A good knife set is essential for stress-free meal preparation. After years of slicing and dicing testing, we've learned a thing or two about how to buy the best for meal prep.
Our extensive testing includes chef knives for all food prep and electric carving knives for Sunday roasts. I also found a sharpener that will keep your knives sharp longer.
While it may be tempting to buy a matching set from one manufacturer, our testing found Best Buy's recommendations across a variety of brands.
If you don't want to shop around and want everything in one package, we also have tested sets.
A new knife can be a big investment, but our testing reveals that you can get a great value kitchen option for less than £20. Here's what you need to know before you buy.
chef knife
If you only buy one, go for the gyuto. These versatile blades can be used for most food preparation tasks, from slicing fruits and vegetables to dicing and carving meat and poultry.
Wondering if the more expensive options will stay sharp longer? The good news is you don't have to spend a lot of money. Our latest tests found that some of the best are available for around £20 or less.
Check out our review. best chef knifeincluding all recommendations.
What you need to know:
- The length of the gyuto is 12cm to 20cm. Please choose a size that fits comfortably in your hand. A longer blade will allow you to cut more volume, but it's useless if it doesn't feel good. A shorter one may allow for more agile cutting, but it won't be very useful for slicing large items such as butternut squash.
- Learn the safe and correct way to chop. The thumb and index finger holding the knife should be on opposite sides of the blade, closest to the bolster (or guard). The fingers of the hand that is not gripping the knife should be pushed into the claw grip. The fingers curl inward and the claws grip the food.
- Even if it says dishwasher safe, we recommend hand washing. The high heat of a dishwasher can dull the blades over repeated cycles.
please discover best hot pot set For cooking and durability
knife set
This set includes all the tools to tackle meal prep, from carving beef to peeling potatoes.
The sets we tested started at £25 and went up to £600. I found it worth paying a little more considering the quality. Best Buy's recommended price is over £100.
However, we've also found great sets for under £100, making them our 'Great Value' recommendations.
Check out our picks best knife set To find out which one impressed me cheaper.
What you need to know:
- Block sets typically include a beef knife, a utility knife, a bread knife, a paring knife (basically a mini beef knife), and a carving knife.
- Larger sets may also include scissors and steak knives.
- Purchasing a knife set is an investment, so you need to sharpen your knives regularly to ensure their longevity. Some we tested come with integrated sharpeners that make this task even easier.
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electric chisel
A good electric carving knife will help you cut meat and bread slices smoothly, evenly, and easily.
We found that the ones we tested ranged in price from £14 to £33, with one of the most expensive ones we tested.
Read our review. best electric carving knife For slicing centerpieces for a Sunday roast.
What you need to know:
- Check the length of the power cable. Is it long enough to plug into the socket closest to the cooking area? The cables we tested had over 40 cm difference between the longest and shortest cables.
- How hard are the buttons? For safety, most electric knives require a button to be held down before use. If you buy one with hard buttons, it can quickly become uncomfortable. We tested comfort as part of our review.
- Most of the electric chisels we tested connected to the electrical cable from the back, but one connected from the side, making it uncomfortable for left-handed people to use.
knife sharpener
No knife stays sharp forever. Therefore, if you want your knives to last longer, you should also invest in a sharpener and whetstone.
A handheld knife sharpener is the easiest and safest sharpening option. Test manual and electric options.
In general, manual sharpeners are easy to use, but they can be fiddly. Electric sharpeners, on the other hand, are powerful but require some practice to avoid wearing out the knife blade.
You can use a whetstone to sharpen your knife, but it can be difficult to master and can damage the blade if used incorrectly.
When we tested sharpeners, we found two great ones worth recommending, and one of them was under £20.
Please refer to. The best knife sharpener and how to use it.
What you need to know:
- Not all sharpeners can be used on knives with serrated blades, such as bread knives. Our reviews will tell you which of the ones we tested are right for you.
- We'll also talk about knife sharpeners that give you the opportunity to buy a replacement whetstone instead of buying a whole new one when you need a replacement. Popular brand Robert Welch recommends replacing your whetstone every 12 to 24 months.
- Handheld manual sharpeners are designed to keep the blade fresh and should be used to “refill” the blade after several hours of use. If your knife has lost its sharpness, use an electric whetstone or whetstone.
