Prime cut: The best chef’s knives on the market

Ranking knives is a bit like ranking cars, the ‘best’ model is usually a matter of personal preference. If you’re going for a factory chef knife set, these are our top picks for chopping, slicing and dicing with reliability, comfort and performance in mind.

Faithful all-rounder:

Victorinox Grand Maître Forged Chef’s Knife 20cm

Want to win one of these? click here!

The Swiss-made Victorinox is a lesson in dependable functionality and there’s a certain beauty in its utilitarianism. A supremely practical tool, the blade is reasonably sharp and maintains that sharpness well. The cutting motion is helped along by the blade’s thin but weighty construction. Also practical is the handle, made of ergonomically-shaped synthetic material that offers excellent grip and sits comfortably in the hand.

Approx cost: $259

The workhorse:

Wusthof Classic 20cm Cook’s Knife

This traditional, weighty German-made knife does the hard work for you when it comes to chopping root vegetables and slicing through meat. The blade offers and maintains a good level of sharpness and can be returned to its factory edge fairly easily, which makes it a great everyday, every-job knife. Extra points for the comfortable non-slip handle.

Approx cost: $269

The featherweight:

Global G-2 20cm Cook’s Knife

The Japanese have long been known for making quality blades, which is probably why the Global G2 can be found in many a professional kitchen. The Cook’s Knife is made from an exclusively developed stainless steel that’s advertised as super-sharp, excellent for blade retention and is both rust-resistant and stain-resistant. And Global makes good on its promises. This knife is relatively lightweight, well-suited to smaller hands and can be returned to maximum sharpness easily. In the right hands this knife is nimble and efficient.

Approx cost: $119

The precision blade:

Korin Suisin High Carbon Steel Gyutou

If you’re looking for a razor-sharp edge, this gyutou is second to none. Korin’s high carbon steel Japanese-style chef’s knife cuts through almost anything, and with lightning precision. Of course, the carbon steel requires a little TLC – wipe it down after each use to avoid corrosion and you can keep showing off your knife skills for years to come.

Approx cost: $128

Beauty and brains:

Yaxell Gou Santoku Knife 16.5cm

Yaxell maintains its status as one of the world’s best factory knife makers with the Gou Santoku. The knife’s eye-watering price is earned through its function, durability and aesthetics. This knife retains its incredibly sharp edge with the right maintenance and will resist stains and corrosion. The strength and weight of the blade makes chopping light work, even through tough produce. This is because the knife’s core is wrapped in 80 layers of soft and hard alternated stainless steel on each side, so the blade is actually constructed of 161 layers, offering power and a
mesmerising Damascus pattern.

Approx cost: $300