Kitchen Knife Review

Kitchen knife testing and comparisons

Experts agree that a good set of knives is an essential tool for the kitchen. Our best source of reviews for kitchen knives is Cook's Illustrated magazine. In the past five years, its editors have published half a dozen reviews of cutlery. Each review focuses on a different type of knife, from modern gyutou knives (a hybrid between the traditional chef's knife and lighter, Japanese-style blades) to small paring knives. Testers put each knife through its paces, using it for several different kitchen tasks and evaluating it on factors such as comfort, sharpness and design. Detailed performance notes, ratings and recommendations are provided for each of the knives tested.

ConsumerReports.org also offers an excellent comparison of 49 kitchen knife sets. Editors don't describe their exact testing methods, but knives are rated for comfort, balance and cutting performance. Although ConsumerReports.org compares a larger number of knives in a single test, we prefer the reviews from Cook's Illustrated because they are more detailed and insightful.

We also found good knife reviews from Choice magazine, the Australian equivalent of ConsumerReports.org. The magazine enlisted several testers -- male and female, right-handed and left-handed -- and an outside lab for the knife testing. Although some of the models tested are not sold in the U.S., all of the top picks are.

For individual feedback on specific knives, we turned to Amazon.com, which provides the most robust database. Although users typically do not compare one knife to another, these reviews do provide good insight into the positives and negatives of a particular knife. These user reviews typically note if the knife will be suited to your needs, if, for example, you have large or small hands. Other retail sites lack the quantity of reviews offered at Amazon.com, but we did find several reviews at gourmet cooking outlets such as Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma.

It's worth noting that year-to-year there are very few comprehensive knife reviews written by major cooking publications and websites. Some of the most informative reviews are often several years old. Fortunately, the best performing knives tend to be classics -- knives that were released years, if not decades ago. Plus, unlike other kitchen accessory categories (think: electric juicers), companies don't tend to release or discontinue models as often. In most cases, these older reviews maintain their value and relevancy.

The 8-inch chef's knife, most reviews agree, is the most important knife in your collection of cutlery. Many experts say most people don't need seven or eight different kitchen knives; a single top-quality chef's knife can handle most kitchen tasks. Several say that kitchen knife sets are a poor value because they often include several relatively useless knives. A paring knife and a serrated bread knife are also helpful, and Japanese santoku knives are gradually replacing chef's knives for light-duty work in many kitchens.

In general, high-end brands such as Wusthof (from Germany) and Global (from Japan) outperform their cheaper competitors. However, reviews praise one budget cutlery line, Victorinox Swiss Classic (formerly Victorinox Fibrox). We found positive reviews for the Victorinox stamped knives, which have handles made from a plastic called Fibrox. In reviews, these rival pricier knife brands in utility, durability and ergonomics. Victorinox Swiss Classic knives fall in the middle of the price range for cutlery: They are cheaper than luxury brands like Wusthof, which can run $75 or more for a single knife but more expensive than the truly inexpensive brands like Chicago Cutlery (*Est. $25 for three) . Even the pickiest reviewers agree that Victorinox Swiss Classic knives are a good, solid choice for beginners and budget-minded home cooks.

It may be tempting to choose low-maintenance knives, which don't require regular sharpening. However, the reviews we found suggest they are not the best buy. They may not need to be sharpened, but they also don't tend to have the sharpest edge to start with. Overall, low-maintenance knives did not perform as well in our sources' tests as traditional knives.