The 7 Best Chef’s Knives of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Mac Knife MTH-80 Professional Hollow Edge Chef’s Knife

4.9

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Mac Knives have a long-standing reputation for quality Japanese craftsmanship, so it's no surprise the Professional Series 8-Inch Hollow Edge Knife was the top overall choice in our lab testing. The hollow edge is the standout feature of this knife. It's balanced, easy to use, and cuts well, thanks to its lightweight design (6.5 ounces) and thin 2.5-millimeter blade and bolster. Plus, its Pakkawood handle offers a comfortable grip.

Our lab testers tried the knife on a number of items, including garlic, onion, tomato, and even a piece of paper. On the tomato, they noted that there was no tearing, and the knife was able to slice very thinly with ease. It smashes garlic easily and minces well. The knife's sharp hollow edge helped it glide through an onion, and it only experienced a slight drag when cutting butternut squash. It even sliced through paper twice, with only minimal tearing on the second run.

Though the knife doesn't come with a sheath, which testers would have preferred, it was easy to hand wash with no remaining residue or streaks after cleaning.

In terms of long-term performance, customers say that it holds its edge well (and they recommend Mac Knife sharpeners for when you do need to resharpen the blade). This knife is not dishwasher-safe, but follow the care instructions carefully and it should last you years. While it may not be the cheapest, its versatility and durability make it worth the cost.

Price at time of publish: $134

Blade Length: 8.25 inches | Material: Alloy steel | Handle Length: 4.25 inches | Handle Material: Pakkawood | Weight: 6.75 ounces

Best Budget

Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

4.8

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If the Victorinox name seems familiar, that's probably because it's the manufacturer of the very popular Swiss Army knives. Like those knives, this one is made in Switzerland. The 8-inch blade on this knife is made from high-carbon stainless steel that will maintain its super-sharp edge. The blade is straight with a gently curved tip that encourages a rocking motion, so it’s also great for slicing meats. Though our lab testers noted that the knife's appearance is very utilitarian, a winning combination of price and efficiency made this knife the winner in the Best Budget category.

The handle is made from the proprietary Fibrox material that is textured to provide a nonslip grip, and it's designed to provide an ergonomic feel. In the lab, the paper slice test left fuzzy edges both times, but the paper didn't tear. While slicing a tomato, the first slice was fine, though further clean slices were tougher to get—however, the tomato didn't tear, either.

Garlic cloves were easily smashed and neatly minced. Lab testers were able to cut through an onion skin but noted the knife didn't feel very nimble. The Victorinox also cut through and cubed a heavy butternut squash without any issues. When cleaning, lab testers discovered the blade to be a bit streaky and spotty after being washed, but noted that for the price point, it's still a good choice.

Our home tester, Donna Currie, said that the knife came "seriously sharp" and that it maintained its edge well during her testing.

Price at time of publish: $55

Blade Length: 8.25 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Handle Length: 5.5 inches | Handle Material: Fibrox | Weight: 5.6 ounces

Best High-End

Kramer Zwilling Euroline Essential Collection 8" Chef's Knife

4.7

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Forged in Japan, this Zwilling Chef's Knife is designed by Bob Kramer, considered to be the best knifesmith in the world. Creating this Damascus steel blade involves forging and hammering almost 100 layers of steel together before sharpening the blade. This knife is hand-finished in a three-step process by skilled Japanese artisans and paired with a thick polymer handle with brass rivets. It also features an extra-wide blade with a notch at the bottom that allows for knuckle clearance.

Our lab testers noted that the knife cuts well, and that it's great for those who prefer a hefty knife that has some weight to it. They did note, however, that while it's comfortable for large hands, the thickness of the handle may be clunky for smaller hands. On the paper test, which was done twice, both slices were smooth. They were able to slice tomatoes smoothly without tearing, and lab testers were able to make paper-thin slices. The knife smashed and minced cloves of garlic with ease, and cutting an onion was a snap. On cutting butternut squash, some pressure to cut the squash was required and the squash felt sticky on the blade.

Cleaning the knife was easy, leaving no streaks and a shiny finish.

Price at time of publish: $250

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: Fine carbide steel | Handle Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Brushed polymer | Weight: 9.25 ounces

Best Design

Shun Classic Chef's 8-Inch

4.6

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The popular Japanese knife brand Shun calls its classic chef's knife the "one knife you simply can't be without"—and it's easy to see why. It's beautifully designed with an ebony Pakkawood handle, a full tang for balance, and 34 layers of Damascus steel enveloping each side of the blade. In terms of quality and durability, all Shun knives are made with a proprietary VG-MAX cutting core that lends extra strength and corrosion resistance.

Furthermore, the ergonomic D-shaped handle provides a comfortable hold, although left-handed chefs may not like it as much as right-handed folks. It's meant to be "rocked" (the curved belly is better suited for this motion than straight chopping).

Our lab testers loved the Damascus steel and found the knife to be a comfortable weight to hold, but noted that it may be a tad short for someone with really big hands. They found the knife to be balanced and the blade to be super sharp. The paper slice test yielded super smooth cuts both times it was performed. On tomatoes, the Shun sliced beautifully with minimal effort and had no dragging or skin tearing. On garlic, the knife rocked nicely to crush cloves with ease and had great balance and precision when it came to mincing.

Dicing an onion was quite smooth, and even hefty butternut squash was cut with little effort (though some of the squash stuck to the blade a bit). Our testers noted that the knife cleans nicely, and the Damascus steel hides water spots.

Price at time of publish: $170

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: 69 layers of Damascus steel | Handle Length: 4.75 inches | Handle Material: Pakkawood | Weight: 6.75 ounces

Best Ceramic

Kyocera Ceramic Revolution Series Chef's Knife

4.6

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Ceramic blades are becoming increasingly popular: They're a lightweight option that's great for people who fatigue easily. While ceramic blades can shatter or break when dropped, they’re completely resistant to acids, salts, or oils, and they’ll never rust or corrode. The blade on this knife looks professional and is precision-ground by the manufacturer for a super-hard and extremely sharp edge. To keep that edge, the knife can be sent back to the manufacturer for resharpening. For home maintenance, the Kyocera electric knife sharpener for ceramic blades is recommended.

Our lab tester noted that the knife was sharp—not flimsy at all, despite its light weight. And unlike steel blades that seem to have some give, this one felt inflexible in comparison. It did cut butternut squash cleanly, however. On the paper slice test, the knife cut completely through, directly out of the box. But, on the retest, it tore slightly on the cut-through.

On tomatoes, there was no tearing and our tester was able to able to slice the tomatoes very thin. Our lab testers didn't recommend this knife for smashing garlic, though it did work; still, it minced cloves of garlic nicely. Cutting an onion required slight pressure to cut through. On cutting butternut squash, there was some drag when cutting the skin, but it cut the flesh of the squash well.

Cleaning the knife was easy, but there were some streaks and some darker spots that couldn't be removed.

Price at time of publish: $85

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: Ceramic | Handle Length: 5 inches  | Handle Material: Plastic | Weight: 3.6 ounces

Best Mid-Range

Material The 8-Inch Knife

4.6

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Aesthetes will appreciate that Material Kitchen's chef's knife has a handle that comes in three colors, but it's more than just a pretty face: The blade is 8 inches of layered high-carbon and corrosion-resistant stainless Japanese steel. The tang extends into the handle for balance, and the handle is made with a comfortable grip. Designed to be low-maintenance, this chef's knife is affordable and high-quality, making it our winner in the Best Mid-Range category.

Our lab testers found this knife very good at most cutting tasks, leaving a pretty edge. However, they noted that the handle is somewhat awkward to hold. The testers also found it to be too long and straight and not very comfortable for people with smaller hands, noting that one tester had the end of the handle bumping into her forearm.

On the paper slice test, both times, this knife cleanly cut the paper. Tomatoes were also sliced very thin with ease, and the tomato was cored with the tip of the knife as easily as if it were a paring knife. Our testers also found that mincing garlic required work to reach a consistent size, but cutting an onion was very easy and accurate. Butternut squash was cut easily and smoothly.

When cleaning the knife, there were spots, streaks, and scratches left behind. Still, overall, the knife performed well, had good balance, and is a good value.

Price at time of publish: $75

Blade Length: 8 inches | Material: High-carbon Japanese stainless steel | Handle Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Composite | Weight: 7.6 ounces