For beginner and expert cooks alike, a knife set is a great starting block. In a knife set, you’ll get several knives to cover your basic cooking needs, and you can supplement with more specialized knives depending on what you’re most likely to whip up in the kitchen. Here, recipe developers, food bloggers, and professional chefs share their top tips for choosing, buying, and caring for a knife set, as well as the sets they use all the time. With their tips and tricks, you’ll be able to find the perfect knife set for your kitchen. In your search, you’ll come across knife sets with a dozen knives of all shapes and sizes, from Japanese to European, stainless steel and carbon fiber. But chef Stephanie Harris-Uyidi, also known as The Posh Pescatarian, says, “My motto is quality over quantity! It is rare to use all of the knives in most sets, and most folks tend to rely on a few.” With this in mind, here are the knives that every good set needs, and the tools and accessories that can also be nice to have depending on your cooking style. Here are a few extras that can take your basic knife set to the next level: If you’re able to check out knives in person, you’ll want them to have some weight to them so they’re easier to control. You’ll also want the blade and handle to feel balanced. Oztan says, “If you pick it up in the store and it doesn’t feel right, amplify that feeling by 20 carrots and 10 pounds of potatoes.” If you’re buying a set online, pay close attention to the reviews that talk about what the knives actually feel like. Becca Jacobs, food blogger and recipe developer behind O Street Kitchen, recommends, “If you’re ordering a knife set online, measure out the length of the handle via ruler or tape measure and feel how it is in your hand. As a smaller person, larger-handle knives aren’t comfortable for me and therefore are less useful.” Kiele-Jael Stanton, certified health-supportive chef and wellness culinary coach, recommends that home cooks look for “full tang” knives with blades that run all the way through their handles. “Look for metal going all the way through the handle so you know that they are sturdy, solid knives with evenly distributed weight,” Stanton advises. If the metal doesn’t go all the way through the handle, you could face a knife that breaks under pressure. When it comes to the classic wooden knife, Nguyen says, “Don’t pick knives with wooden handles unless you’re committed to hand-washing them. This is a big debate, but I put all of my knives in the dishwasher—and Ina Garten does as well!” If you’re also a member of the dishwasher club, steer clear of wooden handles. If you’re not the only one who’s wielding a knife while making dinner, then this J.A. Henckels knife set is perfect for your bustling kitchen. With both a chef’s knife and a Japanese style santoku knife, more than one person can take on the slicing and dicing at the same time. Plus, this set includes six steak knives for when you’re entertaining at home. These knives have a full tang design and are made out of stainless steel, plus, they’re dishwasher safe. Nguyen adds, “It’s not too expensive for its quality and comes with plenty of steak knives, which we use often. These knives feel extra luxurious to use because of the weighted handle. I love them.” Jacobs says, “This is my favorite knife set to gift people who are getting more into cooking! The quality is really nice for the price and being able to pick the handle color makes it feel a little more custom.” In this set, you’ll get the basics—a paring knife, two utility knives, a serrated knife, bread knife, and a chef’s knife - plus a honing steel and kitchen shears, all in a 17-slot block. And for the price tag you get a lifetime warranty. Dédé Wilson, a recipe developer and former Bon Appetit magazine contributing editor, says, “If counter space is minimal, check out the J.A. Henckels International Modernist 6-Piece Studio Knife Block Set. It has a very small footprint—and shears!” With just four ergonomic knives—a chef’s knife, utility knife, paring knife, and serrated utility knife—this is a minimalist’s dream. The knife block takes up little counter space, and the knives are dishwasher safe. Alexandra Colbus Lawrence, food blogger behind Keys to the Cucina, says, “I’m obsessed with my Kyocera ceramic knives. They would be best for a small kitchen because you don’t need to sharpen them, and they come with a minimalist knife block for easy storing.” Global is a favorite brand of home chefs, and this set includes knives made of Cromova 18 high-carbon stainless steel. This set includes a utility knife, chef’s knife, vegetable knife, and bread knife. It’ll cover all your basic needs in the kitchen and look incredible on your countertop when not in use.
With a chef’s knife, paring knife, and utility knife, this will accomplish all the slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping you need to do in the kitchen, without any extraneous tools taking up room on your countertop.
This six-piece knife set includes a paring knife, utility knife, and chef’s knife, in addition to a honing steel for sharpening your knives at home. Made of high-carbon stainless steel, these knives are designed to maintain sharpness, and the spear point paring knife is perfect for cooks who often find themselves finely mincing and slicing veggies and fruits.
It has a chef’s knife, santoku knife, and paring knife, as well as a ceramic sharpening rod, perfect for versatile home cooks who use their knives daily and want a regular at-home sharpening option. With comfort grip handles and stainless-steel blades, this is a great set for a cook who’s ready to level up their collection, but it’s also a great starting block since it covers the basics: a chef’s knife, serrated bread knife, and paring knife. Haskelevich adds, “Sharpen your knives on a wet stone regularly. I do so monthly, but more casual users can get away with every six months.” Sharpening at home every few days, weeks, or months is a great way to keep your knives in tiptop shape, but they will last longer when they’re given professional attention on a consistent basis. Jacobs says, “Find a professional sharpener in your area who can give your knives the attention they deserve at least once a year.” For the small-space dwellers, Jacobs adds, “I recently moved from butcher block knife storage to a magnetic wall-mounted knife rack, and I am loving the extra counter space. Also, as someone with a few cooler specialty knives, it’s nice to have a place to show them off.”
