Best Kitchen Knives

Top-rated kitchen cutlery overall

Seasoned chefs, cooking enthusiasts and amateur reviews agree there's no substitute for Wusthof knives (*Est. $150 for three). The whole knife is forged from sturdy, high-carbon stainless steel, with a full tang (the blade metal extends all the way through the handle, helping balance the knife and ensuring durability). Though most top-of-the-line knives are made this way, experts repeatedly praise Wusthof knives, saying they are the most balanced, natural-feeling knives on the market. One chef simply calls them "perfect."

While Wusthof offers several styles, in most reviews, testers prefer the handles on the Classic and Grand Prix II lines. The Classic has a more-traditional riveted handle, while the Grand Prix II features a textured plastic grip (wood handles have all but disappeared these days since the Food and Drug Administration banned them in restaurant kitchens). The Wusthof Culinar line has a banana-shaped stainless-steel handle that most reviewers don't find quite as comfortable. The handle choice comes down to which feels best to you. The blades are all the same.

In the shadow of Wusthof are some other comparably priced kitchen knives, all of which feature forged, high-carbon stainless steel blades. One example: The J.A. Henckels Four Star (*Est. $170 for three). Reviewers say this knife's handle fits comfortably in large hands but can be awkward for smaller users, while Chef's Choice Trizor Professional knives (*Est. $300 for three) have more-traditional polycarbonate handles. Editors at Fine Cooking magazine favor The Trizor chef's knife, saying it's heavier than other knives, with an easy-to-grip handle and a "markedly sharp" edge. Friedrich Dick Knives (*Est. $140 for three) are a staple in culinary schools. Their blades have a higher carbon content than most, which makes them a bit harder and capable of holding an edge longer. We did not include these knives in the ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed section because of the overwhelming support for Wusthof and Forschner/Victorinox, but if they sound appealing and feel good in your hands, experts say these knives are a good bet.

It's commonly accepted that the best kitchen knives are forged -- hammered into shape from a single piece of metal. An alternative method is to stamp blades out of a sheet of metal. This process produces a lighter, thinner blade without a lip between the handle and blade (called a bolster on forged knives). Many cheaper knives are made this way, and reviewers say they can feel flimsy and hard to control. RH Forschner by Victorinox Fibrox (*Est. $65 for three) stamped knives with high-carbon stainless-steel blades and non-slip Fibrox mineral fiber handles are one exception. In side-by-side tests, experts are amazed at how well these perform next to forged knives that are three times as expensive. In almost every review that tests them, Forschner knives are chosen as the best budget pick.

Chicago Cutlery makes both stamped and forged knives in several different styles. Reviewers find the Chicago Cutlery forged knives are not quite as good as Wusthof or Henckels, but some of the stamped knives do surprisingly well in tests. While Chicago Cutlery offers many different lines of stamped knives, their performance varies considerably. One standout, the Walnut Tradition 8-inch chef's knife (*Est. $16) is lightweight, and testers agree that it is easily gripped and has a very sharp edge for a stamped blade. However, the Chicago Cutlery Insignia lines (*Est. $30 for three) and Metropolitan line (*Est. $30 for three) receive more mixed reviews.

Cutco's stamped, serrated knives (*Est. $90 for two) are the subjects of unusually mixed reviews from owners. Most say they love the knives, while other consumers complain that they are useless. That said, professional reviewers are not generally fans of stamped blades (as opposed to forged blades) or serrated edges (which can't be sharpened by the owner) -- and Cutco's knives can only be sharpened by the company. Instead, we found better recommendations for RH Forschner by Victorinox Fibrox's line of less expensive, stamped fine-edge knives. In an interview with Kiplinger.com, chef Wayne Nish says Victorinox knives seemed "designed by chefs for chefs."

Still, if you're interested in low-maintenance knives with a serrated edge, Cutco knives get generally good reviews at Amazon.com and Epinions.com. They come with a highly touted lifetime guarantee, and sharpening is free (but consumers have to pay for shipping and handling). In one test, the Cutco serrated knives performed better than two now-discontinued Chicago Cutlery and Henckels serrated knives. Keep in mind, however, that a serrated blade will never be as sharp as a well-maintained fine edge blade.