15-Piece Japanese Chef Knife Set with Sharpener, Block Wooden, HOBO Japan High Carbon Stainless Steel Boxed Kitchen Knife, Color Wooden Handle

Product Information

Although we appreciated that this set comes with kitchen shears (which are always handy to have in a kitchen setting), we were disappointed by their function.

Some knives have rubberised handles for extra grip, others are moulded to fit the contours of the hand, and some designs combine the two. From carving up a Sunday roast to finely chopping an onion, we all know how much of a struggle cooking can be when kitchen knives are blunt, or simply not up to scratch. But with our best kitchen knives, you can enjoy easy chopping, slicing and dicing for years to come. When buying knives online, you’ll also need proof that you're 18 or over. Here are the terms and conditions from the biggest retailers: They are small rectangular stones, around 20cm by 8cm, with different levels of coarseness. This can range from 0 to 220 (extra coarse) to 5000+ (ultra fine). For most people, one stone with a grain of 1000 and another of 3000 will suffice.Designed with a sharp serrated edge to easily cut through crusts and rusks. They’re also great for cutting fruits with fibrous skins, such as pineapples. Gently pull your knife through the two rotating V-shaped circular steels, and repeat around five times. It's compact, easy to store and often the cheapest sharpening option, but it won't sharpen as finely as other methods. This knife set is comprehensive and versatile, with a blade to match virtually any slicing and dicing task you may encounter in the kitchen.

Finally, any serrated knives were used to slice beef tomatoes, cube aubergines and cut lemons into wedges. From classic chef’s knives to bread knives, a good quality knife set will cover all bases, so you shouldn’t find yourself having to make do without a key bit of kit at the last minute. Starting with the coarsest stone, draw the knife blade across the full length of the stone, from heel to tip. In contrast to the rest of the knives in the set, the shears do not seem ergonomic—especially for small hands.

Are expensive knives worth it?

There are hundreds of different knives on the market, each with their own culinary task. Some more specialist options include parmesan knives, oyster knives and salmon knives, so it's easy to get overwhelmed. But here are the main knives to consider:

We conducted standard knife set testing when evaluating the Cangshan Oliv set, including common (and often challenging) kitchen tasks suited to each individual knife. There’s a lot to think about when investing in a knife set, but comfort is key; every knife should act and feel like an extension to the user's hand. Unlike knives with metal or plastic handles, wood requires more attention to detail and regular upkeep to prevent unwanted side effects like warping, discoloration, and splintering. Full tang: The blade is one solid piece of metal that runs down the full length of the handle. On some knives, the tang is visible and fastened by rivets. A full tang knife is always the best choice, as it usually has better balance and a more robust design. It also means there's no danger of the handle coming loose from the knife blade.The best practice is to wash knives in hot, soapy water and then dry them with a tea towel, rather than leaving them to air. We do always test dishwasher-safe claims, regardless. Half tang: The blade extends half way along the handle. If too much force is applied, a half tang knife can snap, as only glue is binding the knife and handle. Honing steel is often mistaken as sharpening steel, but it's actually designed to help maintain the edge of an already sharp knife, so don't confuse it with a knife sharpener. Rat tail tang: The blade narrows as it goes through the handle and is commonly welded at its base. Knives with a rat tail tang can come loose over time, making the handle wobbly.

Sharpening stones take a while to master, as you need to ensure you’re drawing your knife across the stone at the correct angle; most experts agree 20 degrees is correct. Here's how: verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

The verdict: Steak knives

A sharp knife is a safe knife. Those that are blunt or unsharpened require more force to cut, which increases the likelihood of slipping and causing injury. In the lab, our experts put the main knives in each set to work on an array of ingredients, using a variety of chopping skills. To test chef’s knives, they diced onions, sliced cabbages and cut steaks, while they used utility knives to chop mushrooms, shred lettuce and julienne peppers. Wooden handle: Some pure wood handles will need oiling with a dedicated knife handle oil. Most modern wooden-handled knives have a light clear plastic coating to protect them. When washing, avoid prolonged soaking. Or, hold the handle out of the water and wash immediately.