10 Best Chef’s Knives (under $100)

They’re a staple of any kitchen and something which experienced chefs can become quite animated about, emotional even. Yes, we’re talking about chef knives – probably the first item which a chef will furnish their kitchen with. There exists a dizzying array of sizes, sharpness, strength, and other utilities which can make it quite daunting for a newcomer when choosing the one which will best meet their requirements.

The winner

Wusthof Classic Utility Knife
Best Overall Chef’s Knife

• Strength, sharpness, and durability
• 200 years of experience went into this knife
• Handle is designed to resist fading
• Scores 58 on the Rockwell scale (measurement of hardness; 58-62 is the desired range for steel)
• Consistently a top-seller

Wusthof Classic Utility Knife: Best Overall Chef’s Knife

Wusthof, based in the German city of Solingen (the City of Blades), is one of the most renowned names in the world of kitchen knives. Producers of the finest knives for over 200 years, the 6-inch Classic Utility Knife will be a welcome addition to any kitchen. Although some may find the length a bit on the short-size, the strength and durability are exemplary. With a wide blade and forged from a single piece of stainless steel, it has an ergonomic polyoxymethylene handle.

Bokashi Kansai Chef’s Slicing Knife: Best for Safe Sharpness

Market longevity will be a recurring theme in this guide to chef’s knives, so we are pleased to include a relative newcomer. Bokashi was founded in 2013 and the Bokashi Kansai was only introduced to the market in late 2018. Already, it is proving popular, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that the knife adheres to the standards and quality associated with the best Japanese chef’s knives.

Global 35th Anniversary Kitchen Knife: Most stylish Chef’s Knife 

Many chefs would place design and style well down on their criteria for a knife, but sometimes you just have to pause and say “Wow!” The Global Santoku Anniversary knife is simplicity itself–what appears to be a single piece of stainless steel with a neatly tapered blade and a pleasingly pebbled steel handle. On closer inspection, it is actually three pieces of the manufacturers’ own proprietary Cromova 18 stainless steel welded together to form an eye-catching knife.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro Knife: Best for Affordable Safety 

Another eminent name which was pretty likely to appear on any ten best lists and, from their vast range, we’ve opted for the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Knife. This Swiss company was founded in the late 19th century and will always occupy a place in the best-selling ranks. This 8-inch stainless steel knife will be instantly familiar to experienced cooks with its tactile thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) handle.

Dalstrong Crixus Chef/Cleaver Hybrid: Best Cleaver-style Chef’s Knife

This guide is tailored towards the chef’s knives, but we also wanted to include a bit of latitude, so that all bases are covered. The Dalstrong Crixus is a newish addition to the market and is a satisfying hybrid between cleverer and classic utility knife. Based on Japanese tradition (although manufactured in China), the 8-inch blade is bestowed with a head-spinning litany of laboratory treatments. 

Wusthof Pro Cook’s Knife: Best Value for Money Knife  

And here we find ourselves delving back into Wusthof’s range for the Pro Cook’s Knife. This is pretty much a mid-price longer-bladed version of the Classic which we featured earlier. The Pro model has a 10-inch blade and is also considerably wider than the Classic. But it is Wusthof so some things are familiar – the durable stainless steel, the comfortable-to-grip poly handle, and reassuring heft.

Fanteck Kitchen Knife: Best Chef’s Knife for Extras

Oscillating back to Japanese-made knives, we recommend the Fanteck Kitchen Knife as a well-crafted and stylish utility knife. It has an 8-inch blade which is generous in width and decorated by a swirling design. The steel is a specially tempered Japanese composition – V Gold 10 – which combines hardness (a Rockwell reading of 62) with stainless and corrosion-free qualities to create a durable product.

Henckels International Classic Carving Knife: Best Carving Knife 

Henckels is another revered German knife manufacturer making knives since 1895. They have branched out over the years and the Henckels International Carving Knife is produced in Spain, but rest assured that it is a recognizable Henckels product. The International is lighter than the traditional German knife and looks almost slim-line compared to many of the company’s range.

Paudin Bread Knife: Best Bread Knife and a lot more besides 

Ok, you ask, what’s a bread knife doing here? Well, the Paudin Bread Knife is not being treated fairly if viewed reductively as a bread knife and nothing more. It conforms to the bread knife template – long narrow blade, a serrated edge, sturdy handle but there is so much more going on here. The 8-inch blade is forged from Damascus steel, boasts a Rockwell hardness rating of 60 and an elegant cloud pattern. 

Fukep Paring Knife: Best Small-sized Chef’s Knife

For our final recommendation, we again veer away from the strictest definition of a chef’s knife by including the Fukep 3.5 Inch Paring Knife. Of course, this model is not equipped to handle large, chunky foodstuffs, but it is a prime example of a knife that will reward persistence and imagination. For one thing, it is incredibly sharp and will make short work of the sort of pruning or paring work which a larger knife would be confounded by. For a knife with a short blade, it has considerable heft and is sturdy and comfortable to hold.

Best Chef Knives (under $100)

We’re here to make that selection process a bit easier. We will differentiate between the types of knives and concentrate on the criteria against which any knife should be judged. Rather than choose what we think are simply the ten best knives, we will select those which we feel best match individual requirements. Hopefully, this guide will demystify some range of opinions that are aired about this most useful of kitchen devices.

Clarifications

First, let’s clarify a few things. There is no distinction between a chef’s knife and a cook’s knife, and we may use the terms interchangeably. Some knives have a product name which classifies them as one or the other, but there is no difference. For what it’s worth, we will use chef’s knife unless the brand name implies usage of cook’s knife. Clear?

Of all the knives to be found in a kitchen, a chef’s knife is the most versatile and useful. It will typically measure somewhere between 6 and 12 inches and can be used to cut just about anything, although a cleaver knife (the scary-looking one with a very wide, straight-edged blade) is best for meat or cutting through bones. A paring knife will have a short blade and works best for peeling or prying away pith or membrane from fruit or vegetables. Boning knives are narrower still and perform the same function on meat. Santoku knives are typically straight-edged, with dimples on the blade itself.

A chef’s knife combines elements of all the above but will usually have a broad blade which tapers to a point. This allows the blade to rock back and forth on the cutting surface and because of its versatility and frequency of use, it habitually has a full tang, i.e. the blade part extends the full length of the knife and is immersed in to the handle.

We will frequently refer to the sharpness of a knife and it should not be assumed that the sharper, the better. There is a safety element involved and watching experienced chefs slice onions or other vegetables can sometimes be a pretty terrifying experience when you know that the blade is honed to a degree that it has the capability of severing a finger. Using a blunt knife can be equally dangerous, as it may be necessary to use more force which can compromise safety. Knives require maintenance and should be taken to a professional sharpener if you do not possess some sharpening tool of your own.

Do’s and Don’ts

There are a few rules to abide by to get the best from a chef’s knife. 

• Always use a plastic or wooden board when cutting. A granite or glass surface may damage or dull the blade.
• As mentioned earlier, a chef’s knife is not best suited to cutting through thick boned pieces of meat or frozen foods. It may perform this successfully, but a cleaver is preferable here.
• Attention should be paid to the manufacturers’ maintenance advice. Cleaning certain chef’s knives in a dishwasher may damage them.
• Because the majority of people are right-handed, there is a slight bias in the manufacture of knives to favor right-handers. A left-handed knife user has to adjust their line of vision slightly unless the knife is ground to both sides, although the correcting action will be performed automatically and probably not even occur to most users. Knives designed specifically for left-handers can be purchased from specialist manufacturers, but with a well-made knife, there should not be a need to do so.

Other Considerations

Origin: Professional chefs and people who spend hours in the kitchen invariably harbor a preference for Japanese or German chef’s knife. These two countries seem to have cornered the market in producing high-quality knives. To many, the differences won’t be a determining factor in choosing which knife to buy it is to be noted that German-made knives tend to be heavier with thicker blades than their Japanese equivalents.

The distinction is significant as the thicker blades are typically made from steel which will withstand more usage whereas the Japanese version is thinner and lighter and fashioned from steel which is harder and sharper. There are chef’s knives that blend the two types together. Potential purchasers are advised to bear these facts in mind if they tend to prepare the same type of food regularly. 

We have found that Japanese knives do need a bit more maintenance and some can be delicate. Note that this is not a criticism as a lighter, sharper knife may match one’s individual preference and accord the Japanese knife the, ummm, edge.

Block: It would be remiss not to mention the oft-chosen option for people who wish to prepare food quickly which is to buy a set of knives that come in a block for ease of storage. The set will usually contain a serrated knife (essentially a steak knife), what we refer to as a chef’s knife, a bread knife, a paring knife or two, and perhaps something which is a bit closer to a cleaver without the wide blade. Often, the knife in a block will not match the standards of a chef’s knife bought specifically as a stand-alone knife: quality is compromised to convenience.

Cost: As with most things culinary, prices oscillate considerably for chef’s knives and we have chosen to set an upper limit of $100. This should cover a good quality knife but it will pay to shop around and if you envisage a lot of use, some sort of sharpening device will maintain top-quality performance and lengthen the life of your purchase.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this trawl through the options available when looking to buy a chef’s knife will be useful. As mentioned earlier, the intention is to select a range that meets different criteria, and even the most discerning chef should be able to find their ideal knife from among these ten. Any feedback on these selections is welcome. Happy cooking!