Keep that in mind as you read this review, since, while all my top picks aced my tests, so did several others. A chisel bevel can reach superior levels of sharpness but is more prone to chipping if used improperly. The 1834 range is finished to a higher standard and supplied with a protective leather sheath, being made to celebrate the skill and tradition of the K Sabatier brand that have persisted since its founding in 1834.

We sliced, diced, julienned, peeled, and chiffonaded a pile of butternut squash, onions, carrots, apples, oranges, sweet potatoes, and fresh herbs to gauge the knives’ versatility with foods of varying textures. One of the more affordable options among the German-style knives tested, Mercer's Genesis chef's knife delivers good bang for the buck. But if you want to sharpen our budget pick, a German steel blade, or an inexpensive paring or utility knife, try one of our knife-sharpener picks. PROFESSIONAL CHEF'S KNIFE - Perfectly balanced, razor-sharp and built to last - the Chopaholic Professional Chef's Knife from Jean Patrique effortlessly combines style and functionality, from the ergonomic stainless steel handle to the single-forged, high carbon blade. In this motion (shown above), the tip of the knife mostly keeps contact with the cutting board, and you raise and lower the heel while your guiding hand pushes food underneath the blade.Type: German or Western knives are great for heavy-duty tasks like chopping and breaking down a chicken, while Japanese knives are well suited to more delicate and precise tasks like cleanly slicing cucumbers. It's an affordable, all-purpose tool that does an ace job of blitzing parsley, dicing onions and deboning a chicken. Tang: Our pros recommend knives that have a full tang, which means the blade runs through the handle, rather than just being inserted into it.

Compared to traditional high-carbon steel, matrix powder steel does what was once thought impossible — combine hardness, strength, and stability without compromise. Made In Chef’s Knife: A handsome knife with a hefty, curved blade, the handle comes in three eye-catching bold colors. Mercer Culinary MX3 Premium San Mai VG-10 Steel Core Blade: This is the company's stab at a more Japanese-style design. In 2017 we sent the top-performing knives from our chopping panel to the kitchen at New York City’s Le Coucou, where the cooks used them for prep and during service for a week.What we didn't like: It has a full bolster, which means that a thicker portion of metal runs from the handle down to the heel of the blade. The flat belly provides the most control if you cut using a push-pull motion (meaning the blade leaves the board after each cut, and you push the knife forward and down, or pull it back and down, to slice through food). I could have butchered a bunch of chickens, but that seemed like too easy of a task: Any knife that had made it this far wasn't going to have much trouble with chicken, not even the squirmy skin.

A sharp knife offers more control, reducing the chance of the blade slipping off of the food and into your finger. The six-piece Classic Ikon set is a great option if you know you like German knives, and you have the cash to drop on a whole set. It effortlessly cuts meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and more and will slice, dice and chop to perfection. Exploring the finer points of knife construction and materials is interesting and, of course, useful to know, but ultimately the test of a knife is how well it performs in the kitchen.The humble Chef Knife is the definitive staple for every chef — novice or master — that makes tackling meat, seafood, vegetables, and herbs of all textures and sizes effortless. These terms can be confusing, so it helps to explain how we're using them in this review, as well as some of the main differences between the two categories. The design is smart, streamlined, and incredibly comfortable to hold, and the knife strikes a nice balance between some of the heavier German-style knives and the featherweight Japanese ones. Another budget choice, the Messermeister Pro Series Wide-Blade Chef’s Knife 5025-8 was pretty much on a par with our budget pick. Still, several of the Western knives were able to cleave through the paper without a hitch, indicating an acceptable level of sharpness.

For most people who cook, an 8-inch blade should be about right, but some people may prefer a longer, 10-inch blade. We’ve had a Mac MTH-80 in regular rotation in our test kitchen since 2015, and it’s still our favorite knife. Compared with the other forged German knives we tested, this one’s thinner blade cut more smoothly through all of the veggies we chopped. If you're dead set on a traditional German knife profile—characterized by a more curved blade that's bigger and heavier than the Japanese options—the Wüsthof Classic continues to be a stalwart.Because of its importance in the kitchen, a chef's knife is one of the knives that most warrant a splurge. Some are full bolsters, meaning they cover the whole back end of the blade, while some are semi-bolsters that cover only a portion of the blade. Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all the testing that takes place related to kitchen gear.