Trusted Butcher Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Review

We purchased the Trusted Butcher Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

Kitchen knives are an important part of the home cook’s arsenal, so we were more than ready to take the Trusted Butcher Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife for a test drive in the kitchen. We stocked up on things to slice, dice, and chop, and we lined up cutting boards and prep bowls. We cut through hard and tough vegetables, leafy greens, delicate tomatoes, and even sliced meat to test its prowess. While our focus wasn’t the steak knives that come included from most retailers, we also used them to cut meat and poultry and gave them a test as substitute utility knives in the kitchen. After a lot of cutting, we’re sure of the pros and cons.

Design: Just a few flourishes

If we were asked to draw a generic chef’s knife, it would look a lot like the Trusted Butcher knife that we tested. That’s not a bad thing. The shape is classic, designed for a multitude of cutting and slicing jobs in the kitchen.

The curved blade on the knife is designed for cutting with a rocking motion, whether it’s for chopping herbs or slicing through scallions, and the handle is comfortable to hold.

A nod to appearance is the surface of the blade, which has a waterfall pattern that looks much like high-end Damascus steel blades, and it's made from metal that is folded multiple times, creating the pattern. At this price point, we don’t expect artisan metal folding, but it’s still an attractive look, and it helps to hide water spots if the knife is left to dry on its own. The Trusted Butcher name and logo are etched on the blade.

The knife has a full tang and three rivets for security. The handle is comfortable to hold, much like similarly designed knives, and it’s well balanced, but the handle is quite rotund. That’s great for cooks with large hands, but those with petite hands might find it a bit too large for a secure and comfortable grip.

The set sold at most retailers comes with the chef's knife, four steak knives, an instant-read thermometer, a thin recipe booklet, and a plastic storage case. While the case is great for shipping, it’s not the most convenient place to keep a chef’s knife that will be used daily. It might be useful for storing the steak knives that would be used less often, but it’s rather large for just four knives. Our preference would be to store the chef’s knife in a knife block or a magnetic rack to keep it handy. The steak knives could be stored in a drawer.

As for the steak knives, they have large serrations for cutting and the same waterfall pattern as the chef’s knife on the blade. The steak knives are not sold separately, so if more than four are needed, the only way to purchase more of them is with another chef’s knife.

Performance: Sharp enough

We weren’t familiar with the Trusted Butcher brand, but it has an infomercial that shows some silly cutting tasks, so our expectations were rather low based on other items sold through infomercials. We were pleasantly surprised the knife was comfortable to hold and that it was sharp on arrival. We used it for all of our kitchen tasks and had no complaints, but we also weren’t swooning. It’s a good knife, but not as magical as the infomercial implied.

As far as the steak knives, we used them successfully for both steak and chicken, but because of the large serrations, it’s more like sawing wood than slicing through tender meat. 

Material: Stainless-steel blade

The blades on the knives are stainless steel, but the manufacturer doesn’t specify the exact grade. It also doesn't mention the handle material, but it’s a smooth black material that’s likely manmade. It feels good in the hand and seems durable.

Cleaning and Maintenance: Hand wash and dry immediately

Like any sharp knives, these should be hand washed. Based on some customer reviews, we also recommend drying them immediately after washing since some reviewers said that their knives rusted.

Of course, all straight-bladed knives will eventually need sharpening, but this knife was sharp when it arrived, which we appreciated. We didn’t notice any excessive dulling during our testing, so we expect that it wouldn’t need more than the usual regular honing along with regular sharpening during its life. 

Price: Mid-level

When it comes to price, this knife fits very well into the middle-pack of knife prices. It’s not so inexpensive that it’s disposable, but it’s also not investment-level. The addition of the steak knives and, to a lesser extent, the inexpensive thermometer, recipe booklet, and case add to the value of the purchase—if you need those things. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find the chef’s knife sold on its own, which would make it even more affordable and appealing. At the time of our testing, we could only find the set, but since then, it has been offered as a standalone product at Walmart—for around $20.

Trusted Butcher Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife vs. Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife

First, the Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife, which we also tested, is about twice the price of the Trusted Butcher knife we reviewed. So, the Cutco is definitely more of an investment. While the Cutco knife is sold as a single piece, the Trusted Butcher came with extras. It sounds like the Trusted Butcher knife is the winner but only because of the price. We like the Cutco because of the company’s long history and its excellent warranty as well as its performance. We’d recommend the Cutco knife to anyone who can afford the higher price. Still, the Trusted Butcher knife did an acceptable job, so we’d recommend it to cooks looking for a bargain and some steak knives.