This knife easily achieved paper-thin cuts in our tomato test and easily chopped and minced garlic. Though the super-sharp blade could slice through the squash, we should note that having a heavier knife might be better for tough, dense ingredients. This knife should be hand-washed using warm water and mild detergent. We found cleaning easy, though some ingredients left spots on the metal. We found this knife to be very good at most cutting tasks, leaving a pretty edge. However, the handle may be somewhat awkward to hold for those with smaller hands. It's a bit longer and straighter than similar knives, which had the end of the handle bumping into our forearm.

You may have noticed that many santoku knives are quite tall. This helps balance the food as you slice downwards, giving you even slices each time. Additionally, a bigger surface area on the blade means you can transport your sliced or diced ingredients to the pan with ease. The popular Japanese knife brand Shun calls its classic chef's knife the "one knife you simply can't be without"—and it's easy to see why. This fully forged knife is beautifully designed with an ebony Pakkawood handle, a full tang for balance, and 34 layers of Damascus steel enveloping each side of the blade. In terms of quality and durability, all Shun knives are made with a proprietary VG-MAX cutting core that lends extra strength and corrosion resistance. Key specs – Blade material: High carbon Chrome Molybdenum Vanadium steel; Handle material: Pakawood; Size: 25cm

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We love how this knife came seriously sharp right out of the box and maintained its edge well during our testing. Garlic cloves were easily smashed and neatly minced. The Victorinox also cut through and cubed a heavy butternut squash without any issues. Although it didn't feel as nimble as more expensive knives, we were able to cut through an onion skin comfortably. While slicing a tomato, the first slice was fine with no tearing, though further clean slices were tougher to get. It also boasts a forged bolster, which gives it balance, even though the pieces feel a little heavy. During testing, that weight didn’t affect the comfort level, and the set did a fine job with the turkeys we carved and sliced. Thanks to the knife's sharp tip, it worked particularly well for getting the breast meat off of the carcass. After using this knife for many years, our editors can attest to its quality, so long as you care for it properly. Make sure to hand wash and fully dry in between each use, and store it in a way that will safely preserve the razor-sharp edge. After completing the paper test, we ran each knife through a series of vegetable tests to see how they performed using different food textures. To test basic prep functionality, we diced an onion both coarsely and finely, which helped us assess the sharpness of the blade as well as how easy they were to use. We made sure to use both the blade tip and the blade's belly to determine if the edge was consistent. The dropped grape was no match for this blade – it sliced it clean in half with the sort of “sssip” sound you might hear in a samurai movie. It really is terrifyingly sharp. The wooden handle, too, is shaped to fit comfortably in the hand and the whole thing felt nicely balanced and not too heavy for long periods at the chopping board.

This has a full tang and good weight, and it’s designed for impressive performance. Made from carbon Japanese stainless steel, the razor-sharp edge makes slicing easy. We tested this knife by using it to slice everything from herbs and greens to radishes, tomatoes, and even nuts. It wasn't as impressive with roast beef, but that's not the main function of a santoku. Although the knife wasn't super sharp out of the box, we didn't have a problem sharpening it ourselves. We love how effortlessly this santoku knife cut through tomatoes and other veggies during testing. It could even be used to cut super thin slices of roast. And while most people will still choose to keep their serrated bread knives, we were also impressed by this santoku's ability to slice bread.

How to choose the best chef’s knife for you

I researched a LOT before I bought this blade. And I chose it because it is light weight and has a thinner blade than the European-made competitors. It is SO EASY TO USE. It has *just enough* heft to get the job done without tiring your hands out. Being an average woman, my hands aren't huge (ladies' size 7 gloves). This knife fits my hand well, and ALSO fits my average-guy-sized hubby's hand despite that it's much larger than mine. Cast from high-quality German DIN 1.4116 stainless steel and with a hand-applied 15° Japanese-style edge for superior cutting power, this is one of the sharpest blades in this roundup, and it will stay that way for a very long time if properly cared for. That means no dishwashers and no mixing it with other knives or cutlery. In our sharpness test, it easily sliced a dropped grape and had no problem dealing with a soft tomato. Next, we evaluated each knife by cutting through a tomato whose skins are taut and slippery. Tomatoes are notoriously hard to cut without mashing them, and chefs often use a serrated knife to help manage the uncooperative skins. Therefore, they serve as an appropriate test of blade sharpness and handle grip. We noted which knives could achieve thin, even slices and which caused the skins to wrinkle and tear. Avoid putting your knives in the dishwasher where you can, as a dishwasher produces a lot of heat and steam that will expand and warp the metal, says Rob Falconer from ProCook. " Imarku Chef Knife: We found this lightweight knife attractive and comfortable to hold. Though easily sliced through delicate foods, it struggled with heftier ingredients like butternut squash. It's an affordable option, but we'd recommend spending a little more for a higher-quality knife.

During testing, this knife was perfectly sharp without being flimsy, despite its light weight. And unlike steel blades that seem to have some give, this one felt inflexible in comparison. It cut butternut squash cleanly and cut completely through our paper tests directly out of the box. Our editors, who have used this knife over the course of many years, have noted that the heavy handle can feel bulky and cumbersome when doing repetitive tasks like prepping large quantities of vegetables. So users should keep that in mind depending on their regular kitchen tasks. A chef’s knife is a kitchen's all-around knife. It can handle slicing, dicing, and chopping fruits and vegetables, and it can also be used for prepping meats. In a pinch, it can also be used as a slicer, or for carving roasts. While other knives come in handy as the knife collection grows, a chef’s knife will always be one the cook reaches for.For the best of the best, you can’t go wrong with Shun, a classic, top-of-the-line Japanese knife brand. This hollow ground, 9-inch blade is an absolute pro when it comes to navigating all different types of proteins and cuts. Its sleek look, unrivaled durability, and incredibly sharp blade make it a tool that you’re going to be excited to pull out for your next roasted bird or tenderloin. We’re breaking with chef’s knife tradition here and recommending a much smaller blade than the 8-inch norm. The 11cm (4.3in) Signature Santoku is the perfect size and form for light duties such as preparing vegetables, fish and smaller cuts of meat.