What to Look for When Buying a Good Chef's Knife
A chef's knife is the one tool you'll use every time you cook. It chops onions, minces garlic, slices meat, crushes ginger, and transfers ingredients from board to pan. If you're going to invest in one kitchen item, this is it.
But the market is overwhelming — prices range from $20 to $400, and every brand claims to be the best. Here's what actually matters when choosing.
Blade length: start with 8 inches
An 8-inch (20cm) blade is the standard for a reason. It's long enough to cut through large vegetables and make efficient rocking cuts, but short enough to feel controllable. If you have smaller hands, a 7-inch works too. Avoid going shorter than that for a primary knife — a 6-inch blade forces you to make more cuts, which means more time.
Steel types explained simply
Stainless steel is the most practical for most people. It resists rust, requires less maintenance, and holds a good edge. German-style knives (like Wüsthof or Henckels) tend to use softer stainless that's easy to sharpen but dulls faster. Japanese-style knives (like Tojiro or MAC) use harder stainless that stays sharp longer but can chip if misused.
Carbon steel takes an incredibly sharp edge and is beloved by professional chefs. The trade-off: it rusts if you leave it wet, develops a patina, and requires more care. Not ideal if you tend to leave dishes in the sink overnight.
Ceramic is extremely sharp out of the box and never rusts. But ceramic blades are brittle — they can chip or snap if you twist them or hit a bone. They also can't be sharpened at home easily. For most home cooks, ceramic is more fragile than it's worth.
For most people: A mid-range stainless steel knife in the $40–$80 range ([Amazon link]) is the sweet spot. It will outperform a dull expensive knife every day of the week.
Weight and balance
This is personal. Some cooks prefer a heavier knife that does the work for you — you let gravity help with each cut. Others prefer a lighter knife that feels nimble and fast. Neither is objectively better.
The balance point matters more than total weight. Hold the knife where the blade meets the handle. If it feels like it wants to tip forward or backward, it'll tire your wrist over time. A well-balanced knife feels neutral in your hand — neither blade-heavy nor handle-heavy.
Handle comfort
Grip the knife in a "pinch grip" — thumb and index finger pinching the base of the blade, other three fingers wrapping the handle. This is how chefs hold a knife because it gives you the most control. If the handle feels uncomfortable in this grip, it's the wrong knife for your hand, regardless of brand or reviews.
Price doesn't always mean quality
A $200 knife is not five times better than a $40 knife. Diminishing returns set in fast with kitchen knives. What you're paying for above the $80 mark is usually fit and finish, brand prestige, and marginal differences in steel. A $50 Victorinox Fibrox consistently beats knives three times its price in blind tests by professional reviewers.
Spend the money you save on keeping it sharp instead.
Maintenance basics
- Never put it in the dishwasher. The banging around dulls the edge and can damage the handle. Hand wash, dry immediately.
- Hone regularly. A honing steel straightens the edge between sharpenings. Use it every few uses — it takes 15 seconds.
- Sharpen 2–3 times a year. A simple pull-through sharpener or whetstone ([Amazon link]) keeps the edge performing. Even the best knife gets dull; sharpening is not optional.
- Use a proper cutting board. Wood or plastic. Never glass, marble, or ceramic — hard surfaces destroy knife edges. A good large cutting board ([Amazon link]) protects both your knife and your countertop.