20 Kitchen Knives Available Online For Aspiring Home Chefs

Shannon Quinn - April 23, 2020
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When you’re cooking, one of the most important kitchen tools at your disposal is a knife. They’re used for chopping, slicing, crushing, and dividing most of the ingredients you’ll make in a meal. Knives you buy from the store might be fine when you only cook a few days a week. But with the transition to staying at home and cooking 3 meals a day, you might find that your current set of knives just isn’t cutting it. Not sure where to start? We’re going to show you some of the most popular knives among professionals, and explain why they believe it’s worth the investment. However, we know that not everyone has the budget to pay for a professional knife. So we’ve thrown in a few affordable options for you to consider.

1. This Knife is One of Gordon Ramsay’s Favorites

The Henckels International Starter Kit is a high-quality set of knives you commonly use every day. Credit: Rakuten

When you’re getting ready to be an amateur set, you need at least 3 knives in your collection; A chef, pairing, and serrated knife. In his Masterclass videos, Gordon Ramsay uses J. Henckels knives, because they’re one of his favorite brands. So if you want to be just like him, consider buying a starter kit. These are the types of knives where you may keep them for the rest of your lives, and sharpening them when they go dull. The only thing missing from this set is a serrated knife, but don’t worry. We’ll give you some other suggestions later in the list to help complete your collection. 

19. Professional Chefs Swear By This Zwilling Knife

The Zwilling chef knives don’t have grooves, which makes it perfect for using in either hand. Credit: Zwilling

If you’re cooking as a left-handed person, you may find that you feel awkward and uncomfortable while chopping. This is because many knives are actually built with grooves specifically for people who are right-handed. Priya Krishna from Bon Appetit recommended the Zwilling Chef’s Knife for this very reason. Krishna said, “I’m a left-handed chef…It’s really comfortable. It’s not too big, and I feel a certain sense of control when I’m chopping. I love this knife.” In the Bon Appetit video, she goes on to say that this also holds its sharpness longer than your average knife.

18. The Totally Bamboo Lettuce Knife is the Kitchen Tool You Never Knew You Needed

This lettuce knife will get your professional looking salad and coleslaw every time. Credit: Totally Bamboo

Not many people own a lettuce knife, especially since we can make salad by ripping apart the ingredients with our hands. But if you’re the type of person who cuts up heads of lettuce on a regular basis, you might want to consider purchasing the Totally Bamboo Lettuce Knife. It was featured on an episode Buzzfeed Worth It. The founders of Totally Bamboo, Tom and Joanna Sullivan, have a passion for making bamboo products. Their knives are completely biodegradable, which makes this an affordable and eco-friendly option in your kitchen. According to Buzzfeed host Rie McClenny, “This knife is great, because it’s slated. When you’re cutting something, it’s not about strength.” Really, it’s about the design. And this knife makes it easy to get through your head of lettuce quickly.

17. Serrated Bread Knives are Must-Have, Even on The Smallest Budget

Serated knives are essential for cutting freshly baked bread. Credit: Mercer Culinary

Earlier in this list, we mentioned the fact that the three knives everyone needs are a chef, pairing, and serrated knife. In case you aren’t aware, a serrated knife has teeth, which makes it easy to slice loaves of bread. For anyone who is trying to bake at home, owning a serrated knife is going to become essential, since you obviously need to slice freshly baked bread on your own. Even if you’re buying freshly baked bread from the store like baguettes and bagels, having a serrated knife ensures that you can cut clean and even slices. The Mercer Culinary Serrated knife is a number 1 best seller online, which is why we’ve chosen it for this list.

16. Cheese Knives are Adorable, and Surprisingly Useful

Cheese knives make a great gift for the home chef that has it all. Credit: Shutterstock

We might not be able to throw a party right now, but you can still enjoy yourself with a good glass of wine while eating snacks in your pajamas. If you plan to get fancy with a cheese board, you might want to consider buying cheese knives. These are designed to cut blocks of cheese easily. Could you cut cheese with a different knife? Absolutely. But having several different special cheese knives allows you to have a different knife for each flavor. This way, they don’t cross over. They are also small enough to fit on top of the cheese board. Best of all, they’re not very expensive. This might be a good idea to give as a housewarming or wedding gift to a foodie who already has a lot of the typical cooking items, but would appreciate something extra like this.

15. The Victorknox Knife Gives Your Professional Quality For A Fraction of the Price

The Victorknox is manufactured in Switzerland. Credit: Victorknox

So far on this list, we have mentioned some chef knives that aren’t exactly cheap. While you’re still paying a decent price for this, the Victorknox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is affordable, even on a small budget. What makes it even better is that it’s the #1 best seller on Amazon. It was also given a great rating by America’s Test Kitchen, coming in second place behind a knife that costs $300. This knife is manufactured in Switzerland, which is known for high-quality cutlery. According to reviews, people say that this knife is just as good as many knives that cost over $100. If you could only buy one knife on this list, it may be this one. However, there is always a catch, especially when something seems too good to be true. Make sure you have a knife sharpener on-hand, because some customers have reported that it gets dull after frequent use.

14. The Dalstrong Utility Knife is Great For Your Daily Needs

The Dalstrong utility is a great all-purpose knife. Credit: Dalstrong

Some of you out there may be looking at these knives, but you don’t want to get overly complicated with an entire collection. If you’re just planning to chop vegetables, you might want to go for something like a utility knife. This is a small knife that comes with a sheath. Some people have even mentioned taking this traveling with them, if they’re planning to do a lot of cooking at an AirBnB, and they’re not sure if their accommodation will provide them decent knives. It would also be amazing for a camping trip. (But obviously, never take knives on a plane!) The Dalstrong Utility Knife is made of Japanese steel, and it comes highly rated. It’s even recommended by professionals who are looking for something that’s all-purpose, without getting too hung up on being perfect.

13. This Aroma House Meat Cleaver Make it Easy to Chop Your Protein

Cutting meat will become easy with the help of a cleaver. Credit: Aroma House

In the western world, people only use meat cleavers if they plan to butcher meat. You wouldn’t really need one unless you plan to chop stacks of ribs, or cut the head off of a fish. (Although it does make slicing just about anything a heck of a lot easier.) However, in Chinese cooking, chefs only use meat cleavers. This simplifies the process of having too many options. They have mastered a technique of using different areas of the knife for different chopping purposes. So a meat cleaver can be powerful enough to get some of the most difficult jobs done, but it can also chop and do your basic everyday tasks, if you know what you’re doing.

12. The Bob Kramer is the Creme de la Creme of Knives

The Kramer Zwilling is one of the best knives on the market for professional chefs. Credit: America’s Test Kitchen

If you’re looking to buy the best of the best, professionals recommend the 8 inch Bob Kramer Zwilling Carbon Steel knife. Bob Kramer is one of the 85 accredited Master Blade Smiths in the United States, and one of the few who focuses on designing Chef’s knives. So he collaborated with the German knife company, Zwilling, to create the “perfect” knife. This is the sort of knife you would hand down to your grandkids. Even though it’s the best, it requires far more upkeep than your average cutlery. Carbon steel knives are high maintenance, because they tend to rust. So if you buy this knife, be sure to clean it by hand, and dry it thoroughly. It shouldn’t work so long as you remove moisture from the knife before putting it away. Some chefs also coat carbon steel knives with mineral oil in order to maintain its integrity. The team of chefs at America’s Test Kitchen ranked this as their #1 choice. However, the major downside is that it’s $300. Considering that the expert’s #2 choice was the $33 Victorinox Swiss Army, you need to carefully consider your budget before committing to buying something like this.

11. The Victorknox Swiss Army Knife Set Gives You a Professional Quality Tool Kit For Less

The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Set is Amazing Value For Money. Credit: Victorinox

Earlier on this list, we mentioned the fact that the Victorinox Chef’s knife has been said to be just as good- if not better- than products that cost hundreds of dollars. So, if you’re looking to get more than just a chef’s knife, consider buying the entire Victorinox Swiss Army Set. This comes with four knives- a serrated, utility, chef, and paring knife. It’s really all you need to make pretty much any recipe. If you’re looking for a wedding or housewarming gift to give someone, this could be also be a great present for aspiring home chefs.

10. A Veggie Knife Gives You The Best Sliced Tomatoes

Veggie knives are specially designed to help get thing slices of vegetables. Credit: Prodyne

This next knife comes recommended by chef Molly Baz from Bon Appetit. According to her, a specialized veggie knife will help you get perfectly thin sliced tomatoes you’ve always dreamed of. Admittedly, it’s difficult to find a knife that’s sharp enough to get the job done, especially when you’re on a tight budget! This is perfect if you’re trying out a vegetarian or vegan diet, and you’re about to consume more fruit and vegetables than ever before.

9. The Mac Pro Utility Knife Comes Highly Recommended From Professional Chefs

Carla Lalli Music explains why this Mac Pro utility knife is her favorite. Credit: Bon Appetit on YouTube

This next knife was recommended by a chef and food editor Carla Lalli Music from Bon Appetit Magazine. After working as a professional for years, she says that his all-time favorite knife is The Mac Pro Utility Knife. (Which is saying a lot, considering how much Carla knows about cooking!) The great thing about a utility knife is that it’s small enough to use to cut your steak at dinnertime, but also big enough to chop vegetables. It’s also perfect for a chef who has small hands, because its size helps you get closer to the food you’re working with. If you have tried larger chef knives before, and you just felt awkward about large it was, this may be a sign that you need a utility knife, instead.

8. Farberware Ceramic Knives Are Sharper Than You Would Imagine

These ceramic knives come with cases to help prevent chipping. Credit: Farberware

Ceramic knives are one of those products where they sound strange at first, until you try them. Then, you find yourself telling everyone how great they are. In my 20’s, I went through multiple sets of ceramic knives. They were always incredibly sharp, and never needed to be sharpened. However, the only downside to ceramic knives is that they’re very fragile. After around 6 months of daily use of chopping and running through the washing machine, the knives would chip, and need to be thrown away. This is why I’ve recommended the set by Farberware, since the come with plastic shields to protect the blade. I would recommend these for someone who might be moving out on their own for the first time, but they’re not willing to spend an astronomical amount of money on cutlery. At this low price point, it should be affordable for almost everyone, and you won’t be disappointed.

7. The Bob Kramer Zwilling Paring Knife Was Made By a Master Metalsmith

For anyone ready to invest in a masterful knife, look into Bob Kramer creations. Credit: Zwilling

We already mentioned Bob Kramer earlier on this list, because he deserves to be mentioned more than once! He’s a master metalsmith, and has designed knives to be amazing for professional chefs around the globe. Most professional chefs own at least one knife that was made by Bob Kramer. This paring knife was manufactured in Japan- a country that has thousands of years of history of making the best swords in the world. A knife life this could be great for cutting steak, prepping vegetables, and just about everything else in the kitchen. The only downside to this knife is that it’s expensive, so this is an investment for someone who truly takes cooking seriously.

6. The TUO Cutlery Cleaver is More Multi Purpose Than You Would Imagine

This Chinese Chef Knife is perfect for anyone who wants to delve into cooking Asian cuisine. Credit: TUO

Earlier on this list, we talked about meat cleavers, and how the Chinese use them for multiple purposes beyond butchering. This TUO Cutlery Cleaver is like a hybrid between a meat cleaver and a chef’s knife. So you seem to be able to get more control than a cleaver, and a bit less bulk. But you’re still getting all of the benefits in the strength of something that can cut meat like a master. Some people refer to this style as a “Chinese Chef Knife”, since you’re getting the best of both worlds. This is best for anyone who is trying to specialize in Asian recipes, and you want to be more authentic with the tools at your disposal.

5. The Microplane Butter Blade Makes it Easier Than Ever to Butter Your Toast

The Microplane Butter Blade creates strips of butter that easily melt on hot toast. Credit: Microplane

Have you ever felt frustrated by rock-hard butter that’s been sitting in the fridge all night? All you want is to butter your toast in the morning, but it’s impossible unless you have those tubs of margarine. Some genius out there invented the Microplane Butter Blade, which cuts into the top of a stick of butter. The pieces become small enough to melt and spread easily over your toast. If you’re the type of person who would appreciate this, it’s a very cheap solution to an age-old problem. And it might also make a good gift for someone you know has a difficult time buttering bread.

4. The Wusthof Serrated Knife Makes it Easy to Slice Bread and Bagels

The Wusthof Bread Knife is affordable, and yet high quality. Credit: Crate and Barrell

Plenty of people out there have purchased steak knives, or maybe even got fancy with a chef’s knife. If you already have chopping knives in your kitchen collection, and you’re thinking about growing your collection of baking tools, you may want to purchase an individual serrated knife. Wusthof is a German company that has been in operation for over 200 years, and they’re always trying to push the envelope in terms of their quality. According to the listing, this forged serrated knife is 20% sharper than earlier models.

3. Imarku Deboning Knife Makes it Easy to Slice Your Meat and Fish

A deboning knife makes it possible to cut fish like this. Credit: Imarku

If you have ever tried to debone an animal- especially fish, you’ll understand how difficult it can be to make fluid motions around the bone with a large chef’s knife. Deboning knives are long and thin, and typically designed with a slight curve. A knife like this is only necessary in a kitchen if you’re planning to take a whole animal and cut the meal from the bones. Considering that most people don’t do this very often, you can get away with a more affordable knife that is only going to be used sparingly.

2. A Good Set of Kitchen Shears Can Take Knives Out of the Equation

Kitchen shears can help you cut simple foods without breaking out the knives and cutting board. Credit: The French Pantry

Sure, this is supposed to be a list about knives. But sometimes, you have to know when it’s better to use kitchen shears, instead. There are certain herbs that can be cut much faster than chopped. This creates a lot less mess to clean up, if you’re taking a cutting board out of the equation. However, don’t expect these scissors to be able to cut huge chunks of meat. These are meant to do simple tasks. We chose the set of three from The French Pantry, because it gives you a variety of kitchen shears at an affordable price. It can also be a great kitchen gift for someone who you know might find them beneficial.

1. A Sharpening Kit is a Must-Have For Knife Care

This knife sharpening kit comes with everything you need to care for your new investment. Credit: Cali Valley

Okay, so this one isn’t a knife, but rather a sharpening kit. If you’re going to invest hundreds of dollars into a knife, you should also have a way to sharpen it when it gets dull. In fact, if you already have stainless steel knives in your kitchen, there’s a good chance that they simply need to be sharpened. You may not need to replace any of your current products at all. There are a lot of knife sharpening tools out there, but we chose the Cali Valley Premium Knife Sharpening Kit, because it comes with all of the more upscale sharpening tools at an affordable price.

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