Kitchen Knife Buyers Guide: How To Choose The Best Knife Set For You

Check out our playlist on knife sharpening here:
Full instructions on the Spyderco Sharpmaker:

Featured Kitchen Knife Brands

0:00 How to Choose the Best Knife Set For You
2:18 Western vs Japanese Style
3:35 Choice of Blade Steel
6:01 Chef’s Knife vs Santoku
10:10 Paring Knife:
10:59 Serrated Bread Knife:
12:45 Boning Knife:
14:16 Slicer Knife:
16:36 Knife Care and Sharpening
19:37 Kitchen Knife Storage

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[markprice]

I’m a recently retired Chef of 35 years. I just wanted to let you know, you did a great job with this overview David! Very impressed

[bethelawn]

Shortly before Christmas I ditched my 10-knife block set for a Victorinox Fibrox 8", Victorinox Fibrox 10.25 bread knife, Victorinox 4.5" utility, and a Mercer 3" paring. Absolutely thrilled with my decision to do so. No unused knives taking up space & the Vics feel fantastic in the hand.

[jimslayton]

After searching for a long while on YouTube this was by far the best explanation and unbiased video on knifes thank you

[poojamahapatra]

I came across your video today. Cannot believe there's a YouTube channel specific for knives! This video is so helpful for homecooks like me, good job 👏

[holeo]

So pleased you featured Global, my favourite kitchen knife brand!

[thomasvangeel]

I really appreciate you showing some love to kitchen knives. I would love to see you geek out on kitchen knife steels—maybe a ranking video on steels for chef’s knives?

[marsarmory]

I realized that I spend all my money on pocket knives and settled for big box store set for years so I recently picked up that Murray Carter by Spyderco and it’s amazing lookin on my burl wood magnetic block. Looking at picking up a couple other knives like the Kizer Mojave 👍👍

[JerryLoffelbein]

from getting to play around with a ton of kitchen knives when I worked at a retail cutlery shop in years past, Messermeister's been my go to for German cutlery. They started the innovation and asian fusion designs many years before the bigger guys (Henckels & Wustoff) followed suit. They also seemed to always have a bit better fit and finish. Their San Moritz Elite line is great, and they also do the affordable "food service" line called Four Seasons that competes with the Forschner/Victorinox Fibrox line, which is definitely how I'd suggest getting a bread knife.

I don't personally think getting a forged bread knife is necessary. I have a Henckels forged bread knife using their Friodur steel and, while nice, doesn't offer me $100 extra performance or comfort over a stamped Messermeister or Victorinox blade. Balance isn't really necessary for the tasks that those knives perform.

I also enjoy using a vegetable cleaver a lot. It started with the Martin Yan collab with Messermeister long ago in AUS8 steel, but I've since found a more traditional knife in damascus-clad 10Cr15MoV (VG10) and a stabilized ebony handle. I'll refrain from mentioning the company that made it since Knife Center isn't a distributor for them and apparently some folks don't like to see them mentioned, but it's similar to the Shun cleaver.

[micahv]

DCA is probably a pretty decent cook with how much knowledge he has about kitchen prep and knife uses in the kitchen

[WallyHays]

I recently started using a Cantonese cleaver style chefs knife and I absolutely love it. Somewhat counterintuitively it's amazing for fine knife skills--the added blade height makes it really easy to guide the blade against your middle knuckles.

[mikeh]

Great overview, but I would add a fish fillet knife. A long, thin, flexy blade is almost necessary for breaking down fish efficiently and comes in handy in many other applications.

[drsharabi]

Wonderful advice David, as always. Thank you!

[pugwhisper]

Absolutely love the video and I have the newer not newest zwelling Damascus kitchen set after looking over many, and I could not be happier. Of course, I added a shun but other than that I absolutely love my knife set at least for kitchen duties. It was very very expensive, but I am not complaining it was and is a show stopper for everyone that comes by and I know that single steals and not Damascus is sometimes the better way to go, but when you’re enjoying food and you’re enjoying cooking, sometimes the little things count and for me enjoying my knife while I cut stuff while I cook for my family is a huge thing. On a sidenote, I have everything from bench made microtech Protech civivi Chris reeve and much much more pocket and others. They said perfect in this video as long as you get a good blade still and you know how to take care of it go for what makes you happy I know I love my zwelling Japan set which cost a arm and a leg lol🎉🎉🎉🎉 wish I could post some picks and I even a have the bench made hunt knife which is one of the many knife’s magnetic wall holder for those knives that just don’t fit in the block which is only about 10. The zwelling is not for everyone though cuz you need to know how to take care of knifes. But I still have my junk drawer of knives for my wife because I do all the cooking lol not that she can’t cook it’s just my hobby when I’m not working so I have all the CUTCO and other miscellaneous knifes for her do use. 👍👍👍👍💪🏼💪🏼🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🌞🌞 559 `` 223 🎉 0080 if you want a side dad opinion shoot a reach out but have to be down for thick women lol

[thefeatheredfrontiersman]

I work on the assembly table at a local bar/ restaurant. Lots of cuts on a busy night.
I bought a couple of cold steel kitchen series and the Messermister avanta series and a couple of imarku.
They're amazing. But the cold steel doesn't have quite the edge retention of the avanta.
First time I've invested in a series of serous kitchen knives. Zero regrets.
Much safer than the dollar store knives they provided us.

[cyberspacer]

Thank you. Great information and nicely presented!

[bani_niba]

I like the squared off blade shapes more - the Chinese thin cleavers or the Japanese usuba/nakiri styles. More versatile in my opinion. No loss of cutting ease, but better when scooping up food, flattening garlic, safer for the fingers, etc.

[vpraboo]

Awesome walkthrough. I’ve better appreciation for knives now and won’t look at them the same way I did before watching this vdo.

[ting]

that granton scalloped edge came in handy when I was cutting potatoes because they stick to regular blades a little bit

[jonny]

Thanks, quite interesting, and informative. What Im now looking to add to my collection is a serrated 4.7" blade tomato knife. I believe it will quite easily become my number ine daily user.

[FrankTranDesign]

I have the Shun premiere chef’s knife and I’ve been using it for almost 10 years now. Best $150 investment I’ve ever made