8 Best Chef Knife: Top Recommendations for 2022
- Published: April 1, 2022
- Last Modified: March 16, 2023
Tired of using a poorly-made knife when it comes to culinary applications? Does your knife give you a hard time when it comes to cutting, slicing, or dicing things because of its low sharpness? Are you shopping for a worthy chef’s knife? If you answered yes to any of these questions, congratulations on coming to the right place. Here, I’ll be revealing to you the best chef knife you should consider first. Not only that, but I’ll also be highlighting other equally good alternatives you can pursue if you can’t acquire the knife for one reason or another. But before that, let me first help you understand what a chef knife is.
What is Chef Knife?
Also known as a cook’s knife, a chef’s knife is generally a cutting tool used in food preparation. You see, there are many different types of knives available out there. For example, besides cook’s knives, we have paring knives and boning knives. Paring knives are generally used for cutting fruit and vegetables as opposed to other foods. Unlike chef’s knives, they are not multi-purpose.
Similarly, boning knives are special-purpose kitchen knives that are used for removing the bones of poultry, meat, and fish. Unlike chef’s knives that are general purposes, these knives are not designed for other purposes apart from boning. With that said, let’s take a look at the best chef knife first.
1. Mac Knife Professional 8 Inch Hollow Edge Chef Knife
Not only is Mac Hollow Edge 8 considered the sharpest knife in the world, but it’s also ranked the best chef knife in the world by many. This knife comes with a 2.5mm thin blade made from alloy steel. It’s a superior material for knife blades compared to standard stainless steel. The thin blade allows this knife to easily cut, slice, and dice almost any food quickly. The blade is also dimpled, which allows the Mac Hollow Edge 8 to glide through sticky foods with lots of ease. The handle is made from Pakkawood, a material that is very comfortable to grip.
This Japan-made knife is very popular on Amazon for an obvious reason–it’s value for money. Weighing only 6.5 oz, this lightweight food cutter is ideal for both home and professional kitchens. It’s perfect for everyday use. Just type “mac knives amazon” on your browser and your search engine will instantly take you to it.
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2. WÜSTHOF Classic 8 Inch Chef’s Knife, Black,8-Inch
The Wusthof Classic 8.5 oz knife perfectly suits home and professional kitchens. This all-purpose knife can be used for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing foodstuff. It features an 8-inch blade and 4.5-inch handle made from stainless steel and plastic, respectively.
When it comes to the blade, it’s precision-forged from a single block of high carbon stainless steel and tempered to 58-degree HRC. This results in a blade that is 20% sharper with twice the edge retention than other knives in its class.
As far as the handle goes, it’s triple-riveted and ergonomic. This ensures the knife is fully comfortable to handle. What’s more, this component is made from a durable synthetic material hence it resists fading and discoloration. Plus, it comes with a finger guard, keeping your fingers safe.
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3. ZWILLING Classic 8-inch Professional Chef Knife
Looking for the best chef knife under 100? Consider this classic 8-inch classic professional chef knife from HENCKELS.
The knife is assembled in Spain but the blade is sourced from Germany, which means it’s a quality product. Featuring a stainless steel blade(finished with satin) and plastic handle measuring 8 and 4.72 inches long, respectively, it’s a very durable knife. Both the blade and the handle will last a couple of years before needing replacement.
The knife ensures tireless cutting, thanks to its triple-riveted handle. This also provides extra balance and comfort, making the knife more enjoyable to use for slicing, chopping, dicing, and mincing. What’s more, it ensures precision cutting, courtesy of its finely honed blade.
Finally, it comes with a protective full bolster, which provides the necessary weight for more effective cutting and ensures the safety of your fingers.
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4. Global 8" Pretty Knife for Chef’s (20 CM with Silver Color)
Some maintain it’s the best chef knife, others argue it’s just another reliable kitchen knife. Either way, Global 8 is a good chef’s knife that gives value for money. This pretty, 7.8. oz knife comes with an 8-inch blade and a 3.5-inch handle, both of which are made from stainless steel. The dimpled handle ensures added grip and comfort.
Global 8 is a very pretty knife that’s suitable for the home chef or restaurant chef. Plus, it’s a lightweight and precisely balanced food cutting tool that cuts through foodstuffs with ease and precision. Its impressive performance is also attributed to its razor-sharpness and the ability to retain that for long. Many cooks and chefs have fallen in love with this pretty knife just because of its look and how it cuts things.
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5. Mercer Culinary M23510 Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife
Mercer Culinary M23510 Renaissance is another best chef knife under $100. What sets this 8-inch, 8.8 oz. knife apart is how the blade and the handle are designed. The standard length blade is made of high carbon steel whereas the black handle is built from Delrin.
As far as the blade goes, it has a plain edge, giving users better control and cleaner cuts. It also features a taper-ground edge, which ensures added stability, long-lasting sharpness, increased efficiency, and easy honing. The edge is fully exposed due to the shortened bolster, allowing for easier sharpening.
When it comes to the handle of the knife, it’s made from a special material known as “Delrin.” The material is known to be very rigid with an impressive amount of strength. The handle is also triple-riveted and ergonomically designed with a rounded spine for a comfortable grip. It also has a full shank, which runs along its entire length ensuring superior balance.
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6. WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON 8 Inch Chef’s Knife
Still can’t find the best chef knife even after checking out the above options? No worries, check out Wusthof Classic Ikon 8. This is a German-made knife that offers perfect quality, design, comfort, and ergonomics. It’s one of the most distinctive German chef knives that are on the market.
Wusthof Classic Ikon 8 weighs 8.96 oz and measures 4.48 and 8 inches when it comes to handle and blade lengths, respectively. The blade is forged from high carbon stainless steel, which means it won’t rust even if subjected to conditions necessary for rust to occur. It’s also forged with Precision Edge Technology (PEtec), making it 20% sharper with twice the edge retention than other knives in its category. In fact, some users argue that the Wusthof Classic Ikon 8 inch chef’s knife is the sharpest knife in the world. Whether they are right or wrong, that’s a story for another day.
While Wusthof Classic Ikon 8 is considered to be one of the most expensive knives on the market, it remains perfectly ideal for both domestic and commercial kitchen applications. It never disappoints when it comes to slicing, chopping, dicing, and mincing things.
You’ll love the look of the handle, which is sleek and sophisticated with a double bolster for exceptional balance. In summary, this is a German-made knife that offers perfected quality, design, comfort, and ergonomics.
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7. Shun Classic 8” Chef’s Knife
Shun Classic 8 is another pretty knife that’s available on the market, thanks to the sleek handle and an elegant blade. Notably, the blade is forged using a special technique known as “Damascus Layering. ” This technique gives it 68 layers of alternating steel and a special proprietary material known as “VG-MAX core steel.” This contains the following materials; tungsten, chromium, cobalt, and carbon. It ensures increased sharpness, strength, durability, resistance to corrosion, and durability.
The blade is 8 inches long just like many other knives in its category. The knife weighs only 7.13 oz.
While the Shun Classic 8 remains the most expensive of all knives on this list, it’s an impressive all-purpose knife suited for all cutting applications in the kitchen. The blade is slightly curved. This allows it to cut through things more effectively than most knives in its category.
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8. Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 8-Inch
Victorinox Fibrox Pro is another best chef knife under 100 you can find on the market. This knife is weighted and balanced for easy handling. It comes with a Fibrox Pro handle and a stainless steel blade. The blade and handle measure 7.9 inches and 2.56 inches, respectively.
The 6.1 oz Swiss-made knife is ideal for home and commercial kitchens. The contemporary, textured handle of this all-purpose knife provides a non-slip grip even when wet. Plus, it’s ergonomically designed to provide a much more comfortable use even when using the knife for longer durations.
The blade, on the other hand, is specially designed to chop, mince, slice, and dice foods with razor sharpness.
The blade edge is tapered, laser-tested, and ground to form an exacting angle. This results in a longer, sharper edge that ensures maximum cutting performance and durability.
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What to Consider When Choosing the Best Chef Knife
1. Sharpness
Some chef knives are generally less sharp than most knives in their category. That can be blamed on the thickness of their blades. Yet, nothing annoys a cook more than working with a blunt knife that only crushes foods instead of cutting them. A chef’s knife that’s considered sharp enough has a blade thickness of between 0.35mm and 0.45mm.
2. Overall Weight
A good chef’s knife should weigh between 6 and 9 oz. A knife that’s less or too heavier than that weight bracket is difficult to control properly. This can put your fingers at risk of getting accidentally cut. As such, don’t choose such a knife.
3. Handle Design
Consider the handle design. Chef knives come with different handle designs. The best chef’s knife features a great handle design that ensures comfortable use and durability. If a product you are looking at doesn’t offer that, don’t choose it.
Which is the Best Chef Knife for You?
The best chef knife for me is Mac Knife Professional 8 Inch Hollow Edge. Not only is this multi-purpose kitchen knife more comfortable to grip, but it’s also sharper, and more durable than other knives in its class. Plus, it retains sharpness longer than its counterparts.
Takeaway
There are many different types of knives with each type built for a specific purpose. Some knives are built specifically for cutting fruits and vegetables whereas others are designed strictly for removing bones from flesh. There’re also chef’s knives. These are general-purpose knives that are intended for all cutting tasks in the kitchen. The above are considered some of the best chef’s knives on the market, thanks to their performance and durability. Finally, chef’s knives are ranked differently by consumers. Some are rated best whereas others are ranked worst. As such, you need to be careful when shopping. Be sure to pay attention to the above factors when shopping for the best chef’s knives. It will increase your chances of getting your hands on the right product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long can a good chef’s knife last?
Ans: If well-maintained, one can last beyond 15 years.
Q: Is it a good idea to put your chef’s knife in a dishwasher?
Ans: Well, the answer depends on whether the knife is labeled as dishwasher safe or not. Never put the knife in the dishwasher, if the label doesn’t say “Dishwasher Safe. ”
Q: What can I do if I have a dull knife that has lost its sharpness?
Ans: Don’t throw away the knife just yet. The perfect thing to do is to buy a knife sharpener and sharpen your knife according to the instructions. Knife sharpeners are plentiful on Amazon.
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