Top rated kitchen knives include Wusthof, Henckels, and Forschner knives

Every day, thousands of people search the Internet for guidance in buying the best kitchen knives and knives for cooking. There are a variety of criteria you can use to determine what would be the best kitchen or chef’s knife for your budget and purposes; But, one of the best places to start is with expert and consumer reviews. In general, you can’t go too far wrong if you buy your kitchen knives from a reputable brand, such as Forschner, Dexter, JA Henckels, or Wusthof kitchen knives; but reading objective reviews from other consumers and experts can be extremely helpful.

Buying the right kitchen knife actually involves many different decisions, one of which is choosing between a “forged” kitchen knife versus one that is “stamped.” If price is not an issue, then a forged knife is probably the preferred choice. Forged chef knives are generally considered sturdier than stamped knives, but the question is: are they always worth the extra money? The answer is definitely, “not always”. According to Consumer Reports, “Although the highest-rated knives are forged, stamped knives perform very well.” The nonprofit consumer education organization notes that stamped knives do not have a bolster and butt, which does add value to the user experience; but most people probably wouldn’t miss out on those features. Visit their website for a good “crash course” on understanding knife terminology and tips on the efficient use and care of kitchen knives.

The four types of knives Consumer Reports recommends keeping on hand in a well-equipped home kitchen are a chef’s knife, slicer, utility knife and parer. For home chefs who like to have a kitchen knife for every purpose, there are specialty food preparation knives made for virtually every kitchen task. For example, in addition to the multipurpose chef’s knife and carving knife, you can also purchase kitchen knives specifically designed for slicing bread, cheese, ham, or fish (slicing knives). There are also shellfish knives, which are more commonly known as “clam knives,” “oyster knives,” or “scallop knives.” For cooks looking for an all-purpose kitchen knife that slices, dices, and chops, a Santuko knife might be the perfect addition to a home cutlery supply.

As for the top brands for the best chef’s knives and kitchen knives, the Wusthof Classic seemed to be the favorite of expert reviewers, although the Victorinox Fibrox RH Forschner was considered the best budget knife set. Finalists for best kitchen knives included the Henckels Twin Professional “S” and the Henckels Four Star. The Henckels Four Star series is one of the most popular lines of kitchen knives on the market and includes a wide range of knives for carving knives, cleavers, boning knives, paring knives, and steak knives. The Henckels Pro S series also features virtually every kitchen knife imaginable, including sandwich knives, fillet knives, flex slicers, hollow edge slicers and serrated utility knives.

Kitchen knife reviews, such as those found online at ConsumerSearch.com, are worth reading, but if you stick to well-known brands, such as Victorinox, Forschner, Henckels knives, and Wusthof, you’ll rarely be disappointed.