Please, whatever you do, don’t just throw your knives in a drawer unless they have a plastic cover. They could bang against each other and chip, dulling the blade prematurely, or—worse—you could hurt yourself when reaching for one. It’s impossible for us to know your personal preferences, and we tried to keep that in mind as we ranked and rated. At the same time, there are a few steadfast rules to follow when looking for a top set. Before buying, ask yourself what kind of knives you like and how many you need. You may not know the exact answer yet, but it’s worth considering how you’ll use the knives before spending money on a set.
Henckels primarily offers stamped blades, but they offer a handful of collections with forged blades, too. The Classic, Forged Contour, Forged Premio, Forged Synergy, Forged Accent, and Graphite collections all have forged blades. Henckels Cookware Sets uses X50CrMoV15 stainless steel for all of its blades. X50CrMoV15 is high-end steel used by premium German knife manufacturers, including Zwilling and Wusthof. The right kitchen cutlery will make you feel like a total professional.
The chef’s knife is the most versatile tool in our knife block sets, with its broad and sharp blade. It’s perfect for everything from chopping vegetables to slicing herbs. Our utility knives, known as the “sandwich knife,” also make light work out of cutting baguettes. Paring knives, steak knives, and kitchen shears round out the set, allowing you to choose the right tool for the task. Each knife handle is ergonomically designed for firm gripping and accuracy. The Cuisinart Stainless Steel Hollow Handle Set is made entirely of high-carbon stainless steel for a sleeker and more contemporary design.
You don’t need these items for everyday cooking, but having them does come in handy as you become a more serious cook. Keep in mind that knife sets often include extra items like storage blocks or honing steels, so a seven-piece set doesn’t necessarily have seven knives. Some knife sets come with blocks that have slots to store the knives in, while others come with individual covers.
The Wüsthof Classic Ikon 7-Piece Knife Set almost rivals our top pick, but it only comes with four knives plus shears. The utility knife’s long, semi-flexible blade makes it stand out in a set we already love. If you don’t need any of the extra knives, you really can’t go wrong with this one.
By the end, you’ll know whether Cuisinart knives are right for you — and which ones might make the best fit for your kitchen. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals. A blade that is too hard is prone to chipping and can break if it’s dropped since it lacks flex. If you’re not familiar, the bolster is the part of the knife where the blade and handle meet, and the steel thickens. It provides a smooth transition between the blade and handle and serves as a finger guard, protecting your hand from slipping onto the blade.
As a bonus, the kitchen shears are a highly-ranked pair that we already loved. This Wüsthof set is relatively lightweight for German-steel knives. These precision-forged knives are made from a single piece of continuous high-carbon stainless steel, so they’re super sharp and won’t rust easily. The full-tang gotham steel cookware sets blade is seamlessly attached to a comfortable polypropylene handle that didn’t slip in our hands, even when wet. We would have liked to see a smaller serrated knife included with this set. It ended up being our least favorite knife in the set because it’s large and we weren’t sure what to use it for.
This brand is unique in that you can purchase cutlery directly from its site, but one of our chief complaints is its lack of option for knife sets or discounts on essential duos. We appreciate how customizable Yoshirio has made its brand. You can get handles in three different shapes — D, octagonal, or round — and made of magnolia, rosewood, enju, hiba, yew, or ebony.
Brighten up your kitchen now with this Cuisinart knife set for just $15. However, Cuisinart knives are some of the cheapest I’ve ever seen, especially the collections with stamped blades. If this assumption is true, Henckels knives are significantly sharper than Cuisinart knives. And due to the softness of Cuisinart’s steel, the edge will dull and require resharpening more often. I found retailers advertising their blades at a rating of 56, but 3CR13 stainless steel is rated between 52 and 55.