These Incredibly Sharp Kitchen Knives Are So Lightweight and Stunning, They Won a Design Award

Courtesy of Hast

There's nothing that frustrates me in the kitchen as much as a dull, unbalanced blade in my hands while slicing well-grilled steak or cutting up raw, skin-on chicken thighs. Conversely, nothing satisfies me as much as gliding through a tender piece of boneless short rib with an excellent knife like, well, a hot knife through butter. It's simply essential to invest in sharp, well-constructed, and ergonomically designed tools, and even better when it's an award-winning set, like Hast's stellar kitchen knives.

Having tried out the knives for a few weeks, I totally see why Hast's knives won the prestigious 2021 Red Dot Award for Product Design. Hast's 8-inch chef knife, 6-inch Santoku knife, and 6-inch utility knife that the brand provided me are the most lightweight and balanced set I've ever handled in the kitchen. In fact, they shocked me with how air-like they were when I first picked them up, and they impressed me even further when I put them to the test.

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast 8-inch Chef Knife, From $99 at amazon.com or hast.co

Hast's knives are made with the brand's patented Matrix Powder Steel, which it claims is the "harder, stronger, and more stable future of steel." The blade and handle are designed in one piece with ergonomic handles, so cleaning and wielding them feels more intuitive than any other knives I've tried. It was a little jarring to switch from my old hefty kitchen knives with traditional two-piece designs to Hast's ultra-lightweight one-piece knives—I mean, the Santoku knife only weighs in at 177 grams—and although other premium Santoku knives have a similar weight, Hast allows you to enjoy the top-notch blade weight at a much more affordable price (just $99). Plus, the Santoku's 6.3-inch length is a sweet spot between traditional 5.5- and 7-inch Santoku lengths, making it an all-purpose blade that can save you drawer space in the kitchen.

Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: Hast 6-inch Santoku Kitchen Knife, From $99 at amazon.com or hast.co

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast Multi-Use 6-inch Steel Utility Knife, $89 at amazon.com or hast.co

I had a watermelon waiting to be cut up when my Hast knives arrived at my door, and the 8-inch chef knife sliced through its hard shell without any resistance, landing precisely on the cutting board without so much as a thud; I had perfectly sliced pieces of watermelon ready to eat in seconds. Even against fragile proteins like fish (especially salmon that would normally fall apart and flake), the Santoku knife glides through the grain of the meat so smoothly, it's almost instantaneous. Plus, I practically use the utility knife for every small task these days, from slicing bananas for my morning yogurt bowl to julienning scallions for a rice bowl garnish.

Apart from the utility, Santoku, and chef knife, Hast's entire collection includes a paring knife, a serrated knife for slicing bread, and a 5-inch boning knife (super handy when dealing with fish). You can also shop its essentials in a four-piece set or a seven-piece lineup that includes the brand's ceramic honing rod and a glass cylinder knife block. Everything is available either on Amazon or at the brand's own website, and at $99 for the chef knife or Santoku knife, they're more than worth their price tag.

The Hast knives have been a complete game-changer for my kitchen, and I can't imagine starting any kitchen task without them these days. Shop them below, starting from $69 for the paring knife.

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast Kitchen Paring Knife, From $69 at amazon.com or hast.co

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast Bread Slicing Knife, From $119 at amazon.com or hast.co

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast 5-inch Boning Knife, From $79 at amazon.com or hast.co

Courtesy of Hast

To buy: Hast 4-piece Modern Knife Set, From $366 at hast.co