An efficient knife set can make a big difference in your kitchen. Aside from the aesthetics of having a neat selection of blades, a knife set also delivers versatility in terms of cutting various food items. While you may have a trusty all-purpose knife, nothing beats having the best knife set for home kitchen that matches your needs.
From deboning, chopping, slicing, carving, dicing, and so on, the right choice of a knife will make the task much easier. To be fair, you don’t really need a massive set for your home kitchen. A small knife set with all the basic blades is more than enough to cover your cooking needs.
If you’re still on the hunt for the best knife set, we reviewed here 6 options that give the best bang for the buck. See which one will make the cut for you!
| KNIFE SET | BRAND | EXPERT RATING | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick! imarku 16-Piece Kitchen Japanese Knife Set |  | Check Price |
 | Victorinox Swiss Army 10-Piece Knife Set | | Check Price |
 | Wüsthof 6-Piece Gourmet Knife Set | | Check Price |
 | Case Household 8-Piece Knife Set |  | Check Price |
 | ZWILLING 7-Piece Knife Set | | Check Price |
 | Shun Classic Blonde 5-Piece Knife Set |  | Check Price |
Best Knife Set For Home Kitchen – Top 6 Picks!
OUR #1 CHOICE
OUR TOP PICK: imarku 16-Piece Kitchen Japanese Knife Set
Product Name: imarku 16-Piece Kitchen Japanese Knife Set
Product Description: If you’re looking for the best knife set for home kitchen, you’ll never go wrong with the imarku 16- Piece Kitchen Japanese Knife Set. This is inclusive of 2 chef’s knives, 1 slicing knife, 1 bread knife, 1 santoku knife, and a sharpening rod. To complete the ensemble, you’ll also get a paring knife, utility knife, kitchen shears, 6 steak knives, and a block. For this price range, I can say that this knife set is already a steal. All of the knives and tools have handles made of Brazilian pakkawood. This includes the aesthetic knife block.
Offer price: $$$
Availability: InStock
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Summary
Aside from that, the imarku 16-Piece Knife Set is made of high carbon stainless steel. With this, you’ll enjoy the best of both worlds of having rust-resistant and durable blades. I also like the double rivets on the handle, which guarantees stability. Each knife on the set is also full-tang and sharpened to perfection. As for the downside, my only complaint is that these knives aren’t dishwasher safe. Other than that, this selection is right on the money.
Pros
Made of high carbon stainless steel The handles and block are made of real pakkawood. Budget-friendly yet large knife set Aesthetic knife design
Cons
It’s not dishwasher-safe. It will require regular sharpening since it’s stainless steel.
RUNNERS-UP
Victorinox Swiss Army 10-Piece Knife Set
If you have the extra budget for a more exquisite brand, I highly recommend that you try the Victorinox Swiss Army 10-Piece Knife Set. This set is composed of a chef’s knife, two paring knives, two utility knives, a bread knife, and a boning knife. It’s also bundled with a pair of kitchen shears, honing rod, and a hardwood block.
All these knives are made of high-carbon stainless steel. Each one is ice-tempered to ensure a long-lasting edge.
Aside from that, this Victorinox Swiss Knife Set comes with a textured, non-slip grip. This composite material remains tacky even when wet. Overall, the knives are well-balanced for easy handling and to reduce hand strain during long chopping tasks.
The best thing about Victorinox knives is they provide a lifetime guarantee against workmanship defects. So while this set costs more, it’s worth the splurge if you want blades that are made to last a lifetime.
Overall, these knives are super sharp, so be careful in handling them out of the package. This is a premium set, but I wish they can improve the shears since it always comes apart when in use.
Wüsthof 6-Piece Gourmet Knife Set
Another premium home kitchen knife set I recommend is the Wüsthof 6-Piece Gourmet Set. This is composed of a chef’s knife, utility knife, paring knife, and a pair of kitchen shears. It’s also bundled with honing steel and a block.
Overall, this is a modest set, which is perfect if you don’t really need too many blades in your kitchen. Each of the knives is made of high carbon stainless steel guaranteed to resist corrosion.
Moreover, the Wüsthof 6-Piece Gourmet Knife Set comes with a limited lifetime warranty. So while this small set is slightly more expensive than other options, this guarantee is already unbeatable.
To ensure that the knives will retain their edge for long, they underwent the Precision Edge Technology (PEtec). Under this process, precision robots sharpen the blades using a whetstone. This results in razor-sharp knives.
As for the handle, these Wüsthof knives are equipped with synthetic POM material. It’s full tang and triple-riveted for guaranteed durability.
Overall, I have no major complaints about this knife set. I just wish they will remove the cheap logo stickers on the handle since it washes off quite easily anyway.
Case Household 8-Piece Knife Set
If you’re looking for a knife set with aesthetic handles, you’ll never go wrong with the Case Household 8-Piece Knife Set. This is a selection of blades made of high-carbon stainless steel paired with real walnut handles. The block is also made of walnut wood, giving it a natural aesthetic and durable profile.
Moreover, this knife set consists of a paring knife, a chef’s knife, a tomato slicer, a bread knife, a boning knife, and a santoku. To complete the set, you’ll also get a slicing knife, a sharpening rod, and a knife block.
These are all full-tang knives with triple rivets to ensure durability. Also, all the blades are honed and sharpened, so it’s ready to use straight from the box.
Overall, this is a premium knife set, though I wish the handles are treated with linseed oil or beeswax. This will make the wood waterproof, though it’s not really a deal-breaker for me.
Also, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t put these knives on the dishwasher. The handle is made of wood and can be damaged inside the machine.
ZWILLING 7-Piece Knife Set
The ZWILLING 7-Piece Knife Set is composed of a chef’s knife, utility knife, santoku, paring knife, and kitchen shears. The set also includes a sharpening rod and a wooden knife block.
All of the blades in this set are made of ice-hardened German steel. This guarantees long-lasting edge and chip-resistant quality.
Aside from that, these knives come with polymer handles with triple rivets for optimal grip. It’s also full-tang for guaranteed bonding and durability for the years to come.
Another thing I like about the ZWILLING 7-Piece Knife Set is its lifetime warranty against defects. It’s a perfect guarantee for this price range.
Also, I like that the knife block comes with six slots for steak knives. So if you have standard steak knives at home, this knife block is designed to accommodate more blades.
Overall, these knives are dishwasher safe, though hand-washing is still recommended. The steel doesn’t stain, so cleanup would be a total breeze.
Shun Classic Blonde 5-Piece Knife Set
For those who are looking for a modest knife set with premium quality, the Shun Classic Blonde 5-Piece Knife Set might seal the deal. This includes a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a utility knife. To complete the set is a sharpening rod and a wooden knife block. Overall, this is an excellent knife set for modest home cooks who don’t perform complicated cutting tasks.
Moreover, these knives are made of Japanese steel, so you’re guaranteed to get razor-sharp edges that last long. All these knives are handcrafted in Japan and are honed precisely at a 16-degree edge.
Aside from that, the knife block is made of Pakkawood. This is the same material used on the D-shaped handles of the knives.
All of the knives in this set are full tang with steel butts you can use for crushing herbs and spices. Overall, these knives are exquisitely crafted, which makes the price tag truly worth the splurge.
The only small niggle I have is that the honing tool can be improved. Other than that, I love the premium quality of this knife set.
How to choose the best knife set for home kitchen
There are countless knife sets in the market that you can buy. However, not all of them can live up to the hype. If you want your purchase to last long, you should consider the following points:
🔪Brand considerations
While the kitchen knife brand alone isn’t a sole indicator of quality, it still says a lot about the condition of the knives you’re going to buy. Brands like Victorinox, Wusthof, ZWILLING, HENCKELS, and imarku are just some of the tried and tested options of home chefs.
Moreover, the reputation of the brand is often tied to the quality of its products. So if you don’t want to do the guesswork, it’s worth checking options from established brands. However, you should expect a much higher cost.
But aside from this, you should also factor in the following points. This will ensure that you’re getting not just quality knives, but also the right selection.
🔪Knife type selection
Another important consideration when choosing knife sets is the selection of blades included in them. To help you, here are the basics you should look for:
- Chef’s knife. This is a staple in any kitchen knife set in the market. It’s considered the primary cooking knife used in dicing, chopping, mincing, cutting, and so on. Overall, an 8-inch chef’s knife is the most common choice among home kitchens.
- Serrated knife. Also known as a bread knife, this blade can be used to cut veggies, fruits, and bread itself. The serrated edge of this knife makes it quite easy to slice through thick chunks of produce.
- Paring knife. A parer is used to cut small fruits and vegetables, so you don’t have to use a full-sized chef’s knife all the time. It’s meant for delicate work and is also safer to use, even for kids.
- Sharpening rod. Aside from the knives themselves, it’s a good choice to look for a set that comes with a sharpening rod. It’s available in 8, 10, or 12-inch versions, though the 10-inch type is often the middle ground choice.
Additional knives
Aside from these basic components, you can expand your knife set with additional blades. See which of these knives you need for your kitchen:
- Boning knife. This special knife is thin-bladed and used to cut through bones and joints, so you can separate the meat quite easily. You can also use this to fillet fish. If you’re often doing a butchering job in the kitchen, you should look for a knife set with this tool.
- Utility knife. Utility knives are shorter and thinner than a chef’s knife at roughly 5 to 6 inches long. It’s perfect as an all-around kitchen knife for mild to moderate cutting needs.
- Steak knives. Many knife sets come with a series of steak knives. Overall, this is optional, but something to consider if you’re always receiving guests and preparing meat dishes.
- Santoku knife. While this is almost the same as a chef’s knife, the santoku has a thinner blade with no tip. This is a Japanese knife type often used to cut meat, dicing ingredients, and so on.
- Kitchen shears. This isn’t really a knife, but kitchen shears are handy in cutting herbs, leafy greens, and other ingredients for cooking. It often has a serrated edge for optimal cutting power.
🔪Knife blade material
Once you’ve decided on the inclusions of the knife set you’re going to buy, the next step is to check the material. For this part, the most common options are carbon steel, high-carbon steel, stainless steel, and ceramic. Below is a quick rundown of each of these materials:
- Carbon steel. A large portion of knife sets in the market is made of carbon steel. This material can be forged into a thinner blade without compromising its durability. It’s also easy to sharpen and is available at a very reasonable cost. However, carbon steel knives are prone to rusting and it loses their edge faster than other materials.
- High-carbon steel. This material has a higher carbon content than the latter, making it tougher in the kitchen. High carbon steel knives retain their edge longer and it doesn’t rust easily. However, you should know that this material comes at a higher cost, which is understandable given its quality.
- Stainless steel. Stainless steel knives have lower carbon content, but it’s not prone to rusting and is available at an affordable cost. However, most stainless steel knives don’t sharpen well. If you want a set that lasts long, you should look for one with molybdenum content.
- Ceramic. Ceramic knives are lightweight but can hold an ultra-sharp edge. This material also holds a sharp edge the longest, but it can shatter if dropped or mishandled. Other than that, ceramic knives are a good option since its not chemically reactive, but it sure comes with a hefty price tag.
🔪Forged vs. stamped
Knife blades are produced in two common ways: forging and stamping. Here’s the difference between the two:
- Forging. Forged knife blades are made by heating, melting, and shaping the metal into a sharp blade. It can be handmade or forged through a specialized machine. Through this process, forged knives hold their edge longer and also last long. However, you should know that this type has a heft to it, so don’t be surprised if it feels heavy.
- Stamping. Unlike forging, stamped knife blades are simply machine-made by cutting a flat sheet of metal. In short, the blade is produced in a cookie-cutter kind of process. This works, but it’s inferior to forged types. Nevertheless, stamped knife sets are cheaper and can last a decent amount of time.
🔪Half tang vs. full tang
A knife’s tang refers to the unsharpened and hidden part of the knife along the handle. This part can either be half tang or full tang.
When we say half or partial tang, the blade only extends halfway through the handle. It’s often done to save material and to make the knife heavier and slightly cheaper.
However, half tang knives lose some level of durability. The handle can easily break if the knife is subjected to intense force.
On the other hand, full tang knives have blades that extend throughout the entire length of the handle. This is a champ in terms of stability and durability. The only downside is the slightly heavier weight and potentially higher cost.
The best thing about full tang knives is you can use them on challenging cutting tasks. From butchering meat cuts, cutting through stiff food items, and so on, you’ll have peace of mind that your tool can take on the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are kitchen knife sets worth it?
A: A knife set can be a very worthy investment for your kitchen. It gives the convenience of having the right blade to use for specific food items. This way, you will find it easier to prepare ingredients for whatever recipe you’re cooking. Overall, it’s not about getting the biggest set, but finding the one that contains all your needed cutting tools.
Q: What are the three most important knives in a kitchen?
A: Each kitchen requires a different set of knives. Nevertheless, any set shouldn’t go without a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. These three cover most cutting needs. From there, you can expand your knife selection based on your unique needs. For example, if you often prepare large meat cuts, you can add a butcher’s knife to the set.
Q: What should be in a knife set?
A: When choosing a knife set, you should look for a chef’s knife, serrated knife, and paring knife. Depending on your needs, you can add more like butcher’s knives, steak knives, santoku knives, bread knives, boning knives, and so on. Overall, you don’t really need to buy all of it unless you badly need it for your cooking.
Q: How many knives do I need?
A: It’s not about the number of knives, but the type. When deciding about the knife set you’re going to buy, it’s important to identify your cutting needs. From there, you can list down the knife types you need to look for on a set. Also, you don’t always have to purchase a large set right away. You can expand your knife collection as the need arises.
Q: How do I prevent my knife set from rusting?
A: To prevent your knife set from rusting, you should always wash and keep it dry after every use. You should also keep it in a cool and dry place to avoid corrosion. Aside from that, oiling your knife regularly will help prevent corrosion and increase its longevity.
Final words
It’s often said that knives are extensions of a chef’s hand. In that case, you’d want a reliable blade that will give justice to your chopping skills. This is why you should consider investing in the best knife set for home kitchen that’s made to last long.
The six knife sets we reviewed here are made with durable steel and crafted with sophistication. It’s also available in a wide range of sizes and price ranges to suit your budget.