The 9 Best Knife Sets of 2023

Best Overall

Chicago Cutlery Fusion 17-Piece Knife Set

4.3

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It’s hard to find fault with this comprehensive set that includes every knife you’ll need along with a sharpening steel, and extensive home testing cemented the Chicago Cutlery Fusion set as our top pick. We tested an 18-piece set, which is no longer available and included a peeler; however, this similar 17-piece set has everything you might need for chopping, slicing, and dicing.

The blades are made from high-carbon stainless steel and have rubber and metal handles that are designed for style, and as our tester revealed, have a "very comfortable grip." The knife edges are not only super-sharp but they're designed to be easy to re-sharpen when necessary, so you never need to worry about a dull blade.

This set includes a 7 3/4-inch chef knife, 7 3/4-inch serrated bread knife, 7- and 5-inch santoku knives, 5-inch utility knife, 3 1/4-inch paring knife, eight 4.5-inch steak knives, sharpening steel, and chop assist. A knife block to hold all of the components is also included. Our tester tried out each knife to slice and chop everything from baby back ribs to baguettes to veggies. The verdict? Impressive performance and superb versatility.

These knives should be hand washed to retain their sharpness. Our tester noted that the steak knives aren't serrated, which she found surprising, but they smoothly cut through steak anyway. It's likely that they will need to be resharpened at some point if used often. While she was impressed with the quality of the knives themselves, she felt the block itself left something to be desired—still not a deal-breaker for this all-around winner.

Price at time of publish: $130

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 14 | Sharpening: Sharpening steel

Best Budget

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Block Set

4.3

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While most knives have handles made from wood, rubber, or plastic, these knives are all metal for a sleek, modern appearance and easy care. They’re made from high carbon stainless steel and have a taper-ground blade for a very sharp edge and easy sharpening.

The set includes a 3 1/2-inch paring knife, a 3 1/2-inch bird’s beak paring knife, a 5 1/2-inch serrated utility knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, an 8-inch slicing knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, six steak knives, a pair of shears, and 8-inch sharpening steel. Our tester particularly loved the paring knife, which she said was "a favorite for small jobs, like slicing nectarines, plums, and berries." The included black knife block holds all the components and adds to the modern look of the set. These should be hand washed and dried. While they may look hefty, our tester notes that the knives are surprisingly lightweight, due to the hollow handles.

Price at time of publish: $60

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 12 + scissors | Sharpening: Sharpening steel

Best Splurge

Wüsthof Classic 9-Piece Block Set

4.3

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A great upgrade set, or the first set for a serious cook, this doesn’t include a whole kitchen’s worth of knives but they are the knives you will use most. Even better, the slim knife block will be easy to find room for, even in a small kitchen. If you feel that you need a specialty knife, you’ll have no trouble finding one to match this set.

The blades are high carbon stainless steel with a forged full tang and a bolster. The handles are comfortable to hold and triple riveted for security. The handle material is a dense synthetic that resists fading, so these knives will look good for years. The set includes a 3 1/2-inch paring knife, a 4 1/2-inch utility knife, a 5-inch serrated utility knife, a 6-inch prep knife, an 8-inch bread knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, and kitchen shears that come apart for thorough cleaning. The set also includes a honing steel for maintaining your knives' sharpness between heavier-duty sharpening. The knives should be hand washed.

While our tester found that the pairing knife and the straight utility knives were essentially the same knives, both performed extremely well. The favorite knife in the set was the 6-inch prep knife, also known as a kiritsuke knife, which could handle any task thrown at it and made prepping a wide variety of ingredients a breeze.

Price at time of publish: $865

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 6 + scissors | Sharpening: Honing Steel

Best Nonstick

Cuisinart Advantage 12-Piece Color-Coded Knife Set

4.2

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Nonstick blades help keep food from sticking and are easy to clean as well. This colorful, affordable set from Cuisinart includes six knives and six matching sheaths, so you can tuck the knives into a drawer without worrying about damaging the blades or stabbing yourself when you reach into the drawer for a peeler. Our reviewer chopped, sliced, and diced and found this set "offers plenty of utility and sharp cutting ability without breaking the bank." You just have to memorize which color knife is which, since it's hard to tell when the sheaths are on.

Since these are so inexpensive, they’re also great for taking along to picnics or potlucks, for a college kid’s apartment, or for the vacation cabin or RV. The set includes a 3 1/2-inch paring knife, a 6 1/2-inch utility knife, a 7-inch santoku, an 8-inch serrated bread knife, an 8-inch slicing knife, and an 8-inch chef’s knife. The manufacturer suggests hand washing, but several users said they’ve been washing them in the dishwasher with no apparent harm. Still, we'd recommend hand washing for the best care for your knives.

Price at time of publish: $65

Blade Material: Ceramic | Number of Knives: 6 | Sharpening: None

Best Self-Sharpening

Sabatier Sharpening Edgekeeper Pro 21-Piece Forged Triple Rivet Knife Block Set

4.2

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The perfect set for a new kitchen, and great for cooks who don’t like sharpening their knives, the knife block in this set has sharpeners inset in the slots that hold the straight-edged blades. This is a comprehensive set, so the cook won’t need to add to it unless they’re doing very specialized cutting. Besides the block, it includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch slicer, a 6-inch boning knife, a 6-inch cleaver, a 5 1/2-inch serrated utility knife, a 5-inch santoku knife, a 4 1/2-inch utility knife, a 3 1/2-inch paring knife, a 3-inch paring knife, a 3-inch bird’s beak paring knife, eight 4 1/2-inch steak knives, a carving fork, and kitchen shears. The knives have a comfortable handle with three rivets for security and a full bolster for safe cutting. 

Our tester noticed that while the block itself is conveniently compact, it's doing a lot of work holding all of those knives and can seem a little bit crowded. They also noticed that some of the knives don't come extremely sharp straight out of the box, but a little sharpening on the block and they were ready for action.

Price at time of publish: $120

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 18 + scissors  | Sharpening: Built-in

Best for Chefs

Mercer Genesis 4-Piece Forged Knife Starter Set

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For chefs who have mastered their knife skills—this set is NSF certified for professional kitchen use and comes in a knife roll for safe and easy transportation and storage. The handles are Santoprene, which can stand up to rough kitchen use, extreme temperatures, and kitchen oils, while still offering a sure, comfortable grip, even with wet or greasy hands.

The bolster adds to the balance, making these knives easy to work with for long periods of time. The blades are made from high carbon German steel that resists stains and rust and the taper-ground edge stays sharp and is easy to re-sharpen, when necessary.

This set includes a 3 1/2 inch paring knife, a 5-inch utility knife, and a 7-inch santoku, so it’s a perfect starter set that can be added to, depending on the chef’s needs. These knives should be hand washed and dried.

Price at time of publish: $90

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 3  | Sharpening: None

Best without Block

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Signature Starter Knife Set

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If you already have a knife block or you prefer other storage, this knife set is the perfect option since it doesn’t include a block you won’t use. This three-piece set is a perfect upgrade or starter set, with three essential kitchen knives in popular sizes. It includes a 4-inch paring knife, a 7-inch utility knife, and an 8-inch chef’s knife. The blades are precision-stamped for lighter weight and ice-hardened for strength and edge retention. The synthetic handles are triple-riveted for security and designed for a comfortable grip. These should be hand washed.

Price at time of publish: $188

Blade Material: High carbon stainless steel | Number of Knives: 3  | Sharpening: None

Best Ceramic

Kyocera Bamboo Knife Block Set

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Ceramic knives are extremely hard and can be extremely sharp while they resist staining and will never corrode. They also tend to protect foods like apples or lettuce from browning after cutting. This four-piece set included the knives you’ll use most often and comes with a knife block to keep them safe when not in use.

This set includes a 3-inch paring knife, a 4 1/2-inch utility knife, a 5 1/2-inch santoku knife, and a 6-inch chef’s knife. The knives in this set have black handles and white blades, but two other color options are also available. The block is made from sturdy, attractive bamboo.

Because ceramic blades are brittle, these should not be used for prying around bones, for cutting frozen or super-hard foods, or for aggressive chopping. They can also break if dropped on a hard surface. For sharpening, these can be sent back to Kyocera, or you’ll need a sharpener that is specifically made for sharpening ceramic blades. These should be hand washed.

Price at time of publish: $180

Blade Material: Ceramic | Number of Knives: 4  | Sharpening: None