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My first knife set was part of the standard-issued equipment from my culinary school. Many of the knives in it were completely foreign to me, but I quickly learned the difference between a boning knife and a bird’s beak parer. Fast forward to today, I still have a few pieces from that kit, but I’ve also filled out my knife roll with blades I’ve impulse-bought or received as gifts over the years.
Not everyone builds their knife collection one blade at a time. For many, a well-curated knife set is a smart and affordable starting point. Not all sets are created equal, though. Some are overly expensive or bloated with unnecessary pieces you’ll never touch, but the best knife sets strike the perfect balance of function, value, and performance. I spent weeks testing nine sets to find the ones that can last a lifetime and are worth the splurge.
THE BEST KNIFE BLOCK SET WITH STEAK KNIVES – Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block
What we liked: Wüsthof knives have a reputation for offering some of the best performance that German steel has to offer, and for good reason. You’ll see the Wüsthof brand rank among the winners in the majority of knife reviews on this site. The handles are comfortable and easy to grip, paired with unrivaled sharpness out of the box that doesn’t diminish quickly with use. The chef’s knife only dulled by two points, per my sharpness reader, after the whole test and several days of constant use. I don’t host that much and didn’t find many occasions to use the steak knives, save for one ribeye dinner. Still, if you’re outfitting a family kitchen or regularly serve meat at the table, I could see the steak knives, which we’ve reviewed before and liked, becoming a welcome addition.
What we didn’t like: This set would’ve taken home the winning title if it were pared down (with appropriately lower pricing). If you have the budget and need a good set of steak knives, there’s no real reason you shouldn’t choose this set, especially if you prefer German knives to Japanese. There was only one weak spot: the shears. They just simply weren’t as sharp as others and could not achieve an ultra-fine mince on my bundle of chives.
Key Specs
- Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 6-inch utility knife, 9-inch serrated bread knife, 8-inch Western-style chef’s knife, and four steak knives
- Kitchen shears included?: Yes
- Special pieces: 9-inch honing steel
- Storage block or stand included?: Yes
- Block dimensions: 8.5 x 5.25 x 11 inches high
Best Budget Kitchen Knife Set – Victorinox Classic Cutlery Block 8-Piece
The Victorinox Classic 8-Piece is our top recommendation for the best budget knife set. It’s made by the same company that manufactures the famous Swiss army knife with a reputation for quality at a reasonable price, and this 7-piece set is a shining example of that. “These knives are sharp, comfortable, and eminently capable of performing any task in the kitchen,” said our lead tester. The blades are made of high-carbon stainless steel and employ a unique nylon-formed handle. The handles are very comfortable, for the most part, and were easy to firmly grip, wet or dry. The blades themselves were sharp, precise, and held their edge reasonably well throughout our testing. As with the Zwilling 7-Piece, the Victorinox 8-Piece set comes with two empty knife slots to expand your collection based on your needs. For those who want more, Victorinox also sells a larger 22-piece knife set that includes steak knives.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Types of Knives Included | 5; chef, paring, bread, filet, slicing |
|---|---|
| Steak Knives | No |
| Hone | Yes |
| Kitchen Shears | Yes |
| Reported Steel Hardness (HRC) | 56 |
The Victorinox 8-Piece doesn’t come with a utility knife. Instead, it includes a filet and a 10-inch slicing knife. “Although a utility knife is more versatile, swapping that for a filet and slicing knife is an acceptable tradeoff,” said one tester, further noting that this choice doesn’t drastically impact usability. Another nitpick is that the knives don’t sit perfectly straight in the block and are noticeably lopsided. This doesn’t affect performance at all, but those who care about looks should take note. Our testers also found the handle quality to be inconsistent across the knife set. “The nylon handle that was comfortable on the chef knife felt awkward on the smaller paring knife,” commented one tester. If this Victorinox set isn’t a good fit for you, we also loved the budget-friendly Mercer Genesis 6-Piece. It combines a similar performance and price with a more traditional rubber handle and an attractive wood and glass knife block. Overall, the performance and price of the Victorinox make it a compelling choice for any consumer on a budget who still needs good-quality knives.
THE BEST JAPANESE KNIFE SET – Shun Classic 9-Piece Chef’s Choice Knife Block Set
What we liked: Shun makes high-quality Japanese knives that bring pro-level performance to the home. This brand has taken home winning spots in tons of our cutlery reviews, including shears, petty knives, fillet knives, and slicers. The blades feature razor-sharp edges crafted from folded layers of stainless steel. This gives them a winning combination of durability and easy maintenance. Before and after testing, the knives registered as sharper than others straight out of the box. The handles are straight with no butt and round with a slight D-shape for extra grip. This style allows hands of all sizes to grasp easily without sacrificing security or dexterity.
The variety in this set is great: It includes a paring knife, a santoku, a Gokujo boning knife, a chef’s knife, a slicing knife, a bread knife, kitchen shears, a honing steel, and an attractive bamboo storage block to hold it all in. Every piece saw daylight at least once in the few days the block sat on my counter, and I looked forward to every occasion that let me take one out. Keep in mind, I’m a professional cook and tester, and whipping out a filet knife to break down a side of salmon is not a rare occurrence in my house. The paring knife saw the most use, slicing up fruits of all kinds.
What we didn’t like: The price is high, but it reflects the quality of the knives and other accessories. The three empty slots in the block might subtly pressure you into more knife shopping if you’re into completeness (guilty!). There are no steak knives or slots for extra-large knives, such as a cleaver, but don’t worry. Shun also makes a 19-piece set that will satisfy every cutlery desire imaginable.
Key Specs
- Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 5.5-inch santoku, 6-inch Gokujo boning knife, 8-inch Western-style chef’s knife, 9-inch hollow-ground slicing knife, 9-inch bread knife
- Kitchen shears included?: Yes
- Special pieces: 9-inch ceramic honing steel
- Storage block or stand included?: Yes
- Block dimensions: 11 x 5 x 9 inches high
THE BEST BUDGET JAPANESE KNIFE SET – Global Takashi 10-Piece Knife Block Set G-79589AU
What we liked: Global makes many of our favorite essential knives, and this set proved that utility once more. Each knife in this set has a grippy, dimpled handle, is made in Japan, and is constructed from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel. They’re beginner-friendly, particularly for newbies to Japanese knives, and are simple to keep sharp and clean (I’ve known more than one line cook who likes Global knives because of those aspects, too). This set has more than what most home cooks need, but I appreciate the inclusion of a shorter vegetable knife and a flexible boning knife for specialty tasks. The Global knife set is a good option for people who want a variety of Japanese-style, purpose-built knives from a trusted (and somewhat affordable) brand.
What we didn’t like: The 12.5-degree bevel can be tricky to maintain on a whetstone, especially for inexperienced home sharpeners. The oddly shaped shears were a bit difficult to grip comfortably as well. It’s a large set, and having three knives that are all within three to 4.25 inches is likely excessive for the majority of cooks.
Key Specs
- Knives included: 3-inch paring knife, 4-inch paring knife, 4.25-inch utility knife, 5.5-inch vegetable knife, 6.25-inch boning knife, 8-inch chef’s knife, 8.5-inch bread knife, 8.25-inch kitchen shears
- Kitchen shears included?: No
- Special pieces: Ceramic honing rod
- Storage block or stand included?: Yes
- Block dimensions: 14 x 10 x 6 inches