We Tested the Best Chef's Knife for Every Type of Task

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Blade Style When shopping for a chef's knife, there are traditionally two styles to choose between. Heavy-duty, German-style models are usually made with a curved belly that allows for a rocking, chopping motion, in which the tip of the knife doesn't leave the cutting board.

Alternatively, Japanese knives are lightweight with a sharp, straight blade, which makes repetitive motions like rocking and chopping difficult. However, this style of blade is ideal for making precise slices and cuts on a number of different types of foods.

Some Japanese knives—like a Santoku knife—also feature dimples on the blade, which aim to prevent food from sticking.

In addition to the shape of the cutting edge, it's important to consider whether or not the blade has a bolster. Bolsters sit between the blade and the handle and act as a guard that protects your fingers from touching the sharp edge.

They're common in German-style models and are particularly helpful for cooks who like to choke up on the knife. Though bolsters provide protection, they add weight and can sometimes cause the knife to feel heavy or unbalanced.

The type of metal your knife is made from can have major implications on blade sharpness and how easy it is to clean.

The much-simplified big picture is that if you are looking for an all-purpose 8-inch chef's knife—one that's in a reasonable price range and carried by most retailers—you have a choice between heavy-duty, German-style models that are usually made with slightly softer steel alloys (like high-carbon stainless steel)

Harder steel holds a sharper edge for a longer period of time but can be more difficult to sharpen once it does get dull. And a very hard, very sharp edge can also be more delicate and brittle than a softer one, making cutting up a heavy squash, say, a little risky to the blade.

A softer steel alloy, like those used in the German tradition, might be less sharp to begin with and get dull a little faster. However, it can be easier to re-sharpen, and therefore better for heavy-duty jobs—like splitting bone-in chicken breasts—without worry that you're going to damage the blade.

In general, harder steel is sharper and more delicate, while softer steel is tougher. If you're shopping for a knife, ask where it falls on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Low to mid-50s is on the softer end, mid-50s to low 60s is harder.

Balance One of the most important aspects of a chef's knife is a balance between blade and handle. A knife with a heavy handle can put a strain on your wrist, making long-term use painful and inefficient.

The handle should not feel significantly heavier than the blade, and the knife itself should feel balanced from heel to tip. If you plan to use your knife frequently for prep work like slicing vegetables, chopping herbs, or mincing garlic, balance is a key factor to consider.

Throughout our tests, we assessed everything from how sharp the blades were to how balanced they felt from tip to heel. We also took note of the weight and grip of each handle and assessed whether they felt heavy or light and slippery or sturdy.

We noted how easy each blade was to clean and if the blades stained easily. In order to do so, we performed a series of different tests.

Paper Test To test sharpness out of the box, we conducted a paper cutting test. Holding the paper tightly with one hand, we dragged the blade of each knife through the paper along the entire length of the blade.

We assessed whether or not we could achieve a clean slice, and evaluated how easily each blade could move through the paper, taking note of any snagging or tearing. This test helped us establish a baseline by determining how sharp each knife was directly out of the box, without any prior use.

Vegetable Tests After completing the paper test, we ran each knife through a series of vegetable tests to see how they performed using different textures of food. To test basic prep functionality, we diced an onion both coarsely and finely, which helped us assess the sharpness of the blade as well as how easy they were to use.

We made sure to use both the tip of the blade and the belly of the blade to determine if the edge was consistent. Next, we evaluated each knife by cutting through a tomato, whose skins are taut and slippery.

Tomatoes are notoriously hard to cut through without mashing them, and chefs often use a serrated knife to help manage the uncooperative skins. Therefore, they serve as an appropriate test of blade sharpness and handle grip. We took note of which knives were able to achieve thin, even slices and which knives caused the skins to wrinkle and tear.

Lastly, we used each knife to cube one of the densest vegetables we could find: a butternut squash. Cutting a thick, heavy vegetable allowed us to assess handle grip, balance, weight, and blade sharpness. Though lightweight knives are typically preferable, having a heavy-duty knife can make tough tasks easier and safer.

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We Tested the Best Chef's Knife for Every Type of Task

Blade Style When shopping for a chef's knife, there are traditionally two styles to choose between. Heavy-duty, German-style models are usually made with a curved belly that allows for a rocking, chopping motion, in which the tip of the knife doesn't leave the cutting board.

Factors to Consider

Alternatively, Japanese knives are lightweight with a sharp, straight blade, which makes repetitive motions like rocking and chopping difficult. However, this style of blade is ideal for making precise slices and cuts on a number of different types of foods.

Factors to Consider

Some Japanese knives—like a Santoku knife—also feature dimples on the blade, which aim to prevent food from sticking.

Factors to Consider

In addition to the shape of the cutting edge, it's important to consider whether or not the blade has a bolster. Bolsters sit between the blade and the handle and act as a guard that protects your fingers from touching the sharp edge.

Factors to Consider

They're common in German-style models and are particularly helpful for cooks who like to choke up on the knife. Though bolsters provide protection, they add weight and can sometimes cause the knife to feel heavy or unbalanced.

Factors to Consider

The type of metal your knife is made from can have major implications on blade sharpness and how easy it is to clean.

Types of Steel

Types of Steel

Harder steel holds a sharper edge for a longer period of time but can be more difficult to sharpen once it does get dull. And a very hard, very sharp edge can also be more delicate and brittle than a softer one, making cutting up a heavy squash, say, a little risky to the blade.

Types of Steel

Types of Steel

In general, harder steel is sharper and more delicate, while softer steel is tougher. If you're shopping for a knife, ask where it falls on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Low to mid-50s is on the softer end, mid-50s to low 60s is harder.

Types of Steel

Balance One of the most important aspects of a chef's knife is a balance between blade and handle. A knife with a heavy handle can put a strain on your wrist, making long-term use painful and inefficient.

Types of Steel

The handle should not feel significantly heavier than the blade, and the knife itself should feel balanced from heel to tip. If you plan to use your knife frequently for prep work like slicing vegetables, chopping herbs, or mincing garlic, balance is a key factor to consider.

Types of Steel

Throughout our tests, we assessed everything from how sharp the blades were to how balanced they felt from tip to heel. We also took note of the weight and grip of each handle and assessed whether they felt heavy or light and slippery or sturdy.

The Tests

We noted how easy each blade was to clean and if the blades stained easily. In order to do so, we performed a series of different tests.

The Tests

Paper Test To test sharpness out of the box, we conducted a paper cutting test. Holding the paper tightly with one hand, we dragged the blade of each knife through the paper along the entire length of the blade.

The Tests

We assessed whether or not we could achieve a clean slice, and evaluated how easily each blade could move through the paper, taking note of any snagging or tearing. This test helped us establish a baseline by determining how sharp each knife was directly out of the box, without any prior use.

The Tests

The Tests

We made sure to use both the tip of the blade and the belly of the blade to determine if the edge was consistent. Next, we evaluated each knife by cutting through a tomato, whose skins are taut and slippery.

The Tests

The Tests

The Tests

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