The 10 Best Kitchen Knife Sets – Reviews & Buying Guide

When it comes to purchasing a new kitchen knife set, there are just so many different factors to consider. You really have to narrow down the search by what is important to you.

Will it be the cost, effectiveness or durability of each knife? Or maybe you are more concerned with how the knives look, what the color scheme of the knife block will be or if they are covered by a warranty.

Well with this list we have grouped the best knife sets available into specific groups so you can determine what is most important to you when choosing a new set. No matter what you are looking for, we are sure that it will be on this list.

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Editorial Review

This great knife set comes with a glass see-through knife block which makes it easy to see the knife you want to use. The knives are very easy to handle with a comfortable handle that is slip-resistant as well. The high carbon steel construction allows the knife to cut through just about anything with ease, including bones. The knives are also protected by a full lifetime warranty on all damages and defects.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – they love how great the knives worked and held their edge after months of usage. They also like the price point for what you get with the set. 

Negative – people loved the knives but did not like the stand it came with. Had a tendency to shatter or break when used. 

Editorial Review

This knife set also comes in a clear see through glass butcher block with a wooden outline. The knives are constructed of high carbon stainless steel, which make them very strong, plus the construction is one solid piece to ensure durability. The edge is ground on both sides to provide an extra sharp edge that won’t dull easily. The knives are also protected by a lifetime warranty against all defects or damages.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – they like how incredibly sharp the knives are and they have not had to sharpen them at all since buying them.

Negative – people have had some problems with the packaging and delivery of the knives or butcher block arriving damaged.

Editorial Review

This knife set comes with so many different knives and it costs less than $50, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty to protect it. The knives are easy to use, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. They are also constructed of high carbon stainless steel, so they are durable and strong enough to cut through bone.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – they love how cheap the knives are and how many you get with the set. Easy to use and with the lifetime warranty it’s a safe bet. 

Negative – the knives will not hold an edge very well and need to be sharpened very often. They also may rust overtime.

Editorial Review

This knife set comes from a German knife manufacturer that has been making knives for generations. They are constructed of high carbon stainless steel which makes them very strong and durable. The handle is very easy to grip and is slip resistant. With no bolster, it’s easy to make precision cuts and sharpen the blade easier at the end.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – people love how easy these knives are to use. For a first set of knives they are a winner. 

Negative – the knives will not hold an edge very well and will need to be sharpened very often. Some said they came in the package dull.

Editorial Review

This set of kitchen knives is the complete set of every knife you could want, including 8 steak knives and a set of kitchen shears. The knives are constructed of high carbon stainless steel which makes them very strong and durable. The slip resistant handles are fitted with a black poly grip that makes it very comfortable to handle. They also are protected by a lifetime warranty.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – for the price that these knives come at they work very effectively. As long as you take care of them and don’t run them in the dishwasher they will last forever.

Negative – the knives do not have a full tang and may cause the handle to snap off if too much pressure is applied to them.

Editorial Review

This knife set has a high quality ceramic knife sharpener built into the butcher block, making it easy to sharpen knives fast and efficiently. The blades are constructed of high carbon stainless steel, which makes them very durable. They have a full tang that follows through the handle and is held on by 3 rivets. They are also protected by a lifetime warranty. 

What Others Are Saying

Positive – people love the fact that the set comes with an easy to use knife sharpener built into the butcher block at such a great price point.

Negative – even though the price point is right, people have trouble with the knives holding an edge so they need to be sharpened very often.

Editorial Review

This knife set is one of the most widely used knife sets by professionals out there. The knives are constructed of high carbon stainless steel and have a full tang that follows through the handle and is held by 3 rivets. The handle is ergonomic and has a full bolster for precision cuts and safety. The whole set is protected by a lifetime warranty. 

What Others Are Saying

Positive – anyone who has purchased this set has never regretted it. They work like a dream and even if they don’t, users were able to return or replace them at any time.

Negative – there really are not that many bad reviews but the ones that are there mainly talk about how expensive the knives are.

Editorial Review

This knife set in unlike some of the other sets we have seen because it is made with a lower carbon stainless steel. A special kind in fact, it is made with 34 layers of pressed Damascus steel that creates a lightweight and sharp blade. The edge is double beveled and scores a 61 on the Rockwell scale of hardness. The set is covered by a lifetime warranty as well. 

What Others Are Saying

Positive – people love how precise and exact the cuts can be when compared to other knives. They are lightweight and very easy to slice through the softest of foods without ripping or tearing. 

Negative – the knife has a tendency to chip or break if they are dropped on the floor due to the low carbon construction. 

Editorial Review

This knife set is a real deal because it is one of the cheapest sets available out there and comes with a full lifetime warranty. It has every knife you could want plus 8 steak knives and a pair of kitchen shears. The knives are constructed of high carbon stainless steel and have a tapered edge technology. It even comes with a built-in knife sharpener to hone the knives with. 

What Others Are Saying

Positive – people like how cheap the knives are and that they come protected by a warranty as well. They also like the built-in knife sharpener.

Negative – people say that the knives are cheaply made and will not hold an edge so they need a lot of sharpening done.

Editorial Review

This knife set is a great set for any professional chef out there looking to buy some knives for their work without having to piece out their knife roll. The knives are made with high carbon stainless steel that uses precision edge technology to retain a sharper edge on the life scale of the blades. The knives also have a full tang that follows through the handle and is held in place with 3 rivets. The handle is ergonomic so it’s easy to handle and well balanced. The set is also covered by a lifetime warranty.

What Others Are Saying

Positive – chefs are very satisfied with the quality of the knives and how well the blades held an edge for being high carbon steel. 

Negative – there are not many bad reviews, but the ones that are there are all based on the delivery of the knives and the poor packaging.

How to Choose the Best Kitchen Knife Set

Whether you are looking for the best possible kitchen knife set that money can buy or if you are buying your first set of knives, the first thing you want to think about is quality. You want to make sure the knives are constructed with the very best quality of materials.

There are several different types of materials used to construct knives these days and there isn’t necessarily one type that is better than the rest, but for the most part you want to make sure the knives are at least made with high-quality stainless steel.

Make sure that the manufacturer will stand by their product by delivering a guarantee that they will last a lifetime. If there is not a guarantee like this, then you definitely want to make sure that the knives come protected by some kind of warranty on the off chance that they become damaged or defected while in use or during the shipping process.

Make sure that if you are buying online that you read plenty of reviews and buyers guides on the same set you are interested in. If you happen to be purchasing them in person, then make sure the knives feel comfortable in your hand, are lightweight and have great edge retention.

What to Look for when Purchasing a New Kitchen Knife Set

Kitchen knives can get very expensive, especially when you are buying the whole set. So, you want to make sure you have your bases covered before making a new purchase. First off, the material used to construct the knives will determine how the knives will be used. Almost all knives are made of steel but there are several different types of steel used.

German steel, otherwise known as high carbon steel, are going to be a much tougher knife. They will be the powerhouse of knives. If you plan on using the knives a lot and are not all that worried about precision then this will be the type to look into.

Then there is Japanese steel which is a lower carbon steel. The knives are going to be thinner, longer and much sharper. These knives are used to make exact cuts and precision work. Sushi chefs prefer these because of the harder cuts they are able to make with them. But the knives will be much more fragile and if dropped could chip or break.

You want to make sure that the tang of the knife is full and follows all the way through the handle of the knife. It is ideal to have at least 3 rivets to hold the tang in place against the handle.

Make sure the handle is ergonomic and fitted to your grip. Some handles have a full bolster to protect your fingers and guide the blade while it cuts. There are many other factors that come with selecting knives, but as long as these key points are paid close attention to, then not much else matters or is just a bonus.

Feature image: Courtney Cook