The 10 Best Knife Sets of 2026, Ranked

A set is worth it if you are starting a kitchen or replacing a drawer of mismatched knives. Most people use a chef's knife, a bread knife and a paring knife daily, so a three-knife set or one good chef's knife plus two cheap ones can serve you better. A 13-piece block often pads the count with steak knives and scissors you may never need.

Three do most of the work: a 20cm chef's knife, a serrated bread knife and a 9cm paring knife. Add a utility knife (12 to 15cm) for sandwiches and fruit, and a carving or slicing knife if you roast joints. Five or six well-chosen knives cover nearly everything, and extra pieces are usually filler.

Forged knives are shaped from a single piece of heated steel. They are heavier, have a thick bolster and tend to hold an edge longer, and they cost more. Stamped knives are cut from a sheet, so they are lighter and cheaper, with a thinner spine. Forged suits those who like weight behind the cut. Stamped suits smaller hands and tight budgets.

They keep an edge going between proper sharpens, which suits people who never pick up a whetstone. Each pull through a ceramic slot or wheel removes a little steel, so a block does not replace a sharpen by a professional every year or two. Ninja, Tefal and ZWILLING all use some form of it. Expect it to hold up for a few years of home use.

Some are listed as dishwasher safe, such as the Stellar knives and the Kuhn Rikon block parts, but most makers still advise hand washing. Dishwashers knock blades against other items, and the heat and hard water dull and spot the steel. Ninja, Tefal, Tower, Viners and Joseph Joseph say hand wash only. A quick wash and dry after use keeps an edge longest.

For daily cooking, hone the edge every few weeks and sharpen properly once or twice a year, depending on steel and use. Softer stamped blades go dull sooner than harder forged steel. Self-sharpening blocks handle the honing. A whetstone gives the best result for those willing to learn it. A set with a plain, symmetrical edge suits left-handed and right-handed cooks alike.