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Are you finding yourself a bit flustered by all the different knife brands out there? Not sure which are the real deal on Amazon and what’s just junky stamped out steel? But, you can find the best chef knife listed on Gadget Review.
Read on in our guide to the best knife brands to find out everything you need to know the next time you buy a knife for your kitchen or the best chef’s knife your professional knife kit!
MAC Knives are known in the industry for offering some of the best quality knives at a reasonable price.
Combine that reputation for quality products with their 25-year warranty and 70% discount knife replacement program, and this makes them the obvious choice as the #1 knife brand operating on the scene today!
Pros
Cons
Ask any professional chef which knife brand they trust the most, and you’ll probably get the same answer from the entire lot: MAC Knives.
MAC has one of the longest track records in the industry for producing solid knives that are simultaneously some of the lightest and nimble daily drivers, while also being one of most dependable and durable knives they’ve ever owned. If you need a great knife to do some carving regularly, then check out our best carving knife guide.
What really helped MAC eke out the top spot in our eyes however was the company’s unique accidental damage replacement program, a first in this industry as far as we could tell. Essentially this means that if your knife chips, the handle breaks, or takes on any damage that renders the knife useless MAC will let you send the knife in and buy your next at a whopping 70% discount. This really makes the Mac Knife stand out as one of the best chef knives to buy on the market. While some brands may offer lifetime warranties or free sharpening services (like our next choice), this program makes MAC the obvious choice for anyone who plans to use their kitchen knives to their fullest extent possible. If you’re looking for a knife that’s a bit more niche, take a look at the best oyster knife instead.
Read Next: The Top Chef Knife
Although Shun may get a bad rap among the chef knife purists for being the “sellout” brand (you can find one in just about every Williams Sonoma around the globe); they got to that top spot for a reason. As a producer of knives that fit every hand, Shun knives are sort of the Honda Civic of chef’s knives: dependable, easy to maintain as a daily driver, and designed to last a lifetime.
Shun knives are exceptionally well-balanced in almost anyone’s hand, and that goes for both the right-handed and left-handed variants of their most popular models. Sure they might be a bit cliche if you’re asking a chef, but they got to that top spot by offering solid warranties, free sharpening services, and a set of knives that can handle almost any produce or proteins you throw their way. This 8-inch chef’s knife is definitely a must-have in the kitchen.
If you’re on the hunt for a nearly-indestructible knife that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, almost any and all knives made by Victorinox are the way to go.
Although primarily known for their Swiss Army knives outside of chef circles, this company is one of the best-kept secrets in the chef world, producing ridiculously durable knives at a fraction of the cost of other brands.
Victorinox achieves this balances by utilizing cheaper production methods and materials (stamped vs. forged, plastic handles vs. wood), but as we’ve already mentioned this barely leaves a dent in the actual quality and durability of the knives they sell.
If you want a knife that won’t go over $30 but will still be in your kitchen 10, 20, even 50 years from now, Victorinox is the way to go.
Cons:
Wusthof is one of the only manufacturers on this list which produces German-style knives almost exclusively, so if that’s not your cup of tea this may not be the brand for you.
That said, they produce what could easily be considered some of the best German knives on the market, which is what earned them the #4 spot in this roundup.
Wusthof also has the distinction of being the oldest brand on this list, producing knives out of Germany all the way back to 1814. No company stays in business that long without building up a serious amount of expertise and tradecraft to fall back on, which is just one of many reasons why it’s one of the best knife brands still operating in 2019!
Dalstrong may not have the same track record as many of the other brand picks on this list, but what they lack in history the company more than makes up for in providing a wide range of knives for every type of consumer at a price that won’t break the bank.
Dalstrong themselves even admit to being the “new kids on the block” in their own company description, but even though they’ve only been around for a short time they’ve quickly rocketed to the top of every professional and home chef’s wish lists.
The company has become synonymous with quality knives on the cheap, taking elements from many of the top brands and fusing them together for an altogether unique approach that hasn’t been seen thus far in the world of knife production.
Feel free to shop around for knives before you make up your mind. But in the process, don’t forget to focus on the most important features for you. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started.
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