Best chef's knives

A chef's knife (also known as a cook's knife) can be used for almost every kitchen cutting task, making it a must-have for everyone's knife set, block or drawer. 

We've tested the most popular chef's knives from well-known brands, including Global, Lakeland, ProCook and Robert Welch and costing from £3 upwards. 

After much chopping, slicing, handling and measuring, we can reveal those knives that are simply the best at cutting through the trickiest of foods, even after regular use has dulled some others. We also found those that are easiest and most comfortable to handle, whether you're creating a culinary masterpiece or simply cutting up chips.  

Three of the knives we tested stood out to be named Which? Best Buys. We also found one knife costing less than £20 that's worth a look as we reckon it's a great-value buy if you're on a tighter budget. 

The best chef's knives from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the chef's knives test results below. 

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See what we rate the best kitchen utility knives, bread knives, electric carving knives and the best knife sets. 

The knives we tested

All the chef's knives we tested are listed alphabetically below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best chef's knives from our test. 

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Dunelm Soft Grip Chef Knife

Only available at Dunelm: £3. 

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Blade size we tested: 20cm – no other sizes available

Weight: 135g

Dishwasher safe: No

Global GS3 Stainless Steel Cook's Knife

Cheapest price: £89.95 available at Kitchen Knives, also available at Selfridges & Co 

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Blade size we tested: 13cm blade – also available in 20cm

Weight: 110g

Dishwasher safe: No

John Lewis & Partners Professional Chef's Knife

Only available at John Lewis: £40 (in-store only).

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Blade size we tested: 20cm – no other size available

Weight: 142g

Dishwasher safe: No

Kitchen Devils Control Large Cook's Knife

Cheapest price: £11.99 available at Robert Dyas, also available at Amazon.

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Blade size we tested: 20cm blade – no other sizes available

Weight: 106g

Dishwasher safe: Yes

Lakeland Select-Grip Japanese Steel Chef’s Knife

Only available at Lakeland: £35.99.

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Blade size we tested: 20cm blade – no other sizes available

Weight: 220g

Dishwasher safe: No 

Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia Chef's Knife

Cheapest price: £15.82 available at Amazon, also available at Nisbets.

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Blade size we tested: 20cm - also available in 22cm, 25cm and 30cm

Weight: 166g

Dishwasher safe: No

ProCook Chef's Knife

Only available at ProCook: £5.

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Blade size we tested: 15cm blade – no other sizes available

Weight: 98g

Dishwasher safe: No

ProCook Nihon X50 Chef's Knife

Only available at ProCook: £9.99 (out of stock)

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Blade size we tested: 20cm blade – no other sizes available

Weight: 176g

Dishwasher safe: No

ProCook Professional X50 Chefs Knife

Only available at ProCook: £24.

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Blade size we tested: 15.5cm - also available in 20cm and 25cm

Weight: 165g

Dishwasher safe: No

Robert Welch Signature Cook's Knife

Cheapest price: £47.99 available at Lakeland, also available at Amazon, Robert Welch.

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Blade size we tested: 12cm blade - also available in 14cm, 16cm, 18cm, 20cm and 25cm

Weight: 112g

Dishwasher safe: Yes, but recommended to hand wash

Sabatier Ideal Inox Cooks Knife

Only available at Kitchen Knives: £59.99. 

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Blade size we tested: 20cm - also available in 15cm and 25cm

Weight: 169g

Dishwasher safe: No

Victorinox Fibrox Chefs Knife

Cheapest price: £35.53 available at Amazon, also available at Kitchen Knives.

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Blade size we tested: 20cm - also available in 12.5cm and 15cm

Weight: 161g

Dishwasher safe: No

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How we tested the chef's knives

We investigated the most popular and bestselling chef's knives from national retailers that were in stock for home delivery at the time of testing.

We purchased all the products we tested.

Sharpness test

We examined each knife fresh out of the box for its sharpness. 

Then, we sliced each knife through each of these:

• Paper We dragged each knife down through the paper in a slicing motion.
• Chicken breast Sliced in half and diced. 
• Butternut squash Cut lengthways with our weight on the blade's handle, then cut into chunks.
• Tomato Sliced through the centre horizontally on a chopping board. 

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Sharpness after use

After the cutting tests, the sharpness of each knife was examined.

Then each knife was used to attempt to slice a piece of paper in half for the second time.

Comfort

A panel of testers used each of the knives to slice up carrot batons and then discussed their results to reach a consensus on the most to least comfortable handles. 

Ease of use

Each knife was also rated on completing three basic kitchen skills. 

• Dicing Each knife was used to dice half a red onion.
• Mincing Each knife was used to mince one garlic clove.
• Julienning Each knife was used to julienne one 5cm piece of carrot.

Does your diner need a bit of extra seasoning? Check out our best salt and pepper grinders

What is a chef's knife?

A chef's knife is a large, general-purpose kitchen knife usually 12cm to 20cm long with a blade that curves upwards along its length and ends in a narrow point. 

How do you use a chef's knife?

As pictured above, your thumb and index finger should be on opposite sides of the blade, closest to the bolster, while your remaining three fingers should be loosely curled around the handle. 

This grip, mainly through the thumb and index finger, gives you extra control over the blade.

Your other hand (not holding the knife) is called your guiding hand. It has the job of holding food in place to keep it from sliding around on the chopping board. 

Keep your fingers safe by tucking them into a claw grip: fingers curled inwards, gripping the food with your fingernails. The side of the knife blade should rest against the first knuckle of your guiding hand. 

Anatomy of a kitchen knife

1. Blade These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, often named after specialised tasks they've been designed for. 
2. Spine The top edge of the blade is the spine. Usually the thickest part of the blade, the spine provides strength and weight to the knife. 
3. Bolster This is the balancing point between the blade and the handle. It provides support, balance and protection for your fingers.
4. Cutting edge This is the part of the kitchen knife that does the cutting.
5. Tang The tang is a portion of the blade enclosed by the handle. A full tang runs the length of the handle and should mean a knife has better balance and durability. 
6. Handle This is the part of the knife you hold. Most handles are designed to be held in either hand. It should be comfortable to grip.

Back-heavy vs front-heavy knives

You'll see us refer in our reviews to chef knives as back-heavy, front-heavy or balanced. Here's what that means: 

• Back-heavy More weight in the handle – our testers found knives with this balance were easier to control.
• Balanced The handle and the blade are almost equal in weight.
• Front-heavy More weight in the blade.

One is not better than the other. It's a matter of personal preference.

Tang jargon explained

When choosing a knife, you may see it described as having full tang or hidden tang. Here's a quick explanation of what that means: 

• Full tang The steel extends through the full handle. In these knives, the balance tends to be towards the handle. Knifemakers say that this type of tang makes a more robust knife. 
• Hidden tang The handle steel is covered and the balance is towards the blade.

Japanese vs European knives

Japanese knives:

• Have thinner blades
• Often don't have bolsters
• Harder steel
• The blade is usually straighter and therefore more suited to slicing
• Normally light and well balanced.

European (also known as German) knives:

• Have thicker blades
• Considered more robust especially towards the bolster, which they are more likely to have
• Normally softer steel than Japanese knives
• They are normally heavier than Japanese knives.