Best Chef’s Knife in 2024
Overall we tested 12 of the most popular knives for home chefs, including those from Mac, Global Artisan Revere Victorinox, KitchenAid Ninja, Cuisinart Homefavor Farberware Zwilling J.A. Henckels, Aura, Korin, Wusthof, Material Kitchen, Misen and Mercer. There were some clear winners, but the majority were well-designed and only one was bad.
Mac, Wusthof Made In, and Global knives are the best in terms of quality and performance. These three knives are great if you want to adopt a high quality chef’s blade. Mercer, Zwilling and — to a lesser degree — Victorinox offered solid performance and well-balanced products for beginners looking for a bargain buy (Victorinox’s chef knife gets a lot of love online for its value and construction, but it’s pricier than the Mercer and not quite as well balanced).
J.A. Henckels’ Classic Chef’s Knife looks similar to the Wusthof Classic, but its slight differences in balance and design make it a much less enjoyable knife to use regularly.
Cuisinart’s, Material’s and Homefavor’s knives were sturdier than the cheaper competitors, but they didn’t stand out in any single category. The J.A. The J.A. Henckels Classic, which seemed like it would be a winner due to its affordable price and similarity in design with the more expensive Wusthof classical, disappointed me. This is another great workhorse, but the butt of this knife is heavier than should be. Heavy prep becomes tiresome and mincing can feel awkward.
Farberware was the worst knife: it’s so badly balanced that the chicken test had to be stopped midway because of safety. The handle is very light and the balance of the knife is about an inch or so down the blade. This makes every kind of preparation, from mincing to slicing to chicken boning, awkward and even dangerous. This knife is not for you if you are looking for a budget-friendly blade.
David priest/CNET
