What Are the Best Kitchen Knife Brands?
If the knife is sharp and comfortable enough to work, you can chop the ingredients faster with more safety and control. But the configuration of knives and the material determine your cutting qualities.
Japanese knives are made from hard steel which is used for precision cuts whereas German knives are robust enough to cut the bones. So, the efficiencies differ from brand to brand. Check out the best kitchen knife brands to meet your demands.
How To Choose the Best Kitchen Knife Brand For You?
German knives and Japanese knives – are the two main categories to choose from. German knife brands like the Wusthof are heavy and thick, especially at the bolster. These knives can be used for everything from chopping onions to cutting through chicken bones. They have thicker blades that are made from softer steel. On the contrary, Japanese knives like the MAC are lightweight and tend to have thinner blades and straighter edges for precise tasks. They are made from harder steel which is prone to chipping or cracking. So, it can be more difficult to sharpen once it does get dull. But the softer alloy can be easier to re-sharpen, and therefore better for heavy-duty jobs.
So, if you’re going for a knife brand, ask where it falls on the Rockwell Hardness Scale as low to mid-50s is on the softer end, and mid-50s to low 60s is harder.
The Santoku knife features dimples on the blade to prevent food from sticking.
Also, check the balance between the blade and handle because the wrong one can put a strain on your wrist.
The bolster is the thick portion of metal where the blade and handle meet which ensures proper strength and stability to a knife. However, Japanese-style knives have no bolster at all.
The handle is also a crucial part as it ensures enough clearance for comfort and security.
When buying a knife, spot-check the spine and edge for defects. Hold the handle with the edge facing downward and look along the spine to ensure that the blade is perfectly straight or not.
Next, turn the knife over and check the edge. If you see any light reflecting back at you, it means a roll spot in the factory edge.
6 Best Kitchen Knife Brands
Let’s check out the famous knife brands and choose one for your daily tasks
MAC Knife
The MAC knife speaks of Japanese Craftsmanship with a razor-sharp edge, comfortable handles, and great balance. This brand has been serving professional cooks and cooking enthusiasts throughout the world with their knives since 1964.
Its straight-cutting MAC edge is a hybrid between the traditional Japanese single-beveled chisel edge (Kataba) and the Western V-shaped edge (Ryoba) with an angle of around 30 degrees (15 degrees per side). This edge is the ultimate combination of sharpness and control, allowing both thin slicing and straight cuts. MAC blades are made from rust-resistant Molybdenum High-Carbon cutlery steel produced by professional craftsmen in Seki City, renowned for superior sword manufacturing since the Middle Ages. The specialty is that the blades are hand-ground and hand-sharpened on water-cooled stones, so the thin razor-sharp blades are sharper and stay sharp longer than other leading knife brands. The steel has optimal hardness between 57º and 61º Rockwell C and is still easy to re-sharpen.
Wusthof
Wusthof, a family-owned company, was established in 1814 in Solingen, Germany. Throughout history, Wusthof has focused on steps to complete each precision forged knife from a single blank of high carbon steel, with exacting proportions of carbon, chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium.
The Wusthof Classic knives go through a 40-step process before they hit the store shelves.
Out of the factory, the edge of these knives is sharpened at a 14-degree angle on each side (28 degrees total), which is exceptionally sharp.
Wusthof Gourmet Collection is made from a sheet of steel with advanced laser technology excellent edge retention and easy re-sharpening. The unique single-piece poly handle is triple-riveted to the tang for superior durability.
The trimmed bolster makes this knife easy to resharpen and maintain. The pebble-grain textured poly handle is permanently bonded to the extended tang for a no-slip grip. If we look at the classic Ikon Collection, it features a modern design with a double bolster.
The Epicure series is a collaborative achievement between marketing and engineering teams based in the USA and Germany as well as industrial designer Bjorn Berger from Solingen, Germany. The blades feature a translucent ceramic coating on the entire surface to increase hardness, enhance corrosion resistance, and protect the blade’s surface from scratches. This dynamic and modern new blade shape is tempered to 58 Rockwell Hardness. The 14-degree PEtec blade edge on each side with laser-guided precision is 20% sharper, lasting twice as long. The handle has the same wood composite material found in Epicurean cutting boards, ergonomically crafted for optimum comfort, and sculpted to reduce fatigue while looking beautiful in the kitchen.
Victorinox
Victorinox is Europe’s largest knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. It was founded in 1884, which is 138 years ago, and named Messerfabrik Carl Elsener.
Then, on 2 January 1979, it was named Victorinox AG. It is well known for its budget-friendly knives. The knives made by Victorinox are made of proprietary blend steel from Germany and France.
The Fibrox Pro 8-inch Knife is one of the best knives you can buy without breaking your bank. Its ergonomically shaped plastic handle appeals to most people. Its maneuverability and comfortable feel are appreciable.
The handle of proprietary Fibrox material is textured to provide a nonslip grip and ergonomic feel for most large hands.
Tojiro
The TOJIRO knives started their business by making stainless steel fruit knife that was released in 1955.
Tsubame, where TOJIRO is located, is a metal-processing industrial cluster area known as “Tsubame-Sanjo”.
This brand has delivered products from the representative production area of Japan to the world.
They use clad steel as the material in the production. The knives are forged. They take advantage of the quality of clad steel and merge modern technology by stamping the steel for high production efficiency.
If you like to add a Japanese gyuto knife to your collection, the Tojiro DP F-808 is a superb choice. With its hard steel with a sharp edge and affordable price, this knife is one of the best deals on Japanese-made knives. The flat belly curve is excellent for fine cuts and paper-thin slices of vegetables and meat.
J. A. Henckels
Zwilling J. A. Henckels AG is a German knife brand founded in June 1731 by Peter Henckels and situated in Solingen, Germany. It is one of the biggest and oldest manufacturers of kitchen knives for residential and professional use. It is also one of the leading manufacturers of chef’s knives. Some Henckels branded knives are made in Spain and China.
J. A. Henckels opened the first trading outlet in 1818 in Berlin And the company was awarded an international knife smithing metal.
In 1976 Henckels introduced The Four Star line. It is a fully forged knife with a molded handle made of polypropylene and a tang extending into the handle. The blades constructed from high-carbon stainless steel are ice-hardened for sharpness and stain resistance. Some products are constructed using microcarbide powder steel with clad layers.
This hardening process goes through cryogenic tempering and involves immersing the finished knife blades in liquid nitrogen. The forging is intended to produce improved cutting-edge retention, weight, balance, and reduced opportunity for metal fatigue.
Shun
Shun’s parent company, KAI Group, was founded in 1908 in Seki City, Japan.
In 2002, the KAI Group founded Shun Cutlery and it became a pioneer in bringing Japanese-style blades to the rest of the world.
The blades are thinner and sharper offering exceptional precision.
The knives have gorgeous and functional designs that are handcrafted, following a process of over 100 steps, ultra-sharp edges, and superior edge retention.
Final Words
So, did you find your best kitchen knife brand? You can go for the harder steel or softer steel according to your needs. Let us know which one is on your list.
