The best chef's knives for any kitchen task, tested and reviewed

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Any professional chef will tell you that one of the most valuable kitchen tools is their chef's knife. From dicing onions to slicing steaks, a reliable knife is essential to basic and elaborate kitchen tasks. The best chef's knife should be comfortable to hold and durable, with a sharp edge that slices and dices through every kitchen task. 

To find the best chef's knives, I tested 8 different knives by mincing parsley, chopping sweet potatoes, and more. We also spoke to Albert Nguyen, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, about how to select and care for kitchen knives. Our top pick is the Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife because it easily powered through each task, all while being lightweight and comfortable in our grip. If you want to spend under $100 and still get a durable kitchen tool, the KitchenAid 8-Inch Damascus Chef's Knife is razor-sharp out of the box and beautifully designed.

Our top picks for the best chef's knife

Best overall: Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best German-style: Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best budget: KitchenAid Stainless Steel 8-Inch Chef's Knife — See at Kohl's

Best mid-price: KitchenAid 8-Inch Damascus Chef's Knife — See at Amazon

Best overall

Constructed with a pakkawood handle and full tang VG-Max steel, this is the best chef's knife for the combination of comfort and strength. The blade is razor-sharp straight out of the box, and because it is made with Damascus steel, it retains that sharpness without frequent sharpening. The wood handle is comfortable to hold for both large and small hands, and the knife is lightweight while providing enough heft for a powerful cut. 

The Japanese-style blade is designed with a slightly curved "belly," which allows you to rock the knife while handling more delicate items. This comes in handy when mincing herbs — it easily passes through parsley, resulting in clean cuts and edges. 

Handcrafted in Japan, the Shun Chef's Knife has a beautifully detailed steel blade and your choice of a blonde or black handle. The knife can be purchased separately, or it is included in a matching three-piece or seven-piece knife set if you're searching for top quality across a variety of knife styles and uses. The bread knife earned a spot in our guide to the best bread knives.

Best German-style

Many professional kitchens are home to Wüsthof knives because these knives are workhorses in the kitchen. The Wüsthof Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife is crafted from a synthetic polyoxymethylene handle with a high-carbon stainless steel blade. A great model of the German style, this full-tang knife is as sturdy as they come. The heavier weight and sharp edge help to move through tougher foods such as sweet potatoes with ease. During our tests of the best chef's knives, we sliced thin slices of tomatoes with hardly any resistance and easily chopped through parsley without any mashing of the herb.  

With a Rockwell Hardness Rating of 58, the Wüsthof is designed to retain its edge for longer than typical carbon steel blades. We saw evidence of that edge retention when we used the knife to smoothly cut through paper both straight out of the box and after performing multiple tests. The Wüsthof Classic Chef's Knife comes in eight different handle colors and includes a lifetime warranty. It is also sold in a three-piece and five-piece set with other essential kitchen knives including a bread knife and paring knife.  

We also tested the Wüsthof Classic IKON 8-inch Chef's Knife, which is slightly more expensive than the Wusthof Classic that earned one of our top spots. We found it awkward to hold, especially in small hands.  

Best budget

For starter kitchens or beginner cooks, this stainless steel knife from KitchenAid is an unexpectedly great kitchen tool for a budget-friendly price. The full-tang construction is made entirely from stainless steel, and the handle has a contoured design that makes it comfortable to hold in any grip. We did note that this knife lacks a substantial bolster. This just means that you need to be more careful when gripping the knife close to the blade. At 10.2 ounces, the knife is the second heaviest we tested, so this might not be the ideal tool for chopping marathons. 

This knife was sharp straight out of its packaging and held its edge after multiple tests. It sliced through tomatoes quickly and easily and minced delicate parsley without applying much pressure. While we struggled a little to get through the sweet potatoes, it got easier when we led with the sharpness near the tip. This knife is safe in the top rack of the dishwasher, but it's best to hand wash it to keep it in peak condition. Our pick for the best chef's knife on a budget also comes with a plastic sheath for protecting the edge and your fingers if you're storing it in a drawer.

Best mid-price

This hidden gem from KitchenAid was a top performer in our best chef's knife tests. The knife closely resembles our top overall pick, Shun's Classic Chef's Knife; it has a similarly detailed Damascus stainless steel blade and blonde pakkawood handle. The difference lies in the steel. This KitchenAid knife uses AUS-10 steel, which is high-carbon Japanese steel that is just a little less durable than Shun's proprietary VG-MAX blend. All this means that you'll need to be more diligent about checking and maintaining the edge of KitchenAid's knife.

A partial tang construction makes it relatively lightweight at eight ounces. Between the handle and the blade is an integrated bolster that keeps the knife balanced. The wooden handle is comfortable to hold in both small and larger hands. 

This was one of the sharpest knives straight out of the box. Though there was slight resistance working through sweet potatoes, the knife retained a sharp edge and was able to slice through tomatoes like butter. It made quick work of cutting through vegetables and herbs. 

What to look for in a chef's knife

Comfort: This is on top on the list of things to consider. Since a chef knife can be used for almost every kitchen task, you want to make sure it is comfortable to wield and hold while prepping an entire meal. This includes the weight of the knife, along with the design and feel of the handle. 

Blade: To find the best chef's knife for your needs, note the blade material. According to Nguyen, carbon steel knives are quick to sharpen, but also quick to dull. Some chefs prefer to perfect stainless steel knives instead, which may hold a sharp edge longer but require more work to sharpen if and when the knife gets dull. Most blades are made with a blend of materials, but you can always look for the trusty phrase "high-carbon."

Handle: Chef's knives come in a variety of handle materials, from polyoxymethylene, a durable plastic, to different types of wood. Nguyen says that most chefs prefer a wood handle: "Over time the wood handle should form and soften to the shape and grip of the chef," he says. "Some chefs do prefer a plastic-handled knife for ease of care and durability."

How we test chef's knives

Paper test: We cut through regular printer paper to assess the knife's blade and sharpness straight out of the packaging. This same test was performed after using the knife for multiple tasks to evaluate edge retention.

Cutting performance: We used the knives to mince parsley to see if the blade produced fine cuts and did not pulverize the herbs. Then, we sliced tomatoes, ensuring they could cut through the fragile flesh smoothly and without crushing it. We chopped through sweet potatoes with the skins left on, giving us a good idea of performance with tough foods. All tests were performed on a wooden cutting board.

Ease of use: Throughout testing, we paid specific attention to how easy the knife was to use, how comfortable it was to hold, and any other notable features. We evaluated each knife's blade and handle, along with blade hardness and angle, to see if these affected performances. 

Chef's knife FAQs

How do you care for a chef's knife?

It's important to always wipe down or wash a chef's knife right after you use it. Nguyen says this is critical if you cut acidic ingredients like citrus; acid can discolor and even degrade steel over time. Also, pay attention to when your knife is dull and learn how to sharpen it properly. Cutting with a dull knife is dangerous for the user and makes it harder to rehone an edge. Check out our guide to the best knife sharpeners.

What are the top three knives you should have?

Every home cook needs a chef's knife, a bread knife, and a paring knife. While we recommend putting your knife collection together piecemeal, any of the best knife sets will have those three pieces. If you're interested in a beginner's knife set, the Victorinox Swiss Classic Kitchen Knife Set has everything you need to get started cooking.