KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

Best Kitchen Knives

There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect set of knives, when it works with your cooking style, cuts through everything so easily and just fits in your hand in all the right places. Get to know each knife’s features and benefits, and learn how to protect your investments with helpful tips on maintaining and caring for your knives.

Best Kitchen Knives

TYPES OF KNIVES

Chef's Knife

Has a gently curved blade that's ideal for chopping, mincing and most other cooking tasks.

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Chef Knife

Has a gently curved blade that's ideal for chopping, mincing and most other cooking tasks.

Shop Chef’s Knives
Santoku Knife

Features a lighter, harder blade for precision mincing, slicing and dicing.

Shop Asian & Santoku Knives

Santoku Knife

Features a lighter, harder blade for precision mincing, slicing and dicing.

Shop Asian & Santoku Knives
Carving Knife

Features a thin blade for carving poultry, hams, roasts and other large cuts of meat.

Carving Knife

Features a thin blade for carving poultry, hams, roasts and other large cuts of meat.

Paring & Utility Knives

Delivers precision when cutting small foods, peeling, shaping and decorating.

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Paring & Utility Knives

Delivers precision when cutting small foods, peeling, shaping and decorating.

Shop Paring & Utility Knives
Bread Knife

Prevents squishing, crushing or denting food that's firm on the outside and soft on the inside.

Shop Serrated & Bread Knives

Bread Knife

Prevents squishing, crushing or denting food that's firm on the outside and soft on the inside.

Shop Serrated & Bread Knives
Cleaver

Has a thick, heavy-duty blade that cuts through bones, joints and other tough areas.

Cleaver

Has a thick, heavy-duty blade that cuts through bones, joints and other tough areas.

Boning Knife

Features a narrow blade that easily removes small bones.

Boning Knife

Features a narrow blade that easily removes small bones.
Steak Knives

Has a serrated blade used for cutting through steak.

Steak Knives

Has a serrated blade used for cutting through steak.
To learn even more about knives, check out our Cutlery Buying Guide. Plus, check out our top cutlery blocks.

To learn even more about knives, check out our Cutlery Buying Guide. Plus, check out our top cutlery blocks.

TOP 3 ESSENTIAL KNIVES

The pros agree—these are the 3 knives you need.

1. Chef or Cook's Knife

The most useful cutlery in your kitchen, this knife should be sharp out of the box. Make sure it feels comfortable in your hand with a good weight and the perfect balance. Usually an 8-inch blade works most uses.

1. Chef or Cook's Knife

The most useful cutlery in your kitchen, this knife should be sharp out of the box. Make sure it feels comfortable in your hand with a good weight and the perfect balance. Usually an 8-inch blade works most uses.
2. Paring Knife

Look for one with a smaller blade—usually between 2-½ and 5 inches—with a super-sharp tip and edge. It should cut through small foods and create intricate details without crushing them.

2. Paring Knife

Look for one with a smaller blade—usually between 2-½ and 5 inches—with a super-sharp tip and edge. It should cut through small foods and create intricate details without crushing them.
3. Bread Knife

The serrated blade should glide through bread without crushing it. Make sure to use dragging motions instead of pushing straight down. Choose a blade that’s 8 inches or longer.

3. Bread Knife

The serrated blade should glide through bread without crushing it. Make sure to use dragging motions instead of pushing straight down. Choose a blade that’s 8 inches or longer.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT JAPANESE CUTLERY?

Three words: harder, lighter, sharper.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT JAPANESE CUTLERY

Harder.

Japanese knives are generally lighter in weight and made of thinner, harder, advanced formula steel. Due to this harder steel, the blade stock can be thinner and the edge more acute —that is, sharper—than a comparable European knife. Classic European knives tends to be heavier and made of "softer" steel, which means they require more pressure to slice through foods.

Harder.

Japanese knives are generally lighter in weight and made of thinner, harder, advanced formula steel. Due to this harder steel, the blade stock can be thinner and the edge more acute —that is, sharper—than a comparable European knife. Classic European knives tends to be heavier and made of "softer" steel, which means they require more pressure to slice through foods.
Lighter.

A harder steel means a thinner and lighter blade making Japanese knives extremely agile, precise, and even less tiring to use. The thinner blade also glides through food more easily.

Lighter.

A harder steel means a thinner and lighter blade making Japanese knives extremely agile, precise, and even less tiring to use. The thinner blade also glides through food more easily.
Sharper.

Japanese kitchen knives are typically made of harder steel than their western counterparts. This means that they’ll be able to hold a more acute-angle cutting edge longer.

Sharper.

Japanese kitchen knives are typically made of harder steel than their western counterparts. This means that they’ll be able to hold a more acute-angle cutting edge longer.

Shop our selection of Japanese cutlery from Henckels Miyabi, Shun and Global Cutlery.

MAINTENANCE & CARE

Good knives can last a lifetime. Take care of them with these maintenance tips!

Cleaning Your Knives

DO Always wash knives by hand with soap and warm water, and dry carefully.

DON’T Never put knives in the dishwasher or leave them soaking in water.

Cleaning Your Knives

DO Always wash knives by hand with soap and warm water, and dry carefully.

DON’T Never put knives in the dishwasher or leave them soaking in water.
Using The Proper Cutting Surface

DO The right cutting surface is key to maintaining a sharp edge, so use a wood cutting board.

DON’T Plastic and other surfaces can dull your knives.
Shop Cutting Boards

Using The Proper Cutting Surface

DO The right cutting surface is key to maintaining a sharp edge, so use a wood cutting board.

DON’T Plastic and other surfaces can dull your knives.
Shop Cutting Boards
Proper Knife Storage

DO Keep knives sharp by storing them properly, with edges protected against damage, on the wall, in a drawer or on the counter in a block. Pick one that suits your lifestyle best.

Knife blocks keep your knives well-protected and close to hand. They can also take on a decorative flair and are appealing in any kitchen.

Magnetic holders hold your knives safely in place on the wall. They are great at saving space and keeping knives within reach.

If you have limited counter space and don’t want to keep knives out on display, an in-drawer block might be the best option for you.

DON’T Leaving knives out can not only damage the blades, but it’s also very dangerous.

Shop Knife Blocks & Storage
Proper Knife Storage

DO Keep knives sharp by storing them properly, with edges protected against damage, on the wall, in a drawer or on the counter in a block. Pick one that suits your lifestyle best.

Knife blocks keep your knives well-protected and close to hand. They can also take on a decorative flair and are appealing in any kitchen.

Magnetic holders hold your knives safely in place on the wall. They are great at saving space and keeping knives within reach.

If you have limited counter space and don’t want to keep knives out on display, an in-drawer block might be the best option for you.

DON’T Leaving knives out can not only damage the blades, but it’s also very dangerous.

Shop Knife Blocks & Storage

Honing & Sharpening

DO Knives should be honed and sharpened regularly to maintain their edge. Over time and many impacts, the thin edge of the blade will naturally curl over. The edge is actually still sharp, but because the edge is curled, the sharpest part is no longer moving directly through the food as you cut.

A honing steel enables you to re-align—or uncurl—the edge so that the razor-sharp edge is once again gliding through the food as you cut.

When honing is no longer effective in bringing the "sharp" back, then it's time for real sharpening. Experts recommend sharping your knives 1-2x year depending on use.

DON’T Continually using knives without routine honing or sharpening means it will become more and more difficult to cut through food over time.

Shop Knife Sharpeners & Steels
Honing & Sharpening

DO Knives should be honed and sharpened regularly to maintain their edge. Over time and many impacts, the thin edge of the blade will naturally curl over. The edge is actually still sharp, but because the edge is curled, the sharpest part is no longer moving directly through the food as you cut.

A honing steel enables you to re-align—or uncurl—the edge so that the razor-sharp edge is once again gliding through the food as you cut.

When honing is no longer effective in bringing the "sharp" back, then it's time for real sharpening. Experts recommend sharping your knives 1-2x year depending on use.

DON’T Continually using knives without routine honing or sharpening means it will become more and more difficult to cut through food over time.

Shop Knife Sharpeners & Steels

WATCH & LEARN

Michael Garaghty (Executive Chef of Wüsthof-Trident of America, Inc.) shares a few tips and demonstrates how to properly use your knives.

Michael Garaghty (Executive Chef of Wüsthof-Trident of America, Inc.) shares a few tips and demonstrates how to properly use your knives.
Watch the head chef of Wüsthof explain the three most essential knives and how to use them!

Watch the head chef of Wüsthof explain the three most essential knives and how to use them!
Want to prep a fantastic meal like the pros? Watch one of the experts explain the importance of choosing the right knife.

Want to prep a fantastic meal like the pros? Watch one of the experts explain the importance of choosing the right knife.

Watch our video to learn the differences between honing vs. sharpening.

Watch our video to learn the differences between honing vs. sharpening.
Learn how to sharpen your own knives with this video!

Learn how to sharpen your own knives with this video!