The 4 Best Knife Sets, According to Our Sharpest Tests

“Wait, I thought Serious Eats doesn’t like knife sets?”

Yep, you’ve caught us. We see you fumbling to open another tab, ready to search for that article where we told you the best knife set is the one you make yourself—but there’s no need. We’re not denying anything. 

Most of us do prefer to pick and choose our knives, but there’s a convenience (and sometimes value) in purchasing knives as a set. And because we’re committed to the truth in the kitchen, we decided it was high time to bring in some blocks and put a few—okay, 21—knife sets through their paces. We judged each set not only on its sharpness and quality, but on how every knife felt in hand. And, sure, we gave out a few bonus points for pleasing aesthetics. 

The competition was stiff, but four knife sets emerged victorious—and with them, our humble acceptance that sometimes the sharpest tool isn’t found in the drawer. 

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Knife Set

Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block

View on Wusthof.com

These German-made knives have a full tang—that means the blade extends the entire length of the knife, including through the handle—making them feel sturdy and well-balanced in the hand. The chef’s knife in particular was a pleasure to use, slicing cleanly through a sheet of paper without hesitation.

The Other Best Knife Set

Misen 7-Piece Knife Set

View on Misen.com

Misen’s knives offer more than just pretty blue (or red, or black) handles—they have sharp, precise blades with a reassuring heft. This is a minimalist, user-friendly set that we’ll keep reaching for long after we’ve filed our testing notes.

The Best Value Knife Set

Zwilling Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$280 at Amazon $560 $280 at Target $280 at Sur La Table

Fun fact: Zwilling knives are made in the same German town (Solingen) as Wüsthof. Even more fun is the exceptional value this 10-piece set provides. We were especially fond of the paring knife (when’s the last time you enjoyed hulling a strawberry?) and the bread knife, which glided through crusty bread without spraying crumbs everywhere. 

The Best Large Knife Set

Cangshan 12-Piece Maya Block Set

$700 at Williams Sonoma

This knife set is large in both quantity and footprint, but we think it’s well worth the counter space. The Cangshan Maya knives were lighter than we expected, yet when paired with their satisfying octagonal grip, this made them easier to use without fatigue.

The Tests

• Sharpness Reading: We used the Edge-On-Up Professional Edge Tester to measure how sharp each knife’s blade was prior to use. We measured each blade three times to calculate an average sharpness factor.
• Chef’s Knife: We tested the chef’s knife (usually an 8-inch blade) from each knife set to assess performance and ease of use. The chef’s knives were put to work slicing through a sheet of paper, coring and slicing a beefsteak tomato, dicing an onion, mincing garlic, and cubing sweet potatoes. 
• Bread/Serrated Knife: Bread knife performance and usability were tested by slicing a loaf of sourdough bread and cubing two stacked pieces of plain white sandwich bread.
• Paring Knife: Paring knives were assessed on their effectiveness in slicing a sheet of paper, hulling strawberries, and peeling a kiwi.
• Kitchen Shears: Shears were tested on their ability to cut through a bunch of chives, as well as through the skin, meat, joints, and cartridge of chicken wings.
• Cleaning: After each test, of course, knives and shears were thoroughly washed and dried. 

Why Haven’t We Recommended Knife Sets In the Past? 

It’s not that we’re outright opposed to knife sets—we just think that, for most home cooks, you’ll get the greatest bang for your buck when choosing individual knives based on the ones you actually need. 

There are three knives we consider essential:

• A chef’s knife—and we’ve tested loads of them—will suffice for most kitchen tasks. If you’re on a budget, have limited space, or simply prefer a no-frills approach to your cooking gear, you can totally get away with having just one really great chef’s knife. 
• Paring knives are useful for more delicate tasks where a chef’s knife might feel unwieldy. For jobs like trimming vegetables or mincing shallots, we like a 3-to-4-inch blade.
• Meanwhile, a serrated bread knife is great for crusty loaves, ultra-ripe tomatoes, or winter squashes that take a little elbow grease to break into. The confident bite of a bread knife’s serrated blade helps avoid the tearing, smooshing, or slipping that can happen with a conventional blade. 

Other specialty knives—like carving knives, boning knives, cleavers, or santoku knives— fall into the nice-to-have-but-aren’t-a-must category. They’re not always found in most knife sets, so you’d likely be ordering those a la carte regardless. 

When Does Buying a Knife Set Make More Sense?

Purchasing knives one by one may be our preference, but sometimes it makes more sense to buy a set. 

• If you’re new to cooking and haven’t yet figured out your preference for blade length and handle comfort, a set can be useful for experimenting. 
• A knife set can be handy for families or communal households where more than one person is likely to be in the kitchen at any given time. Likewise for entertaining, because more knives offer more choices for more hands.
• If you’re on a budget, buying a mid-range knife set can be more affordable than selecting individual knives. 

What We Learned

The Great Debate: It’s Not That Deep

Whether you’re Team Knife Set or Team Self-Curation, there’s no denying that today’s knife companies do a fantastic job of offering consumers high-quality knives in various styles. Knife sets are convenient and can save you money. Choose a reputable brand with sharp, well-built knives and we won’t talk you out of buying them as a set. 

The BESS Scale is Useful (and Uncomplicated)

That Edge-On-Up sharpness tester we mentioned uses a standard known as BESS: the Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale. It records how much pressure is necessary for a blade to cut through a thin wire: a lower score means less pressure, which means a sharper blade. Using an Edge-On-Up tester allowed us to assess sharpness with science rather than subjectivity. We've done this for all of our knife reviews (save for serrated knives because, well, that would be difficult).

More Isn’t Always More

When considering which knife set to buy, don’t get hung up on quantity. A 24-piece set means nothing if the blades are dull, the handles are uncomfortable, or the shears fall apart after one snip through cooking twine. That’s why we evaluated each knife set not only on sharpness, but also on versatility and quality. We wanted to feel confident that the sets we recommend are filled with well-balanced, ergonomic tools that are safe and comfortable to work with—and that you’ll genuinely use.

Looks Matter (at Least a Little)

Since most knife sets are sold with a storage block or stand, it’s nice if the thing doesn’t look awful. Aesthetics are subjective, but we do think it’s fair to say that higher-quality knives perform better and look better.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Knife Set

Functionality is key in any kitchen tool, and a knife set is no exception. A good knife set should include a variety of useful knives: at minimum, a chef’s knife, a paring knife, a serrated or bread knife, and a pair of kitchen shears. Avoid knife sets with extras you’re unlikely to use, and remember that above all, knives should have sharp blades and ergonomic handles. Dull blades or flimsy handles can be dangerous. Knives should always inspire confidence, not trepidation. 

Our Favorite Knife Sets

The Best Knife Set

Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block

View on Wusthof.com

What we liked: This is a well-constructed, versatile set of knives. It comes with two serrated blades and we especially enjoyed the longer, 9-inch double serrated one, which tackled crusty loaves of bread with such ease that it was actually fun to use. The 8-inch chef’s knife—which sliced cleanly through a sheet of paper without tearing—had a pleasing heft. We enjoyed slicing through dense sweet potatoes and mincing garlic with minimal effort. The chef’s knife scored an average 168.33 on the BESS scale, which puts it in the same range of sharpness as a utility razor blade—pretty impressive if you ask us. Factor in the full tang design, sturdy handles, and heavy wood construction of the included block, and Wüsthof is an impressive competitor with this classic 10-piece set.

What we didn’t like: Cooks with small hands may find the weight and bulky grip of these knives cumbersome. The kitchen shears come apart a little too easily—while it’s not ideal for breaking down a chicken, it is useful for cleaning.

Key Specs

• Knives included: 2.75-inch peeling knife, 4-inch paring knife, 5-inch serrated utility knife, 9-inch double serrated bread knife, 8-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch carving knife
• Kitchen shears included: Yes
• Special pieces: 6-inch meat fork, 9-inch honing steel 
• Storage block or stand included: Yes
• Block dimensions: 12.5 x 4.4 x 12 inches

The Other Best Knife Set

Misen 7-Piece Knife Set

View on Misen.com

What we liked: Misen’s knives are some of the nicest we’ve used. Each is well-balanced and we love the feel of the stone-like handles, the seamless transition from rivets to bolster, and—of course—the high-quality blades. The Misen chef’s knife is right there with Wüsthof on the BESS scale, clocking in at 173.33 and giving us the ability to create paper-thin tomato slices. The serrated knife and the paring knife handled their tasks (slicing bread and hulling strawberries, respectively) with ease, but the kitchen shears were the real standout piece. The Misen shears cut from joint to wing tip with almost no effort, even slicing through bone with surprisingly minimal force. While this knife set does not come with a storage block, it is a great choice for the minimalist kitchen. And you can always pick up a magnetic knife strip as a storage alternative. 

What we didn’t like: The chef’s knife did rip the tomato skin before we were able to make thin slices.

Key Specs

• Knives Iincluded: 5-inch serrated knife, 8-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch santoku knife, 5.5-inch utility knife, 3.5-inch paring knife
• Kitchen shears included: Yes
• Special pieces: Ceramic honing rod
• Storage block or stand included: No
• Block dimensions: N/A

The Best Value Knife Set

Zwilling Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$280 at Amazon $560 $280 at Target $280 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Given the comprehensive variety of blades and reasonable price point, this knife set offers great value from a respected brand. Most of the weight in the chef’s knife rested in the blade, which was easy to control when slicing tomatoes and mincing garlic. We recorded a 251.67 on the BESS scale with the chef’s knife—the BESS scale rates this sharpness between utility razor blades and new high-end cutlery edges—while the paring knife came in at 193.33. Both blades sliced cleanly through a sheet of paper. Finally, we enjoyed using the bread knife, which made quick work of a crusty loaf without tearing or shattering the crust. For budget buyers or anyone just starting out in the kitchen, the Zwilling Gourmet set is an excellent choice. 

What we didn’t like: We wish the handle of the chef’s knife had a bolster for added stability. The smaller, 2.5- and 3-inch knives are very lightweight and feel cheaper than the chef’s knife. The kitchen shears are effective, but they don’t come apart for easy cleaning. 

Key Specs

• Knives included: 2.5-inch peeling knife, 3-inch vegetable knife, 4-inch paring knife, 5-inch serrated utility knife, 6-inch slicing knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch chef’s knife
• Kitchen shears included: Yes
• Special pieces: 9” honing steel 
• Storage block or stand included: Yes
• Block dimensions: 14.17 x 6.39 x 6.10 inches
  

The Best Large Knife Set

Cangshan 12-Piece Maya Block Set

$700 at Williams Sonoma

What we liked: We were blown away by how much we enjoyed using these Cangshan Maya knives. Every knife in the set is a joy, though we have a special fondness for the bread knife, which we might even describe as “magical” if pressed. It simply glides through even the crustiest of crusts—no shattering, tearing, or squishing. The chef’s knife is the sharpest of our four winners, rocking up at 155 on the BESS scale and slicing through tomatoes with little more than the weight of the blade. The kitchen shears snipped right through chives, moving easily through the skin, bone, and cartilage of chicken wings. We’re confident these shears could break down a whole chicken. This set really impressed us. 

What we didn’t like: This set has a substantial footprint, so it won’t be a good fit in every kitchen. That said, the design is narrower than traditional knife blocks, which may allow it to fit in smaller spaces than expected. 

Key Specs

• Knives included: 3.5-inch paring knife, 5-inch serrated utility knife, 7-inch santoku knife, 8-inch chef’s knife, 9-inch bread knife, four 5-inch steak knives
• Kitchen shears included: Yes
• Special pieces: 9-inch honing steel
• Storage block or stand included: Yes
• Block Dimensions: 9.75 x 6.67 x 9-5 inches

The Competition

• HexClad 7-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set: This is a good set of knives overall from the company that is known for their hybrid cookware. However, the lack of kitchen shears and middling bread knife stopped it from earning a spot on our winners list.
• Miyabi Birchwood SG2 7-Piece Knife Block Set: These Miyabi knives are lovely and we have no complaints about their performance, but the price point puts them squarely in the “splurge” category. 
• Wüsthof Classic Ikon 10-Piece Knife Block Set: This is another great set from Wüsthof, though we didn’t think the Classic Ikon edged out the Classic set enough to justify the additional cost. 
• Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set: We loved the chef’s knife here, but the kitchen shears felt cheap and considerably mismatched in quality to the rest of the set. 
• Shun Classic 9-Piece Chef’s Choice Block Set: We were incredibly impressed with this knife set, and we do recommend it if you’ve got $1,500 to spare. 
• Shun Premier 8-Piece Knife Block Set: This is also a nice set of knives, though we weren’t as thrilled by the Shun Premier chef’s knife as we were with the (pricey, sigh) Shun Classic version.
• Chicago Cutlery Halsted 7-Piece Modular Block Set: At less than $100, this set is about as budget-friendly as it gets. These knives may not last a lifetime, but they’re a darn good value, nevertheless.
• GreenPan Premiere Titanium 8-Piece Knife Block Set: Though not to everyone’s aesthetic preference, GreenPan makes a solid set of knives. These knives neither disappointed nor wildly impressed us.
• All-Clad 7-Piece Knife Block Set: We were largely pleased with All-Clad’s knives, but feel that the lack of a proper bread knife is a miss. 
• Ninja NeverDull 12-Piece Premium Knife System: Performance of the other blades aside, we couldn’t get over a 12-piece set not including a serrated knife.
• Global Takashi 10-Piece Knife Block Set: These are nice knives, though you’ll want to regularly hone the blades to keep them at optimal sharpness.
• Victorinox Swiss Classic 10-Piece Knife Block Set: We can’t recommend this set. The handles are awkwardly small and the quality just isn’t where it should be for the price point.
• Beautiful 12-Piece Knife Block Set: Though respectable if you’re perusing specs, scoring 325 on the BESS scale made this chef’s knife the worst-performing one we tested.  
• Messermeister Meridian Elite 8-Piece Magnet Block Set: This knife set looks cool with its arched block design, but that’s about the highest praise we can offer in light of lackluster blades and an absence of both kitchen shears and a serrated knife.
• Henckels Dynamic 7-Piece Knife Block Set: We were surprised by the lack of quality from this brand. The handles felt cheap and the blades were not especially sharp.
• Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set: These may be Wüsthof knives, but they felt too entry-level for our liking. The paring knife performed well, though.
• Viking Full-Forged German Steel 10-Piece Knife Block Set: Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any redeeming qualities about this knife set. The knives were unpleasant to work with as they felt cheap and unbalanced.

FAQs

What knives are included in a knife set?

Included knives and other tools will vary from set to set depending on brand, quality, and price point, but a good knife set will have a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife. We like to see a pair of kitchen shears, too. 

What are the essential knives?

The essential knives are the ones we look for first in a knife set: an 8-inch chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. 

How do you care for a knife set?

Though it’s tempting to toss them in the dishwasher, knives should always be washed by hand and dried thoroughly before returning them to the storage block or drawer. The harsh conditions of a dishwasher—high temperatures, detergents, other items clanging around—can cause knives to corrode or incur damage to the blade. If your knife set includes a wooden block, treat it with the same oil or wax you use to care for your chopping boards to keep it looking fresh. 

Why We’re the Experts

• For this review, we tested a whopping 21 knife sets from the most popular, respect brands on the market. 
• Summer Rylander is a freelancer based in Nuremberg, Germany.
• Her work has also appeared in Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Salon, HuffPost, and more.
• She has written numerous reviews for Serious Eats, including skillets and portable charcoal grills.