Honorable Mentions
Photograph: Molly Higgins
New West Knifeworks Joy Bauer 6-Inch Chef Knife for $225: Like my New West Knifeworks pick above, this luxe knife is absolutely gorgeous with a bold red and white handle and accompanying embossed leather sheath. Created in collaboration with nutritionist and TV personality Joy Bauer, this 6-inch blade is a Japanese Santoku style, with a downward blade and sturdy top slope made from American-made 440C stainless steel. I found that food stuck to the sides of this blade, and there was quite a drag with starchier foods.
Henckels Classic Precision 7-Inch Santoku Knife for $80: I've found this Santoku-style knife's flat blade and straight edge are most effective for slicing and tap-chopping, with the low point and flat blade being effective for easy sliding and transport of chopped vegetables. This Spanish-made knife's blade is made of German stainless steel with a satin finish, which also has divots to reduce food sticking to the sides. The Mannkitchen Santoku model below is a bit sturdier, but this is a more affordable, lighter Santoku option of those I've tested.
Zwilling Four Star 8-inch Chef's Knife for $100: This German-made knife is crafted from high-carbon stainless steel, which Zwilling claims is made from a “proprietary special-formula steel that has been perfected for almost 300 years,” and features an ice-hardened blade. The fine V-edge, forged blade is engineered to be harder and retain its sharpness for longer. I found that the thicker blade required a bit more force for cutting, and the cuts were sometimes not as smooth as other picks when it came to dense foods like root vegetables. The plastic handle is large and extra grippy, but I felt like it was harder to control cuts than some other knives on this list. It's a solid pick, but cutting required a bit more effort, and chopping wasn't as fast.
Henckel's Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife for $75: This 8-inch, Spanish-made Henckels knife has a classic German-style blade made from German stainless steel. It just feels like a heavy-duty workhorse knife. The finely honed blade transitions to an ergonomic triple-rivet handle. Although only 0.28 pounds, this knife feels heavier than the comparable Zwilling, in part because of this handle, which is less comfortable with more severe, squared edges than some others I tested. The blade was super sharp and I quickly cut most produce with ease, although it wasn't as clean a cut on denser foods like potatoes. Plus, the starchier produce seemed to stick a little more to this knife than others.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Mannkitchen 7-inch Santoku MK71S for $130: This Santoku Japanese-style knife feels a bit heavier than the majority on this list, although the triple-beveled handle is ergonomically designed and easy to hold, despite its large size. The hefty handle seamlessly blends into the stainless steel knife, and despite being heavy, I felt in control while cutting. This heavy-duty knife has a lower point, which makes it easier to dice and chop quickly without too much arm/shoulder movement or exertion. The blade is also wide and thick, making it feel a bit sturdier and easier to transfer veggies from the cutting board. This isn't going to be my go-to for everything I cut on the reg, but I especially loved it for quicker, rougher dicing and chopping of things like herbs and garlic cloves.
Hast Selection Series Japanese Carbon Steel 8-inch Chef Knife for $79: This sleek Hast knife is made of Japanese carbon steel (see above for more about carbon materials) from renowned steel maker Koike. It overall feels lightweight and svelte, and the ergonomic handle was very easy to grip, although it got a bit slippery (and potentially dangerous) when wet. Overall it doesn't feel as heavy-duty as others tested, and flip-flopped a bit while cutting more dense foods like potatoes. It was able to make super smooth cuts on softer foods, and I felt able to control it easily while mincing garlic. This is a remarkably affordable option for a Japanese carbon steel chef's knife that excels in making more precise cuts.
Ninja 8-inch Chef’s Knife for $60: This knife was our former top pick, and we still love it. It's inexpensive, the rounded handle is comfortable to hold, and the knife is well-balanced, making it easy to work with. The stainless steel blade is tough, holds an edge well, and doesn't need to be sharpened often.
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