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You’re no stranger to the kitchen, we know this for sure. But you want to up your kitchen knife game? Excellent – you’ve come to the right place. Even home chefs want the best knives to create a culinary masterpiece. That’s why we’ve put this handy guide together to help advise you before you choose the right knife or knife set for your kitchen.
In our following recommendations, we have given you plenty of scope to analyse and utilise our vast range of products, each with their own benefits in the kitchen. As you’ll likely be quite the home chef, we’ll showcase our professional-grade knife collections. They are the best in the business and will ensure your cuts are done to perfection.
Let’s get stuck in, welcome to the best knives for a home chef…
What makes a good kitchen knife?
A good kitchen knife must be sharp, offer a strong grip, and be made of the right material – there are several different types of blade steel available depending on your budget and use. You also need to consider comfort when choosing the best kitchen knife. You will be holding these knives for hours at a time on some days (depending on how often you like to cook!). We’re assuming it’s a lot, right? Make sure your knife fits nicely in your palm.
Remember, no matter which type of knife you feel is the right fit for your kitchen, you will need to upkeep proper maintenance. Read our helpful guide: How to Care For and Maintain Kitchen Knives, for all the information you need.
What to look for in a boning knife
When choosing the perfect boning knife, we recommend you look for one with flexibility while remaining sturdy enough to make precise cuts. Japanese boning knives are excellent for cutting thicker, more robust meat.
Opt for a boning knife with roughly 15cm+. That’s the perfect length for deboning meat or fish. As for the handle, ensure your boning knife is non-slip. Deboning is a very precise task – you’ll be thankful for a knife with a firm grip. Look for a boning knife made from stainless steel. It'll stay sharper longer and less likely to rust.
Remember, a boning knife isn't just a tool, it's an investment in your exciting culinary journey.
Shop Boning Knives or see our Kai Shun 15cm Boning Knife DM-0710
Choosing the right bread knife
The bread knife – it’s used daily and loved dearly. When searching for the perfect bread knife, look for one that will offer a controlled cut on a delicate loaf. We all know how soft bread is – we don’t want to ruin that with a heavy, bulky knife that isn’t designed to cut through it.
We recommend going for a bread knife that is 20cm or more. This gives you plenty of blade length to slowly move back and forth, and you cut into your fresh loaf.
Top tip: Bread knives can be used for much more than just bread. Try cutting pastries with a bread knife to keep those delicate pastry layers intact.
Shop Bread Knives
Why we love the Global Ukon Bread Knife…
This bread knife, in particular, has a thicker blade for extra strength. It also has a well-placed thumb rest to ensure comfort. This knife will give fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread a beautifully clean cut without squishing any food.
Discover the Global Ukon Bread Knife 22cm Blade GU-03
Picking the perfect carving knife
The blades of carving knives are often longer than those of other kitchen knives. A good carving knife, in our opinion, should be about 20cm long. You can slice through thick pieces of meat or poultry with ease and control. Regarding the blade's edge, a razor-sharp edge will guarantee smooth cuts and minimise meat tearing.
As for a carving knife handle, choose a knife with a good grip. Yes, we’re likely to sound like a broken record on the importance of a knife with a firm grip, in order to maintain steady and safe control.
Purchasing your next carving knife with a carving fork included is the best way to go. This way, you know the fork and the knife are made for each other. They will work in unison to help you make precise cuts.
Shop Carving Knives
The best chef knives
If you’ve skipped all the above to find your beloved chef knives – we get it! They’re an exciting purchase. We do recommend scrolling back and looking at our advice on boning knives, bread knives, and carving knives, though. In your own time, of course.
Choosing the right chef knife for your kitchen… Where to start? You’ll want a consider the following:
- Weight
- Material
- Size
- Handle
- Blade
Chef knife weight
This one lends itself to personal preference. Some prefer a light, quick-moving knife, whereas others like a heavy, slower knife.
Chef knife material
The best material for your next chef knife may be a choice between a high carbon steel blade or a Damascus steel blade.
Chef knife size
This one is a little trickier. Chef knives are for multi-purpose uses. Therefore, the size will vary depending on what you’re planning on using it for. Generally, we recommend 15cm or more, 20cm is the most popular size.
Chef knife handle
Like we’ve said, we’re sorry to sound like a broken record, but please ensure your chef knife has a firm grip.
Chef knife blade
A well-made chef knife blade shape is usually wide, triangular, tapering to a very sharp tip. This versatile shape allows you to cut various meats, poultry, vegetables and more. Although remember - there are specialist knives for those things.
Shop Chef Knives
Some of our favourite kitchen knives
Kai has created a variety of knives using 32-layer, corrosion-resistant damask steel. Their blades are decorated with a hand-hammered surface known as Tsuchime in Japan. All of the Kai Shun Premier Tim Malzer knives guarantee optimal cutting performance for both right-handed and left-handed use due to the exceptionally symmetrical shape of their wood handles.
Shop the Kai Shun Premier Tim Malzer 20cm Chef's Knife TDM-1706
The amazing 270mm I.O. Shen Chef's Knife. Not a knife for the weak-hearted, either! A broad blade with the ability to prepare all kinds of dishes. All of the knives in the I.O. Shen Master Grade line are made with the most cutting-edge technology, resulting in blades that are not only incredibly sharp but also maintain their edge for an incredible length of time.
Shop the I.O. Shen 270mm Chef's Knife
Every Kai Shun knife is unique. And the Kai Shun 15cm Chef's Knife DM-0723 is made from V-Gold-10-steel—an unmatched, extremely hard, sharp blade.
Shop the Kai Shun 15cm Chef's Knife DM-0723
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We hope you found this guide helpful. See our helpful culinary blog for all the latest kitchen accessories, news, and guides.
Or perhaps you’re ready to shop? See the best knives and knife block sets today.