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Slicing, dicing, chopping, carving, jointing, boning and more, a decent kitchen knife set can tackle almost any food preparation task you throw at it.

Used to their full potential, a great set of kitchen knives will transform your life in the kitchen.

While most of us might think it’s the latest on-trend gadget or gizmo that will revolutionise our food prep habits, a professional chef will tell you that your smartest kitchen investment will be in the best set of kitchen knives you can afford.

Read more: Get inspired by the Great British Bake Off kitchen equipment

We spoke to classically-trained chef Cameron Clark who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK and France and who now runs Hallouman, an award-winning street food business on Cambridge Market. Much of his work involves knife-based food preparation and his customers seem to enjoy the performance aspect of his work as much as the food itself – Hallouman was voted the Best Customer Experience on the market in 2021.

“A lot of people are wary of high-quality, super-sharp knives, but in reality, while they need to be treated with respect, any chef will tell you they are actually safer to use than lesser quality knives,” he says.

“The cutting precision of a quality knife means the blade goes exactly where you direct it, so everything becomes easier and more efficient, especially with a bit of practice.”

Cameron uses a vegetable-specific 16mm, 33-layer hammered Japanese Nakiri knife – a more specialised variant of the classic Santoku – for his daily food preparation.

However, he says: “You don’t have to spend a large amount on a knife set, but it's best to view it as a long-term investment in your cooking and eating pleasure. When using any quality knife, once you've mastered a few basic techniques, you will find that your speed and efficiency will improve and you may actually start to look forward to a process which might otherwise be considered a chore.”

Typically a domestic kitchen knife set will comprise between five and eight or nine pieces housed in a wooden block for convenience. You’ll likely get a variation on: a paring knife for fruit and vegetable peeling and trimming; a boning knife for separating raw meat from the bone; a filleting knife for dealing with fish; a carving knife for slicing joints of cooked meat; a chef’s knife for all-round food preparation; and a bread knife.

You may also get kitchen shears, a Santoku knife which performs similar functions to a chef’s knife but is favoured by some for its greater scooping ability, and a steel for sharpening your knife blades. There is no agreed standard knife set in terms of the number and blade size of the knives, so you should look for one that avoids too much duplication of items you already have.

In terms of construction, a forged knife is generally considered superior to a stamped-out blade. The process of forging entails hammering out a single block of high-quality steel to create the right shape before the blank is cut, drilled and extensively worked by craftsmen or precision machines to produce the finished knife.

A stamped blade, as the name suggests, involves stamping out many blank shapes from a much larger sheet of metal prior to honing and treatment to turn the cut-outs into sharp, durable blades. Forged knives are generally heavier and tend to be preferred by professional chefs though stamped knives have increased considerably in quality over the years and some appreciate their lightness and flexibility as well as their affordability.

Read more: The forged and stamped construction methods

While there are undoubtedly far cheaper alternatives out there, in terms of the overall relationship between quality, price, functionality, longevity, design aesthetics and sheer pleasure of use, we have to opt for this forged offering from Robert Welch as our top kitchen knife set and block recommendation.

Comprising a 23cm carving knife, 22cm bread knife, 18cm cook's knife, 11cm santoku knife, 14cm kitchen knife, 10cm vegetable/paring knife and an upright book-style oak knife block, it covers all the major food preparation tasks and will, literally, last a lifetime (it comes with a guarantee to match). We particularly like the way the block sits vertically against your kitchen wall while the full-length slots allow the knives to be withdrawn forwards as well as upwards.

We’re big fans of the Kitchen Devil brand, and with a bread knife that’s still slicing loaves with ease after 20 years of use, we can attest to the brand’s product longevity. This five-piece set comprises paring, vegetable, small cook's, bread and carving knives positioned at a very attractive price point.

Although they’re stamped rather than forged, they do feature a large finger stop for safety and an ergonomic soft-grip handle design for comfort. The blades are made from quality Japanese steel and the set comes with a 15-year manufacturer’s guarantee. An affordable set, these knives are highly rated by users, though some do comment on their light weight.

A fully forged knife set with a wooden block for just a shade over £40? It sounds a bit too good to be true, but there it is on Amazon, comprising a stylish wooden block, 20cm chef’s knife, 20cm carving knife, 20cm bread knife, 13cm utility knife and a 10cm paring knife.

The blades are fully forged stainless steel with a full tang and bolster and the classic three-rivet handle is inspired by traditional French chef knives. The handles are made from Rosewood to round off the classic look. The manufacturer claims the X30Cr13 forged steel is extremely sharp, durable and easy to sharpen. Looks like a bargain to us!

If you are a confirmed carnivore and enjoy a juicy steak from time to time then you’ll know that normal cutlery literally and metaphorically just won’t cut it - or at least not easily! That’s where a set of steak knives comes in handy and this German knife block, in addition to a good assortment of other knives, comes with its own steaks knife set.

We like the attractive wooden handles that would complement the decor in many kitchens, particularly those with a country-style appearance. The set includes; an 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch slicing knife, 7-inch santoku knife, 8-inch serrated bread knife, 7-inch carving fork, 5-inch utility knife, 3.5-inch paring knife, shears and a steel as well as the aforementioned steak knife set and at this price looks to be great value.

If you’re looking to buy a gift for the foodie in your life who might already have an assortment of knives, this three-piece boxed set makes for a great present. He or she will likely appreciate both the craftsmanship and sheer utility of this combination of an 8-inch chef knife, 7-inch Santoku ad 5-inch utility knife all housed in an attractive presentation box.

The handles are made from an engineered wood product called Pakkawood which has the look and feel of wood but does not deteriorate the way real wood handles might, under heavy use. Reviewers who have given this set as a gift, state that recipients have been very pleased with their gift.

If your budget won’t quite stretch to our top pick by Robert Welch, but you still want a set of high-quality forged knives from a hugely respected manufacturer, this offering from German maker Zwilling might just fit the bill.

It has the added bonus of being self-sharpening, that’s to say every time you insert or withdraw a knife from the block, a special insert sharpens the blade slightly, helping keep the edges keen without any extra work on your part. In addition to the block, the set comprises a garnishing knife with a blade length of 10cm, a 13cm utility knife, 16cm meat knife, 20cm chef's knife, 20cm bread knife and 21cm multi-purpose scissors.

Professional chefs tend not to use a knife block but prefer the portability of a canvas roll for the tools of their trade. This high-quality pro knife set from Wüsthof, one of the premium players in the quality knife manufacturing sector, is an affordable entry point into the world of durable, precision-made, pro-quality knives.

You could buy it as a gift for a newly qualified chef or even purchase it for your own kitchen and buy a knife block separately. Either way, these dependable, workhorse knives will provide many years of service, even when used day-in, day-out.

Great starter set for a professional chef Affordable for pro-quality knives Could also be suitable for serious amateurs

If you’re ready to step up to a more comprehensive, fully professional knife set from Wüsthof then this six-piece setup is about as good as it gets for the working chef. Comprising a 23cm carving knife, 27cm cook’s knife, 15cm fillet knife, 6cm turning knife, 9cm paring knife and 30cm sharpening steel, it will mark you out as serious about your craft and help you to deliver fantastic results, service after service, year after year, for decades to come.

Alternatively, if you are very serious about your home cheffing skills and want to work with pro-level tools, this set will assist you in the preparation of restaurant-quality meals in your very own kitchen.

The choice of kitchen knife sets out there is absolutely huge and somewhat bewildering. To narrow it down, think about how you prepare food and what kinds of food you eat.

Do you joint whole chicken carcasses and debone raw meat, for example? In that case, look for a set with both a good chef’s knife and a boning knife. Do you already own a decent bread knife or kitchen shears? If so, no need to duplicate. Can you afford a potentially longer-lasting forged knife set as opposed to a cheaper stamped blade set? Go for it!

Ultimately your budget, as well as your food preparation requirements, will dictate what you buy, but we’ve picked out some solid choices that should work for a large percentage of buyers.

Our favourite knife set overall is the Robert Welch Signature set, but for a more minimalist offering, we also like the look of the KOI ARTISAN Kitchen Knife Set, while for professionals the Wüsthof 6 piece will serve you well in the most demanding of commercial catering environments.

And finally, once you’ve got your new knife set, we thoroughly recommend the book Knife Skills by Marcus Wareing et al. It is a comprehensive guide to mastering all of the knife skills and techniques you could possibly need as a home-cooking enthusiast.

Prices updated on 11/08/2022. We are not responsible for any changes made to the prices listed.

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