Best chef's knives for 2020: Mercer, Global, Mac and Wusthof - Flipboard Flipboard Home Henckels’ Zwilling Gourmet 8-inch Chef’s knife is a great budget option. $161.16. Wusthof’s 8-inch classic chef’s knife is a workhorse in the kitchen. High-quality chef’s knives offer versatility above all. Taking sharpening seriously is key to a knife blade’s edge retention. But the handle design is perfect for teaching beginners how to hold and use a chef’s knife, guiding your thumb and index finger to the base of the blade. The … Wusthof knives are about as powerful as they come. Global’s popular chef’s knife is a Japanese knife style blade, like Mac’s, which means it boasts a scary-sharp edge and a nimble-feeling lightweight body. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Henckels’ Classic Chef’s Knife looks similar to the Wusthof Classic, but its slight differences in balance and design make it a much less enjoyable knife to use regularly. The light weight and cheap design mean you don’t get the long life or the full versatility you’d get from a workhorse like the Wusthof, but if you’re wanting a starter chef’s knife to learn for six months while you save for a bigger investment, the Mercer really is a great cook’s knife. Emma Watson; November 19, 2020; 0; When it comes to kitchen tools, cost and usefulness don’t always line up. It's in the top 3 bestselling chef's knives and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as La Cote 5pcs Japan Block or Levinchy Damascus 8" . Wusthof Ikon. At Cutlery and More, we specialize in the top brands of kitchen knives, chef’s knives and cookware. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You could keep buying those generic $10 knives from the store every time your knife gets dull, but if you’re really serious about upping your kitchen game, a high-quality chef’s knife is one of the best investments you can make. Unless you spend considerable time deboning fish or peeling pears, you don’t need a special boning knife, paring knife, carving knife, serrated knife or other specialty knives because a chef’s knife should be able to accomplish 95% of your needs. A chef’s knife can be your best friend in the kitchen — if you find the right fit. Overall, we tested 11 of the most popular chef’s knives for home cooks, including Mac, Global, Victorinox, Kitchenaid, Cuisinart, Homefavor, Farberware, Zwilling, J.A. In fact, some of the best tools out there only cost a few bucks. Mac, Wusthof and Global were my stand-out favorites for quality and performance, and if you’re really serious about adopting a high-quality chef’s knife, any of these three will do the trick. While the edge isn’t quite as sharp as Mac’s 8-inch blade, this versatile knife will feel great for anyone preferring lighter blades. I also avoided over-emphasizing sharpness, as factory-sharpness doesn’t really tell you much about a blade beyond its first few weeks or months of use.Â. The second question — what you need — is harder to answer. Let's dive into the specifics of the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8-Inch Cook's Knife… We can't guarantee correctness and completeness of all the data presented here, and therefore will not accept liability for any issues arising from usage of this data. That said, the Wusthof classic is perfectly balanced between the handle and blade, and it has a heel to protect your fingers, which makes it feel all the safer to wield. ReviewFinder is reader-supported - if you click on a link on ReviewFinder and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Best chef’s knives for 2020: Mercer, Global, Mac and Wusthof. It's fairly safe to say that Wusthof Classic Chef Knife is a more popular chef's knife, Customers who view Mac Chef Series HB-70 and Wusthof Classic Chef Knife often consider, Wusthof Classic Chef Knife, the pricier option, tends to get, Reviews from real customers who bought the product on Amazon, ranks #7 and Mac Chef Series HB-70 ranks #44, Find the best chef's knife in Chef's Knife Finder, Mac Knife Chef Series Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch, 2mm Blade, rust-resistant, exceptionally sharp, made out of high carbon and keeps the edge for a long time, Original Molybdenum steel has better edge-retention, Hand wash is recommended Not dishwasher safe, High-carbon stainless steel blade with rubberwood bar board, Full tang, Bolster/finger guard, and Triple riveted ergonomic handle, Edge Technology makes each side sharper by 14 degrees, doubling sharpness retention, Full-tang, triple-riveted synthetic handle, Sizes 10", 1", 6", 8" 9", 10" 12", 4.5", 7", 7" (17cm) Deba. Selecting a chef’s knife has a lot to do with personal preference, but we’re confident that the Mac Mighty MTH-80 is one of the most widely appealing knives out there. Subscribe to the CNET Now newsletter for our editors’ picks of the most important stories of the day. Global’s design is also unique: the handle and blade are made of a single piece of high-carbon steel, and the handle is filled with sand to weight it. German knives are known for being sturdy and long-lasting, but does this brand live up to the hype? The $50 , which seems like a natural winner given its reasonable price tag and similar design to the more expensive Wusthof classic, really disappointed me. All that said, the Zwilling’s cuts were consistently clean, it felt comfortable in my hand, and for $50, I’d be more than happy to add this knife to my kitchen. October 2, 2020. Its belly is also comfortably rounded, which makes the rocking motion while mincing feel natural. But a chef’s knife is an investment. Wusthof also produces stamped knives, but forged knives are of higher quality as they are precision-forged from a single piece of steel. Check the current prices of Wusthof Classic knives on Amazon and SurLaTable.com. Category: Wusthof Knives. Each Wusthof Classic knife features a computer controlled cutting edge to ensure the final edge of the blade is precise and uniform from the tip to the heel. The chef's knife is the most commonly used knife in almost every kitchen. J.A. Like the Wusthof and Mac knives, Global’s 8-inch option is well-balanced and meets all your usual mise en place needs. The Zwilling Gourmet is a stamped blade, rather than a forged one, which means it likely won’t hold its edge as long as the Wusthof. That makes almost every type of prep, from slicing and dicing to mincing and chicken boning, feel awkward at best and dangerous at worst. But for a tool you use in … The Wusthof PEtec angle and tapered cutting edge reduces drag when slicing foods, allowing for seamless and effortless cutting. $80.56. Mac Chef Series HB-70 is a popular and one of the more expensive options. Here are the best chef's knives we tested ranked, in order: Zwilling Pro 8" Chef's Knife (38401-203) Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife (5.2063.20) Mac Professional Series 8" Chef's Knife With Dimples (MTH-80) Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8" Cook's Knife (4596/20) Shun Classic 8" Chef's Knife … Mercer, Zwilling and to a lesser degree,  offered solid performance and well-balanced products for beginners looking for a bargain (Victorinox gets a lot of love online for its price tag and balance, but it’s more expensive than the $16 Mercer and not quite as well balanced). Best chef’s knives for 2020: Wusthof, Mac, Global and more. The 8" size is the most common for households while a 9-10" size is preferred in most professional kitchens. It doesn’t have the heel of a heavier-duty knife like the Wusthof or J.A. Henckels Classic, but it’s well-balanced and makes clean cuts on tomatoes and herbs, makes quick work of dicing onions and breaks down a chicken with relative ease. No, I’m not exaggerating — this is a super sharp knife. Our runner-up from Mac Knife is the Professional Series Hollow Edge 8-inch Chef’s Knife that has 86% of the 245 reviews giving it 5 stars. Wusthof Classic Chef Knife, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Mac Chef Series HB-70 [ 4.8 vs 4.6 ]. As for the blade? The Wusthof was my favorite before I got my hands on the Mac, but after this Japanese-style knife arrived, I found myself turning to it for all my basic needs. Henckels. ... Gordon Ramsay knife set recommendations are a Chef's knife, paring, carving and serrated. Wusthof Classic Chef Knife is $46.96 more expensive than the average chef's knife ($32.99). Since you’re going to be using it a lot, a chef’s knife should be a pleasure to use — properly weighty, but not heavy enough to make using it tiring; well balanced between the handle. Beyond its measurable performance with various foods, I approached each knife as a package — experiencing how its weight and balance came together to create an experience that either felt intuitive or awkward. But a chef’s knife … The Chef's knife is an indispensable all-purpose kitchen knife … Mac’s most popular chef knife is perfectly balanced, so you never feel at risk of losing control of the blade. Durable, since it gets so much use; and, of course, consistently sharp. Most high-quality kitchen knives feature a tang, which is the part of the steel blade that runs through the handle of the knife… Here’s a look at a Wusthof Classic chef’s knife with a bolster (top) and a Wusthof Gourmet knife without a bolster (bottom): Wusthof Classic Knives Feature a Full Exposed Tang. It’s another workhorse of a knife, but its butt is heavier than it should be, so heavy prep gets tiring, and mincing feels awkward. This Japanese-style chef’s knife lies at the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to price, but it rests at the top of most best lists online for a reason: it’s a fantastic product. It’s versatile and comfortable, and its high-carbon steel forged blade will keep a sharp edge as well as nearly any other knife — Mac and Global excluded — in this price range. Go to awesomeness ranking Go to consumer score ranking Wusthof Classic Chef Knife … In fact, you’ll likely want to invest in a knife sharpener to get a sharp edge once you buy a chef’s knife. Williams Sonoma's professional chef knives are an essential for preparing any meal. It is a multi-purpose tool that can be used on most fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Emilee Geist. I wrote about knife sharpeners in a separate story. While I gave my assessments above, everyone will have their own slight preferences — the Mac felt best to me, but if I ate more meat and denser veggies, I would probably lean toward Wusthof as the more robust blade. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This Japanese knife has a 2.5 mm blade that is rust-resistant and made out of high-carbon Molybdenum steel, which is known to have better edge-retention when compared to other knives. Mac Knives The World's Sharpest Knives used by the World's Greatest Chefs. It’s well-balanced and honestly felt the most like an extension of my arm as I prepped various veggies, fruits and meats in my tests. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Of these knives, three were the clear leaders, most others were solidly designed and only one stood out as really bad. A good knife … In short, don’t buy this knife. Wusthof Classic Chef Knife is a very popular option on the higher end of the price range. This website displays data from third party public sources. I wanted to approach the procedures as the average home cook would, focusing on general use and experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read Time : 12 Minutes. The data presented is for information purposes only. So take your time, figure out exactly what you need from your chef’s knife, and make an investment. Our procedures blended five tests — slicing tomatoes, dicing onions, mincing leafy herbs, chopping carrots and breaking down chickens — each with a 1-to-10 rating, with more general use and observation. This knife is top-to-bottom one of the best available at a reasonable price. Grab your cutting board and tomatoes — we’re diving in! 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