Designed with comfort in mind, these personality driven, vibrant knives are perfect for adding a splash of colour to minimalist homes or complementing more eclectic spaces. This is not a heavy duty butchery cleaver, this is a do it all fine knife with the ability to impress even the most demanding of you. Over the years, we’ve invited friends and colleagues of all culinary stripes to our test kitchen to participate in a chopping panel.

It’s comfortable to hold, and it is a standout favorite among testers across a wide range of skill levels, regardless of their cutting style. It’s almost too sharp, in fact, when slicing starchy veg like potatoes and radishes: I found the slices sticking to the blade as if they didn’t realise they’d been cut yet, requiring a little flick of the wrist to finish the job. The Tojiro factory in Niigata Japan aspired to produce a commercially successful knife that would be accessible to professional and amateur chefs alike. It’s a nice idea and makes for a different-feeling knife: high quality but no-nonsense and, dare I say it, a bit more macho than the others on test. Made in Germany’s Black Forest by a father and son team, the Horl 2 consists of a cylindrical grinder and a square block.Comprised of 5 expertly constructed pieces, each knife is designed with a quirky caption detailing that knife's specific function. From classic chef’s knives to bread knives, a good quality 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. Molybdenum and vanadium (MoV) also work to further strengthen the blade and improve stain resistance. A reputable retailer will let you try the knife out on vegetables - always try on tomatoes, as a new sharp knife should cut through easily without resistance. The knives feature an elegant and stylish sweeping design evoking the history of the traditional Samurai katana sword.

Our solid and contemporary American oak knife block is a stylish and practical way to keep your knives safe and ready at hand whilst taking up the minimum or precious space on your worktop space. It has been said that this is the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ that you will find yourself reaching for over and over again. The knives feature ergonomic handles to provide a comfortable grip with added stability when tackling kitchen tasks. It’s been our pick since 2013, over the years appealing to a wide range of testers for its comfortable handle and sharp, agile blade.Left-handed: Most knives are suitable for right- or left-handed users, as the double bevel makes both sides angular and sharp. If you want to send your knives out for sharpening, it’s important that you look for a professional who knows what they’re doing. Some more specialist options include parmesan knives, oyster knives and salmon knives, so it's easy to get overwhelmed.

Selecting a chef’s knife has a lot to do with personal preference, but we’re confident that the Mac MTH-80 is one of the most widely appealing knives available. The lack of a curve in the belly of the blade makes cutting with a rocking motion awkward, so if that’s what you’re used to, we suggest learning the push-pull cutting style.Designed for professional chefs as well as home cooks, our extensive Professional X50 Chef range offers a knife for every task. The Tojiro knife’s steel core is harder than the surface material; that hardness helps the blade hold a better edge, but it appears to be more brittle than Mac’s homogeneous construction. The handle is larger than that of our top pick, and testers with large hands liked the generous knuckle clearance. Each knife is different, depending on what’s available – it might be plastic waste from beaches or broken milk crates.

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. Samuel Staniforth 'Chef' range knives boast a traditional style of Sheffield knives which includes the fully forged blade, forged by hand, also brass rivets are secured by hand which will permanently secure the handle to the tang. Compared with the other budget knives we tried, testers preferred the Victorinox knife for its maneuverability and comfortable feel. The handles of the knives are made from stainless steel and are hollow, making these knives feel extremely light.This knife has a full flat grind with a distal taper, and is sharp and ready for action in your kitchen. A smaller version of a chef’s knife, it's best used when a chef’s knife is too big for the task at hand.