Knives are a kitchen essential – you’ll need them for just about every meal you prepare. Investing in a set of knives means you will cover all the basics and a matching knife set can look smart, too. It can also be more cost-effective than buying them individually.
When you’re looking to buy a knife set, one of the first things to consider is whether they will meet all your needs. Some of the smaller sets we tested didn’t contain a bread knife, for instance. This might be fine if you already have one, or only buy sliced bread, but it will be an issue for many.
Most knife sets have one or two smaller knives for jobs like cutting vegetables, along with a carving knife and chef’s knife. If you haven’t bought knives for a while, you might be surprised to find a santoku knife in some sets. These versatile Japanese-style knives have indents on the blade and are designed for chopping and dicing. You can also use the flat surface to scoop up finely chopped ingredients like herbs and garlic.
1. Zwilling Pro 7 Piece Ash Self Sharpening Knife Block
Features
- Upright and Lift-away vacuum cleaner
- On/off brush roll
- Cleans bare floors and carpets
- Includes a dusting brush, 5.5″ crevice tool, 24″ creive tool, pet power brush
Pros
Cons
Set contains: Ash block, 4in paring knife, 5in utility knife, 8in slicing knife, 8in chef’s knife, 8in bread knife, kitchen scissors.
This is a knife set that oozes quality. The five knives should cover every kitchen task you’d need and the scissors are a welcome bonus, too. The ice-hardened stainless steel knives are full tang (as you would expect at this price point) and are pleasingly weighty in the hand. The slight curve at the bottom of the handle makes them particularly comfortable to hold.
The knives cut effortlessly, with the bread knife gliding through our crusty loaf. We particularly liked the serrated utility knife, which was perfect for cutting anything from tomatoes to grapefruit.
While the black handled knives with flush rivets look traditional, the knife block itself is clever and innovative. Each knife has its own slot, with an image next to it to show you which one goes where. The slots for non-serrated knives have integrated ceramic sharpening stones so they are gently sharpened each time you pull one out or put it back.
The ash block is also attractive and sits quite low, meaning you can happily place it under a cupboard.
2. Kuhn Rikon Colori knife and block 6 piece set
Features
- Upright and Lift-away vacuum cleaner
- On/off brush roll
- Cleans bare floors and carpets
- Includes a dusting brush, 5.5″ crevice tool, 24″ creive tool, pet power brush
- Swivel Steering
- 5′ hose lenght
Pros
Cons
Set contains: clear block, 18cm bread knife, 17cm chef’s knife, 9.5cm santoku knife, 12.5cm utility knife, 9.5cm paring knife
Knife blocks can have two distinct disadvantages. You often end up pulling out several knives before finding the one you want, and there is rarely anywhere to store a favourite old knife that you still use frequently and which isn’t part of the set.
This aims to deal with both problems. Firstly, the knife block is transparent, allowing you to easily pick out the one you need. Secondly, the top of the block has plenty of space for other knives or kitchen scissors –the flexible insert at the top means you can press knives in anywhere and of all different sizes.
The block has a small footprint, making it ideal for modest-sized kitchens, and has safe rubber feet to stop it sliding on the worktop as you pull a knife out. Both the insert and the bottom can be removed for cleaning, and both can go in the dishwasher – as can the knives, though hand washing is recommended.
The knives themselves felt light and comfortable to use (some may find them too lightweight) with finger guards for extra safety. They were pleasingly sharp, though we found the bread knife needed a little bit of effort to get through our very crusty home-baked loaf. The range of knives is good, covering all essential tasks – we particularly liked the inclusion of the versatile santoku knife.
3. Japanese Knife Trio
Features
- Upright and Lift-away vacuum cleaner
- On/off brush roll
- Cleans bare floors and carpets
- Includes a dusting brush, 5.5″ crevice tool, 24″ creive tool, pet power brush
- Swivel Steering
- 5′ hose lenght
Pros
Cons
Set contains: small deba, santoku, nakiri
Presented in a smartly designed box, these three knives are perfect for the cooking enthusiast. Bigger than the average knives, they may be a little daunting for newer cooks.
The smallest knife, the deba, is for filleting and slicing fish, or boning small joints of meat. There’s also the santoku knife which is becoming more common in knife sets – it’s a cleaver-like workhorse of a knife that can chop and slice with ease. The nakiri is designed for slicing and chopping vegetables.
Made in Japan, the knives are visually appealing, with cream handles, a contrasting black bolster and blades made from MV stainless steel. A textured strip of dimples runs down part of the blade both sides of two of the knives and one side of the deba. These have a purpose as well as looking attractive, as they help prevent food sticking to them.
These are lightweight and sharp, with a notably good grip. They have to be washed by hand rather than in the dishwasher.
4. Viners Assure colour code knife block and board set
Features
- Upright and Lift-away vacuum cleaner
- On/off brush roll
- Cleans bare floors and carpets
Pros
Cons
Set contains: 8in chef’s knife (for raw meat), 8in carving knife (cooked meat), 6in santoku knife (fish), 5in utility knife (fruit and veg), four chopping boards
This has “perfect gift for new university student” written all over it. It’s a set of four knives and four boards, all colour-coded to help reduce the chances of cross contamination for those who may be cooking for themselves for the first time.
There are knives and boards for raw meat, cooked meat, fish and fruit/veg – with small pictures in the corner of each board as an extra reminder of its purpose. The knives fit into the top of the boards, which are stored vertically in a block. It means the whole set takes up precious little space on the worktop.
One downside is that the boards are small, so better suited for individual cooks or couples rather than those making a family meal or a dinner party. We ran out of room when chopping an onion, courgette and pepper for a pasta sauce.
The knives are lightweight and comfortable, with sharp stainless steel blades. We liked the extra safety features of squared tips and bolsters. The boards feel sturdy and the set, which is hand wash only, comes with a 10-year guarantee.
5. Opinel Fifties 4pc Kitchen Knife Set
Features
- Upright and Lift-away vacuum cleaner
- On/off brush roll
- Cleans bare floors and carpets
Pros
Cons
Set contains: paring knife, serrated knife, vegetable knife, peeler
This dinky set of “essentials” contains four knives for everyday tasks. One knife is designed for general slicing, chopping and peeling, while the serrated knife is ideal for tomatoes and other softer fruit and veg. The set also includes an unusual curved blade knife for scraping, plus a handy peeler.
The varnished wooden handles are brightly coloured so you will be able to find them easily in the drawer. Each knife has a different coloured handle including lime and fuchsia, and blades are stainless steel. Hand washing is recommended.
We found this set ideal for prepping veg, though the peeler was on the small side for a large spud. This is another set that would be suited for a student heading to university, though they will need a bread knife.
How we tested them
We tested a representative sample of knife sets and scored them against the following criteria.
Effective cutting. This is key – there’s no point having a beautiful set of knives if they’re ineffective. We wanted knives that cut cleanly and easily, and tested each set on crusty baguettes, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. We also used them for a variety of everyday kitchen tasks including cutting raw potatoes, slicing cucumber and leeks, and chopping onions, nuts and dried fruit.
Quality. We rated our knives for strength and balance. We also looked for knives that are comfortable to hold and use.
Range. Taking into account the number of knives in each set, we looked for a good variety
Aesthetics. Many knife sets are designed to be on display. We awarded marks for stylish knives and, if applicable, for the appearance of the knife block, too.
Storage. We looked at whether the knife block was thoughtfully designed to store knives safely and securely
Value. Our sample ranged from £8.99 to £449 and in each case, we looked at whether the knife set offered value for money.
Henry is a friendly man who loves spending time in the kitchen. He enjoys cooking up new recipes and experimenting with flavors. He’s a bit of a perfectionist, and always strives to create the perfect meal. Henry loves spending time with the people he cares about. He’s always up for a good conversation, and he’ll do his best to make you feel at home.