Whether you’re cooking for yourself alone or preparing a family meal, having no choice but to use a bad knife is one of the most frustrating things that could happen to you in the kitchen. This alone can dampen your morale and make you look like a bad cook.
So, to make your work in the kitchen faster, you need to invest in a high-quality knife or set of knives. And your ideal knife is not just sharp, but also comfortable to hold, perfectly designed for kitchen tasks, and strong enough to cut through even the toughest food ingredients.
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Types of Kitchen Knives
There are many types of kitchen knives, but the truth is, you don’t have to buy every type available. Just a few ones selected based on your commonest kitchen tasks would suffice.
Chef Knife
You’ll need a chef knife, which is a must-have because it’s the most versatile type, and it’s built to easily chop, slice, dice, and mince even the toughest ingredients.
Vegetable knife
Another type you’ll most likely need is the paring knife (also called the vegetable knife), which is most suitable for peeling and slicing spices, decorative garnishes, herbs, and other ingredients.
Utility knife
A utility knife (also called a sandwich knife), which has a longer blade, is another must-have because it can cope better with everyday cutting tasks, which include cutting vegetables and large fruits.
Santoku knife
And if your cooking usually involves lots of leafy vegetables and sticky ingredients (which can be really frustrating to deal with), then consider buying a santoku knife, which has a Japanese-styled broad blade that makes cutting super-fast.
Other types of kitchen knives include slicers, bread knives, fillet knives, peeling knives, tomato knives, boning knives, and carving knives. But the truth is, these types are not must-haves because they are used for specific tasks only. You sure don’t want to stuff up your kitchen with knives that you’ll only need on occasions.
Material: Stainless steel vs Carbon steel blades
When looking to buy a kitchen knife, the material used for the blade is the most important factor you need to consider. Stainless steel blades are best because they can cut acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus without rusting, but they can’t hold their sharpness for too long (so you’ll have to sharpen them regularly).
Carbon steel blades, on the other hand, can hold their sharpness for longer periods, but they will rust if they are left wet or used on acidic foods.
In this review, we’ll be looking at some of the best kitchen knives you can get in UK. We’ve carefully chosen them based on factors such as blade type, versatility, brand trust, reviews by real buyers, and price.
Best Kitchen Knife in UK: Our Top 5 Picks
1. ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch – Alpha-Royal Series
One of the bestselling kitchen knives in UK and our top pick for the right reasons, the Zelite Infinity 8-inch Chef Knife is made with premium quality Japanese Damascus steel tempered with liquefied Nitrogen to ensure long-lasting performance resistance to rust. It’s a perfectly crafted kitchen knife that will add luxury and elegance to any kitchen with its seductive premium design.
But more importantly, it’s ideal multipurpose cutlery that is suitable for a wide range of kitchen tasks — peeling, slicing, cutting, mincing, and so on. And it can cut through even the toughest food ingredients with amazing ease.
The kitchen knife comes in a premium packaged box that will wow anyone at first sight (even before the nicely designed blade is uncovered) and does a great job at preventing damage in transport. The hand-finished, ruthlessly sharp, the 8-inch long blade has a pro razor edge on each side. And its cutting angles are mirror-polished to ensure maximum sharpness and safety.
The military-grade rounded handle is full tang to ensure durability and maximum strength. It’s ergonomically designed to ensure firm and comfortable grips — thanks to the added tapered bolster. And it owes its visual appeal to the Zelite Infinity Classic 3-metal mosaic rivet adornment.
Overall, all components of the Zelite Infinity 8-inch knife add up to a perfect weight and balance. And even if you’re not a professional chef, you won’t go wrong with this kitchen knife, especially if you’re a stickler for luxury items that are built to last several years. Although a bit pricey, it’s worth every penny you pay for it.
One more thing, thanks to the premium packaging (which enhances the feeling of specialness), this knife is a perfect gift idea for weddings, birthdays, or just as nice treats for yourself or a loved one who deserves a gift that will make them happy always.
2. ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife – Comfort-Pro Series
If our top pick is out of your budget, then the Zelite Infinity 8-inch Chef Knife (Comfort Pro Series) is a good substitute that you can’t go wrong with. While it lacks the artistic on-blade design and ultra-premium looks that our top pick sports, they both match up in many other aspects.
As with our top pick, this kitchen knife is a multipurpose chef knife, so having it in your kitchen is like having many different knife types in one.
It’s ideal for slicing, dicing, mincing, chopping, and peeling vegetables, spices, fruits, and other food ingredients of all sizes — thanks to the hard and razor-sharp 8-inch blade, which is made with top-quality German (ThyssenKrupp) high-carbon stainless steel.
Beyond looking awesomely flawless, the blade is resistant to rust, stain, and corrosion, and it has exceptional sharpness retention.
The handle is full tang, ergonomically crafted and rounded to ensure firm and comfortable grips during use. Reinforced with a rare tapered bolster, the handle feels robust in hand, yet the whole knife has the perfect weight that makes it uses easy for even the most amateur chefs.
Like our top pick, this knife comes in premium packaging, which makes it an ideal gift idea for loved ones, especially those who are are professional cooks, culinary students, or home cooks.
If you’re looking for an aesthetically awesome budget kitchen knife that is made to last and well worth its cost in pounds, we strongly recommend this one.
3. Morphy Richards Accents Knife Set + Block (5 Piece)
Unlike the first and second knives in this review, the Morphy Richards Accents Knife Block is actually a set of 5 knives, not just one. So, if you’re of the opinion that having different knives for different kitchen tasks is better, then this set of knives is for you.
The set contains 5 of the most commonly used types of kitchen knives — a 7.5cm paring knife for mincing and slicing small ingredients like garlic; a 12.5cm utility knife for; sandwich, vegetables, and larger fruits; a 20cm slicing knife suitable for ham, poultry, and other cooked meats; a 20 cm bread knife, and a 20cm chef knife for multiple uses. With these, you already have a complete “arsenal” for the kitchen battle against any food ingredient.
With all five knives tucked in the block, you can’t but admire the glittering stainless steel handles, which are razor-sharp and ergonomically built to ensure comfortable grips even for long periods of use.
The handle is perfectly welded to the blade, so you can rest assured that your knives won’t develop “shaky joints”. The blades, made of stainless steel, are razor sharp and have exceptional edge retention. And each complete unit is lightweight and super stylish.
It goes without saying, but the knives come in an elegant, sturdy block made perfectly to hold knives at an angle that makes them easily accessible. The block is available in six different colors (black, red, copper, ivory cream, titanium, and stainless steel), so you can choose based on the color theme in your kitchen. So, it’s not wrong to state that this knife block doubles as a decoration in your kitchen.
One notable downside of this set is that the knives are NOT rust-resistant, which means they are prone to rust when not properly maintained. So, after use (especially on acidic food ingredients), dry each knife completely before tucking in the block.
4. ZELITE INFINITY Utility Knife – Comfort-Pro Series
Zelite Infinity is well known for top quality kitchen knives, and for years the brand has consistently churned out affordable long-lasting and razor-sharp knives. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that we’re featuring three of their knives in this review.
The Zelite Infinity 5-inch utility knife is a budget, yet visually stunning multipurpose kitchen knife. If you think the two chefs’ knives that top this list are too long for your liking, then you should be fine with this option.
As with others by the same brand, this kitchen knife comes in an ultra-premium packaging box that creates the first impression of awesomeness and specialness.
The blade, which appears beautifully plain at first sight, is made with high-quality German carbon stainless steel (ThyssenKrupp), which ensures rock hardness, non-stickiness, resistance to rust and stains, and exceptional sharpness retention.
And it has a 15-18 degree cutting angle to ensure precision cutting every time and protect the blade from blunting quickly. According to many users of this knife, it practically “slides” through chicken and other tough food ingredients.
The handle is well rounded and full tang to provide maximum comfort to the user and minimizing wrist fatigue after long periods of use. And with the rare tapered bolster, you’ll get a perfect balance and total control of the knife.
Even though the knife might feel heavy due to the quality of the materials used, this won’t be a problem during use. The knife arrives sharp and ready to use.
5. Sanjianker Professional Kitchen Knife
If you’re easily wowed by knives with premium looks, then you’d fall in love with the Sanjianker Professional Chef Knife at first sight. Every part of it, from the packaging to the blade and to the handle, looks aesthetically alluring.
This kitchen knife sports a beveled, double-edge blade with integrated forging. Made of high carbon stainless steel which ensures exceptional strength, durability and sharpness retention, the blade is designed with a special laser-etched wavy pattern, which makes it appear like Damascus steel.
More importantly, it is sharp and is made suitable for a wide range of kitchen tasks — including more difficult tasks such as removing flesh from bones or cutting tough meet.
The handle is well rounded and ergonomically designed. This, coupled with the 14-degree cutting angle, makes the knife a perfect substitute for anyone who is tired of using kitchen knives that cause wrist fatigue after use. The handle and cutting angle also explain why the knife provides great cutting precision.
Aside from its looks and function, two things are particularly impressive about the Sanjianker Professional Chef Knife. First, the price is amazingly cheap, considering the quality of materials used in its making.
And second, the product comes with a lifetime warranty. Overall, this knife would be a great buy for anyone, either for personal use or as a gift to a loved one.
Warning: To get the best from this knife and make it last long, always keep it dry after use. In addition, avoid using a dryer on the knife or soaking the knife in water for a long time, as these will deform the beautiful handle.
Wrap up
If what you’re looking for is a premium an aesthetically appealing kitchen knife that you can use for several years, then we’d recommend our top pick. But if you’re on a lower budget or don’t like our top pick for any reason (which we doubt can be the case with anyone), you won’t go wrong with any of the alternatives on our list.