The 7 Best Knife Block Sets, According to Our Test Kitchen

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These sturdy blocks are as functional as they are attractive.

Not only is a knife block set an aesthetically pleasing kitchen accessory, but it covers all the basics to help you execute well in the kitchen. These knife sets, often housed in a decorative wooden block, come with a variety of different knives to help you chop vegetables, slice through sourdough and trim steak fat with ease.

The trick to finding the best knife block set is considering how and what you prep and cook. But you don’t have to limit yourself to one set—you can mix and match. "As your cooking style evolves, so will your knife usage," says chef Melodie Beal, head of culinary at Amazon Fresh.

To help you choose the best knife block set for your needs, we tested 21 different sets and evaluated them based on performance, durability and design. Here are the best sets to display on your kitchen counter.

Our Knife Block Set Recommendations

• Best Overall: Misen 7-Piece Knife Set (+ Misen Magnetic Knife Strip)

• Also Great: Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block

• Best Budget: Chicago Cutlery Halsted 7-Piece Modular Block Set

• Best Splurge: Miyabi Birchwood SG2 7-Piece Knife Block Set

• Best Design: HexClad 7-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set

• Best Large Set: Cangshan Maya Block Set, 12-Piece Set

• Also Great, Large Set: Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set

Best Overall: Misen 7-Piece Knife Set (+ Misen Magnetic Knife Strip)

$434 at misen.com

What we like: The handles are ergonomic and comfortable to use, and the blades are razor-sharp; plus, the wall mount makes this a great option for people with limited counter space.

What to know: This set doesn't come with steak knives, and the magnetic knife strip is sold separately.

Misen's 7-Piece Knife Set is a beautiful, thorough set for anyone starting out in the kitchen. Unlike traditional knife blocks, this set is magnetized and meant to be mounted on the wall, saving you major counter space. In our tests, the magnet was strong enough to securely hold the knives, and the knives were easily pulled off without causing an uneasy jerking movement.

These are Western-style knives, so they're slightly on the heavier side, but they still feel balanced throughout and don't feel cumbersome to lift. We loved that the bolster (the part between the handle and the knife blade) wasn't thicker than the handle, which made the knife very comfortable to hold, whether we held it further back or closer to the blade. The curvature of the blades felt comfortable for both chopping and rocking the knife.

All the knives in the set felt very well-balanced and ergonomically shaped, making them easy to control while cutting various foods. The chef's knife produced see-through slices of tomato with minimal effort or smushing, cutting through onion and garlic very easily. The bread knife cut through a loaf without shattering the crust, and the kitchen shears performed exceptionally well on chicken wings, cutting through the joints with almost no effort. We also love that the kitchen shears come apart, which makes for very easy and thorough cleaning—a major bonus for when you're using them on raw meat.

All in all, if you're looking to prioritize quality while still getting a fairly complete set of knives, this Misen set is a smart option. Plus, it comes in classic colors such as black, blue and red that boast a vibrant finish, adding a chic pop of color to any kitchen.

Pieces Included: 5" serrated knife, 8" chef’s knife, 8" santoku knife, 5.5" utility knife, 3.5" paring knife, kitchen shears, ceramic honing rod | Block Type: N/A | Blade Materials: Steel | Warranty: Lifetime warranty against defects

Also Great: Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block

$895 at Amazon

$790 at wusthof.com

What we like: This incredibly versatile set boasts one of the best bread knives we've tested.

What to know: This is a heavier set and may not feel the most comfortable for people with smaller hands.

If you're looking for a traditional knife block, this set from Wüsthof is a great choice for the avid home cook who uses knives every day in the kitchen. In our tests, we found the knives to be sturdy and solid, and they handled everyday kitchen tasks with ease.

The heftiness of the chef's knife came in handy for cutting through harder produce like sweet potato and onion. It also pierced the skin of the tomato with ease and sliced down through the flesh with minimal effort and no tearing. The garlic was cleanly sliced and minced without crushing the outer pieces, and we achieved a very fine chop thanks to the heaviness of the blade. The bread knife's teeth boasted different heights, which made cutting the bread effortless without actually putting pressure on the bread—in fact, we found the long serrated bread knife to be one of the best knives we tested. The paring knife easily hulled strawberries and peeled kiwi, but we weren't too impressed with the kitchen shears, as they had a hard time cutting through chicken wings.

This set comes with a beechwood block fitted with nine horizontal slots for your knives and shears. The block itself is heavy, although most of the weight comes from the knives themselves. It measures a little over 12 inches in height, so you can slide it under an upper cabinet, but it does come forward a good bit on the countertop. The handles are on the larger side and their curvature allows for an optimal grip, making these knives great for people with bigger hands. While the knives are relatively heavy, most of the weight is in the bolster, which makes the knives well-balanced and incredibly easy to control.

Pieces Included: 2.75” peeling knife, 4” paring knife, 5" serrated utility knife, 9" double serrated bread knife, 8” chef's knife, 8" carving knife, 6" straight meat fork, 9” honing steel, kitchen shears, 9-slot European knife block | Block Type: Wood (beech) | Blade Materials: Steel | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects

Best Budget: Chicago Cutlery Halsted 7-Piece Modular Block Set

$90 at Amazon

$110 at kohls.com

What we like: This set comes with sturdy, solid, basic pieces that perform well on general cooking tasks, and it has a great space-saving design.

What to know: It doesn't come with kitchen shears, and we wouldn't necessarily use this set for anything that requires finesse or dexterity, like processing a lot of products quickly or breaking down a whole chicken.

You don't have to shell out big bucks for a quality, functional knife set that covers the bases. The Western-style Chicago Cutlery Halsted 7-Piece Modular Block Set is incredibly thick and sturdy, with solid construction all around—and best of all, the entire set costs under $100. The pieces included are a chef's knife, a long serrated knife, a santoku, a utility knife (a medium-length, thinner serrated knife), a paring knife and a peeling/turning knife.

In our tests, we found the chef's knife moderately heavy, but still very easy to use. All cuts performed well, although the sweet potato cubes required some force behind the knife. This didn't feel awkward or cumbersome because the spine of the knife was somewhat thick, so the weight pushback when cutting through the sweet potato was well-distributed in the hand.

The knife block is a two-tiered wooden set with three knife slots for each tier. The slots are vertical, with the higher tier having long vertical slits and bolster indentations so you can easily pull the knives from the front of the block instead of above. This makes it easier to store this set under a cabinet or in smaller spaces. Aesthetically, this set's basic design would work well in a modern or minimalist home, especially with the lighter color profiles.

Pieces Included: 8" chef’s knife, 8" serrated bread knife, 7" santoku, 5.5" utility knife, 3.5" paring knife, 2.75" peeling knife | Block Type: Wood | Blade Materials: Stainless steel | Warranty: Full lifetime warranty

Best Splurge: Miyabi Birchwood SG2 7-Piece Knife Block Set

$1780 at Amazon

$2101 at Williams-Sonoma

What we like: The knives are impressively sharp and easy to use, and the birchwood is a beautiful addition to any kitchen countertop.

What to know: While the set comes with six different knives, the block has extra slots in case you decide to add more knives to your collection down the line.

The Miyabi Birchwood SG2 comes with six pieces of cutlery that'll inspire daydreams of meal-prep Sundays. The beautiful knives feature a Damascus finish and birchwood handles and come housed in an elegant bamboo block that doubles as a kitchen counter accessory. These Japanese-style knives boast very light blades, yet the steel feels very solid and durable.

When testing this set, we found the chef's knife exceptionally sharp. The tomato offered no resistance to the blade, and we were able to cut it with only one hand (but don't try this at home!). The onion and garlic were also no match for the blade, and this chef's knife cut through the sweet potato better than any other set we've tested.

The serrated bread knife's blade handled both the sourdough and the white sandwich bread effortlessly, and there was barely any tearing from the top crust of both loaves. The paring knife is extremely sharp—we easily hulled the strawberries, and there was zero resistance from the kiwi's skin. The shears are very sharp, too, and easily cut through chicken bone and cartilage. With how heavy-duty these shears felt, it's safe to say they can easily break down an entire chicken.

We loved how the handles were easy to hold and the wood molds to the warmth of your hand to keep a good grip. Overall, this knife block's price is reflective of its value. We think it’s a reasonable splurge for professional chefs and avid home cooks alike.

Pieces Included: 3.5” paring knife, 7" santoku, 8" chef's knife, 9" serrated bread knife, kitchen shears, honing steel | Block Type: Bamboo | Blade Materials: Steel | Warranty: N/A

Best Design: HexClad 7-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set

$458 at Amazon

$543 at hexclad.com

What we like: The knives are sleek, sharp and beautiful to the eye, and they come on a space-saving magnetic block.

What to know: The bread knife wasn't as sharp as the others we tested, and this set does not include kitchen shears.

The HexClad 7-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set is incredibly slim and a great option if you're conscious of your limited counter space. The base measures 4 inches wide, the block is 1 inch wide, and the block is 15 inches tall. The knives sit vertically on a magnetic base surrounded by high-quality wood panels.

In our tests, we found that these knives feel very well-made and almost like an extension of the arm, which is precisely how a knife should feel in the hand. The chef's knife quickly broke down all of our produce. It cut a translucent slice of tomato without smashing in the slightest bit. The paring knife was great to work with, too; it was incredibly comfortable to hold and effortlessly hulled the strawberries and peeled the kiwi fruit.

However, the bread knife wasn't sharp enough to form a smooth, clean cut on the loaves. We found that the sandwich bread got a bit squished due to the pressure we had to apply when cutting it. It's also worth noting that this set doesn’t come with kitchen shears. Still, it’s a great value, and we loved the magnetic block—not only did it save space, but it made grabbing knives more fun and presented a more sanitary way of storing knives as the surface can easily be cleaned.

Pieces Included: 8" chef’s knife, 7" santoku knife, 5" utility knife, 3.5" paring knife, 8” serrated bread knife, 9" honing steel | Block Type: Wood (walnut) | Blade Materials: Steel | Warranty: Lifetime warranty for defects

Best Large Set: Cangshan Maya Block Set, 12-Piece Set (Williams Sonoma exclusive)

$700 at Williams-Sonoma

What we like: The set includes four steak knives and kitchen shears, which are extremely sharp and easy to use.

What to know: The block is quite large and might not fit in kitchens with limited counter space.

The Cangshan Maya Block Set comes with five different knives, four steak knives, and kitchen shears, making it the perfect set for those who love being in the kitchen. The chef's knife and paring knife cut through paper like air and were equally impressive when tested on food. It sliced through the tomato with just the weight of the blade and gave a clean cut without crushing the fruit. It chopped onion easily, finely minced our garlic and met only a little resistance with the sweet potato.

The bread knife was magic: There was no need for heavy-handed movement of the blade when slicing, and we could cut straight through the loaf without shattering the crust or tearing the bread. The paring knife also performed exceptionally well when hulling our strawberries and peeling the kiwi fruit. The kitchen shears easily cut through chicken bone, skin and cartilage and would likely produce the same results when breaking down a whole chicken.

The handles felt very comfortable to hold, even for chefs with smaller hands. Thanks to their octagonal design and secure, no-slip grip, folks with larger hands would find them equally comfortable. However, because it's such a large set (about 10 inches wide and 14 inches tall), you'll have to set aside extra counter space for it.

Pieces Included: 3.5" paring knife, 5" serrated utility knife, 7" santoku, 8" chef's knife, 9" bread knife, set of 4 steak knives, honing steel, kitchen shears | Block Type: Wood (walnut) | Blade Materials: Damascus steel | Warranty: N/A

Also Great, Large Set: Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$1072 at Amazon

$1072 at Williams-Sonoma

What we like: The knives felt like an extension of our hands, slicing through food with minimal effort.

What to know: The kitchen shears didn't perform up to par on raw chicken.

Zwilling is a brand recommended by chefs for its durable, high-quality materials, and its 10-piece Pro Knife Block Set is another large set we love. Indeed, in our tests, we found these knives to feel solid, well-crafted and enjoyable to use. The handles were very comfortable and felt natural in our hands, and we think they’re the perfect size for those with large and small hands alike.

This set comes with a variety of different cutlery that makes it perfect for professional chefs and everyday cooks looking for a reliable knife set to use for daily tasks. The chef's knife was incredibly sharp and easy to control, and our cuts were clean, smooth and precise. We were able to slice the tomato with zero effort, the potatoes and onions were quick work for the knife to dice through, and we were able to mince the garlic without smashing it to bits. The serrated knife really shined, as there was no tearing of the bread or shattering of the crust, and there wasn't any smushing of either sandwich or sourdough bread when being cut. The paring knife was able to glide through the strawberry and hull it without much wiggling of the knife.

However, when it comes to the shears, we were less impressed. It almost felt like Zwilling spent its budget on all the other pieces of this set and just had to make do with what they had left to create the shears. They felt cheap, and the handles were made of uncomfortable plastic. To cut through a chicken wing, we had to line the blade up exactly with the joint to cut through. That said, we had no trouble cutting through chives with the shears.

Pieces Included: 3" paring knife, 4" paring knife, 5" serrated utility knife, 5.5" prep knife, 7" santoku knife, 8" bread knife, 8" chef's knife, kitchen shears, sharpening steel | Block Type: Hardwood | Blade Materials: Steel | Warranty: Lifetime warranty for defects

The Bottom Line: The Best Knife Block Sets

The Misen 7-Piece Knife Set (view at Misen) was the best knife block set we tested thanks to its ergonomic handles, razor-sharp blades and space-saving wall mount design. The Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block (view at Amazon) was a close second, as we loved the versatility of the pieces included and how well they all performed against various foods.

Choosing a Knife Block Set

Check the Number and Type of Knives

Knife block sets can come with anywhere from three to 20 knives, and the one you choose will depend on your cooking needs and skillset. Most often, knife block sets will include the following cutlery:

• Paring knife: A small knife with a short blade that’s used for peeling, trimming and slicing fruits and vegetables.

• Serrated knives: These have a blade with serrations, or small saw-like teeth along the cutting edge. Serrated knives are often used for slicing bread and soft fruits or vegetables. "The teeth are perfect for thin slices of ripe tomatoes and peaches," Beal says.

• Boning knife: Its narrow, sharp blade is great for poultry and, depending on the length, for skinning fish fillets, Beal says.

• Chef’s knives of various sizes and shapes: These can include the curved European-style knives, as well as a more blunted end, almost cleaver-like, Japanese knives, Beal says.

• Utility knives: Smaller than chef's knives but bigger than paring knives. They can be used for various miscellaneous kitchen tasks.

• Steak knives: These are used at the dining table for cutting cooked meat.

• Kitchen shears: These are kitchen knives that separate into two parts for ease of cleaning

Consider the Knife Style

The two most common types of knife styles are Western (or European) and Japanese knives. "Western knives are honed on both sides of the blade, allowing home cooks to sharpen their knives at home and be universal across both leftie and rightie-chefs," says Jordan Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Brothers Cutlery. "Japanese knives are thinner, harder and tend to be sharper than softer European knives, allowing them to keep their edge for longer."

How Do the Knives Perform?

Sharp knives are essential for seamless and safe cutting. Knives that are easy to sharpen will last you longer and be easier to use daily. You'll also want to consider the ergonomics of the knives—your knife should feel comfortable and light in your hand. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure the quality of construction in both the blade and the hilt (or grip) and try testing your knives on different types of foods.

When shopping for a set, look for a variety of knives that meet your needs in the kitchen. It all boils down to how and what you prep and cook. “I love having very sharp, lighter, more finely angled, single-piece steel Japanese-style knives for vegetable and fish work,” Beal says. “However, my heavy-duty European-style knives are perfectly weighted for working through large pieces of meat and rough-cutting vegetables for stock,” Beal says.

What Are the Materials?

Knife blocks are typically made out of wood, which is highly durable. As for the knives, all-steel is the best way to go, whether you're buying Western or Japanese knives. "Steel provides a long-standing edge without diminishing the integrity of the blade (and its slice) with cheaper steels that contain minerals or unnecessary materials," Schmidt says.

Schmidt also recommends focusing on the quality of the cutlery and the style or design of the block to make sure that it matches the design aesthetic.

Is It Easy to Use and Clean?

When it comes to ease of use, always look for an ergonomic handle that feels secure in your hand. Western-style knives are typically heavier than Japanese-style knives, and you'll want to consider the knife weight if you plan to use your knives for extended periods.

Knife blocks are relatively easy to clean. You simply insert the knives into their respective slots. To keep the knife block set clean, regularly wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove dust and debris. While some knives may be dishwasher-safe, washing them by hand is your best bet to extend their life.

Is It a Good Overall Value?

Knife block sets are usually a great value because you get a variety of different knives in bundle pricing. Buying knives in a set is usually cheaper than buying them separately—whereas one quality chef's knife can cost up to $300 or more, you can often get an entire knife block set for close to that price.

As with any package set, the value lies in the usage, so you'll want to ensure every knife has a job within your cooking repertoire. For example, "If you don’t have hearty bread in your home, maybe a heavy-duty bread knife doesn’t make sense, but a long, lightweight offset serrated knife does make sense for slicing cake layers," Beal says.

Our Knife Block Set Tests

We tested 21 different knife block sets spanning numerous popular brands and evaluated them based on design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, features, performance, versatility, value and overall quality.

With performance being one of the most important criteria, we tested each knife block set using the Edge-On-Up Professional Edge Tester tool to record the factory sharpness of the knives. Here's how we tested each knife included in the set on different foods:

• We used the chef’s knife to core and slice a beefsteak tomato, dice an onion, mince garlic and cube sweet potato.

• We used the serrated knife to slice a loaf of sourdough bread and cube two slices of sandwich bread.

• We used the paring knife to peel kiwi and hull strawberries.

• We used the kitchen shears to cut through a small bunch of chives and cut through the skin, meat, cartilage and joints of chicken wings.

We Also Considered

Wüsthof Classic Ikon 10-Piece Knife Block Set ($895 at Amazon): This pick is less of a professional set and more for the avid home cook or maybe a high-volume caterer. The knives included in this set are not mutually exclusive to any specific tasks, so this set could really accomplish anything. However, we think the price is a bit steep for its value.

Shun Premier 8-Piece Knife Block Set ($900 at Amazon): If you have extra room in your budget, this is an excellent set with sharp blades and comfortable-to-hold handles. We were particularly fond of the paring knife, which gave us smooth cuts with fluid movements when we prepped our strawberries and kiwi. That said, the chef's knife required a good bit of force to slice through our sweet potatoes, and the set didn't include kitchen shears, which knocked this set down a notch for us.

All-Clad 7-Piece Knife Block Set ($259 at Amazon): We love the compact size of this knife block set, which can easily fit on most countertops without taking up too much space. Overall, we think this makes a good starter set that can be used for everyday kitchen situations—but you'll need to invest in a separate bread knife, as this set doesn’t come with one.

Henckels Dynamic 7-Piece Knife Block Set ($110 at Amazon): This is a solid, affordable set for most home cooks. However, the handles felt cheaply made and weren't the most comfortable to hold. Additionally, the serrated knife's blade was a bit short, which made it difficult to slice larger loaves of bread.

Common Questions

What is a knife block set, exactly?

A knife block set is typically composed of a literal “block” of wood that is constructed to hold a range of kitchen cutlery for varied tasks in measured slots. Some knife block sets are composed of metal, bamboo or even hard plastics, Beal says.

What’s the best way to clean a knife block set?

The best way to clean your set is by hand with a damp cloth. For wooden blocks, Beal recommends wiping them down with a damp cloth and then applying kitchen-grade wood oil to help extend their life. Our experts recommend avoiding putting your knives in the dishwasher; to keep them in good shape, it’s best to wash them by hand.

What do knife block sets typically include?

Knife block sets can include as few as three knives to as many as 20. The larger sets typically include steak knives, which you should test to make sure the construction and grip are comfortable for cutting steak. Knife block sets also usually come with a paring knife, utility knives, serrated knives, chef's knives, boning knives, kitchen shears and steel for honing.

Are knife block sets cost-effective?

In many cases, yes! A single chef’s knife can range between $50 and $300, Schmidt says. But when you buy the complete knife block set, you'll spend less money and get more pieces. "Just be careful that you aren’t swayed unnecessarily by high piece counts," Schmidt says. "Most of the time that you come across a knife block with more than 15 pieces, those pieces are extra for marketing value more than cooking value and will never be used."

How long do knife block sets usually last?

If you’re not getting the block itself wet and not placing blades in the wrong size slots, they can last well over a decade, Beal says. "For wooden blocks,” Beal adds, “regular wipe-downs with a damp cloth and kitchen-grade wood oil help to extend their life."

How do you care for a knife block set?

Beal recommends taking your knives to a professional knife sharpener in your area, if you can. "The worst thing you can do is to unintentionally change the intended angle of your knives,” she says. “A professional can get your knives back to where they should be for angle and sharpness."

In between professional sharpenings, Beal recommends refining your knives with steel sharpeners or, her personal favorite for Japanese-style knives, a water-wheeled sharpener. "Note that European knives generally have up to a five-degree difference in angle to Japanese-style knives, so you won’t want to sharpen them exactly the same way," Beal says.

Our Trusted Expertise

April Benshosan has been reporting on nutrition, health and expert-recommended products since 2018. To write this article, she drew on our test kitchen insights, in which they reviewed 21 popular knife block sets, taking into account attributes such as performance, design and value. She also interviewed Melodie Beal, head of culinary at Amazon Fresh, and Jordan Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Brothers Cutlery, on what to look for in a quality knife block set that will last.

This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former full-time baker and current EatingWell commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes.

Read the original article on Eating Well.