The Best Knife Sets in 2021 (Reviewed and Compared)

Are you ready to throw out your old knives and grab the best knife set out there? We promise that a good knife set can revolutionize your cooking. You’ll feel like an experienced chef, and you won’t even have to splurge!

Following our guide, you’ll learn all about how to choose a knife set that’s perfect for you and your needs. We’ll go through everything step by step, and by the time you’re done, you’ll be ready to order your new set right away.

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Now that you’ve taken a peek at our top 10, it’s time to dive a little deeper and see exactly why we’ve ranked them the way we have. 

Learn all the reasons why we love them and why you should strongly consider getting one as your next purchase.

And hey, maybe we’ll also inspire you to update all your kitchen utilities. Just don’t go too crazy, or next thing, you’ll be looking for hand mixers and protein shakers. Back to knives, then!

If your kitchen is missing knives, this is the knife set for you! It’s a 7-piece knife set that features an 8” chef’s knife. It is the star of this offer and is perfect for cutting everything from meat to fruits and vegetables: a true all-purpose knife!

The 8” serrated bread knife will make short work of even the toughest crust, effortlessly gliding through any bread you can think of. The 5.3” utility knife is just a great all-rounder, while the 3.5” paring knife is fantastic for peeling fruit or performing delicate incisions on smaller foods. Finally, our number one pick for the best knife set for 2021 features a 5” boning knife with a high-tip edge perfect for removing excess fat from fish and meat.

Of course, this set comes with a honing rod so that you can easily maintain your set. And the cherry on top is the glass knife block that looks elegant and modern!

Customers have been praising this knife set for how comfortable it sits in your hand, and we couldn’t agree more. You can spend hours cutting, slicing, and chopping, and you won’t feel uncomfortable. Despite all knives being very lightweight, the entire set cuts and slices through just about anything you can throw at it.

Pros:

• Elegant design
• Excellent blades
• A perfect selection of knives

Cons:

• The chef’s knife could be wider

If you’re starting fresh and have no knives whatsoever, this set is for you! There are a total of thirteen razor-sharp knives in this amazing set, with a great self-sharpening block and a kitchen shear thrown in as a bonus.

First, we’ve got to mention that the 8” chef’s knife on offer here could be featured in any top-notch knife set. As soon as you get a hold of it, you’ll feel that the ergonomic triple-rivet handle fits in your hand just right. And that’s without mentioning the razor-sharp blade.

Next up, we have the 4” paring/utility knife that you can use for just about anything. This dishwasher-safe knife set also comes with a 5” serrated utility knife that can cut through almost any hard surface with great ease, just in case one utility knife is not enough! And if you hate it when small pieces of food stick to your knife, you’ll love the 7” hollow edge santoku knife that will make this a problem of the past.

Where would we be without a good steak knife? This set has eight 4.5” ones! Plus, you get kitchen shears and a self-sharpening block for your knives.

Even though this is a dishwasher-safe set, it’s still recommended that you hand wash it. That way, these knives can last you a lifetime! If you don’t mind the price, this is a strong candidate for the title of best high-end knife set ever.

The steak knives are the only thing holding this set back from true greatness. Don’t get us wrong, they are still excellent knives but are not as sharp or as comfortable to use as the rest of the set.

Pros:

• An impressive selection of knives
• Dishwasher safe
• Durable

Cons:

• Not the best steak knives

Are you ready to change your life with a high-quality knife set? Perhaps we’re overselling it a little, but these knives truly are a game-changer. Let’s talk about the hardwood block first. It’s a fantastic mix of practicality and style, adding a dash of class to your kitchen counter. If that doesn’t do it for you, this set also comes with a set of excellent kitchen shears.

But, enough about the accessories, let’s talk about the star of the package: the knives themselves! We’ve got a 4” paring knife, a 5” serrated utility knife, six 4.5” steak knives, and an 8” chef’s knife, of course!

The precision of all of these blades is fantastic at this price point. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be our top pick among the best knife sets for the money. And no knife is good enough unless it has that triple-rivet handle that your hand can easily and comfortably grip for some smooth slicing and chopping. On top of the other benefits, these knives are all dishwasher safe!

The downside is that some customers have complained of some rust on a few knives after extensive use. Your mileage may vary, but be aware that these are budget knives and not exactly Michelin star chef’s tools.

Pros:

• Dishwasher safe
• Easy-grip handle
• Excellent blades

Cons:

• Sensitive plastic handles

These Hampton Forge knives are extraordinary. And it’s not just the design we love. They’re durable, unlike any knives you’ve seen. The materials they’re made of are rust-resistant, and the balanced handles are sturdy but very comfortable in your hand, making slicing and dicing a breeze. Many online reviews of kitchen knives adore how sharp these knives are, and we were mightily impressed ourselves, especially at this price point!

Let us tell you a bit about the knives that are included in this set. As always, you get that 8” chef’s knife. Another thing to love about this set is that you get two more 8” blades: the slicing knife and the bread knife. The 6” serrated utility knife and 5.5” santoku knife are two models from this set that get special praise from customers. Plus, how could you not love those six 4.5” steak knives with their sharp and precise blades? The shortest knife in this set is the 3.5” paring knife. 

You also get kitchen shears, a knife sharpener, and a hardwood knife block. You get quality, functionality, and design, as tons of knife sets reviews say! And all for a very low price, too. A great knife set, all around!

Pros:

• Sharp edges
• Classic design
• Heavy-duty wooden block

Cons:

• Steak knives are heavy for some

If we told you that you could get a good 21-piece knife set for less than $100, you probably wouldn’t believe us. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what Farberware offers here. Let’s start with the accessories. You get an excellent set of scissors and a carving fork. The natural wood block in which your blades sit is also a built-in sharpener. That means that sharpening your knives has never been more convenient.

But the best home kitchen knife set is not about the accessories, but the knives it has, right? Well, good news, they all come with high-carbon stainless steel, which guarantees a long lifetime and a razor-sharp edge.

It may not be the best set of knives you can find, but it is undoubtedly the largest collection of good knives at this price! You get an 8” and a 6” chef’s knife, an 8” bread knife, an 8” slicer knife, a 7” santoku, a 6” boning knife, a 6” clever, a 5.5” serrated utility knife, a 3.5” parer knife, a 3” bird beak knife, eight 4.5” steak knives, and, of course, the aforementioned carving fork and scissors.

Pros:

• A lot of knives for a very affordable price
• Built-in sharpening
• Ultra-sharp blades

Cons:

• Not dishwasher safe

Yes, we’ve said a lot about stainless steel, and we love it. However, there are other excellent knife materials out there, and one of them is alloy steel. As if the quality materials aren’t enough, Calphalon has a built-in sharpening system that is so great you’ll forget when you’ve last sharpened your knives.

The largest offering in the pack, as usual, is the 8” chef’s knife, followed by the 6” utility knife. Finally, they have a 5” santoku knife and a 3.5” paring knife, along with some great kitchen shears.

Listed among the best culinary knife sets, customers worship this one. And most of them are genuinely crazy about those labeled handles. You don’t have to learn which knife goes in which hole! Just read the label! Isn’t that great?

Pros:

• Great materials
• Built-in sharpening
• Labeled handles

Cons:

• Sharpening stones can’t be replaced

If you want a small set that will get the job done with any steak, you’re in for a treat! These Victorinox steak knives are real winners in our book, but they don’t come cheap.

Their high-carbon, stainless steel blade is exceptionally sharp. It simply and effortlessly glides through even the toughest meats.

Not only are these steak knives extraordinarily functional, but they’re stylish, too. The handles are ergonomically made to fit your hand comfortably. I mean, what else can you expect from Swiss craftsmanship? Only the best! And this is precisely why these steak knives are among our top-rated knife sets. There may only be two knives here, but they are some of the best ones on our entire list.

The walnut wood which the handle is made of only adds to the magic of this set. The durability of these knives is also second to none. All in all, these are premium blades that will make steak dinners an even better experience, and all for under $70! If you’re just looking for a matching set of fantastic steak knives for you and your significant other, this is our top pick!

Pros:

• Excellent craftsmanship
• Thin yet sharp
• Perfect for camping

Cons:

• Somewhat pedestrian looks for a high-end set

If you’re a fan of chic and lively colors, you’ll love this knife set. With these Oster knives, you can break up the one-color or two-color palette in your kitchen. They all come with turquoise handles that are magnificently crafted to both look good and rest comfortably in your hand.

But, enough about the handles! These are top-rated kitchen knives for more than just how well they fit in your hand. The stainless steel blades are fantastic at this price range, and this set certainly has more to offer than just good looks.

So what knives are included in the package? With this set, you get an 8” chef’s knife, an 8” bread knife, a 7” santoku knife, a 5” utility knife, six 4.5” steak knives, a 3.5” paring knife, a sharpener, kitchen scissors, and a block.

The block is made of rubberwood, and it looks magnificent, while the blades are made of stainless steel, and they’re both stain and rust-resistant! 

You get genuinely functional and durable knives for a very affordable price, plus they look very stylish. What’s not to like?

Pros:

• An eye-catching design
• A great selection of knives
• Full-tang blades
• High-quality stainless steel

Cons:

• Rust-prone after extended use

This is a brilliant knife set. It’s a professional-quality classic-looking block set that will serve everyone from amateurs to aspiring Michelin star chefs well. It comes with sixteen different knives, so there’s something for every occasion. You get two paring knives (3” and 3.5”), eight 4.5” steak knives, a 5” boning knife, a 5.5” utility knife, a 7” santoku knife, an 8” serrated bread knife, an 8” slicer, and an 8” chef’s knife. And, a good set can’t go without some kitchen scissors, too!

As a carbon steel knife set, the recommendation is to wash and dry your knives immediately after using them. This will let you use them for years and years to come! It’s not wise to put these in the dishwasher as they can get scratched. The blades on these knives are full-tang blades with heavy-duty forged bolsters.

Quality, design, functionality, durability, and affordability are all qualities that these blades are known for. We told you we’d only give you top knife sets around, and Chicago Cutlery’s Insignia2 certainly fits the bill!

Pros:

• High-quality carbon steel
• Ergonomic handles
• Durable

Cons:

• Bad built-in sharpener

Japanese knives are famous for their quality and durability, and this Shun set is all of that and more! These are made following a tradition that is centuries old, and they’re handmade in Seki, Japan.

The blades are sharp and incredibly durable. The handles are moisture-resistant, and they’re made of specially engineered Pakkawood. 

This is one of the best-rated kitchen knife sets for various reasons, and one of those is the selection of knives. You get a 3.5” paring knife, a 6” utility knife, an 8” chef’s knife, and ​a 9” bread knife. The 9” honing steel will easily sharpen these beauties, too, and the included scissors are every bit as sharp as the knives.

Customers are crazy about how these knives feel in their hands as well as their balance and performance. And we absolutely agree! They may not come cheap, but you are paying for premium quality here!

Pros:

• High-quality, sharp blades
• Moisture-resistant handles
• Excellent performance

Cons:

• Very expensive

Now that we’ve told you virtually everything about the best knife sets on the market, it’s time to talk a bit about what you should look for when choosing knives.

Material

As you may have noticed, we genuinely love a good stainless steel knife set. The advantage of a stainless steel knife is that it won’t stain and is far less likely to rust. This means that you get durability.

Carbon steel knives don’t have this advantage. Plus, stainless steel knives tend to be low maintenance. However, carbon steel knives are more affordable, and there are plenty of knife set reviews that can attest to their quality, as well.

High-carbon stainless steel knives are more powerful and perform better than the other options on the market. However, be careful because some companies just throw around the term “high-carbon” because there’s no precise definition. A high price is a good indicator of quality materials used, but you should still be careful not to fall for marketing hype.

Forged or Stamped

Forged means that the blade is made from one piece of steel pounded into form and then reheated, cooled down, and tempered. Stamped means that the blade is made using a machine, usually cut with a hydraulic press.

If you need knives with sturdier construction and a thicker blade, you might want to choose the best forged knife set. These types of knives are considered to be high-quality, and they tend to be more expensive.

If you’re looking for something more affordable and more lightweight with a thinner blade, then you should get yourself a knife with a stamped blade.

Handle

If you think that it’s only the blade you should care about, think again! The handle and the material it’s made of can significantly influence your chopping, slicing, and cutting experience, and a professionally-made handle that fits in hand snugly goes a long way towards improving your knife skills in the kitchen.

Laminated Handles

Laminated handles are made using wood and plastic resin. These are very popular because they look similar to the classic wooden handles but are easier to clean. Many knife set block reviews rave about how easy it is to wash these types of handles.

Wooden Handles

Wooden handles are the most popular and most common handles. However, this popular type of handle is not without its downsides. They are very hard to thoroughly clean and sterilize, which means they can be susceptible to bacteria. Plus, they’re not very durable, even if you take excellent care of them. But they are pretty comfortable in your hand because of how soft the wood is. Plus, you get tons of different varieties. For example, plenty of top knife block sets use wooden handles.

Stainless Steel Handles

If you are all about sterilization and cleanliness, stainless steel handles are for you! These are by far the easiest to clean and maintain, plus they just look so modern and sleek. But, bear in mind that they are not very lightweight when held, and they may not be the best option if you spend a lot of time with a knife in hand.

Synthetic Handles

Some of the best inexpensive knife sets come with synthetic handles. There are many different versions of synthetic handles, and their most significant advantage is that maintenance is a breeze. Still, their typically poor construction comes with many downsides, and they can crack easily if they’re exposed to high temperatures.

Consider Your Needs

There are tons and tons of knives out there. But, if you go through some of the kitchen knife set reviews, you’ll see they are not equally useful. For example, ​​have you ever heard of a churrasco? If you haven’t, it’s a Brazilian knife used specifically for barbecue meat. Sure, it sounds nifty, but do you really need it?

Let’s say you’re preparing a big meal for the whole family most days of the week. You grab your slow cooker, and you need to chop, slice, and dice all the ingredients quickly before you throw them together. You’ll definitely need a couple of different knives for the task!

Before deciding which knife set to buy, consider your needs and what you cook in the kitchen. 

Types of Knives

At the very least, your knife selection should include the following knife types that are usually included in the best kitchen knife sets:

• A chef’s knife—This is an all-purpose knife used for just about everything in the kitchen, from cutting beef to chopping veggies. It is typically 8” long.
• A paring knife—This is the extra you grab when your chef’s knife can’t get the job done. It’s used for peeling fruits and smaller vegetables, and the blade is usually 3”–4” long.
• A utility knife—This is what you use to chop smaller foods as it allows for more precision. It’s more versatile than the chef’s knife because it’s between 4”–7” long. Therefore, any top-rated kitchen knife set needs to include this type of knife.
• A bread knife—We don’t have to tell you what this is used for! It’s typically around 8” to 10” long. So if you like having a tasty toast for breakfast, keep in mind that you’ll need a sharp bread knife in addition to a quality toaster.
• A steak knife—You get a steak knife when you’re eating meat in a restaurant. It usually features a sharp point and sometimes has serrations along the cutting edge.

We’ll mention some more knives you may need in your best kitchen knife sets for 2021, depending on what you cook.

• A cleaver—Used for soft bones, meat, and hard vegetables.
• A carving knife—Used to slice meat into large pieces.
• A slicer—Used for cutting thin slices of ham, salmon, meat, and more.
• A boning knife—Used for removing bones from fish, poultry, and meat.
• A Santoku knife—Used for slicing, mincing, and dicing (a proper multipurpose knife).

Block or No Block

If you don’t want to put your knives out on the counter but want to keep them in a kitchen drawer, it’s better to go for a knife set without a block. Block knife sets are pricier, and if you’re not going to use the block, just don’t buy it.

However, a kitchen knife set with a block is excellent because keeping sharp knives in a drawer can lead to accidental cuts. Plus, your counter will look organized with all the same-style knives in their holes. Finally, many better knife holders these days have built-in sharpeners that make it easy to keep your knife blades razor-sharp.

Conclusion

Hopefully, our extensive guide on the best knife sets has taught you a lot about knives and helped you decide to finally splash out on a proper knife set for your kitchen. We think that great knives can change your cooking experience drastically, so it’s not an area to skimp out on if you’re a budding chef or even an amateur cooking enthusiast.