If and when it can perfect the blade edge so that it's consistently as good as the competition, it'll have a good chance of being a top pick. Sharp Heel – being able to sharpen the entire blade all the way back to the heel means you can keep the heel nice and sharp, which is great for mincing garlic and herbs. This 8-inch chef's knife offers some heft but is still lightweight compared to the Western-style knives we tested. Sales, Administration and Warehouse: Creeds (Southern) Ltd, Unit A3, Brunel Gate, Telford Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8AR. In this motion (shown above), the tip of the knife mostly keeps contact with the cutting board, and you raise and lower the heel while your guiding hand pushes food underneath the blade.

Mac Chef Series Slicing Chef's Knife: This doesn't feel as sharp or accurate as the other Mac options, but it's the most affordable. This isn't shocking: As I mentioned above, on average, Western chef's knives are thicker, heavier, and wider than their Japanese counterparts, making them less well-equipped to handle such a delicate task. At a certain point, the question becomes less about quality and more about personal preference—how does this knife feel in your hand?

And because these sharpeners are convenient, people tend to use them regularly, which results in safer chopping and a happier kitchen experience. My top picks performed well in all the tests and passed muster with two professional cooks, a lefty and a righty, with both larger and smaller hand sizes. One of the more affordable options among the German-style knives tested, Mercer's Genesis chef's knife delivers good bang for the buck. Don’t use anything abrasive on the blade, such as a Brillo pad or a scouring sponge, which can make little scratches in the metal.

This tool doesn’t actually sharpen the blade—its sole purpose is to realign the microscopic teeth on the knife’s edge that get knocked out of alignment during use.There's no one right answer in terms of the weight of a knife, the metal used, the handle design and material, the length of the blade, or much else.

Messermeister Meridian Elite Chef's Knife: This was disqualified after failing the initial paper-cutting test. This means that Western-style Japanese knives can often be a little sharper, but are also intended to be used in either the right or left hand.On the other hand, the soft stainless steel also means the edge of this knife dulls faster and requires more-regular sharpening. It comes in three other colors — Mocha, Almost Black and Sage — and we're fans of the three-piece knife set that includes this knife as well as the brand's slim knife stand. Its blade shape strikes the perfect middle ground between the two styles—curved just enough for rocking but still straight enough for push-pull choppers.

The sharp tip is particularly helpful when cutting around bones, and the fun handle colors are beautiful and great for personalizing. This is largely a matter of personal preference, taking into consideration how and where you grip the knife, and what you’re planning on using it for. However, I found it challenging to use a rocking motion while cutting vegetables, due to its relatively narrow edge.Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. That said, for most home cooks, an 8-inch knife is the sweet spot: Large enough to tackle produce like pineapples and butternut squash, but not so big that it feels unwieldy. Over the years, we’ve invited friends and colleagues of all culinary stripes to our test kitchen to participate in a chopping panel. We found that a full bolster allows for a more protected grip for novices, while a semi-bolster (or no bolster) provides a more controlled grip for chefs who like to pinch the heel of the blade.