Chef knives

What is a chefs knife?

The chefs knife, also known as the cook’s knife, has a long blade and a broad surface that tapers to a finely pointed tip, allowing for a rocking motion when cutting. It is a great all-rounder knife and perfect for everyday use in the kitchen, as it is ideal for chopping a range of ingredients.

What is a chefs knife used for?

The chefs knife is one of the most versatile kitchen knives that can be used for a variety of tasks in the kitchen including :

• Chopping vegetables
• Cutting meat
• Slicing herbs
• Chopping nuts

Due to the curve of the blade, which allows for the rocking movement when cutting, it is the perfect multipurpose knife for everyday chopping, dicing and mincing. The broad blade also makes it ideal for cutting through larger or harder ingredients such as potatoes, carrots or butternuts.

Which chef knife brands are the most popular?

Our wide collection of chef knives includes many popular designs by renowned designers and brands. Here you will find the best chefs knives that are both practical and stylish.

Top 3 best chef knife brands

• Zwilling
• Robert Welch
• Fiskars

What size is a chefs knife?

Chef knives come in a range of sizes from 6 inches to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm). The most commonly used size for the home cook is 8 inches (20 cm) as the blade is large enough to handle your daily kitchen ingredients while still being comfortable to control.

Forged knives and stamped chef knives

A forged knife is made from one single piece of steel which is heated and hammered into shape. They usually have a strong and hard blade which is less flexible and keeps its sharp edge for longer. Forged knives are known for having excellent durability, toughness and balance. For sharp chef knives that are forged, we recommend brands including RIG-TIG, Alessi and WMF.

A stamped knife is cut from a large sheet of steel which is then tempered and hardened. After, the handle is added as a separate piece and the blade is sharpened. It is normally slightly lighter that a forged knife so some may find it more comfortable in the hand. Miyabi, Morakniv and Satake are popular brands that offer a range of stamped high quality chef knives.

How to clean a chef knife

It is important to read the specific care instructions provided by the manufacturer so you can keep your chef knife well maintained.

Not all chef knives can be placed in the dishwasher and most need to be carefully washed by hand.

For easier cleaning, it is recommended to clean or rinse the blade directly after use to prevent food from drying on the blade which will make it harder to clean off.

Clean the knife slowly with the blade pointed away from your fingers and wipe down the blade surface from the top of the knife to the edge to prevent cutting your hand.

It is best to dry the knife directly after washing it to keep it in the best condition.

How to store your chef knife

It is important to correctly store your chef knife to keep the blade sharp and in good shape.

We recommend storing it in a good quality knife block, or if you are short on counter space, you can use a magnetic knife strip, so you can show off your blades and save on space.