Best Kitchen Knife Brands

A great knife is just about the most important kitchen utensil and choosing one can spark a heated discussion among professional chefs. Even if you are not a pro, buying a high-quality blade is usually a good investment as it makes cooking so much easier.

In this article, we go over some of the more well-known knife manufacturers, brands that have made a name for themselves and are trusted by many cooks around the world.

Shun

Shun kitchen knife brand is a product of the Japanese KAI company, established in 1908. The brand distributor is KAI, USA Limited. Manufacturers of Shun applied ancient Japanese knife making technology. This technology produces sharp blades that are easy to carry. The different makes of Shun kitchen knife include the following, among others:

This knife costs an arm and a leg compared to other brands. When you want a blade that is easy to clean and does not become greasy after use, then Shun is your brand. If you want to save money, this is not the brand for you.

Wusthof

Wusthof kitchen knife is a mark of quality from the city of Solingen, Germany. Knives made in this city must be of good quality to keep up with the Solingen's reputation. All metal products made in Solingen strictly follow a specific manufacturing code.

The process of making Wusthof kitchen knives is elaborate and involves many robots. The only steps that humans complete are:

That is why Wusthof kitchen knives have perfect performance-and-a refined sharpness.

Wusthof Company makes these knives from highly-refined steel. Wusthof has several knife series under its brand. One of its models (Classic) is popular with most homeowners as one of the top-performing knives. Here are some of the other brands:

Global

Global kitchen knife is a product of Yoshikin Factory, Japan. The company started making traditional Japanese knives in 1960. The demand for Global knives increased worldwide, owing to their unique manufacturing procedure. Here are some of the features:

We do not recommend Global kitchen knife brands if you do not know how to sharpen. Contemporary sharpening does not return the blades to their original condition. In the absence of proper sharpening mechanism, these knives fail to live to their name.

Zwilling JA Henckels

Zwilling JA Henckels is another quality kitchen knife brand from Solingen. The brand itself is the name of a company founded by Peter Henckel in 1731. The company has a presence in Canada, the USA, Holland, Japan, Spain, and Italy.

This kitchen knife has several lines. All of them have steel blades hardened and treated to protect them from staining- this explains why it is long-lasting. Examples of its lines include the following.

We do not recommend using a dishwasher to clean these knives. We liked this brand and would recommend it to anyone.

Victorinox

Victorinox is the name of a Swiss company. The company has a monopoly in supplying all-purpose knives to the Swiss Army. The company makes other things like watches. Kitchen knife lines include the following:

Victorinox knives have a unique sharpness. Carrying them is easy, and the grip at the handles is firm. The company uses stainless steel, which is easy to sharpen with a whetstone.

Victorinox produces for the upmarket and the low budget consumers as well. The forged versions are more costly; a lot of work goes into giving them high performance. We liked the Fibrox variety because of their high performance on a leaner budget. Generally, Victorinox knives are cheaper.

Sabatier

This big name is not a single company. A pool of manufacturers in Thiers, France, use it as their trademark. The manufacturing process of this knife involves forging from scratch- it has a handle held by rivets. The sharpening process is manual.

Some of the knife variations under the name “Sabatier” include:

Most of the knives under this brand generally follow the traditional manufacturing process.

We do not recommend this knife due to confusion in authenticity. Trademark wars have always rocked the brand from the beginning. More than 30 different companies are making this brand. They only add a few letters or words after "Sabatier." Some of those companies make good knives, while others are fake.

Cutco

Cutco is the brand, as well as the company name-they- started as Alcas Corporation shortly after WW2. The company has other outlets outside the US. The New York outlet handles the manufacturing of knives.

The quality of steel used to make Cutco knives is average though it is still stainless. Even then, its blade seems to function better than other ordinary knives. You may not place this knife high on quality, but you cannot underrate it either.

The price is higher than most kitchen knives. Many potential questions the rationale of pricing, but this is why:

We recommend this brand if cost is not a problem.

Mercer

Mercer is a German knife made by the Mercer cutlery company. The quality of stainless steel used can withstand breaking for long. Most users report that they had no problem sharpening the Mercer kitchen knife. The handle grip is okay if you are not using the knife for a long time. Some lines of Mercer kitchen knife:

Unlike shun and Wusthof, Mercer is a cheaper kitchen knife. The exception in cost is when you buy a whole set. The blade has a high-performance level. Some of its outstanding qualities are:

We recommend this knife if your concern is performance over beauty.

Cuisinart

The American company, Cuisinart, is the manufacturer of this knife brand. The company started by making household products like cookers. Later, it diversified to making knives. Here are a few of Cuisinart knives:

Most Cuisinart knives have one main disadvantage of losing their sharpness within weeks. Regular sharpening could be cumbersome unless you do not mind. We liked the packaging idea of these knives. There are sets with as little as three pieces. We recommend purchasing the smallest set you can afford.

Calphalon

Calphalon is one of the best-known kitchen knife brands. We liked this brand because it is friendly to the pocket. Also, the quality of the manufacturing process is not questionable. The ability of this kitchen knife to last for long enough is satisfying. The blade is easy to sharpen too.

Calphalon is a product of German stainless steel. Many homeowners like this knife. Avoid throwing it into a dishwasher to protect its performance. The most significant advantage of this kitchen knife brand is the ability to self-sharpen. All the knives under this brand are versatile and attractive. The handles have a firm grip.

Farberware

Farberware knives have attractive handles and durable blades. They are easy to sharpen for precise cuts. Some of them even come with blade covers to protect them when you are not using them. One of its best knives is the Farberware pro Forged Pairing Knife. This knife cleans faster and has a firm handle.

Farberware knife feels light when holding, hence easy to use. You can use it without much resistance. There is a negative side to this knife, too- it is quick to rust. We did not like this knife as it shows weakness when you use it to cut harder things.

This brand is a product of Meyer Corporation in 1909, by Simon Farber in New York. The Meyer Corporation acquired Farber’s company in 1997.

Tramontina

This knife is a product of a cookware company from Brazil. The 1911 company supplies to more than 100 countries. The blades are thin and have difficulty cutting into hard things. Some users sometimes describe this knife as ‘ugly”. Yet others think that the handles are beautiful. Most users do not have a problem with cleaning the blades.

The sets come with utility knives. You will find camping knives or others that you can improvise for that use. We recommend this knife for a more budget-friendly experience. Also, it is okay for the kitchen owner, who does not mind about the look and size.

Imarku

Imarku originates from Solingen, Germany. The manufacturer is Imarku Kitchen. The standards of manufacture live up to the Solingen Decree.

The best knife from this brand is the Imarku 8-Inch Kitchen Knife. Most homeowners love knives like this since they can use them to cut any type of foodstuff. Imarku is easy to handle. The material used to make the handle is "pakka"- it is sturdy and smooth.

The sharp blades cut with precision and are long-lasting. Sharpening them is quite a simple process. The non-staining material that makes the edge protects it from rusting.

We do not recommend this type of knife for users in a busy kitchen. The weight of this knife is not attractive for vigorous activity. Yet, we liked it and would use it at the less busy home kitchen.

Miyabi

Miyabi is another one from Seki, Japan. The production company is Zwilling. This company blends the German and Japanese technologies to come up with a perfect knife. Here are some of its features:

The MiyabiKaizen 7-Inch Granton Santoku Hollow Edge Knife is the best of the Miyabi brand. This knife has a straight blade. Using it in the kitchen gives perfect cuttings and protects your fingers.