The 7 Best Knife Block Sets, According to Our Tests

Best Overall: Chicago Cutlery Fusion 17-Piece Knife Block Set

Why It's Great

• Comprehensive set
• Includes steak knives
• Lifetime warranty

Grain Of Salt

• A little bulky

The Chicago Cutlery Fusion takes our top spot as best overall knife block set thanks to its comprehensive inclusions and impressive quality. Our testers were clear: "These knives performed incredibly well given their price point."

Clocking in at 17 pieces, including the knife block, the Chicago Cutlery Fusion set includes just about everything you'll need for everyday kitchen tasks. Our testers appreciated the sharp, smooth-slicing chef's knife with its 7-¾-inch blade, as well as a deftly maneuvering 3-¼-inch paring knife — "all of the cuts were fluid," one tester noted.

This something-for-everyone knife block set includes eight steak knives and a sharpening steel, making it a great housewarming or wedding gift. "This is the perfect set for someone who is just starting out with cooking," testers agreed, though they were genuinely impressed with the quality and performance of the Fusion set. When it came time to slice a tomato — one of the most telling tasks any home cook put their chef's knife up against — the test revealed "really fluid, smooth, and effortless" performance.

The Details: 17-piece set; stainless steel knives with wooden block; 14.7 x 9.7 x 8.5 inches

Best Splurge: Wüsthof Classic Ikon 7-piece Slim Knife Set

Why It's Great

• Respected brand
• Slender profile great for small spaces
• Everything you need, nothing you don't

Grain Of Salt

• It's an investment

It's hard to go wrong with buying any Wüsthof knife — the well-respected German company has been producing top-quality knives since 1814 — but this set is a great buy if you're looking for a long-term knife block set.

Our testers said that the slim block is "sleek and looks good" — and definitely something they'd be happy to have on the counter. The 8-inch chef's knife is comfortable to hold and easy to grip, with one tester noting that it's "well-balanced, efficient, and got the job done. I liked it."

This no-frills knife block set from Wüsthof includes a 3.5-inch paring knife, a 5-inch serrated knife, a 5-inch santoku knife, an 8-inch bread knife, and a pair of kitchen shears in addition to the chef's knife. It's everything you need for serious work in the kitchen, and you can count on Wüsthof knives to stay sharp and perform well for years to come.

It's definitely pricely, but it's worth the investment if you're the type of person who prefers to buy things once. "They don't include steak knives, but I think these knives are fairly priced," a tester said. "You're paying $700 to get a few really good knives."

The Details: 7-piece set; stainless steel knives with acacia block; 20 x 14 x 8 inches

Best Sharp: Global Takashi 7-Piece Knife Block Set

Why It's Great

• Lightweight knives
• Good for smaller hands
• Ultra-sharp

Grain Of Salt

• Handle grip not ideal

Our testers reported that Global Takashi knives are "incredibly sharp out of the box" and are "very modern and visually appealing."

Fortunately, these knives also passed their tests with few complaints — the 8-inch chef's knife "sliced through an entire sheet of paper with great ease" and doubly impressed during the tomato test. "The knife was capable of slicing through the tomato without the need to hold the tomato," reported one tester.

The smallest paring knife, with a 4-¼-inch blade, proved a bit too small to be comfortable for most tasks, but the 5.5-inch paring knife stepped in nicely. Testers did note that the thin profile can make the knife handles difficult to hold, so smaller-sized hands may find the Global Takashi knives a better fit.

Overall, testers recommend this knife block set to intermediate and advanced cooks — beginners may actually find these knives too sharp — concluding that the Takashi set is "great for basic tasks up to professional use. These knives can do it all exceptionally well."

The Details: 7-piece set; stainless steel knives with bamboo block; 9 x 6 x 3 inches

Related: The Best Knife for Slicing Tomatoes

Best Small Space: Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set

Why It's Great

• Slim profile
• Essentials only
• Easy-grip handles

Grain Of Salt

• Hard-to-clean block

If you need to conserve as much counter space as possible without sacrificing performance, the Mercer Culinary Genesis knife block set might be your ideal choice. This clever block has a slim profile that can sit flat against a wall or cabinet, and the wood and glass design lends a modern touch. Our testers expressed concern that the glass block may be tricky to keep clean as splatter will be readily visible, but this isn't a dealbreaker.

The 8-inch chef's knife sliced smoothly through the paper, tomato, and onion-dicing tests alike, and crusty bread was no match for the serrated Genesis knife. One tester noted that the most difficult part of the strawberry-hulling test was turning the strawberry because the paring knife "cut smoothly with no resistance."

The Mercer Culinary Genesis set offers "very good value with high performance," and our testers consider it a great pick for small spaces, gifting, or anyone who is just starting out in the kitchen or is otherwise unlikely to need a wide variety of knife options.

The Details: 6-piece set; alloy steel with wood and glass block; 13 x 5 x 15 inches

Best Japanese-Style: Ginsu Gourmet Chikara Series 8-Piece Japanese Steel Knife Set

Why It's Great

• Super sharp
• Great price-to-performance ratio
• Includes honing rod

Grain Of Salt

• No bread knife

Though our testers lamented the exclusion of a proper bread knife — there's only a 5-inch serrated utility knife — they were otherwise pleased with the value of the Ginsu Gourmet Chikara knife block set.

The 8-inch chef's knife and 3.5-inch paring knives aced their slicing tests, with our testers reporting "incredibly sharp" blades across the board. They did comment on how light the knives feel — almost to the point of feeling unbalanced, save for the 7-inch santoku knife — but for the modest price, testers agreed that the Chikara set is "very fairly priced in terms of quality of construction and performance."

Aside from the aforementioned knives, the Ginsu Gourmet set includes a pair of kitchen shears, a 5-inch utility knife, a honing rod, and a bamboo block, making it "a great set for any and all kitchen tasks." It's a sharp set at a great price and one that our testers "absolutely recommend."

The Details: 8-piece set; stainless steel with bamboo block; 15.5 x 12 x 19.75 inches

Best Beginner: Amazon Basics 18-piece Premium Knife Block Set

Why It's Great

• Wide variety
• Includes steak knives
• Useful for beginners

Grain Of Salt

• Entry-level quality

For anyone just beginning their culinary journey and for whom precision performance may not be the top priority, the Amazon Basics 18-piece knife block set certainly delivers. This comprehensive set includes seven kitchen knives, eight steak knives, a pair of kitchen shears, a blade sharpener, and a pine block — it's everything you need to get going in the kitchen.

But don't be fooled by the low price, because this knife set is no slouch when it comes to performing everyday tasks. "The chef's knife slices through the tomato with great ease," said one tester. "It's very easy to make thin, consistent slices, and the edge is long enough to require only one motion when slicing."

Likewise, the chef's knife made quick work of dicing an onion with a "tip sharp enough to cleanly start the dice" and an edge that "cleaning follows through with chopping." Though our testers acknowledge that this isn't a professional-level knife block set, they did note that "some ergonomic features could be improved to make the knives more comfortable to use and hold."

The Details: 18-piece set; stainless steel with pine block; 9 x 6.29 x 14 inches

Related: The 9 Best Carving and Slicing Knives, Tested by Allrecipes

Best Budget: Farberware Forged 21-piece Kitchen Knife Block Set

Why It's Great

• Sharpener integrated into block
• Includes unique tools
• Classic design

Grain Of Salt

• Best for beginners

This Farberware knife block set is great for getting started in the kitchen. At 21 pieces, it comes with more tools than most knife sets — including unique pieces like a 6-inch boning knife, a 6-inch cleaver, and a carving fork — and everything stores compactly in a block with a built-in sharpener.

The 8-inch chef's knife completed each test with relative ease; one tester noted that "the blade is rather thick, which makes slicing require some extra effort — but it's still easy to slice through the tomato." Our testers agreed that the Farberware knives could have been sharper right out of the box, but "the material the blades are made out of seems soft and easy to sharpen as needed."

While construction quality is not exactly top-notch — testers noticed some imperfections along the spines and edges of the knives, as well as handles that don't necessarily sit flush with the bolster — Farberware's 21-piece knife block set performed well enough to make it onto our list.

"This set has every knife you could possibly need and is very fairly priced for the number of knives you're getting."

The Details: 21-piece set; alloy steel with wood block; 9.84 x 5.91 x 13.58 inches

Our Takeaway

The Chicago Cutlery Fusion 17-Piece Knife Block Set is our pick for best overall thanks to its array of sharp, well-performing knives at a fair price. For a high-end option, it's tough to beat the Wüsthof Classic Ikon 7-piece Slim Knife Set for top quality and longevity.

How to Pick the Right Knife Block Set

Design

Sure, you'll want a knife block set that looks nice on your countertop, but of equal — perhaps greater — importance is how the knives feel in your hand. A well-designed knife is balanced and comfortable to grip, but these nuances are different for everyone. A handle that one person considers too narrow might feel fantastic in your own hand, so trust your gut and choose a knife set that works for you.

Material

Ceramic or steel? Forged or stamped? While all of the knife block sets we've included here have steel blades, ceramic knives are another option. Ceramic knives tend to stay sharp, and there's no risk of rusting over time, but they're also more prone to breaking or chipping. And while stamped steel blades can be of excellent quality and sharpness, forged knives are created from a single bar of steel and tend to be stronger and longer-lasting.

Style

Some cooks prefer Japanese-style knives, whereas others reach for a German-style blade. The main difference is that Japanese-style knives use a harder steel, so they're sharp and ultra-precise — perfect for fish, fruits, and most vegetables — but they tend to be more brittle. The softer steel used for German-style knives may require more frequent honing, but they're durable and can tackle meats and sturdy vegetables without worry.

Value

More knives isn't always better when it comes to the value of a knife block set. Choose one that includes knives and other tools you'll actually use. You can always enhance your collection with another knife here and there, but if you're buying a set, it makes sense to choose one that accommodates your cooking style.

About Our Tests

To determine the best knife sets, our testers challenged the blades to:

• Paper slicing: How smoothly did each chef's knife slide through a sheet of paper?
• Tomato slicing: Did the chef's knife make a clean cut, or did it squish the delicate flesh?
• Dicing onion: How precise is the tip of the chef's knife? Did it make clean slices?
• Crusty bread: How well did each serrated knife cut through bread?
• Hulling strawberries: Did the paring knife make a clean cut? How easy was it to maneuver through a small piece of fruit?

Testers also considered the aesthetic design of the block sets and the feel of the knives in their hands. They assessed each set on its value, the included knives, and overall quality.

The Leftovers: Other Knife Block Sets We Tested

Henckels Classic 15-pieces Self-Sharpening Block Set

Though our testers appreciated the compact design of this set and praised the performance of the chef's knife, they couldn't choose it as a favorite due to a too-thin paring knife that felt awkward to use and contrasted with the quality of the chef's knife. They also noted the absence of a bread knife and a separate sharpening tool as the self-sharpening feature lacks control.

Made In - The Knife Set

While the chef's knife and paring knife both performed well, our testers deducted points as this 4-piece set doesn't include a block (sheaths are included instead), and the serrated knife has a heavy, unbalanced handle. "The overall variety of knives included is limited given the price," remarked one tester.