{ "schema": "pointcast.chef-knives/v1", "url": "https://pointcast.xyz/reviews/chef-knives", "title": "Chef knives", "dek": "One knife does most of the work in a kitchen. Eight chef knives from $21 to $205, three tools that keep them sharp, what the testers found, and prices checked on September 29.", "byline": "cc", "asOf": "2026-09-29", "hero": "/images/chef-knives/hero.jpg", "heroWebp": "/images/chef-knives/hero.webp", "heroAlt": "A pixel-dithered specimen sheet in black, cobalt and yellow with one red tomato: a Western chef's knife with a riveted black handle, a Japanese gyuto with a wooden handle, a paring knife, a honing rod, a whetstone in a tray of water, an end-grain cutting board with a lemon and a sprig of herbs, half an onion, and three knives on a magnetic strip.", "heroCredit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast, after Mike Hoydich’s specimen sheets", "method": "Desk review. Specs and prices come from the makers’ own product pages, checked September 29, 2026. Where a maker doesn’t sell direct in the US or doesn’t list a spec, the card says so and names where the number came from. Test findings are paraphrased from America’s Test Kitchen (chef’s knives, July 7, 2026; gyuto, December 17, 2025; manual sharpeners, July 9, 2025), Serious Eats (chef’s knives, updated September 10, 2026; sharpeners, July 15, 2026; honing steels, July 31, 2026) and Bon Appétit (chef’s knives, August 17, 2026), and credited on each card. We could not load Wirecutter or Food & Wine’s chef’s knife guides, so neither is cited. PointCast has not held, cut with or sharpened any of these. There is no star rating because nothing was handled.", "disclosure": "Every shopping link is a direct, non-affiliate link to the maker’s own page, except the King whetstone (King has no US store, so we link Serious Eats’ test). PointCast earns no commission and no maker paid for or reviewed placement. Prices are US prices before tax and shipping. Two are dated tester prices rather than maker prices, and each card says which.", "endnoteTitle": "Victorinox if you want one knife and no fuss. MAC if you want to feel the difference. Hone every week.", "verdict": "Spend $67 on the Victorinox or about $21 to $31 on the Mercer and you’ll have the knife America’s Test Kitchen tells most people to buy. Serious Eats would steer you to the Mercer, or to the Wüsthof if you like weight. If you want a lighter, sharper, straighter Japanese blade, MAC’s MTH-80 is the one two testers still pick, and Tojiro’s is the cheaper way in. Whatever you buy, the cheapest upgrade is the $35 honing steel: a few strokes before you cook keeps the edge you paid for. Keep it out of the dishwasher and off glass.", "groups": [ { "id": "workhorse", "label": "The workhorse", "need": "Under $75. Sharp, grippy, hard to ruin. The knife in most restaurant kitchens." }, { "id": "gyuto", "label": "Japanese gyuto", "need": "Lighter, thinner, keener. Slices more than it rocks. Needs a little more care." }, { "id": "german", "label": "German classic", "need": "Heavy, forged, forgiving. Power through squash; lives a long time." }, { "id": "dtc", "label": "Direct-to-consumer", "need": "Sold straight from the brand. Only the ones testers rate." }, { "id": "sharp", "label": "Keep it sharp", "need": "A rod for every week, a stone or a guided sharpener for every few months." } ], "picks": [ { "id": "victorinox-fibrox-pro", "name": "Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef’s Knife", "brand": "Victorinox", "group": "workhorse", "award": "The one to buy if you buy one", "price": 67, "priceNote": "Victorinox’s own price. America’s Test Kitchen says it usually sells for $45 to $70 online.", "size": "7.9-inch blade", "steel": "Stainless (Victorinox doesn’t name the alloy)", "hrc": "Not listed", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "15° (measured by ATK)", "weight": "6.4 oz", "weightOz": 6.4, "madeIn": "Switzerland", "warranty": "Lifetime", "specs": "Model 5.2063.20 · stamped, not forged · TPE handle · 13.4 in overall", "review": "A mainstay of commercial kitchens, per America’s Test Kitchen, and the knife ATK has recommended for nearly three decades. ATK says it cuts everything, fits hands of all sizes, arrives sharp and stays that way, and is easy to sharpen. Victorinox’s page says it isn’t forged; it’s stamped, which keeps it light and cheap. Victorinox’s US store now calls this model number the “Fibrox Chef’s Knife Extra Wide, 8 in”; ATK’s winner is listed under the same 5.2063.20 number.", "testerNote": { "text": "Winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s chef’s knife test, July 2026: sharp, comfortable, durable, and still affordable.", "source": "America’s Test Kitchen", "url": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357" }, "caveat": "Not every tester agrees. Serious Eats put a Victorinox 8-inch in its not-recommended pile in September 2026, saying the wide handle was uncomfortable and the blade struggled with tomato skin. Victorinox says it is dishwasher safe; testers still say wash by hand.", "caveatSource": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives", "caveatSourceLabel": "Serious Eats", "verdict": "The default. Buy it, hone it, forget about it.", "url": "https://www.victorinox.com/en-US/Products/Cutlery/Chef%27s-Knives/Fibrox-Pro-Chef%27s-Knife/p/5.2063.20", "cta": "Shop at Victorinox →", "source": "https://www.victorinox.com/en-US/Products/Cutlery/Chef%27s-Knives/Fibrox-Pro-Chef%27s-Knife/p/5.2063.20", "sourceLabel": "Victorinox product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/victorinox-fibrox-pro.jpg", "alt": "Victorinox Fibrox chef’s knife on white: a wide stainless blade with the tip to the left and a black textured plastic handle", "credit": "Product image: Victorinox" }, { "id": "mercer-millennia", "name": "Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-inch Chef’s Knife", "brand": "Mercer Culinary", "group": "workhorse", "award": "The cheapest good knife", "price": 21, "priceNote": "Mercer sells through dealers, not direct. $21 is the low end of the $21–$31 retailer prices Serious Eats listed on September 10, 2026; ATK says it’s usually under $30.", "size": "8-inch blade", "steel": "“High-carbon Japanese steel” (Mercer’s words)", "hrc": "53–54 HRC", "hrcValue": 53.5, "edgeAngle": "15° (Mercer)", "weight": "6.2 oz (Serious Eats)", "weightOz": 6.2, "madeIn": "Not stated by Mercer", "warranty": "Limited lifetime", "specs": "Model M22608 · one-piece stamped blade · Santoprene and polypropylene handle · NSF certified", "review": "Two testers land on this one. America’s Test Kitchen made it the Best Buy, saying it performs about as well as the Victorinox for roughly half the money. Serious Eats named it the best chef’s knife under $40, and its tester says it’s the one she recommends to friends and family: light, grippy, slim and curved, and it stayed sharp through testing. At 53–54 HRC it is the softest steel listed on this page, which means it dulls sooner but hones back easily.", "testerNote": { "text": "Best budget chef’s knife under $40 at Serious Eats (September 2026) and ATK’s Best Buy (July 2026).", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, "caveat": "ATK’s one quibble is the bumpy rubber handle: so grippy it can make it harder to shift your hold. Serious Eats also likes Mercer’s Genesis (about $43), a heavier forged sibling.", "caveatSource": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357", "caveatSourceLabel": "America’s Test Kitchen", "verdict": "Twenty-some dollars for a knife two test kitchens trust.", "url": "https://www.mercerculinary.com/product/millennia-chefs-knife-8-20-3-cm/", "cta": "See it at Mercer →", "source": "https://www.mercerculinary.com/product/millennia-chefs-knife-8-20-3-cm/", "sourceLabel": "Mercer product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/mercer-millennia.jpg", "alt": "Mercer Millennia chef’s knife on white: a narrow stainless blade with the tip to the left and a black rubberized handle", "credit": "Product image: Mercer Culinary" }, { "id": "tojiro-f-808", "name": "Tojiro Classic (DP) Gyuto 210mm, F-808", "brand": "Tojiro", "group": "gyuto", "award": "The cheaper way into Japanese steel", "price": 130, "priceNote": "Tojiro doesn’t sell direct in the US. $130 is the price Bon Appétit listed on August 17, 2026; the link goes to Tojiro’s own spec page.", "size": "210mm (8.3-inch) blade", "steel": "VG10 core, 13-chrome stainless cladding", "hrc": "Not listed by Tojiro", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "Double bevel (angle not listed)", "weight": "200 g (7.1 oz)", "weightOz": 7.1, "madeIn": "Japan (Tsubame-Sanjo)", "warranty": "Not stated", "specs": "Model F-808 · 335mm overall · laminated wood-composite handle, three rivets, full tang · metal bolster", "review": "Sold for years as the Tojiro DP, it now sits in a line Tojiro calls Tojiro Classic, under the same F-808 model number; Tojiro says the series has long been popular with chefs. A hard VG10 core is sandwiched between rust-resistant stainless layers. Bon Appétit found it one of the sharpest knives out of the box, relatively light and thin, with a downward-curved tip for precise work and just enough belly to rock.", "testerNote": { "text": "Bon Appétit (August 2026) called it one of the sharpest knives out of the box, but preferred the MAC enough to spend the extra money.", "source": "Bon Appétit", "url": "https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-find-the-best-chefs-knife-for-you" }, "caveat": "Bon Appétit warns the VG-10 core is more brittle than other knives and can chip on hard things like bone, and that Tojiro’s bargain line is sometimes mislabeled as DP at big retailers. Serious Eats’ favorite Tojiro was a different, Damascus version that is no longer sold.", "caveatSource": "https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-find-the-best-chefs-knife-for-you", "caveatSourceLabel": "Bon Appétit", "verdict": "The classic starter gyuto, if you can find it at a fair price.", "url": "https://www.tojiro-japan.com/products/tojiro-vg10-clad-steel-with-bolster-chef-knife-210mm/", "cta": "See it at Tojiro →", "source": "https://www.tojiro-japan.com/products/tojiro-vg10-clad-steel-with-bolster-chef-knife-210mm/", "sourceLabel": "Tojiro product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/tojiro-f-808.jpg", "alt": "Tojiro F-808 gyuto on white: a long, slim stainless blade with the tip to the right and a black three-rivet handle", "credit": "Product image: Tojiro" }, { "id": "mac-mth-80", "name": "MAC Professional 8-inch Chef’s Knife with Dimples (MTH-80)", "brand": "MAC Knife", "group": "gyuto", "award": "The tester favorite that splits the difference", "price": 190, "priceNote": "MAC’s own price on September 29, 2026, marked down from $195.", "size": "7.88-inch blade", "steel": "Not named on MAC’s page (ATK: “proprietary stain-resistant alloy”)", "hrc": "Not listed by MAC", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "12.5°, 50/50 bevel (measured by ATK)", "weight": "6.5 oz", "weightOz": 6.5, "madeIn": "Not stated on MAC’s page", "warranty": "25 years (MAC Knife USA)", "specs": "2.5mm blade · 12.63 in overall · dimples (grantons) · Pakkawood handle · bolster", "review": "A Japanese knife with a Western-style Pakkawood handle and a slightly curved edge; America’s Test Kitchen says it nearly filed it with the Western chef’s knives for that reason. Bon Appétit named it the best chef’s knife overall in August 2026: sharp enough for paper-thin slices, light, and comfortable through a pile of onions. ATK rated it Highly Recommended in its gyuto test, calling it razor-sharp and nimble, and easy for lefties and righties alike.", "testerNote": { "text": "Best chef’s knife overall at Bon Appétit (August 2026); Highly Recommended in ATK’s gyuto test (December 2025).", "source": "Bon Appétit", "url": "https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-find-the-best-chefs-knife-for-you" }, "caveat": "Serious Eats used to rank it on top and dropped it: its tester has owned one for years and says it dulled quickly with daily use. ATK didn’t find the dimples kept food from sticking, and says debris lodges in them. Bon Appétit warns its high-carbon steel stains more easily than fully stainless blades.", "caveatSource": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives", "caveatSourceLabel": "Serious Eats", "verdict": "The step up two of our three testers still rate highly. Plan to hone it often.", "url": "https://www.macknife.com/products/professional-series-8-chefs-knife-with-dimples-mth-80", "cta": "Shop at MAC →", "source": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2648-the-best-gyuto", "sourceLabel": "ATK gyuto specs", "image": "/images/chef-knives/mac-mth-80.jpg", "alt": "MAC MTH-80 chef’s knife on a pale grey ground: a stainless blade with a row of oval dimples, tip to the left, and a black riveted handle", "credit": "Product image: MAC Knife" }, { "id": "shun-classic-western", "name": "Shun Classic 8-inch Western Cook’s Knife", "brand": "Shun (Kai)", "group": "gyuto", "award": "The good-looking upgrade", "price": 204.95, "priceNote": "Shun’s sale price on September 29, 2026; regular price $256.", "size": "8-inch blade", "steel": "VG-MAX core, 68 layers of stainless Damascus cladding", "hrc": "Not listed on the product page", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "22° (Shun)", "weight": "7.8 oz", "weightOz": 7.8, "madeIn": "Japan", "warranty": "Limited lifetime", "specs": "Model DM0766 · 13.7 in overall · D-shaped Pakkawood handle · composite full tang", "review": "Shun ground this version of its Classic chef’s knife to a sturdier 22 degrees a side, where the rest of the Classic line is 16, so it can take on squash and cabbage. America’s Test Kitchen made it the Upgrade Pick in July 2026, praising a beautiful, razor-sharp blade and a long handle most testers found comfortable. It is a Japanese-made knife with a Western-shaped, curved blade.", "testerNote": { "text": "Upgrade Pick in America’s Test Kitchen’s chef’s knife test (July 2026).", "source": "America’s Test Kitchen", "url": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357" }, "caveat": "ATK’s one complaint is the handle: a bit slippery and more than 5 inches long, which is harder for small hands. Bon Appétit’s pick is the standard Shun Classic chef’s knife with the 16° edge, a different model that Shun showed as out of stock on September 29.", "caveatSource": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357", "caveatSourceLabel": "America’s Test Kitchen", "verdict": "The splurge that still takes abuse.", "url": "https://shun.kaiusa.com/classic-western-cook-s-8.html", "cta": "Shop at Shun →", "source": "https://shun.kaiusa.com/classic-western-cook-s-8.html", "sourceLabel": "Shun product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/shun-classic-western.jpg", "alt": "Shun Classic Western cook’s knife on white: a rippled Damascus-pattern blade with the tip to the right and a dark round wooden handle", "credit": "Product image: Shun Cutlery / Kai USA" }, { "id": "wusthof-classic", "name": "Wüsthof Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife", "brand": "Wüsthof", "group": "german", "award": "The heavy classic", "price": 170, "priceNote": "Wüsthof’s price for the black handle on September 29, 2026; the white-handled version was on sale for $129.", "size": "8-inch blade", "steel": "Forged stainless (Wüsthof doesn’t name the alloy on this page)", "hrc": "58 HRC", "hrcValue": 58, "edgeAngle": "14° (Wüsthof)", "weight": "9.2 oz (Serious Eats)", "weightOz": 9.2, "madeIn": "Solingen, Germany", "warranty": "Limited lifetime", "specs": "Model 1040100120 · forged, full bolster · triple-riveted synthetic handle · 4.5-inch handle", "review": "The long-running German classic, forged in Solingen. Serious Eats named it the best chef’s knife in September 2026: a curved stainless edge built for a rocking chop, with enough heft to glide through carrots, tomatoes and onions without mashing, and a matte handle that grips well. Bon Appétit also rates it highly, and only passed on it for the price.", "testerNote": { "text": "The best chef’s knife at Serious Eats (updated September 10, 2026).", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, "caveat": "It is heavy (about 9 ounces) with a thick handle. America’s Test Kitchen rated it Recommended but found the thick spine made it feel less nimble than testers liked.", "caveatSource": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357", "caveatSourceLabel": "America’s Test Kitchen", "verdict": "If you like a knife with weight, this is the one.", "url": "https://wusthof.com/products/wusthof-classic-8-cooks-knife-1040100120", "cta": "Shop at Wüsthof →", "source": "https://wusthof.com/products/wusthof-classic-8-cooks-knife-1040100120", "sourceLabel": "Wüsthof product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/wusthof-classic.jpg", "alt": "Wüsthof Classic chef’s knife on white: a broad stainless blade with the tip to the left, a full bolster and a black handle with three rivets", "credit": "Product image: Wüsthof" }, { "id": "goldilocks-chef", "name": "Goldilocks 8-inch Chef’s Knife", "brand": "Goldilocks", "group": "dtc", "award": "The direct-to-you bargain", "price": 70, "priceNote": "Goldilocks’ own price on September 29, 2026.", "size": "8-inch blade", "steel": "AUS-10", "hrc": "60 ±2 HRC", "hrcValue": 60, "edgeAngle": "12° (Goldilocks)", "weight": "6.9 oz", "weightOz": 6.9, "madeIn": "China", "warranty": "Not stated on the product page", "specs": "2.5mm spine · slightly convex grind · half bolster · POM handle · 13.27 in overall", "review": "A blade that borrows from both traditions: a Japanese-style edge and steel with a gently curved, German-ish profile, so it can rock or push-cut. Serious Eats named it the best budget Japanese chef’s knife and says it was precise and sharp throughout testing, with a handle sized for hands large and small. It’s a good first Japanese-style knife, at Victorinox money.", "testerNote": { "text": "Best budget Japanese chef’s knife at Serious Eats (September 2026).", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, "caveat": "Only one of the testers we read has tried it, and Goldilocks’ page doesn’t state a warranty. The photo is the maker’s own, on a cutting board; Goldilocks shows no plain studio shot.", "caveatSource": "https://cookgoldilocks.com/products/8-inch-chefs-knife", "caveatSourceLabel": "Goldilocks product page", "verdict": "Harder steel than the workhorses for about the same money.", "url": "https://cookgoldilocks.com/products/8-inch-chefs-knife", "cta": "Shop at Goldilocks →", "source": "https://cookgoldilocks.com/products/8-inch-chefs-knife", "sourceLabel": "Goldilocks product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/goldilocks-chef.jpg", "alt": "Goldilocks chef’s knife lying on a dark end-grain wooden cutting board, tip to the left, black riveted handle", "credit": "Product image: Goldilocks" }, { "id": "made-in-chef", "name": "Made In 8-inch Chef Knife", "brand": "Made In", "group": "dtc", "award": "The French-forged one testers disagree on", "price": 129, "priceNote": "Made In’s price for the black handle on September 29, 2026; the olive-wood handle costs more.", "size": "8-inch blade", "steel": "X50CrMoV15 “Nitro+” stainless", "hrc": "58+ HRC", "hrcValue": 58, "edgeAngle": "14° front + 4° back, asymmetric (Made In)", "weight": "7 oz", "weightOz": 7, "madeIn": "Thiers, France", "warranty": "Lifetime (per Made In’s page)", "specs": "Fully forged, full tang · asymmetric edge Made In calls ABT · black handle or olive wood", "review": "Made In updated its edge grinding in 2025 to an asymmetric edge, sharp on one face and barely polished on the other; Bon Appétit calls it a 70/30 bevel and says it now offers incredible sharpness out of the box, where its earlier test found the knife surprisingly dull. Bon Appétit likes its tall heel for chopping and its Japanese touches, like the drop-point tip and recessed bolster, and calls it a great option for anyone who wants an updated traditional Western chef’s knife.", "testerNote": { "text": "Bon Appétit (August 2026) found the 2025 edge update made it very sharp and called it a great option.", "source": "Bon Appétit", "url": "https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-find-the-best-chefs-knife-for-you" }, "caveat": "Even Bon Appétit says it’s heavy, with a lot of mass in the handle, so it isn’t nimble. America’s Test Kitchen rated it Recommended with Reservations in July 2026: not as sharp as it wanted, with a thick spine that wedged in butternut squash. It said it would take a cheaper, sharper, more agile knife.", "caveatSource": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357", "caveatSourceLabel": "America’s Test Kitchen", "verdict": "Sharp and handsome to one tester, heavy and wedgy to another. Hold one first if you can.", "url": "https://madeincookware.com/products/8-inch-chef-knife", "cta": "Shop at Made In →", "source": "https://madeincookware.com/products/8-inch-chef-knife", "sourceLabel": "Made In product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/made-in-chef.jpg", "alt": "Made In chef knife on an off-white ground: a tall stainless blade stamped MADE IN, tip to the left, black handle with two rivets", "credit": "Product image: Made In" }, { "id": "wusthof-honing-steel", "name": "Wüsthof Classic 9-inch Honing Steel", "brand": "Wüsthof", "group": "sharp", "award": "The weekly habit", "price": 35, "priceNote": "Wüsthof’s own price on September 29, 2026.", "size": "9-inch rod (14 inches overall, per Serious Eats)", "steel": "High-carbon stainless (per Serious Eats)", "hrc": "—", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "Hold near your knife’s own angle", "weight": "7 oz (Serious Eats)", "weightOz": 7, "madeIn": "Germany", "warranty": "Not stated on the product page", "specs": "Item 3049700423 · micro-ridged steel rod · plastic handle flared at the guard", "review": "Honing doesn’t remove much metal. It pushes a rolled edge back into line, which is most of what “dull” means for a week-old knife. Serious Eats tested 20 rods in July 2026 and this one won: it improved both stainless and carbon-steel edges by more than 60 percent in its tests, with a handle that keeps your hand from sliding toward the rod. Serious Eats also found plain steel rods beat ceramic and diamond ones.", "testerNote": { "text": "Best honing steel at Serious Eats (July 2026), out of 20 tested.", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-choose-knife-honing-steel" }, "caveat": "Nine inches is short for honing a 10-inch knife. If you want a ceramic rod for very hard Japanese steel, Serious Eats highly rated the 12-inch Idahone fine ceramic, which is sold mainly through specialty shops.", "caveatSource": "https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-choose-knife-honing-steel", "caveatSourceLabel": "Serious Eats", "verdict": "The cheapest thing on this page that makes every knife better.", "url": "https://wusthof.com/products/9-inch-honing-steel-3049700423", "cta": "Shop at Wüsthof →", "source": "https://wusthof.com/products/9-inch-honing-steel-3049700423", "sourceLabel": "Wüsthof product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/wusthof-honing-steel.jpg", "alt": "Wüsthof honing steel on white: a long thin steel rod with a black plastic handle on the right", "credit": "Product image: Wüsthof" }, { "id": "king-whetstone", "name": "King 1000/6000 Whetstone Starter Set", "brand": "King", "group": "sharp", "award": "The stone to learn on", "price": 53, "priceNote": "King has no US store. $53 is the Amazon price Serious Eats listed on July 15, 2026, so the link goes to that test rather than a shop.", "size": "7.3 × 2.5 × 1 in (per Serious Eats)", "steel": "—", "hrc": "—", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "Freehand; an angle guide is included", "weight": "Not listed", "weightOz": null, "madeIn": "Not verified", "warranty": "Not verified", "specs": "Two grits: 1000 to sharpen, 6000 to polish · non-slip plastic base · angle guide · wiping cloth · soak before use", "review": "Serious Eats’ position is simple: learn to use a whetstone. In its July 2026 test of 12 sharpeners, this dual-grit King stone was the best whetstone. On a deliberately dulled knife it raised sharpness 291 percent and posted the lowest (best) final reading of anything Serious Eats tried. The tester found it forgiving of imperfect technique and able to put on a razor edge without prior experience.", "testerNote": { "text": "Best whetstone in Serious Eats’ knife sharpener test (July 2026).", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/best-knife-sharpeners" }, "caveat": "It is a soft stone that wears a dip in the middle, and it doesn’t include a flattening stone. Serious Eats warns that if you start on a soft stone, moving up to a harder one takes adjusting. The picture here is our illustration, not a product photo.", "caveatSource": "https://www.seriouseats.com/best-knife-sharpeners", "caveatSourceLabel": "Serious Eats", "verdict": "The way the testers say to sharpen, and a forgiving stone to learn on.", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/best-knife-sharpeners", "cta": "Read Serious Eats’ test →", "source": "https://www.seriouseats.com/best-knife-sharpeners", "sourceLabel": "Serious Eats sharpener test", "image": "/images/chef-knives/king-whetstone.jpg", "alt": "Illustration: a pixel-dithered whetstone sitting in a black tray of cobalt-blue water", "credit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast; no maker photo" }, { "id": "chefschoice-pronto", "name": "Chef’sChoice Pronto Diamond Hone Manual Sharpener (463)", "brand": "Chef’sChoice", "group": "sharp", "award": "The no-skill option", "price": 49.99, "priceNote": "Chef’sChoice’s list price; its store showed it sold out on September 29, 2026.", "size": "Countertop, two slots", "steel": "—", "hrc": "—", "hrcValue": null, "edgeAngle": "15° per side (Chef’sChoice)", "weight": "Not listed", "weightOz": null, "madeIn": "Not stated", "warranty": "One-year limited", "specs": "Two stages, 100% diamond abrasives · for 15° knives, including Japanese double-bevel blades · rubber feet", "review": "If you will never learn a stone, this is the pull-through America’s Test Kitchen picks. It won ATK’s manual sharpener test for 15-degree knives, putting a keen edge on quickly, and it fits in a drawer. Under ATK’s microscope its edge looked smoother than the cheaper, faster AccuSharp’s. It suits most knives on this page, which are ground at 12 to 15 degrees; the Shun Western (22°) is not one of them.", "testerNote": { "text": "Winner for 15-degree knives in America’s Test Kitchen’s manual sharpener test (July 2025).", "source": "America’s Test Kitchen", "url": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1608-the-best-manual-knife-sharpeners" }, "caveat": "Serious Eats isn’t a fan of pull-through sharpeners in general, saying they scrape off a lot of metal. And Chef’sChoice showed this model sold out on its own store on September 29.", "caveatSource": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives", "caveatSourceLabel": "Serious Eats", "verdict": "Better than a dull knife. Worse than a stone.", "url": "https://chefschoice.com/products/chefschoice-pronto-diamond-hone-for-santoku-15-knives-model-463", "cta": "See it at Chef’sChoice →", "source": "https://chefschoice.com/products/chefschoice-pronto-diamond-hone-for-santoku-15-knives-model-463", "sourceLabel": "Chef’sChoice product page", "image": "/images/chef-knives/chefschoice-pronto.jpg", "alt": "Chef’sChoice Pronto 463 sharpener on white: a black body with two sharpening slots and a curved red-and-black handle", "credit": "Product image: Chef’sChoice" } ], "howToChoose": [ { "title": "Western or Japanese?", "text": "Western knives have a rounder belly for a rocking chop, a beefier handle and more weight. Japanese gyuto are usually lighter and straighter, and want a push or pull slice. Serious Eats’ advice: most people will be fine with a Western blade; go Japanese if you’re confident in your cuts or want something daintier.", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, { "title": "Mind the edge angle", "text": "Traditionally European makers ground edges near 20 degrees a side and Japanese makers near 15 or less, per America’s Test Kitchen, though European knives have trended narrower. A narrower edge feels sharper; a wider one is tougher. The knives here run from 12° (Goldilocks) to 22° (Shun’s Western cook’s knife). Know your number before you buy a sharpener.", "source": "America’s Test Kitchen", "url": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1608-the-best-manual-knife-sharpeners" }, { "title": "Harder steel, sharper longer, chips easier", "text": "Harder alloys can be ground thinner and hold an edge longer, ATK says, but they chip, so keep them off bones and frozen food, and they take longer to resharpen. Softer stainless steel dulls sooner but hones back with a few swipes, per Serious Eats. Carbon steel gets very sharp but can rust and stain.", "source": "America’s Test Kitchen", "url": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357" }, { "title": "Eight inches, or 210mm", "text": "Both America’s Test Kitchen and Serious Eats test at about eight inches: long enough to split a squash, short enough to mince a shallot. The Japanese equivalent is a 210mm gyuto.", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, { "title": "Weight is personal", "text": "Serious Eats found its sweet spot around seven to eight ounces; its heaviest knife, nearly ten, was hard to control. ATK’s testers split: some like a heavy knife, some a light one. The picks here run from about 6 to 9 ounces.", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" }, { "title": "Not in the dishwasher", "text": "Serious Eats recommends hand-washing and drying every knife: the dishwasher is too hot and harsh and can dull blades early. That holds even when the box says dishwasher safe.", "source": "Serious Eats", "url": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives" } ], "care": [ { "title": "Hone often", "text": "A few strokes on a steel before you cook realigns an edge that has rolled over. It doesn’t replace sharpening; it just makes you need it less." }, { "title": "Sharpen a few times a year", "text": "When honing stops helping, remove metal: on a whetstone (1000 grit to sharpen, a finer grit to polish), with a guided sharpener set to your knife’s angle, or at a sharpening service." }, { "title": "Cut on wood or plastic", "text": "Glass, stone and ceramic are harder than a knife’s edge. Serious Eats dulled knives on purpose for its sharpener test by running them on a glass cutting board. Use wood or plastic." }, { "title": "Wash by hand, dry right away", "text": "No dishwasher and no soaking. Wüsthof says to hand-wash and towel-dry immediately and not leave the knife in the sink." }, { "title": "Store the edge, not the drawer", "text": "A magnetic strip, a block or a blade guard keeps the edge from knocking into other metal in a drawer." } ], "watchlist": [ { "name": "Zwilling Pro 8-inch Chef’s Knife", "status": "$169.99 · testers split", "note": "Forged in Germany, 55–58 HRC per Zwilling. America’s Test Kitchen rated it Recommended; Serious Eats put it in the not-recommended pile for a wide, awkward blade and nearly 10 ounces of weight; Bon Appétit found it middle of the pack for the price.", "source": "https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling-pro-8-inch-chefs-knife-38401-203/38401-203-0.html", "sourceLabel": "Zwilling product page" }, { "name": "Hedley & Bennett Chef’s Knife", "status": "$120 · sold out at the maker", "note": "Bon Appétit’s affordable personal favorite in August 2026, with a thin, fairly flat blade. Both chef’s knife colorways showed as unavailable on Hedley & Bennett’s store on September 29.", "source": "https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-find-the-best-chefs-knife-for-you", "sourceLabel": "Bon Appétit" }, { "name": "Misono 440 Molybdenum Gyutou", "status": "Serious Eats’ Japanese pick", "note": "Serious Eats’ best Japanese-style chef’s knife: 5.6 ounces, very keen, with an asymmetric edge. Misono has no US store of its own, and Serious Eats says it is sometimes out of stock.", "source": "https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chefs-knives", "sourceLabel": "Serious Eats" }, { "name": "Misen Chef’s Knife", "status": "Watch this space", "note": "America’s Test Kitchen rated it Recommended with Reservations in July 2026: heavy and sharp, but it crushed onions and wedged in squash. Bon Appétit says the original was discontinued and it’s testing the new model.", "source": "https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2357", "sourceLabel": "America’s Test Kitchen" } ], "affiliateLinks": false, "handsOn": false }