What Is the Best Chef Knife Set for Home Cooks?
Are you looking for the best chef knife set for your kitchen? There are many sets available through online retailers that choosing the best option can leave you feeling frustrated and confused.
A high-quality knife set is a kitchenware essential. Any professional chef will tell you about the importance of having a reliable, sharp knife for their meal prep. You deserve the same experience in your kitchen, without the need to pay hundreds of dollars for your set.
This post unpacks everything you need to know about chef knife sets. We’ll look at the leading manufacturers and make recommendations on the best knife set for your kitchen.
What Brand Knives Do Professional Chefs Use?
There are dozens of brands offering hundreds of products. However, the best chef knife sets come from Japanese and German manufacturers. These countries have rich legacy’s in knifemaking, with many master artisans creating unique product ranges.
The Wüsthof knife set is an example of a top-quality German brand trusted by chefs in kitchens across Europe and the world. There are plenty of options for the best chef knife in the world, and deciding on the best is a personal choice.
However, it’s important to understand the differences between Japanese and German knife design. The traditional Japanese chef knives come with a single bevel design featuring one straight side and an angled side, which leads to the edge of the blade.
Most Japanese manufactures now issue the double-bevel design like its European counterpart. This blade design features two angled sides to accommodate the kitchenware needs of the western chef.
The primary difference between German and Japanese knife design is the edge angle, the blade shape, the thickness, weight, and the type of material used in its construction.
The Japanese chef’s knife is typically lightweight, while the German variants are heavier. As a result, the Japanese models have a thinner blade that’s easier to control in meal prep duties.
The straighter design and harder Japanese steel used in the blade’s construction make it agile to work with, providing clean slicing and precision cutting.
The German chef’s knife typically features a design with a heavier, curved blade. This design makes it easier to maneuver the knife in chopping and rocking motions.
The thicker blade and dual cutting angles make for accurate and powerful cuts, with the blade’s weight adding to the power of your cutting motion.
The German chef’s knife also features a thicker blade manufactured from softer steel. As a result of the design, you get optimal cutting power, allowing you to chop through bones.
While the German chef’s knife might suit heavy-duty chopping tasks in the kitchen, it also dulls faster than Japanese steel.
Therefore, you’ll need to ensure you get a sharpening tool with any German set you decide on purchasing.
Japanese knives feature design and construction with hard steel, providing less flex in the blade during use. However, the harder material provides accurate cutting and lasts much longer than the German option.
Typically, Japanese knives are of better quality, and they have a higher sticker price than German models.
What is the Best Chef Knife Set?
We think that the Misen “Essentials” chef knife collection is the best value for money. German and Japanese models dominate the market, and you can end up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a high-quality set.
However, with Misen, you get a Japanese steel construction, with a professional design and excellent kitchen performance.
Misen is a newcomer to the kitchenware and cookware market. Omar Rada founded the company in 2016 after securing funding for the development of his chef knife through a Kickstarter campaign.
The knife was a hit with chefs and home cooks across America, and Rada decided to expand the company’s offering into more kitchenware and cookware.
Misen manufactures its products in a factory outside of Shanghai, China. Before you start thinking that Chinese manufacturing means low-quality products – think again.
Misen relies on AICHI steel for its chef knives, which is the strongest and most durable steel available in knifemaking.
Misen provides a 15-degree blade angle for sharper cuts with better accuracy. The symmetrical grind offers a clean cut every time, and the knives come with a lifetime guarantee.
This top chef knife set comes in two options.
- 3-Piece Essentials Knife Set $130
This set comes with a Chef’s Knife, Serrated Knife, Paring Knife
- 5-Piece Essentials Knife Set $200
This set comes with a Chef’s Knife, Serrated Knife, Paring Knife, Santoku Knife, Utility Knife.
If you find yourself using knives often in the kitchen, and you fancy yourself as an amateur chef in the making, it’s a better idea to go with the 5-piece Essentials set.
You get the addition of the utility and Santoku knives with the 5-piece option. Both sets come with a knife bar included with your purchase for convenient, hygienic storage in your kitchen.
What are the Pros and Cons of the Misen Chef’s Knife?
Pros
- Affordable quality
- Direct-to-consumer sales for low prices
- 60-Day Knife Test Drive
- Lifetime Guarantee
- Free sharpening service
- Free Returns
- 3-colors available
Cons
- The brand only has a 4-year track record
What Does the Misen Chef’s Knife Cost?
The Misen Essentials knife sets are incredible value for money. The Misen Essentials knife collections retail at the following prices.
- 3-Piece Essentials Knife Set $130
- 5-Piece Essentials Knife Set $200
- Steak Knives $80 (4-piece) $120 (8-piece)
A single chef’s knife from a leading brand like Wüsthof can cost nearly $200. Why spend that kind of money when you can get an entire 5-piece set from Misen for the same price?
The Best Chef Knife Set –The Verdict
The Misen 5-piece Essentials Chef knife set is our top choice for the best overall chef’s knife set available. With this collection, you get five knives covering all the cutting tasks in your kitchen.
Misen offers you high-quality, affordable knives on par with the leading German and Japanese manufacturers. Why spend more money on a set when you get the best value from the Misen Essentials collection?