The versatility of a kitchen knife make it one of the most handy tools in every kitchen. And while some cooks prefer having single knife pieces, the best kitchen knife sets with all essential knives for various cutting tasks.

Shopping for the best kitchen knife sets can be challenging given the overwhelming options in the market. It gets worse if it’s your first time.

The good news is, this posts covers important information you need to consider when buying a kitchen knife set as well as a review of the top options to help narrow your options. First, the main types of kitchen knives.

4 Main Types of Knives for Every Home Cook

While the market is filled with many different types of knives, the main ones you need for your home kitchen can be reduced to only four. This doesn’t mean you don’t need the whole block set of knives. It only implies that you will be able to handle all the essential cutting tasks.

1. Cook’s Knife (aka Chef’s Knife)

This kitchen workhorse, also known as the chef’s knife, comes in 8 inches. From the name, you can tell that this knife can be used to do all the critical tasks in the kitchen such as slicing, dicing, chopping and cubing meats, vegetables as well as other ingredients.

2. Utility Knife

You can think of this knife as the assistant to the big chef’s knife. The blade of the utility knife varies from 4 to 7 inches in length, making them ideal for slicing, dicing, and chopping moderate volumes. Besides, this knife offers better precision compared to the chef’s knife.

3. Paring Knife

The smaller size of the paring knife ensures precision in your cutting tasks such as slicing garlic, peeling, and coring fruits and scoring pastries. The typical size of this knife’s blade is 3 or 4 inches giving you better control of the knife.

4. Bread Knife

Serration on the blade is the giveaway of a bread knife. It comes with a long blade of about 10 inches, ideal for slicing a freshly baked loaf of bread. What most

people don’t know is that the bread knife is also handy for when cutting soft foods without crushing or squashing them.

6 Best Kitchen Knife Sets Reviews

Mercer Culinary Genesis Block Set

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Mercer is one of the famous brands on the market, and it is because of its production of quality culinary tools. The 6-piece Genesis Block set comes with an 8-inch cook knife, 8-inch bread knife, 6-inch utility knife, and a 3.5-inch paring knife.

This minimalist knife set has handles made from Santoprene material to offer the perfect grip. The high carbon steel used to make the blade is not only corrosion-resistant but also durable, rust-resistant, and maintains its sharpness for a long time. The precision in the forging of this knife set ensures efficiency in cutting and chopping.

Dalstrong Gladiator Series Knife Set

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Known for outstanding craftsmanship, the Dalstrong Gladiator Series Knife Set delivers more than stunning design and quality construction. It is the knife you can count on if you are looking for performance in the kitchen. The blade is made of stainless and corrosion-resistant carbon steel, meaning its razor sharpness will last long.

Luxury handles made of pakawood complete the premium look of this kitchen knife set with a satin finish. The Gladiator Series has a full tang to ensure you have full control of your knife’s movements in addition to its durability. This knife block set includes all essential knife types such as the chef’s, kiritsuke, carving, bread, santoku, paring, utility, bird’s beak, fillet, and 6 steak knives.

Global G 835/WS Block Knife Set

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This hand-crafted block knife set is made in Solingen, Germany. This place is regarded as the home of culinary devices in the world, meaning you get value for your money. The first striking thing about these knives is the luxurious handles with stylish finishing.

You can be sure of the strength and durability of the knives thanks to the high carbon stainless steel used to make the blades. With high carbon comes long-lasting razor sharpness and non-corrosiveness. The balanced weight of the blade and the handle provides for firm grip and more efficiency.

On the reviews, some users expressed their concerns on the high maintenance regimen required for these premium knives. With the set, you get a chef’s knife (8″), bread knife (9″), paring knife (3.5″), honing steel (10″), and kitchen shears as well as a 16-slot walnut block.

Victorinox Knife Set

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If the name Victorinox sounds familiar is because the manufacturer is known for the production of top-quality army knives. Their kitchen knives are no different. This is one of the best kitchen knife sets if you’re on a tight budget, not willing to compromise on quality and functionality.

The complete set includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, 10.25-inch bread knife, 6-inch utility knife, and a 4-inch paring knife — every piece a home cook would need in their kitchen. The knives feel well balanced to make your use seamless with comfortable handles.

The blade is made from ice-tempered high carbon stainless steel for durability, strength, and considerably lasting sharpness.

Chef Essential Knife Block Set

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Are you looking for a reliable knife set for your limited kitchen counter space? The Chef Essential 7-Piece set would be your best pick. The block doesn’t have designated slots for each blade to save n space. The set features an 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch slicing knife, 8-inch bread knife, 7-inch santoku knife, 5-inch utility knife, and a 3-inch paring knife.

The stylish and shiny black finish of the blades and the handles would go well with most kitchen interior decors if this is a factor you would consider. The blades are made from high carbon stainless steel joined with the non-slipping handles with durable bolsters.

The description of this kitchen knife set advises users to keep the knives in the block when not in use due to their razor sharpness. The blades are easy to clean and offer effortless clean, and precise cuts.

Chicago Cutlery Insignia 2

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Insignia 2 is an affordable kitchen knife set with an inbuilt knife sharpener, and as if that is not enough, it is cheap than most knife sets in its category. The 18 pieces of knives mean you get every essential type of knife you need in the kitchen plus more.

The knives have designated slots in a wooden block to keep them neatly arranged on your kitchen counter. Ergonomically designed handles give you a firm grip and a comfortable, non-slip feel. The handle and the blade are attached with a sturdy bolster to ensure their durability. Besides, the knives have a full tang to provide for strength and firmness.

The knife blades are made from heavy-duty high-carbon stainless steel to keep them sharp for longer and resist corrosion and discoloration. The manufacturer also offers a limited lifetime warranty on this kitchen knife set.

Factors to Consider When Buying Kitchen Knives

As mentioned before, the overwhelming assortment of knives on the market can be a headache when you are trying to get the best kitchen knife. However, knowing what you need to consider on your purchase can go a long way in helping you exactly find what you need. Below are the key considerations:

Style

Japanese and German knives are the two most common types of knives on the market. While both types of knives are reliable in the kitchen, you want to be sure that you understand what each offers in terms of functionality.We discussed these in our previous post on the comparisons between Japanese and German knives.

In general, German knives are bigger with more curved blades compared to the Japanese kitchen knives. This makes them best for various demanding cutting jobs in the kitchen. On the other hand, Japanese knives are lightweight but perfect for precise slicing.

Blade Material

You want the blade of your kitchen knife to be corrosion-resistant, hard, durable, and remain sharp as long as possible. The stainless-steel blades have all those qualities except the last one. They need to be sharpened regularly. The other, not so common, type of blade material is carbon steel. Unlike stainless steel, these blades remain sharp for long, explaining why most chefs prefer them to the stainless-steel option. The downside to them is that they are more expensive.

Other types of blade material include ceramic known for their hardness and lightweight; Damascus blades, which feature a core made of carbon steel with layers of soft and hard stainless steel; and titanium that offer durability and lightweight.

Type of Tang

Tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle of the knife. How is this important? First, you need to know the various types of tang – full and partial. Full tang means that this piece of metal extends the entire length of the handle while partial tang extends just that – partially. If you think about it, the full tang will give you more strength and control over your knife, making it the more preferred option. This doesn’t, however, mean partial tangs are not ideal. Most Japanese knives have partial tangs and work just fine.

Handle

How a knife feels in hand contributes a lot to how effective it will be in performing its task. As such, choose a comfortable, fuller handle made of non-slipping material. The riveting should also be stable and firm. Also, a balance between the weight of the handle and the blade will offer better control of the knife’s movement.

How you Cook

What type of food do you cook? Will you need all the knives in the set kitchen knives? The way you cook can guide you on what to buy when shopping for a kitchen knife. Depending on the type of cutting you do in the kitchen, you will want to buy the ideal knife for that role.

Kitchen’s Interior Décor

This may not be a concern for many people, but if you are keen on the décor of your kitchen, then you may consider the same when buying kitchen knives. After ensuring all the essential factors mentioned above, pick the kitchen knives set that compliments the interior appearance and finish of your kitchen.

Sharpening Kitchen Knife Sets

You want to ensure that your kitchen knife is in good shape at all times, and keeping it sharp is simply a must. The KnifePlanet’s sharpening stone guarantees safe knife sharpening with no slips or accidents to keep your knife razor-sharp. The whetstone set includes a flattening stone, a bamboo base, and two non-slip rubber bases.

With the purchase of this knife sharpening stone, you get a comprehensive guide on how to sharpen your knife like a pro.

Conclusion

The best kitchen knife sets can serve you for a lifetime with the right maintenance regimen. With the essential factor to consider when you go shopping for kitchen knives, you are ready to go shopping. The top knife sets reviewed above would be the best place to start. Have fun shopping!