Without a knife set, no kitchen arsenal is complete. You will feel constrained in the kitchen without a variety of knives at your disposal unless you consume frozen pre-made meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The quantity and quality of the set depends, however, on how much cooking you want to do; some sets will be overkill for some home chefs and not nearly enough for others.
While looking for a new knife set for your kitchen, things to think about include the handle material, the metal of the blade, and any self-sharpening capabilities.
While some of the most well-known brands with the highest quality may only be purchased online (in the same way you can play free spins no deposit nz online), others are readily available off the shelves of your neighbourhood big-box retailer.
We have done it for you because sorting through all the possibilities can be difficult and expensive if you make the wrong choice. The best knife companies are listed below, graded by price, value, durability, and sharpness.
Wüsthof
The German workhorse knife itself, Wüsthof, finishes last in the rankings. You won’t ever need to worry about the customer service or warranty due to how well-known this Western manufacturer’s brand is due to its longevity in manufacturing. In the world of cooking, there is a never-ending argument over whether the methods used to make Japanese or German knives are superior. Yet, some brands assert that they blend the best of both.
German knives are reliable and all business while Japanese blades are stunning and beautiful. These knives’ blades aren’t as eye-catching as some of our favorite Japanese manufacturers’ with fancy Damascus or hammered steel, but their toughness more than makes up for it.
We prefer this brand because it can withstand a range of usage, including vigorous chopping, precise dicing, and even cutting meats that are still on the bone. The half-bolster allows for both finger protection and simpler sharpening, while Wüsthof’s unique carbon blades may be sharpened with ease. Sharper than Zwilling, Wüsthof is also manufactured.
These full-tang blades are elegant, strong, and unbreakable by bends, chips, or stains. Thanks to Amazon, you can begin your Wüsthof collection with a chef’s knife that measures 8 inches in length for $200 or even a santoku that measures a little bit smaller for $100.
Enso
An organization that sells a 16-piece Damascus knife set handcrafted in Japan for around $1,000 is hard to knock out of the top five, which is why Enso is unaffected. Because they are so expensive from other brands, large knife sets are either non-existent or unaffordable.
On Reddit, knife aficionados criticize the company, but it’s important to recognize any company that makes Japanese cutlery affordable.
Hammered Damascus steel is a classic Japanese blade design that Enso incorporates, however compared to other manufacturers like Shun and Miyabi, whose knives typically have close to or more than 100 coats of stainless steel, Enso utilizes only 37, resulting in a thinner and less robust blade overall.
Yet, Enso will still outperform other brands in sharpness; nothing will be lost as a result. Like many other brands, Enso allows for upgrades, and its 101-layer SG2 chef’s knife is only $300 on Amazon.
Enso knives are excellent for cooks who need high-quality tools to withstand frequent usage because they are ergonomic and sharp.
Miyabi Cutlery
It’s time to explore the Japanese knife world if you take your cooking seriously. Quality Japanese knives are robust, light, and razor sharp because of their craftsmanship and use of ancient forging methods.
The Zwilling J.A. Henckels company’s third-tier of knives are called Miyabi. Its blades feature an exquisite Damascus pattern and are constructed with over 100 layers of steel above a powder steel core. They are then hardened using a unique ice-hardening process.
Although still a costly line of knives, Miyabi is one of the most reasonably priced but high-quality entrance points into the extremely pricey world of Japanese-style knives, and we think it gives Shun serious competition. The 8-inch Miyabi Mizu SG2 chef’s knife, which has a micarta handle and a blade with a hammer finish, costs under $180 on Amazon and is a good introduction to Japanese blades.
The vast majority of negative evaluations for Miyabi are due to concerns that their knives arrived distorted or dented, which contributes to the company’s extremely high internet ratings.
Yoshihiro Cutlery
In our opinion, Yoshihiro is one of the greatest options for home cooks who don’t want to invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars in their knives. With more upscale options for more dedicated chefs, its entry-level blades are priced between mid-$100 and about $250.
The forging of Yoshihiro’s blades uses “contemporary stainless metallurgy”, which produces the look of a traditional Japanese blade without the expensive upkeep required by reactive high-carbon steel.
On Reddit, Yoshihiro has come under fire. Customers praise the brand for its value-to-price ratio and light handling, but claim that when other top-of-the-line competitors are taken into consideration, it just falls short. But Yoshihiro will do the trick for those of us who won’t be buying from several Japanese knife companies only to contrast and compare them.
Chicago Cutlery
At the moment, value is king, therefore anyone who can provide a decent bargain earns a spot in our list of the top five knife brands. Chicago’s flagship set, the Chicago Cutlery Malden, which includes 16 pieces, stainless steel, a built-in sharpener, and blades that are forged rather than stamped with a full metal tang, is only slightly more than $200 on Amazon. It costs just 17 dollars for a two-piece chef and paring knife essential duo.
The 26-angle edge of Chicago blades, which we have used, makes them sharper and more responsive than Cuisinart and Farberware, and even competitive with more expensive brands like Henckels and Schmidt Brothers. Overall, we are satisfied with Chicago’s bang for the buck and are surprised by how highly it ranks for the value it offers.
