I Sliced and Diced 20 Pounds of Produce to Find the Best Knife Sets

My first knife set was part of the standard-issued equipment from my culinary school. Many of the knives in the kit were completely foreign to me, but I couldn’t wait to learn the difference between a boning knife and a bird’s beak parer.

Fast forward to today, and I still have a few pieces from that kit—and they still see regular use! The printed emblem of my culinary school on the blade has worn off, but an indelible fact has remained with me: The right knives can last a lifetime. 

In the years since then, I’ve added onto my kit as needed. Many of my knives’ origin stories mirror the ones told by Kenji in his collection. I got one to impress colleagues at a new position on the line of a celebrated new restaurant. I got another as a wedding present. A few just somehow ended up in my knife roll.

But here’s the thing: Not everyone builds their knife collection one moment (or impulse buy) at a time. For most home cooks, a well-curated knife set is the smarter and more affordable starting point. Whether you’re supplying your first kitchen or finally upgrading a drawer of dull hand-me-downs, a quality knife set can set you up for decades, if not for life. That said, not all sets are created equal. Some are bloated with unnecessary pieces you’ll never touch, while others strike the perfect balance of function, value, and performance. I spent weeks testing a wide range of sets to find the ones truly worth the splurge.

The Tests

• Sharpness Reading: I used the Edge-On-Up Professional Edge Tester to get readings of the chef’s and paring knives in each set out of the box. I took three readings and averaged those numbers to get a final reading. I repeated this test after testing to see how the edge held up.
• Chef’s Knife Test: To test the chef’s knives in each set, I diced an onion and a sweet potato, noting how the blade fared when cutting through tough roots and hearty cores. I noted if the blade felt sharp and if the handle provided enough stability and was comfortable to grip.
• Serrated Knife Test: I used the serrated knife to cut a few slices of crusty sourdough bread. I counted how many swipes it took to get through a single slice, and if it struggled to hew through the thick bottom. I also used the serrated knife to cut a ripe tomato, noticing if it mashed the fruit or ripped the skin.
• Kitchen Shears Test: To test the shears' abilities, I snipped a bunch of chives to determine if the blades of the shears were sharp and nimble. I also used them to cut a circle out of parchment paper, looking to see if the shears tore the paper instead of cutting.
• Paring Knife Test: I tested the paring knives by hulling strawberries and mincing shallots. This helped reveal how precise the tip was and how maneuverable the knife felt when making exact cuts.
• Long-term Use Test (Winners Only): Once I had identified which sets were leading the pack, I used them in my kitchen for a few days to see how practical and useful they were and if any pieces in the set felt unnecessary.
• Cleaning: After each test, I hand-washed and dried the knives to see if any were trickier than others to clean.

What We Learned

What Knives are Essential In a Knife Set?

The sets I tested for this review ranged from three pieces to 15. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly the right number of knives for someone, as that can vary so much from person to person. While someone might need six steak knives along with their other cutlery, another home cook might prefer to only invest in a few high-quality essentials that they’ll use daily. 

A smaller set with thoughtfully chosen, well-performing pieces can easily outshine a bloated block filled with duplicates or knives you never touch. At the very least, a good set should include a chef’s knife, a serrated knife, and a paring knife. Those are included in every set I tested for this review and offer a good baseline. Compare that to the Zwilling Gourmet 10-pc Knife Block Set, for example, which comes with three kinds of paring knives as well as two serrated knives. I can hardly imagine the scenario that would require every single one of those on a regular basis, unless you dig fluting mushrooms. 

Sharpness and Durability

One of the biggest tests I have for any knife is its edge retention. I tend not to get too excited about knives that display impressive sharpness straight out of the box or at a store demo. Why? Because edge retention is a key factor in the quality of the knife. If a knife loses its edge easily, be prepared to spend a lot of time sharpening and honing. The percent change in sharpness (the higher the number, the duller the knife) helped reveal which blades held up best after use, not just which ones were sharp out of the box. A few sets that didn’t top the charts in initial sharpness surprised me with how well they maintained their edge over time.

Upgrade Your Knife Storage

Some of the knife sets I tested came with storage solutions. The Shun set came with a gorgeous wood slot-style knife block, the HexClad set came with a thin magnetic block, and the more minimalist Material Trio arrived with simple cloth blade guards.

In general, we recommend magnetic strips or drop-in corks blocks for knife storage–they’re sleek, space-efficient, and prevent dulling that can happen when anything slides against the blade. Traditional slot-style wood blocks can be convenient and countertop-friendly, but they take up space and may not accommodate knives you add later. Not every block has the same design, and every time I tried to take out the chef’s knife of the Cuisinart, for example, it would bang up against the scissors annoyingly. The winning Misen Knife Set leaves storage up to you, though the brand sells modular storage as an optional accessory.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Knife Set

Each knife should get frequent action, or else you’re just paying for fluff. A great set doesn’t need a dozen pieces—it just needs the right pieces. For most, that’s a reliable chef’s knife, a nimble paring knife, and a sturdy serrated blade. For others, a handy utility or petty knife, a comfortable pair of shears, a fillet knife, or even a cleaver are necessary. The knives in the set should also be sharp and stay sharp for a while. While a storage block is a nice perk, it wasn’t a dealbreaker. 

Our Favorite Knife Sets

The Best Knife Set

Misen 7-Piece Knife Set

View on Misen.com

What we liked: If you’re as particular about kitchen countertop clutter as I am, then you might be a little dubious about carving out space for a bulky knife block. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid knife sets altogether, though. Enter the Misen set, which comes with seven useful pieces, leaving storage up to you (though the brand does sell a separate magnetic rack). I think the price is fantastic for what you get: a great all-purpose assortment that includes a chef’s knife, a santoku, a utility knife, a sturdy pair of shears, a paring knife, and a bread knife. 

When it comes to the knives themselves, they are made with high-quality, high-carbon Japanese steel. The gently sloping bolster on the riveted handle was comfortable without sacrificing grip. The shears were particularly impressive; I loved the micro-serrated blade that ends in a fine tip. 

What we didn’t like: Neither the chef’s knife nor the paring knife led the pack in terms of sharpness, but they weren’t trailing at the bottom either. While they performed solidly, if you’re after ultra-fine precision or top-tier edge retention, there are sharper (and pricier) options out there. 

Key Specs

• Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 5.5-inch utility knife, 8-inch santoku, 8-inch Western-style chef’s knife, 8-inch serrated knife
• Kitchen shears included?: Yes
• Special pieces: Ceramic honing rod
• Storage block or stand included?: No
• Block dimensions: N/A

The Best Splurge Knife Set

Shun Classic 9-Piece Chef's Choice Knife Block Set

$980 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Kaiusa.com

What we liked: Shun makes high-quality Japanese knives that bring pro-level performance to the home. This brand has taken home winning spots in tons of our cutlery reviews, including shears, petty knives, fillet knives, and slicers. The blades feature razor-sharp edges crafted from folded layers of stainless steel. This gives them a winning combination of durability and easy maintenance. Before and after testing, the knives registered as sharper than others straight out of the box. The handles are straight with no butt and round with a slight D-shape for extra grip. This style allows hands of all sizes to grasp easily without sacrificing security or dexterity.

The variety in this set is great: It includes a paring knife, a santoku, a Gokujo boning knife, a chef’s knife, a slicing knife, a bread knife, kitchen shears, a honing steel, and an attractive bamboo storage block to hold it all in. Every piece saw daylight at least once in the few days the block sat on my counter, and I looked forward to every occasion that let me take one out. Keep in mind, I’m a professional cook and tester, and whipping out a filet knife to break down a side of salmon is not a rare occurrence in my house. The paring knife saw the most use, slicing up fruits of all kinds. 

What we didn’t like: The price is high, but it reflects the quality of the knives and other accessories. The three empty slots in the block might subtly pressure you into more knife shopping if you’re into completeness (guilty!). There are no steak knives or slots for extra-large knives, such as a cleaver, but don’t worry. Shun also makes a 19-piece set that will satisfy every cutlery desire imaginable.

Key Specs

• Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 5.5-inch santoku, 6-inch Gokujo boning knife, 8-inch Western-style chef’s knife, 9-inch hollow-ground slicing knife, 9-inch bread knife.
• Kitchen shears included?: Yes
• Special pieces: 9-inch ceramic honing steel
• Storage block or stand included?: Yes
• Block dimensions: 11 x 5 x 9 inches high

The Best Minimalist Knife Set

Material The Trio of Knives

$195 at Amazon View on Materialkitchen.com View on The Container Store

What we liked: The vast majority of home cooks aren’t going to be picking up a specialty knife (like a fillet or deba) all that frequently. The core knives are a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated slicer—all three of which form the trio in this set from Material. Each has impressive sharpness and a smooth, round handle that fits comfortably in hands of all sizes. The set comes in three color options. I also appreciated the addition of soft knife covers, so you don’t have to pick up additional knife storage solutions as well.

What we didn’t like: The serrated knife is a little short, but it’s not terrible and has enough sharpness to get the job done. For smaller tasks, like slicing a tomato, you won’t have trouble. 

Key Specs

• Knives included: 8-inch chef's knife, 4-inch paring knife, 6-inch serrated knife
• Kitchen shears included?: No
• Special pieces: None
• Storage block or stand included?: No
• Block dimensions: N/A

The Best Knife Set with Steak Knives

Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Block Set

View on Wusthof.com

What we liked: Wüsthof knives have a reputation for offering some of the best performance that German steel has to offer, and for good reason. You’ll see the Wüsthof brand rank among the winners in the majority of knife reviews on this site. The handles are comfortable and easy to grip, paired with unrivaled sharpness out of the box that doesn’t diminish quickly with use. The chef’s knife only dulled by two points, per my sharpness reader, after the whole test and several days of constant use. I don’t host that much and didn’t find many occasions to use the steak knives, save for one ribeye dinner. Still, if you’re outfitting a family kitchen or regularly serve meat at the table, I could see the steak knives, which we’ve reviewed before and liked, becoming a welcome addition.

What we didn’t like: This set would’ve taken home the winning title if it was pared down (with appropriately lower pricing). If you have the budget and need a good set of steak knives, there’s no real reason you shouldn’t choose this set, especially if you prefer German knives to Japanese. There was only one weak spot: the shears. They just simply weren’t as sharp as others and could not achieve an ultra-fine mince on my bundle of chives.

Key Specs

• Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 6-inch utility knife, 9-inch serrated bread knife, 8-inch Western-style chef’s knife, and four steak knives
• Kitchen shears included?: Yes
• Special pieces: 9-inch honing steel
• Storage block or stand included?: Yes
• Block dimensions: 8.5 x 5.25 x 11 inches high

The Competition

• Cuisinart 15-Piece Stainless Steel Hollow-Handle Cutlery Block Set with Acacia Block: This set is bloated with unnecessary pieces, unless you find yourself often reaching for a bird’s beak parer to flute mushrooms. The mini serrated “utility knife” is too small to slice large loaves of bread, and the sharpness of both the chef’s and paring knives was abysmal, even before I cut a single thing.
• Global Takashi 10-Piece Knife Block Set: Not terrible, not great, just mid. I’ve worked with a few line cooks who like Global knives for how easy they are to keep sharp and clean. I personally find the 12.5-degree bevel tricky to work with on the whetstone. The shears were a bit difficult to grip comfortably as well.
• Zwilling Gourmet 10-pc Knife Block Set: The chef’s knife registered a poor sharpness rating. Plus, who needs three different paring knife variations and two serrated knives?
• HexClad 7 Piece Knife Set: The knives in this set offered lackluster results time and time again.
• Made In Knife Set: This set is overpriced for only including three pieces, and the results when dicing didn’t wow me.

FAQs

Is a knife set worth it? 

A quality knife set is worth it if you like the brand that makes it and often use every type of knife that comes in it. Take a look at the list of knives and make sure there aren’t any pieces that just inflate the price and will sit untouched in your block. Sets can offer convenience and a huge cost savings, but only if you’re getting tools that you’ll actually reach for. Otherwise, you may be better off cherry-picking individual knives suited to your cooking style.

How do you care for a knife set?

Caring for a knife set doesn’t differ much from caring for knives that you bought piecemeal. Wash immediately after using, keep them dry, and sharpen regularly. Avoid the dishwasher, even if the manufacturer says it’s dishwasher-safe, and make sure the knife block stays dry. The last thing you want are dark crevices harboring moisture or bacteria. 

Should you use a wooden block to hold knives?

If you purchase a set that you love and it comes with a knife block, there’s nothing terribly wrong with using it. That being said, we at Serious Eats tend to prefer storing knives on a magnetic knife strip or a cork-lined knife dock. The right choice for knife storage is going to come down to how many knives you have, how much counter space is in your kitchen, and what your cooking habits are. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has worked in food and food media for over 10 years, including in award-winning restaurants like Eleven Madison Park. She has written extensively for Serious Eats. (Check out her reviews of enameled cast iron skillets and vacuum sealers.)
• For this review, Taylor tested nine knife sets by cutting strawberries, chives, shallots, sweet potatoes, onions, and more.