Best knife sets

We put in hours of chopping to find the best knife sets for tackling dicing, slicing, mincing and peeling with ease. 

Popular knife block sets from Ninja, Joseph Joseph, Sabatier and more were tested for sharpness, comfort and durability.   

Our tests revealed big differences in cutting prowess and comfort. However, two Best Buys impressed us across the (chopping) board. 

We also found that paying more doesn't always mean you get the best knife set – our Great Value knife set does a commendable job for less than £100.

The best knife sets

Only logged-in Which? members can view the knife set test results below. 

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The knife sets we tested 

All the knife sets we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best knife sets from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.

Global G-636/7B Knife Block

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Set includes 22cm bread knife, 20cm chef's knife, 15cm utility knife, 14cm vegetable knife, 11cm utility knife, 8cm paring knife

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 32 x 25 x 25cm (H x W x D)

Joseph Joseph Duo Knife Block Set

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Set includes 20cm carving knife, 20cm bread knife, 15cm chef's knife, 13cm santoku knife, 9cm paring knife 

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 35.7 x 13.5 x 8.4cm (H x W x D)

Kuhn Rikon Colori Knife and Block

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Set includes 20cm bread knife, 17cm chef's knife, 15cm large santoku knife, 12.5cm utility knife, 9.5cm paring knife, 9.5cm serrated paring knife 

Dishwasher safe Yes 

Size of the knife block 23.3 x 21.8 x 8.5cm (H x W x D)

Lakeland Fully Forged Stainless Steel Knife Block

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Set includes 22cm bread knife, 22cm carving knife, 20cm chef's knife, 10.5cm utility knife, 9cm paring knife

Dishwasher safe Yes 

Size of the knife block 25 x 18.5 x 8.5cm (H x W x D)

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Ninja Foodi StaySharp Knife Block with Integrated Sharpener

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Set includes 20cm chef's knife, 20cm bread knife, 20cm slicing knife, 13cm utility knife, 8cm paring knife, integrated sharpener

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 29.3 x 25.5 x 14.5cm (H x W x D)

ProCook Damascus 67 Knife Set

Available from ProCook (£429)

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Set includes 25cm carving knife, 23cm bread knife, 20cm chef's knife, 13cm utility knife, 9cm paring knife

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 25 x 18.5 x 8.5cm (H x W x D)

Need to know Also available in 3-piece and 8-piece sets   

Robert Welch Signature Knife Block Set with Sharpener

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Set includes 23cm carving knife, 22cm bread knife, 14cm chef's knife, 14cm utility knife, 12cm serrated utility knife, 8cm paring knife, integrated sharpener  

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 32 x 23 x 20cm (H x W x D)

Stellar Sabatier Knife Block Set

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Set includes 20cm carving knife, 20cm bread knife, 15cm chef's knife, 10cm utility knife, 9cm paring knife

Dishwasher safe Yes

Size of the knife block 17.5 x 19cm (H x W)

Tower Damascus Knife Block Set

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Set includes 20cm carving knife, 20cm bread knife, 20cm chef's knife, 13cm utility knife, 9cm paring knife

Dishwasher safe No

Size of the knife block 34.5 x 33 x 9.2cm (H x W x D)

How we test knife sets 

We test the most popular kitchen knife block sets and buy all the products we test, rather than accepting samples from manufacturers. 

Sharpness out of the box

Each of the following knives in the set are rated on how easily they complete specific tasks:

• Chef's and utility knives: used to dice half an onion, julienne a carrot and slice through a butternut squash.
• Paring knife: used to peel an apple and mince a clove of garlic. 
• Bread knife: used to cut slices from a soft, white farmhouse loaf. 

Sharpness after cutting

The chef's, utility and paring knives are used out of the box to slice through a piece of paper. The same test is carried out after the cutting tasks to see if blades have dulled.

Comfort

A panel of testers use each of the following knives for specific tasks and rate them for how comfortable the handles feel:

• Chef's and utility knives: used to cut carrot batons.
• Paring knife: used to peel an apple.
• Bread knife: used to cut slices from a soft, white farmhouse loaf. 

How to dispose of kitchen knives 

If you have a set of kitchen knives that can no longer be used, you'll need to check with your local council if they can be disposed of with general household waste. 

In some cases, you may have to take them to a dedicated recycling centre and dispose of them in the bin for scrap metals.

Whether they go into your general waste or are recycled, it's important to wrap the knives with paper, bubble wrap or cardboard to avoid injury to anyone who handles them. 

Extra safety measures you can take include putting a cork on the tip of the blade and placing the wrapped knives in a puncture-proof container labelled with 'Caution: Sharp'.  

What knives are included in a knife set?

• Chef's knife A large, general-purpose kitchen knife that's usually 12cm to 20cm long. Read our reviews of the best chef's knives. 
• Utility knife: An all-purpose knife that's best for cutting food that's too small or fiddly for a chef's knife. 
• Bread knife: A long, serrated knife that should be able to cut thin, untorn slices of bread.
• Paring knife: A short, slim knife designed for delicate tasks, such as peeling or deseeding. 
• Carving knife: A long, slim knife for cutting even slices of meat or larger vegetables and fruit, such as melons. 

Keep your knife blades sharp with our pick of the best knife sharpeners.