What is the Best Chef Knife?

Mark December 19, 2013 Guide No Comments

Investing in a good quality Chef knife is probably one of the best kitchen knife investments you will make. But deciding on that Chef knife can be a challenge especially with the vast assortment of Chef knives in today’s marketplace.

Would you like to have a traditional looking Chef’s knife or would you prefer something more Asian looking?

What you prepare in the kitchen, what you do most, and your available budget will help decide and determine which knife is right for you.

Below we have put together a definitive guide to the best Chef knives available in today’s market to help you to pick out the right knife for your kitchen prepping needs.

The Ultimate Guide to the Best Chef Knives

Knife	Size	Type	Pricing	Rating	Visit
Knife	Size	Type	Pricing	Rating	Visit
	8-inch	Stamped	Low	★★★★★
	8-inch	Forged	High	★★★★★
	6-inch	Forged	High	★★★★★
	8-inch	Forged	Medium	★★★★★
	8-inch	Forged	Medium	★★★★★
	7-inch	Forged	High	★★★★★
	8-inch	Stamped	Low	★★★★★
	8-inch	Stamped	Low	★★★★★
	8-inch	Stamped	Low	★★★★★
	7-inch	Ceramic	Medium	★★★★★
	8 1/2-inch	Stamped	Low	★★★★★
	6-inch	Ceramic	Low	★★★★★
	10-inch	Forged	Medium	★★★★★

Knife Types

A Forged Knife is made from a bar of steel which has then been heated and pounded into the desired shape. This process is a lot more labor intensive and it usually carried out by trained craftsmen.
A Stamped Knife is a knife blade that has been made from once piece of steel, the process involves the knife shape being stamped out of the sheet of steel, the blade is then heat-treated for durability. This process of manufacturing kitchen knives this way is a lot cheap that the forged varieties and a lot of the work is done by machines and you’ll find a lot of the stamped knives originate from China.
A Ceramic Knife is manufactured out of very hard ceramic. The types of kitchen knives are produced by pressing Zirconia powder and then firing them in extremely high temperatures.

What is a Chef’s Knife?

The Chef’s knife was originally designed for prepping large cuts of Beef today however the Chef knife has become a general knife in the kitchen that is able to tackle many kitchen prepping tasks.

A Chef knife is a multipurpose knife and is probably the cook’s most important tool in the kitchen. This knife can be used for an endless range of prepping and kitchen tasks like; slicing, chopping, dicing, mincing, julienne cuts, disjointing large cuts of meat and even smashing garlic it truly is a versatile kitchen knife that won’t leave your hand.

There are two basic types of Chef knife blade styles in the Western kitchen both designed on the traditional German and French knife.

Both of these Chef knives look similar in design the only way you can really tell the difference between to two is by taking a look at the knife blade. The German style blades are more deeply and continuously curved along the whole cutting edge whilst the French Chef knife blade style has an edge that is straighter until the end and then curves up to the tip.

Both types of Chef knife are equally as good it really boils down to your personal preference to which style you prefer.

The Anatomy of a Chef’s Knife

The best Chef knives are forged from a single piece of steel that runs the entire length of the knife with a riveted hardwood or similar handle. There are many parts that make up a Chef’s knife with each part having a unique term.

Some of these knife terms can leave you scratching you head, so before you buy your next knife let’s take a look at each of these knife terms so you can impress your friends next time you throw a dinner party!

Top 5 Chef Knife Reviews

Shun Premier 8-inch Chef’s Knife

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The Shun Chef knife is a fully forged hand-made durable knife that features beautiful layered Damascus steel with a hand finished hammered effect. The hammered effect on the blade aids in cutting and slicing by reducing drag and also helps to stop foods sticking to the blade.

The handle on this Chef knife looks amazing; it’s made from premium Pakkawood and is designed to fit comfortably into the curves of your hand.

This Chef knife is available in two sizes, the 6-inch and the popular 8-inch. The blade is slightly curved to help facilitate the back and forth rocking motion when cutting and offers a large blade area which is ideal for moving and transporting your freshly cut ingredients.

If you are a Chef who has everything this knife is for you, it’s not cheap but for the knife enthusiast this is a must have for the collection.

Global G-2 – 8 inch, 20cm Chef’s Knife

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Global knives are known for their funky modern appearance and have become a favorite knife amount celebrity Chef and professional cooks.

This Global Chef knife is very light weight and razor sharp and you should have no problems tackling almost any kitchen task using this multipurpose tool.

Each of the blades on the global chef knife has been made using the latest high-tech molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel which retains a razor sharp knife edge very well.

The stainless steel dimpled handles are Global trademark feature and are molded the fit any size hand be it small or large and the dimpled effect provides an excellent grip even when you hands are wet.

If you are on the fence as to which Chef knife you should invest in this is a great durable option; if looked after this knife should last you a life-time.

Wusthof Classic Multi-Prep Cook’s Knife

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We couldn’t have a top 5 review of some of the best Chef knives without including a knife from the Wusthof range.

Wusthof knives are traditional looking kitchen knives that are well made and made to last. The classic multi-prep cooks knife is just that, it’s one of those knives that you will always have in reach be it for prepping fruit or vegetables, trimming some chicken or beef, or cutting open a ingredients packet, the Wushof knife can do it all.

This knife comes in 3 flavors; a small maneuverable 4-inch, a 6-inch, and a larger 10-inch blade – if you’re not sure what size to get best stick with the 6-inch blade.

This chef knife is truly quality knife that will outlive you!

Pure Komachi 2 Series 8″ Chef’s Knife, Fuchsia

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Pink?.. I know right! Don’t let the color fool you though this is a great knife that is a mix of stainless steel and resin. – Cool right?

At first glance you may be fooled into thinking this is a ceramic knife but it’s not, the manufacturing process involves bonding food-safe FDA-approved resin to the stainless-steel blade. The non-stick resin resists corrosion and makes cleaning your knives a breeze, not only that cutting food with this Chef knife if effortlessly as it is designed to simply slide through food with ease.

This is a versatile Chef knife that can be used for slicing and prepping fruits and vegetables and even trimming meat. However the blade is very thin so it might not be able to get in and tackle those more changeling prepping tasks like cutting though bone or curving up a pumpkin.

This knife is really cheap and for the wow factor and a small investment its worth giving this Chef knife a try.

J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife

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This is another of those classic looking chef Knives and is made to last and is a favorite with professional Chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.

This is a forged 8-inch Chef knife that has been hot drop forged for maximum durability, the full bolster provides a great weight and ensures maximum safety and the triple riveted traditional looking handle surrounds the full tang.

For the chef’s knives these J.A. Henckels classics are wonderful tools that are well balanced and can hold a razor sharp edge for a long time.

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Q&A for Kitchen Knives

What is a forged knife?
Forged kitchen knives are made from solid steel bars that have been heated and then pounded into the desired knife shape.

The whole process of making kitchen knives this way is a lot more labor intensive and can only be done by trained craftsmen.

Boning & Fillet Knives? What are those?
Boning & Fillet Knives

Boning and Fillet Knives are two knives that you will find in every professional Chef’s Knife Roll without these two knives every professional Chef would be lost.

You will find that Boning Knives can have different widths of blades as well as varying stiffness.

Boning Knives are designed so they can easily get into small places, the curve of the Boning Knife blade offers greater control when making precise cuts. These knives are generally used to remove meat from bones and cutting Fish or Poultry.

Fillet Knives are flexible knives used to filet and prepare Fish these knives have a thin narrow flexible blade which makes this knife move easily along the backbone and under the skin of Fish.

Fillet Knives are not so common in the home kitchen but are a must have knife for the Professional Chef.
What are the best Kitchen Knives?
Kitchen Knives and Chef Knives come in many varieties; there is no best knife for everyone and there is no all-in-one knife that is able to complete each everyday kitchen task

There is an extremely large variety of cooking knives however there are only a few that are commonly found in most kitchens.

The best kitchen knives are the knives that feel right in your hand you can tell if the knife is the best knife for you simply by picking it up. The size of your hands, how you hold the knife, and what you tend to do most in the kitchen determine things like which handle type is preferable, and what weight you'll need.
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