Chef Knife Sets

What's in a chef knife set?

Most cooks get through nearly every job with three essential kitchen knives. A chef's knife does the chopping, slicing and dicing. A paring knife takes care of peeling, trimming and the fiddly bits. Then a serrated bread knife saws through crusty loaves and ripe tomatoes without squashing them.

That trio is the heart of any good knife set. Larger sets build on it with a utility knife for sandwiches and soft veg or a carving knife for the Sunday roast. You might also get a santoku, a boning knife or a row of steak knives. Many add kitchen scissors and a honing steel too.

The kitchen knives you'll use every day

• Chef's knife (18 to 20cm) for chopping onions, herbs, meat and most of your prep
• Paring knife (8 to 10cm) for peeling, coring and small precise cuts
• Bread knife (20cm or so, serrated) for bread, cakes and soft skinned fruit
• Utility knife (13 to 16cm) for the jobs that are too small for the big one

The extras worth having

A carving knife earns its place if you cook joints of meat. A santoku suits anyone who chops a lot of veg, since its flatter blade likes a straight up and down cut. Steak knives are nice to have, but they pad out the piece count of a knife set, so don't let a big number on the box sway you.

Choosing a chef knife set

Start with how you actually do your cooking at home. If you mostly make quick weeknight meals, a compact three piece knife set will do everything you need. If you bake bread, carve roasts and fillet fish, a block with seven or more pieces makes sense.

German or Japanese steel?

German knives from Solingen are usually hardened to around 56 to 58 HRC on the Rockwell scale. That gives a tough, forgiving stainless steel that copes with bones, squash and the odd knock in the sink. The extra weight does some of the work for you, which plenty of home cooks love.

Japanese knives tend to run harder, often 60 or more. They take a finer edge and stay sharp for longer, but the thinner steel can chip if you twist it through a pumpkin or drop it on a tiled floor. If you like that precise, razor sharp feel, our sharpest chef knives and patterned Japanese style knives are a good place to look.

Forged or stamped?

A forged knife is shaped from a single heated bar of steel. It's usually heavier with a bolster where the blade meets the handle, which protects your fingers and helps the balance. Stamped knives are cut from a sheet, so they're lighter and often cheaper. Both can be excellent. Wüsthof's Gourmet range, for example, is laser cut rather than forged.

Handles and tang

A full tang means the steel runs all the way through the handle. You can usually see it as a strip of metal sandwiched between the handle scales, held in place by rivets. It feels solid and gives a premium balance in the hand. Handles come in POM plastic, pakkawood, natural wood or all steel, as on Global knives. Plastic is the easiest to look after, while wood looks warmer but needs drying straight away.

Block, magnetic strip or roll case?

A knife block keeps the set together on the worktop and protects each edge. Magnetic blocks hold the knives on the outside, so they take any shape you add later. If you cook at work or at college, a roll case or knife bag lets you carry the whole kit safely. Self-sharpening blocks with ceramic slots give the knife a light hone every time you pull a knife out.

Chef knife sets compared

We've pulled these figures from the professional knife sets in our range, so you can see how they really differ rather than just the piece count.

The Victorinox knife set is the one to pick if you want to put everything in the dishwasher, as the maker lists it as dishwasher safe. Almost every other knife set here asks you to wash by hand.

Our picks for different cooks

Your first proper set

The Classic three piece starter knife set gives you the chef's, bread and paring knives you'll use most. Each one is built to last for years. If you love the feel, our full range of Wüsthof chef knives lets you add a carving knife or santoku later.

A complete knife block

The Gourmet block is a solid all rounder, with two sizes of chef's knife plus scissors and a steel. Want a knife set that keeps itself keen? The self-sharpening version hones each knife in its ceramic slots. You'll find more in our Zwilling Pro knife range.

Made in Britain

Taylors Eye Witness has been making knives in Sheffield for generations. The Heritage Oak set pairs Sheffield made blades with oak handles on a magnetic block, so the knives sit on show rather than hidden away.

For college and work

Catering students and working chefs often go for a professional chef knife set in a roll case. The Rockingham Forge Equilibrium set packs nine pieces into a canvas roll, including a boning knife, a palette knife and a scalloped slicer.

A gift for a keen cook

A Damascus knife set looks stunning in its rippled steel. The Wakoli EDIB set arrives in a wooden box, which makes it an easy gift. For something sleek and modern, our Global knives have the famous one piece steel handles. And if money's no object, take a look at our top of the range chef knives.

Looking after your knives

Even the best kitchen knife dulls if it's treated badly. A few simple habits will keep your knife set sharp and safe for years.

• Wash each knife by hand in warm soapy water and dry it straight away
• Use a wooden or plastic chopping board, never glass, stone or a plate
• Hone with a steel every few uses to keep the edge straight
• Sharpen properly once or twice a year with a whetstone or a good sharpener
• Store knives in a block, on a magnet or in a roll, not loose in a drawer

Honing and sharpening aren't the same thing. A steel straightens an edge that has rolled over, but sharpening grinds a fresh one.

1. Hold the steel upright with its tip on a chopping board
2. Rest the heel of the knife against the top of the steel at a shallow angle
3. Draw it down and towards you so the whole length touches the steel
4. Repeat a few times on each side with light pressure

Wüsthof says in its sharpening FAQ that its standard blades are ground to 14 degrees per side. Its Asian style knives get 10 degrees, which is worth knowing before you pick a sharpener. Our range of professional knife sharpeners covers whetstones, pull through sharpeners and steels.

Buying knives in the UK

It's illegal for a shop to sell a knife to anyone under 18, so expect an age check when your parcel arrives. The gov.uk rules on buying and carrying knives also explain when you can carry one in public. That matters if you're taking a roll case to work, as you'll need a good reason, such as your job. The law itself sits in section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Sharp knives are actually safer than blunt ones because they don't slip. But if you do nick a finger, the NHS advice on cuts explains how to clean it and when to get help.

Chef knife set questions

How many knives do I really need?

Three covers almost everything, a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Add a utility or carving knife if you cook a lot of meat.

Are bigger knife sets better value?

Not always, as a sixteen piece set often includes six steak knives and scissors, so you get fewer cooking knives than the number suggests. A smaller set of better steel can serve you better.

Can I put a chef knife set in the dishwasher?

Some makers allow it, Victorinox for one. Most recommend hand washing, because hot water, harsh detergent and knocks against other cutlery can dull them and damage wooden handles.

What does HRC mean?

HRC is the Rockwell C hardness of the steel. Higher numbers stay sharp longer but can be more brittle. Around 58 is typical for German knives, with 60 or more common on Japanese knives from makers like Kai and Global.

Which chef knife set do professional chefs use?

Many professional chefs build their own kit from single knives over time, often starting with a premium chef's knife. Popular brands in UK kitchens include Victorinox, Global and Kai as well as the big German names. Our top rated professional chef knives show which ones buyers rate highest.