Best kitchen knives 2025: tried and tested for chopping, slicing and dicing

The best kitchen knives make cooking easier, and a chef's knife is the most important – a large, general-purpose knife no kitchen should be without. 

We've tested the most popular chef's knives from well-known brands, including Global, Victorinox, Robert Welch and ProCook, costing from £5 upwards. After precisely measuring their sharpness and plenty of chopping, we can reveal the best chef's knife for every task.

Four knives stood out and bagged our Best Buy recommendation – they cut effortlessly and were the most comfortable to use. 

We've also found two Great Value knives that cost less than £20.

The kitchen knives we tested

The biggest brands and the most popular 10 chef's knives are listed below.

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A selection of the kitchen knives we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best kitchen knives from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

Global GS-3 Stainless Steel Cooks Knife

Available from Harts of Stur (£83.95) and Nisbets (£98.99) 

Most recently tested January 2024

Blade size we tested 13cm – also available in 11cm, 16cm, 18cm

Need to know 114g, not dishwasher-safe

Ikea 365+ Cook's knife

Available from Ikea (£19)

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 20cm – also available in 16cm

Need to know 250g, not dishwasher-safe

John Lewis Classic Cook's Knife

Only available John Lewis (£30)

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 20cm – also available in 15cm

Need to know 163g, dishwasher-safe

Katto Chef's knife

Available from Katto (£150)

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 20cm

Need to know 225g, not dishwasher-safe

ProCook Damascus 67 Santoku Knife

Available from ProCook (£109)

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 18cm – also available in 13cm

Need to know 199g, not dishwasher-safe

Stock your kitchen with more quality essentials – see our best knife sets

Robert Welch Signature Cook's Knife

Most recently tested January 2024

Blade size we tested 16cm – also available in 12cm, 14cm, 18cm, 20cm, 25cm

Need to know 175g, dishwasher-safe

Sabatier Ideal Chef's Knife

Available from Knives and Tools (£59.49)

Most recently tested January 2024

Blade size we tested 20cm – also available in 15cm, 25cm

Need to know 169g, not dishwasher-safe

Tefal Eversharp Chef Knife & Integrated Sharpener

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 20cm

Need to know 148g, not dishwasher-safe

Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife

Available from Kitchen Knives (£20.99) and Nisbets (£19.99)

Most recently tested January 2024

Blade size we tested 15cm – also available in 13cm, 19cm, 20cm

Need to know 81g, dishwasher-safe

Wüsthof Classic Cooks Knife 

Available from Kitchen Knives (£139) and Borough Kitchen (£99)

Most recently tested December 2025

Blade size we tested 16cm – also available in 12cm, 14cm, 18cm, 20cm, 23cm, 26cm

Need to know 179g, not dishwasher-safe

More kitchen knives from our tests

Here are the rest of the 10 chef's knives we've tested, listed in alphabetical order.

How we test chef's knives

We choose the bestselling chef's knives at UK retailers to test. We buy all the knives we test and put them through their paces to find the best chef knife.

After testing knives for a few years, we now place more importance on comfort and ease of use than we did when we first started testing. This is because our tests found that there can be variations in sharpness out of the box and after use. 

We regularly revisit the chef's knives on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing. When we find them, we do.

• Comfort A panel of testers use each of the knives to slice up carrot batons and rate how comfortable the handles feel when chopping. 
• Ease of use Each knife is used to dice half an onion, mince one garlic clove, julienne half a large carrot and slice through a butternut squash. We rate how easy they are to use for each task.
• Sharpness out of the box Before chopping, we measure the sharpness of each knife out of the box using a sharpness tester scale. 
• Sharpness after use After the cutting tasks are complete, we measure the sharpness of the knife again using a sharpness tester scale. We calculate the difference between the sharpness out of the box and the sharpness after use to assess how durable the knife edge is. 
• Long-term use Our panel of testers continue to use our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations at home to see if the knives are hard-wearing.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

What is a chef's knife used for?

A chef's knife is a large, general-purpose kitchen knife, usually 12cm to 20cm long, with a blade that curves upwards along its length and ends in a narrow point. Despite the name, you don’t have to be a professional chef to benefit from one. 

According to professional chef James Adams – owner of specialist shop Knives for Chefs – you only need three knives to start your collection, with a chef’s knife being the most important. 

'It’s an all-rounder, handling everything from mincing delicate herbs to chopping large vegetables,' says James. "If you’re going to invest in a knife, this is the one to spend money on."

He also recommends getting a paring knife and a peeler, but there’s no need to splurge – inexpensive ones work fine. 

How to sharpen your chef’s knife

Keeping your knife sharp makes cooking both easier and safer. 

Find the right sharpening method

There are several ways to sharpen a knife. 'For beginners, a pull-through sharpener is the easiest option, as it doesn't require learning an exact angle,' explains James Adams. 'With practice, however, anyone can master using a honing rod or whetstone.' 

While you’re learning, he suggests practising on a cheaper knife first to build confidence.

Our knife sharpener guide has step-by-step instructions on each type. 

For easy and effective sharpening, use a Best Buy knife sharpener – see our reviews of the best knife sharpeners.

When to sharpen 

With proper care, James says you can wait about six months before the first sharpening, and then every three months thereafter.

How to care for your knives

• Avoid glass chopping boards, which blunt knives quickly
• Handwash knives in soapy water and dry immediately
• Never use a dishwasher as heat can chip the blade and damage wooden handles

Pair your new knife with our best chopping boards 

Japanese vs European kitchen knives

When choosing a kitchen knife, you'll most likely be deciding between Japanese or European styles. While their uses are largely the same, some key differences set them apart:

Japanese kitchen knives:

• Have thinner blades.
• Often don't have bolsters (where the blade meets the handle).
• Are made of harder steel.
• Have a blade that's usually straighter and therefore more suited to slicing.
• Are normally light and well-balanced (neither too light or heavy).

European (also known as German) kitchen knives:

• Have thicker blades.
• Are considered more robust, especially towards the bolster, which they're more likely to have.
• Normally have softer steel than Japanese knives.
• Are normally heavier than Japanese knives.