Last Updated on April 16, 2022
Our Best Rated Chef Knife Sets For The Home Cook and Professional Chef
Chef knives have become very popular over the last few years partly due to all the cooking shows on television, the economy and also many of us shying away from processed foods.
We’ve all been hearing about how processed food lack taste (well we knew that), are very low on the nutrition scale, are loaded with fat, sugar and artificial everything.
So we’re going back into the kitchen and preparing our own meals. In doing so we’re finding that sharp, high quality knives can help us save on time by allowing us to chop, slice and dice more quickly. We’re also less apt to cut our fingers, since one that is sharp will cut through the food and not bounce off it.
Yes, there is less of a chance of a cut with a sharp knife.
And just think of all the money you’ll save by preparing and cooking your meals at home instead of at a restaurant.
TIP: Avoid putting your good knives in a dishwasher. The detergent can discolor and stain the handles!
Pure Komachi 2 Series 8
Have You Tried The Pure Komachi 2 Series?
Ultra sharp, ergonomic, practical, very colorful and extremely popular, Pure Komachi Series 2 knives are even more popular than the original Pure Komachi’s.
If you are not familiar with Pure Komachi then you owe it to yourself (and your cooking friends) to get to know them better.
While the colorful design may appear to be gimmicky, it actually has a very ingenious purpose – each color designates a different type of knife so when you go to grab one you won’t have to fumble for the one you need. Just pick by color. This makes the the different types of knives quickly accessible to anyone, even young cooks.
Komachi knives are lightweight and are designed to handle easily and the sharp high carbon stainless steel blade and food safe colorful resin allows you to glide through food easily without having to struggle or have food stick to the knife.
Don’t let the low price fool you into thinking that these knives are not high quality – once you own a few you will find out just how good they truly are.
Victorinox 46892 Fibrox 3-Piece Chef’s Knife Set
Victorinox is one of the most popular brands of kitchen and chef knives in the low to low-medium price range.
While the price may not quite accurately reflect the quality of a Victorinox knife as you click on a few of the choices take a good look at the customer reviews.
You will find that Victorinox is a customer favorite not just because of its affordability but due to the workmanship and quality.
The Victorinox Fibrox 3-Piece Chef’s Knife Set is one of the best selling sets and makes a wonderful Wedding gift.
Shun Pro 3-Piece Boxed Asian Chef Set
Professional Chefs need professional knives and kitchen knife sets that are fantastic for use in our homes will not do for the pro.
In addition to wanting a knife that is sharp, correctly weighted and feels comfortable in the hand it should be NSF certified. This 3 piece set from Shun Pro is certified to be used in a professional kitchen.
Just looking at this exquisite set you will immediately see that it is more detailed than a standard kitchen knife and great detail is also taken in the making of the knives.
The only drawback to this set is that the knives are sharpened for a right-handed person. Yes, the craftsmanship is so detailed that they are created with with the angle specifically for right hand cutting and slicing.
When you are ready to step up from a kitchen chef knife to a professional chef knife this is the set to start with.
What to Look For When Purchasing a Kitchen or Professional Chef Knife
It’s not everyday that we look for a set or kitchen or chef knives so you may not be sure what to look for and how to choose your individual knife or your set.
Whether you are looking for a set for yourself or as a gift I’ll give you a few tips to help you in your quest.
Just remember that as you look at your choices,the higher the quality the longer your knives will perform flawlessly. Most sets if taken care of properly ( and we will cover this further down the page) will last a lifetime and will hold up long enough to pass down to your children.
1. You will want to choose a knife that has sharp edges in addition to sharp a sharp tip.
While you already know that a sharp knife will give you the best performance and will make it easier for you to cut, slice, chop and dice you will want to make sure that the knife description mentions that the edges and centers are sharp in addition to just the tip. Remember that you will be doing most of your food prep with the edges and not the tip.
2. Check the material that the blade is made of..
There are three choices that you should focus on and they are carbon steel, ceramics, and stainless steel. Each has their own properties and will work differently in your kitchen. Ceramic knives are a highly popular choice but you should know that if you drop a ceramic knife on a hard surface it may shatter or a piece of the tip can break off. Always try to keep your knives
( ceramic or not) away from the edge of your counter.
3. Handles that are evenly weighted, heavy, and slip resistant.
A properly balanced knife will handle much easier, there will be less chance of it falling out of your hand and will also do much of the work for you. A handle that is not balanced or a handle that is too light weight can easily slip and if you are doing a lot of food preparation can make your wrist and finger tired. A slip resistant handle will help you avoid injury to yourself and those around you and this is especially true when your hands may become greasy or wet.
4. A well-known brand with an excellent reputation.
Many of us can name a few knife brands but not all of them are known for their quality. You may just know the name from seeing infomercials or ads on the television or online. Before you purchase a knife or knife set be sure to real read customer reviews and not just a single review on a website. You want to see what more than just a few people have to say so that you can get a very good idea of how your knife will work and hold up.
5. Make sure that the knife comes with a guarantee that offers 100% satisfaction .
But you also must think about the reputation of the company. It is is an off the wall brand that you have never heard of before, then it really doesn’t matter if they give you a lifetime guarantee if they will be out of business in a year or if will cost you more to send back your knife then it was to purchase it in the first place.
That’s why you need to stick with highly visible brands with a lot of customer reviews. Then and only then is their guarantee is really worth it.
When you are purchasing your knife or knife set these 5 tips will help you get the best knife for your money and food preparation tasks. It will only take you a few moments to see if the knife that you are looking at falls into the “it’s a good purchase” category.
Knife Block Cleaning Tips
- Your block will occasionally need to be cleaned to remove dust and kitchen splatters.
- Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to clean it properly.
- If you do not have instructions, then clean your knife block with a clean damp cloth.
- Do not place in a dishwasher and if you must just use a very small amount of a gentle dish washing liquid. Remember to let your block dry thoroughly before placing your pieces back in the block.