For most people who cook, an 8-inch blade should be about right, but some people may prefer a longer, 10-inch blade. There were others that revealed individual weaknesses, such as knives with overly long handles that bumped and prodded my forearm as I worked. It’s been our pick since 2013, over the years appealing to a wide range of testers for its comfortable handle and sharp, agile blade. From 1834 the Sabatiers of Bellevue have added the initial 'K' to all their knife blades, initially to differentiate themselves from the Sabatiers of Le Moutier, and more recently from the many pretenders. Because of the contortions necessary to work around a larger piece of food like this, the test singled out even more knives that had awkward designs—ones whose handles got in the way or whose blades felt dull.

It feels more agile than the German models we’ve tested and more durable than the thin Japanese gyutos. My go-to knife is a 10,5-inch chef’s knife/Gyuto at the restaurant but at home, I only use 7 to 8 inches. Some cooks might prefer a knife that feels heavier in the handle, some might want one that's slightly heavier in the blade, and others may want to get the sense that the knife floats naturally between the two.

If you’re set on tucking the knives out of sight, consider a cork-lined drawer insert that will keep the knives snug without jostling. This grip has the user pinching the flat side of the blade just over the bolster, giving the user better control and balance. It features a high-carbon stainless steel blade that “rarely requires sharpening,” according to the brand. Western knives are also often made with slightly softer steel, which can make sharpening easier and honing a more effective maintenance method (because the steel can more easily be bent back into alignment). The 8 inch chef's knife features the Ergo-Grip POM handle providing a balanced comfortable sure grip for expert handling, agility and precision.

It lacks the weight and the smooth transition from blade to handle, though, and we found that it simply wasn’t as comfortable to use.inch Chef’s knife (for days that require less prep work), 10,5-inch Chef’s knife, 9 to 12-inch Yanagiba small fish, and bigger fish like seabass to salmon and tuna.

Just remember that for nearly every rule of thumb, there's an exception, and for most strongly held opinions, there's an equally strongly held counter-opinion. FLAWLESS CONSTRUCTION - Forged continuously in a single piece from handle to blade, giving extra strength and eliminating any hiding places for bacteria making the knife incredibly hygienic. Some testers found it difficult to pinch grip the knife because of the angle where the handle meets the blade. Three basic edge geometries common to traditional Western, traditional Japanese, and Western-style Japanese knives. The Chopaholic Professional Chef's Knife from Jean Patrique will transform the way you prepare ingredients, whether you're slicing fine cuts of meat for the grill or dicing onions for a stew.The cut edges of basil stayed mostly green, with very little oxidation, which means the knife’s razor-sharp edge broke very few of the herb’s cells. 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. Miyabi Kaizen Chef's Knife: The Miyabi Kaizen Chef's Knife was knocked out of the running after consistently falling short due to a blade edge that wasn't nearly sharp enough. Even lighter in weight than its more expensive sibling, the UX10, the Misono 440 offers an incredibly agile experience, with an especially sharp out-of-the-box blade.