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Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set review

No. 8 of 10 in our knife sets ranking · Updated · How we rank

Our verdict: The Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set ranks 8th of the 10 knife sets we compare, with 8.3 out of 10.

Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set

8.3/10

Five Japanese stainless steel knives sit in a slim bamboo tray that lives in a kitchen drawer. It suits cooks who want a clear worktop and have a drawer with room for the tray.

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Why it's here

  • In-drawer tray frees the worktop completely
  • Weighted steel handles with integrated rests that lift the blade off the board
  • Japanese stainless steel blades with a keen factory edge
  • Five knives from paring to bread, each with its own slot in the tray, so the right one is easy to find

Keep in mind

  • Needs a drawer deep enough for the tray
  • Hand wash only, and the tray should be wiped rather than soaked
  • Weighted handles put the balance towards the handle, which some cooks find odd
  • Dearer than block sets with the same number of knives

Why the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives scores 8.3

Each bar shows where it places among the 10 knife sets in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.

  • How happy owners are10th of 10
  • How many rated it7th of 10
  • How new it is3rd of 10

Why it sits behind the Viners Assure 6 Pce Knife Block Set 0305.217

The Viners Assure 6 Pce Knife Block Set 0305.217 (8.4) beats the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set (8.3) because it leaves owners a little happier. The Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set is the newer design, but not by enough to close the gap.

About the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives

The set has five knives: a 9cm paring knife, an 11cm serrated knife, a 14cm santoku, a 20cm chef's knife and a 20cm bread knife. The blades are Japanese stainless steel and the handles are weighted steel. Each handle has a built-in tool rest, a raised section that holds the blade off the surface when you put the knife down.

The knives go in a bamboo tray with non-slip feet, meant for a drawer instead of the worktop. John Lewis gives its size as 38 x 16 x 5.5cm, and lists the materials as stainless steel, bamboo and TPE. The set weighs 1.81kg.

Care is by hand. John Lewis words it as hand wash only and dry immediately, with the tray wiped clean with a damp cloth. The set is not dishwasher safe.

What owners report about the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives

There is little owner feedback for this exact set on UK retailer pages, so this is a thin picture. The owners we found are happy with the sharpness and say the knives are well made and easy to clean.

The tray gets credit for being solidly built and for keeping the knives out of sight in a drawer. One owner bought it as a gift and liked the look. Another skips the tray and hangs the knives on a magnetic wall strip, which suits a home with young children.

Value is the one mixed point: most owners rate it well on that, one less so. We found nothing on how the set holds up after months of use.

Who the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives suits

It suits people who want an empty worktop and have a drawer with room for a tray that is 38cm long, 16cm wide and 5.5cm high. The five knives cover paring, bread and general chopping, and each has its own slot.

Look elsewhere if you want a dishwasher-safe set, or a larger one with steak knives: the Ninja StaySharp 13-Piece Knife Block Set & Removable Sharpener is the bigger option. If you want a built-in sharpener, the Ninja Foodi StaySharp Knife Block with Integrated Sharpener K32006UK has one. Anyone who dislikes handle-weighted balance should hold one in a shop first.

Questions about the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives

Is the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set dishwasher safe?

No. John Lewis lists the set as not dishwasher safe: wash the knives by hand and dry them immediately, and wipe the bamboo tray with a damp cloth.

What knives come in the Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set?

Five: a 9cm paring knife, an 11cm serrated knife, a 14cm santoku, a 20cm chef's knife and a 20cm bread knife. They sit in a bamboo in-drawer tray.

How big is the Joseph Joseph in-drawer tray?

John Lewis gives 38 x 16 x 5.5cm overall. Measure the inside of your drawer against that before buying.

What are the Joseph Joseph knives made of?

The blades are Japanese stainless steel and the handles are weighted steel. John Lewis lists the full set as stainless steel, bamboo and TPE.

How do the Joseph Joseph knives keep the blade off the worktop?

Each handle has an integrated steel tool rest, a raised section near the blade that lifts the edge clear of the surface when you put the knife down.

Other knife set picks

The other badge winners in our knife sets ranking.

All 10 knife sets, compared

  1. 1 Ninja Foodi StaySharp Knife Block with Integrated Sharpener K32006UKBest Choice 9.5 Check Price
  2. 2 ZWILLING Gourmet 7-pcs Knife block set with KiS technology 36133-000-0Best Premium 9.1 Check Price
  3. 3 ZWILLING Four Star 7-pcs Knife block set with KiS technology 35145-000-0 8.9 Check Price
  4. 4 Tefal EverSharp Pro 6-Piece Knife Block Set K297S744Value for Money 8.7 Check Price
  5. 5 Tower Rose Gold 5 Piece Knife Set T81532RDBest Budget 8.7 Check Price
  6. 6 Ninja StaySharp 13-Piece Knife Block Set & Removable Sharpener 8.5 Check Price
  7. 7 Viners Assure 6 Pce Knife Block Set 0305.217 8.4 Check Price
  8. 8 Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo SetThis review 8.3 Check Price
  9. 9 Kuhn Rikon COLORI+ Knife & Block 7pc Set 24263 8.1 Check Price
  10. 10 Stellar Classic 5 Piece Knife Block Set, Beechwood IS60 8.1 Check Price
See the full knife sets ranking

The Joseph Joseph Steel Knives on Amazon

Joseph Joseph Steel Knives In-drawer Bamboo Set

Five Japanese stainless steel knives sit in a slim bamboo tray that lives in a kitchen drawer. 8.3 out of 10.

Check Price on Amazon

How we score it

Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 25 models for this guide before settling on these ten.

Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.

How we rank, in full

Where these facts come from