, mincing garlic, dicing onions, and cubing butternut squash.

Our Top Picks

Our Top Pick:

Mac Knife 8-Inch Hollow Edge Chef's Knife at Amazon $155

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Best Budget:

SALE

Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife at Amazon ~~$50~~ $41

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Best Lightweight:

Kyocera Ceramic Chef's Knife at Amazon $85

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Best for Beginners:

Material 8-Inch Knife at Amazon $85

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Best Design:

Kiritsuke Chef's Knife Oxford Chef 8" at Amazon $90

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Our Top Pick

Mac Knife 8-Inch Hollow Edge Chef's Knife

PHOTO: Amazon

$155 at Amazon $141 at Walmart View on Cutleryandmore.com

Why It's Great: Lightweight; easy to use; extremely sharp

Grain of Salt: Thin blade

This is my favorite knife. I use this knife every day of my life, and I don't think it's possible to love an object more. For years, I used to recommend a different knife, and then one day, I dropped that knife tip-down off a prep table at the restaurant. I needed a new knife, and a coworker lent me this one. It was like using a knife made just for me. It was balanced, lightweight, and easy to control. The way it sailed through a tomato was enough to make me order one on my commute home.

In our test kitchen, we found this knife to make quick work of tomato slices. It performed exceptionally well on our onion and garlic tests with only a slight drag from the pesky skin on butternut squash. This is likely due to the Mac's thin blade—the crux of its razor-sharpness. It also excelled in our paper tests, where we used the knife to slice through a sheet of paper both before and after our food tests to see how well it kept its edge. It sliced through completely on both tests with minimal tearing, but it was also easy to use and clean.

In my experience, the only slight downside of this knife is it requires semi-frequent sharpening. The upside is that I've never owned a knife that can get as sharp as this one. At work, I use my knife for hours at a time every day, so at home, it might not be as much of a concern. So long as you make sure to hone your knife regularly to maintain the edge, you can go longer between sharpenings.

The Details: Blade made from alloy steel; 8.25-inch blade; weighs 6.75 ounces

Allrecipes / Dera Burreson
Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

Best Budget

Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $50 $41 at Amazon $24 at Sur La Table View on Webstaurantstore.com

Why It's Great: Durable; versatile; lightweight

Grain of Salt: Less precise blade

The Victorinox Fibrox Pro is absolutely the best bang for your buck. This is the knife you'll find in professional and home kitchens everywhere. It's cheap yet impossibly durable. Nearly every kitchen I've worked in that has "house knives" or knives provided by the restaurant for cooks who don't bring their own has Victorinox Fibrox Pros. Any professional cook will tell you that these babies are workhorses. They're meant to take the abuse and be easy to use for almost anybody. They're a bit heavy, but their bulk is actually beneficial in providing durability.

The trade-off is that the blade isn't as precise as other, more expensive knives. Don't get me wrong, as our tests found, the Victorinox can do quick work of cubing a butternut squash, but for more delicate tasks, like slicing a tomato, there's some left to be desired. Our first slice of tomato was fine, but we found it was harder to get even slices going forward. Our paper test results agreed; the before and after were fuzzy at the edges, showing a less clean cut, but there wasn't any tearing. Overall, this is an excellent knife for anyone who knows they're going to be hard on their knives and is ok with replacing it every so often when it gets worn down.

The Details: Blade made from stainless steel; 8.25-inch blade; weighs 5.63 ounces

Allrecipes / Dera Burreson
Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

Best Lightweight

Kyocera Ceramic Chef's Knife

Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution Series 7-inch Chef's Knife

PHOTO: Courtesy of Amazon

$85 at Amazon $83 at Walmart $90 at Sur La Table

Why It's Great: Keeps an edge longer; easy to control; ideal for precise cuts

Grain of Salt: Brittle

Unlike the other knives on this list, the Kyocera Ceramic Revolution Series Chef's Knife has a ceramic blade. Among other things, this means that the edge will easily last ten or more times longer than a metal blade. You'll still have to send it out for sharpening, but the need is far less than any other material. It's significantly more brittle, so the edge gets worn down much more slowly than its more malleable metal counterparts. The one drawback to ceramic's intense brittle nature is that it's more prone to chipping or breaking. Because of this, we found you're not really able to smash garlic with this blade properly.

We tested this same knife with an 8-inch blade and found it to be impossibly lightweight, which can be both a positive and a negative. With a heavier knife, you have more weight propelling the knife, making it easier to get through dense foods. We noted that this blade needs some slight pressure to cut through onions, for example. But the lightweight design makes the knife much easier to control. Without the added bulk, it's much easier to perform precise tasks and delicate work. We found it had no problem producing thin slices of tomato and mincing garlic. It's easy to clean, but some dark spots and streaks were left behind in our tests.

The Details: Blade made from ceramic; 7-inch blade; weighs 3.31 ounces

Allrecipes / Dera Burreson
Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

Best for Beginners

Material 8-Inch Knife

PHOTO: Material

$85 at Amazon $80 at Materialkitchen.com $75 at Huckberry

Why It's Great: Very sharp; easy to use; low maintenance

Grain of Salt: Hard to clean

If you're looking to finally get yourself a good chef's knife to level up your cooking, this is the knife for you. The beveled bolster, the area where the blade meets the handle, makes it super comfortable if you're learning how to properly hold a knife for the first time. If you're used to using the chef's knives that come in knife sets, this knife will feel much heavier but more balanced in your hand. The Material 8-Inch Chef's Knife is what's known as a "full tang" knife, meaning the metal from the blade extends all the way through the handle. This makes for an exceptionally well-balanced blade, albeit a bit heavier. Most cheaper knives are "half tang" or "partial tang," meaning that the metal stops before the end of the handle. This is cheaper to manufacture because it doesn't require as much material or precision construction but results in an unbalanced and unwieldy knife.

This knife is excellent for beginners because it's so low maintenance. We noted that the Material 8-Inch Chef's Knife maintained its clean slice even after our vegetable tests. This means that the steel is tough and keeps its edge much longer, resulting in less frequent sharpenings. The hardened steel and, thus, sharper blade make this knife easy to use, especially for precision tasks. We cored a tomato with the tip of the knife as easily as a paring knife. However, one thing to be aware of is that the Material 8-Inch Chef's Knife is tricky to clean. In our tests, we saw spots, streaks, and even scratches after washing, likely due to the carbon steel in the blade, so be sure to be extra careful and thorough.

The Details: Blade made from high carbon & Japanese stainless steel; 8.06-inch blade; weighs 7.63 ounces

Allrecipes / Dera Burreson
Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

Best Design

Kiritsuke Chef's Knife Oxford Chef 8"

PHOTO: Amazon

$90 at Amazon

Why It's Great: Ergonomic; easy to clean; good value

Grain of Salt: Blunt tip

Form and function collide with the Kiritsuke Chef's Knife. This knife snagged our Best Design spot not just for its beautiful blade but also for its perfectly designed handle. The handle's ergonomic shape makes it easy to hold comfortably, and the blade size and balance allow for even more precision. This knife was also among the easiest to clean, leaving no streaks or spots after washing. The blade is long and thin; we even described it as "nimble" when dicing an onion. It breezed through our vegetable tests with mastery and performed especially well on the tomato tests, yielding super paper-thin slices. Generally, you might expect to pay well over $100 for such a high-performing knife, but the Kiritsuke Chef's Knife is a bargain.

The blade doesn't taper at the tip as much as other models, so doing precision work with the tip of your knife is significantly harder. This knife is also the heaviest on our list, so controlling the tip can be even more difficult.

The Details: Blade made from Damascus super steel; 8-inch blade; weighs 9.13 ounces

Allrecipes / Dera Burreson
Allrecipes / Dera Burreson

Our Takeaway

If you're looking for the best chef's knife that we tested and the only knife I care to use at home or at work in a professional kitchen, then the Mac Professional Hollow Edge Knife is definitely the best choice. If you're just starting out and don't necessarily need a restaurant-quality knife or don't want to pay professional prices, then the Material 8-Inch Chef's Knife is for you.

How to Pick the Right Chef's Knife

Moreso than any other kitchen tools, knives are highly specific to the individual. Are you regularly breaking down whole chickens? Chopping enough potatoes for a family of 10? Interested in sharpening at home? A weekend chef only? Knowing what you plan to use your knife for and how often you plan to use it is essential information to help you pick the right knife for your needs. The good news is that there are millions of styles and models to choose from, and your experience can be totally customizable.

Blade Material

Knowing what your blade is made from helps you understand what kind of tasks your knife will perform best. Surprisingly, we discovered that high-carbon steel performed the worst out of all the materials in our tests.

Stainless steel is the most common, most durable, and easiest to maintain, so it is generally what will work best for most people. Ceramic blades are extremely hard and brittle, making them great at keeping an edge for a long time, but the downside is that they can chip and are difficult to sharpen.

Handle Material

The handle material may seem inconsequential, but it actually can make a big difference. Some handles look nice but are slippery when washing or processing slimy ingredients. Fibrox handles are the best way to go if slip resistance is a high priority. They're also made from an extremely lightweight plastic that doesn't contribute much bulk to the knife's overall weight.

Many traditional Japanese-style knives have pakkawood handles. Despite its name, pakkawood is actually a resin and wood composite material, not a type of pure wood. The advantage of pakkawood is it gives all the natural beauty of wood but with the added strength of resin. This is a much more durable, sanitary, and long-lasting material than wood handles.

Blade Style

What type of blade you buy ultimately depends on your needs and preferences. Blades generally come in two angles: double bevel and single bevel. Double-beveled knives have a sharpened angle on both sides of the blade; you usually find this type of blade on Western-style knives. Single bevel blades are generally only sharpened to a cutting edge on one side and are typically found on Japanese-style blades.

Double bevels are also sometimes called 50-50 blades, meaning each side is at an equal angle. They're versatile, easy to sharpen, and can be used by right-handed and left-handed people. Single bevel blades usually veer into the 80-20 ratio and are best for super sharp, precision cuts, especially at an angle. This type of knife makes quick work of slicing meat or breaking down raw fish. These knives usually can't be sharpened at home and require professional sharpening. Since the knife is disproportionately sharpened on one side, it can only be used by right-handed people unless you buy one specifically made for lefties.

About Our Tests

To assess these knives, we evaluated 21 of the best in design, size, performance, cleaning, and overall value. To test their sharpness, we used the knives to slice through sheets of paper before and after our food tests, where we sliced tomatoes, minced garlic, diced onions, and cubed butternut squash. This hands-on test also allowed us to evaluate balance and comfort and make decisions about design and performance. Lastly, we evaluated the ease of cleaning at the end of the day after all the food tests.

The Leftovers: Other Chef's Knives We Tested

J.A. Henckels makes wide varieties and grades of knives, but their J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife is incredibly popular and thus made our list of test knives. Unfortunately, its long, heavy handle made it awkward to maneuver and difficult to grip comfortably. It performed well on a few of the vegetable tests but failed to cleanly cut through the onion and butternut squash, though it was one of the easier models to clean. Similarly, the Misen Chef Knife has a huge internet following and performed well on our tomato and garlic tests. But like a few others on our leftovers list, it just couldn't get through the onion and butternut squash tests. The squash, in particular, proved to be nearly insurmountable.

Mercer has been a prominent name in knives for professionals and home cooks alike for years, but we were disappointed with the performance of the Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife. We tested three different Mercer models, and they were our three worst performers. They lacked sharp blades and tips and even crumpled the paper instead of slicing it.

Common Questions

How much does a good chef's knife cost?

The first thing to know is there are good chef's knives at every price point—whatever your budget, you have enough money to get a quality tool so long as you know how to maintain and care for it. As you can see from this list, you can get a great knife like the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife for under $40, but I've also used amazing knives that my peers have spent over $450. A reasonable budget to keep in mind for home use is somewhere between $40 and $150, depending on how much you want to spend.

What are chef's knives used for?

First, let's talk about what chef's knives are not used for. If you want to prolong the life of your knife and adequately care for it, never use your knife to open a can, scrape across a cutting board, or pry anything open. We also don't recommend using your knife on a glass cutting board. Outside of that, chef's knives are the most versatile tools in any home cook's arsenal. You can use your knife to debone a chicken, chop veggies, smash garlic, chiffonade herbs, or peel a potato.

How do you clean chef's knives?

Knife care is a vital skill, and one of the first steps is cleaning your knife correctly. The most critical thing to know is that putting your chef's knife in the dishwasher is one of the biggest kitchen mistakes to make. Always hand wash your knives right after using them, immediately dry them, and put them away; storing them on a magnetic knife holder is a good idea. Leaving knives in the sink can dull the blade and ruin the tip, so make sure to wash them immediately. Carefully use a soapy sponge to cleanse the blades, rinse them with warm water, and make sure to dry them thoroughly.

Why Take Our Word for It?

Our Allrecipes professional testers got their hands dirty and assessed these knives across countless metrics. Our testers are real people who are excited about cooking and aren't being paid to sing the praises of any particular product.

Nick DeSimone wrote and compiled this list based on insights from our test kitchen. They are a professional cook with nearly a decade of experience and passion for all things kitchen knives. Nick can often be found chatting with their friends and coworkers about knife safety, care, and shopping tips. They own several knives on this list and have battle-tested at least 20 more. Working in professional kitchens, Nick knows which knives stand the test of time and which are better left in the drawer.