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Mar 22, 2025

Best kitchen knives to buy 2025 UK

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. These are the ones that made the cut, according to the GHI Whether it's carving up a Sunday roast or finely chopping an

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

These are the ones that made the cut, according to the GHI

Whether it's carving up a Sunday roast or finely chopping an onion, we all know how much of a struggle cooking can be when kitchen knives are simply not up to scratch. But with our best kitchen knives, you can enjoy easy chopping, slicing and dicing for years to come.

From classic chef’s knives to bread knives, the best knife set will cover all bases, so you shouldn’t find yourself having to make do without a key bit of kit at the last minute.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts took to the kitchen and tested 26 different knife sets. These are the ones they recommend you invest in, but keep reading for their full reviews.

For more cooking essentials, check out our tried and tested guides: Best kitchen scales | Best mini chopper | Best pan sets

All the sets on our list contain at least five knives, which should be ample for most home cooks. Consider the dishes you tend to cook and look for a selection of knives that will prove the most helpful. Vegetarians, for example, are unlikely to need a carving knife. However, for roast devotees, it will be essential.

And don't forget to set a budget. The knives on our list range from £33.45 to $649 (for the Hast set, which is only available in the US). You don’t need to buy the most expensive to enjoy high quality though – £200 is plenty for most kitchens.

We're here to help, too. As well as our detailed reviews of each set below, you'll find a comprehensive buying guide explaining everything from the types of knives on offer to how to care for them so they last you for years.

There are hundreds of different knives on the market, each with their own culinary task. Some more specialist options include parmesan knives, oyster knives and salmon knives, so it's easy to get overwhelmed. But here are the main knives to consider.

In the lab, our experts put the main knives in each set to work on an array of ingredients, using a variety of chopping skills. To test chef’s knives, they diced onions, sliced cabbages and cut steaks, while they used utility knives to chop mushrooms, shred lettuce and julienne peppers.

For santoku knives, our experts julienned carrots, sliced cabbage and diced onions, then used a paring knife to de-seed and cut chillies, peel, slice and dice a tomato, and bone and skin a chicken thigh.

Using bread knives, they sliced a crusty loaf, cut a mound of chunky sandwiches (filled with other ingredients we’d prepared during the test) and sliced a cake. Carving knives were put through their paces on a cooked joint of ham and a roast chicken.

Finally, any serrated knives were used to slice beef tomatoes, cube aubergines and cut lemons into wedges. After all that chopping, each knife set was hand-washed five times and checked for any damage.

These are the ones fit to take on any task in your kitchen.

You must be over 18 to buy kitchen knives

Score: 97/100

If anything can set you up for restaurant quality food at home, it’s this knife set. It sliced and diced everything from soft fruits to meat effortlessly and testers particularly loved the chef’s knife with its balanced handle and precise, uniform cutting. The bread knife was the weakest link, tearing our loaf's outer crust slightly, but even so, this was minimal.

The integrated sharpener is easy to use, and testers appreciated the non-slip feet on the bottom of the block (although it’s quite big). Instructions detail the intended uses for each knife, and they cleaned up well. It's a versatile set and the 10-year guarantee means these knives should be with you for many feasts to come.

Score: 94/100

This knife set has the ‘wow factor’ according to our expert testers – in terms of both style and performance. The knives were beautifully presented and didn’t need any sharpening before being put to work. Each knife sliced cleanly through fruit and veg, and meat didn’t pose a challenge either. The serrated knife worked like a charm on hard, crusty bread too.

Those with smaller hands may find the thick handles a little tricky to hold; however, minimal effort is needed to slice and chop with this set, so it shouldn’t cause too many issues. Our testers struggled a little to get the knives in and out of the presentation box and it doesn’t come with a storage block, but there are stands available to buy separately.

This knife set is an investment, but any skilled cook would appreciate its high-quality design and versatility. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty, so you know it’s made to last.

Score: 93/100

Knives can be stored in any of the slots on this versatile block, which allows you to slide them in and out from either the front or top. The slim design can be stored flush against the wall too, so it takes up little precious countertop space.

The good-looking, high-quality set showed no signs of wear after testing and cleaning. That said, our experts found that performance varied on an ingredient by ingredient basis – the carving knife sliced ham precisely but was met with resistance when taking on chicken, and the utility knife faltered with mushrooms but was efficient on lettuce. Most impressive? The santoku knife, which made light work of every task we used it for.

Score: 92/100

This set is a good option for everyday cooks, with its utility knife scoring full marks. It cut through mushrooms, lettuce and peppers “like butter” according to our expert testers, who achieved thinly sliced results across the board.

The cook’s knife diced onion evenly, and the paring knife allowed us to deseed and cut chilli into strips with ease. More pressure was needed to slice through a vegan ‘ham’ joint, but the carving knife tackled roast chicken like a pro.

Each knife was well-balanced and comfortable to hold throughout testing and they all washed well in the dishwasher. We’d have liked some information on the best way to clean the knife block, as well as advice on sharpening, but this is still a reliable buy that offers good value for money.

Score: 90/100

Our experts found this set a joy to use. Blades sliced with ease, requiring very little effort when prepping ingredients. With excellent weight distribution, the handles were also pleasant to hold, particularly on the utility knife and the vegetable chopping knife (which, incidentally, scored perfect marks on our cabbage, carrot and onion tests).

The block looks premium with no dirt traps, but we found it marked easily and was hard to clean. The set didn’t come with much in the way of instructions or safety information either. Overall though, it’s a great buy for experienced cooks.

Score: 90/100

Matching the performance of sets double its price, these knives would suit everyone from beginners to expert chefs. All the blades were sharp and accurate, and the handles felt well-balanced to hold.

The bread knife was the star of the set though, scoring perfect marks with its precise slicing and ease of use – you’ll never squash a crusty loaf again.

When it came to cleaning, while the blades came through our tests well, the wood handles started to show some darker spots. However, with a lifetime guarantee, it’s a reliable and affordable investment.

Score: 86/100

Undoubtedly a set for skilled cooks, you’ll have to ship this one from the States, but it’s worth it if you’re looking for a high-end addition to your kitchen. The attention to detail stood out with our testers – there’s a sharpening rod included, while a booklet accompanies each knife detailing its use and specifications.

They are easy to care for too – made with one continuous piece of steel, the blades and handles are effortless to clean while the knife block can be dismantled for ease of access. Some slight marks started to appear after our third wash, but they impressed across all our food preparation tests, with the bread knife scoring the highest of the set. A quality investment.

Score: 85/100

With its unique magnetic glass block, this knife set makes a real statement – just what you want when you’re leaving it out on the side for all to see. Of the five knives, the utility and carving options shone the most on test, scoring perfect marks for their ability to glide through mushrooms and separate roast chicken from the bone.

It was the chef’s knife that pulled the set down slightly. While it cut steak with ease, it struggled when it came to dicing onion and cutting through cabbage stalks – which isn’t ideal. Our experts found the octagonal handle shape uncomfortable towards the end of their meal prepping too.

Everything else about the set impressed though – the knives are a good weight, well-balanced and have no obvious dirt traps.

Score: 83/100

There’s no block with this set, but don’t hold that against it; it has every knife you’d need covered, along with a peeler and carving fork too, both of which our testers found simple to use.

The best knife in the set was undoubtedly the santoku, which aced our carrot and cabbage tests and scored near-perfect marks when slicing onions. We found the set cleaned well too, looking new even after five washes, and the brand claims it’s also dishwasher-safe.

The weight distribution wasn’t the best – testers felt the blades were on the heavy side – but this comprehensive set should power through most jobs with ease.

Score: 82/100

Aspiring butchers will enjoy the chef’s knife here, which cut through a beef steak like butter. The paring knife was also a natural, scoring perfect marks for de-boning a chicken thigh, while the carving knife excelled with meat too. Plus, although the latter couldn’t quite slice ham thinly, it produced thicker cuts with aplomb, making the set a real all-rounder when it comes to prepping meat.

The natural ash wood block and knife handles will look attractive on display in most kitchens — just be careful, as we found some water marks appeared on the wooden handles after four washes. Given the selection of knives and their consistent, strong performance, however, it’s excellent value for money.

Score: 81/100

Though the most basic set on our list, these knives performed impressively. There’s no block, but the knives demonstrated a sharpness similar to some of the much pricier sets we tested, and the paring knife stood out for its razor-sharp precision.

However, some of the smaller knives had notably heavy handles and the set did require a bit of extra elbow grease for some tasks, including halving a whole cabbage. It didn’t come with any care instructions either, but we liked the colour-coded design and the protective blade covers that accompany each knife.

A reliable budget buy, it would suit students or anyone looking to equip a kitchen for the first time.

Score: 79/100

This knife set is thoughtfully designed to give you a better cooking experience. There’s a tool rest built in to each knife, so the blade doesn’t touch the work surface, and the handles have a good weight and length to them. Our experts also appreciated that the box indicated what each knife is intended for, making the set ideal for budding chefs.

While the santoku, paring and serrated knives performed well, the chef’s knife wasn’t as much of an all-rounder – testers had to apply extra pressure to achieve a clean cut through steak. The bread knife was similar, requiring more effort than we’d have liked to cut through the crust. The built-in sharpener will help keep your knives at their best, though.

There’s a lot to think about when investing in a knife set, but comfort is key; every knife should act and feel like an extension to the user's hand.

GHI tip: Always try a knife before buying if you can. A reputable retailer will let you try the knife out on vegetables - always test on tomatoes, as a new sharp knife should cut through easily without resistance.

Material

Knives are commonly made from the following four materials: stainless steel, carbon steel, Damascus steel or ceramic.

Weight

There’s no such thing as an ideal weight of knife; it comes down to personal preference. Most experts would agree that a chef’s knife, for example, should have some weight behind it, but you don’t want a knife that’s so heavy it strains your wrists.

Comfort

Some knives have rubberised handles for extra grip, others are moulded to fit the contours of the hand, and some designs combine the two.

Make sure the handle doesn’t have angular or sharp edges that will form pressure points in your hand. Some handles have smooth bolsters (the thick section between the blade and the handle), which are designed to allow your forefinger to rest comfortably on top.

Balance

A knife's weight should be balanced equally between the handle and the blade. Check this by carefully laying the knife across your middle finger and forefinger where the handle and blade meet; does it tip one way or the other? If the handle is too heavy, it won’t cut as effectively. If the blade is too heavy, it’ll be uncomfortable to use.

Tang

The tang refers to the unsharpened, unexposed part of the blade that extends down the handle. There are three main tang types:

Handle types

The best sets come with a lifetime warranty and if you care for your kitchen knives, you’ll find they’ll keep chopping, dicing and slicing for decades to come. It’s important to clean and sharpen them properly, as well as storing them safely and securely.

Cleaning knives

According to Good Housekeeping’s Household Advice Editor, Katie Mortram, cleaning your knife set correctly is one of the best ways of keeping it in good nick.

While some brands claim their knives are dishwasher safe, she recommends handwashing. “Never put kitchen knives in the dishwasher, even if they say dishwasher safe,” says Mortram. “The abrasiveness of the detergent can degrade the blade, and the prolonged exposure to moisture and humidity can encourage rust. If the handle is made from wood, this can split and crack as well.”

Instead, she recommends sticking with handwashing. The best practice is to wash knives in hot, soapy water and then dry them with a tea towel, rather than leaving them to air dry.

However, we do also test any dishwasher-safe claims as part of our testing.

Sharpening knives

A sharp knife is a safe knife. Those that are blunt or unsharpened require more force to cut, which increases the likelihood of slipping and causing injury.

Here are some different knife sharpening methods, from tools to old-school stones.

Manual knife sharpener

Gently pull your knife through the two rotating V-shaped circular steels, and repeat around five times. It's compact, easy to store and often the cheapest sharpening option, but it won't sharpen as finely as other methods.

Electric sharpener

Like the manual sharpener, it has V-shaped circular steels of varying coarsenesses. But instead of pulling against the steels, the electric sharpener will buff the blade with the rotating steels as you lightly drag the knife through the Vs.

It offers a little less control than a manual sharpener and is typically more expensive, but it makes sharpening easier and quicker.

Sharpening stones or whetstones

Sharpening stones are for more experienced chefs, who can add more stones to their set over time. The stones themselves can be expensive, typically costing between £30 and £500, but they produce the sharpest knives and reduce the need to sharpen as often.

They are small rectangular stones, around 20cm by 8cm, with different levels of coarseness. This can range from 0 to 220 (extra coarse) to 5000+ (ultra fine). For most people, one stone with a grain of 1000 and another of 3000 will suffice.

Sharpening stones take a while to master, as you need to ensure you’re drawing your knife across the stone at the correct angle; most experts agree 20 degrees is correct. Here's how:

Honing steel

Honing steel is often mistaken as sharpening steel, but it's actually designed to help maintain the edge of an already sharp knife, so don't confuse it with a knife sharpener.

You’ve probably seen professional chefs running their knives along honing steel. This doesn’t actually sharpen the knife, but it straightens its edge. As the knife runs along either side of the steel, the its edges are moved back into the centre. Once the blade has been properly aligned, the knife feels sharper.

GHI tip: Don’t use the blade side to scrape ingredients off a chopping board into a pan. Instead, turn your knife upside down and push them with the back (spine) of the knife across the board to avoid blunting it. Or use a scraper to transfer your ingredients from chopping board to a pan.

Storing knives in the cutlery drawer unprotected is dangerous and can seriously damage them, too. Here are the most effective ways to store your knives.

The main issue with buying knives online goes back to the premise that it's important to try them out before buying, as our hands are all different in size and shape.

When buying knives online, you’ll also need proof that you're 18 or over. Here are the terms and conditions from the biggest retailers:

Hannah is our homes editor, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment. Hannah has written about hundreds of products, from air fryers to smoothie makers to pillows, and is committed to finding the most reliable and best value for money buys.

Hannah is also interested in sustainability in the home and has completed a course with the University of the Arts London in sustainable textiles, so she can help cut through the noise on what’s green and what’s not. Hannah has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously worked as a freelance lifestyle and women’s sports journalist, working for Stylist, Sky Sports and more.

Hannah has also previously worked in a florist and can normally be found caring for her house plants or sewing something new for her home or wardrobe.

Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall

Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.

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