Western or Japanese? How to Pick the Best Chef Knife

In a restaurant kitchen the chef’s knife does most of the work before service: a case of white onions diced for pico de gallo, jalapeños and serranos seeded and minced, bunches of cilantro chopped fine, and skirt steak sliced thin across the grain for carne asada. Paring knives, cleavers and bread knives have their moments, but the 8-inch chef’s knife is the one that stays on the board.

At home the job is the same, just smaller. This guide explains the real difference between a heavier Western chef’s knife and a thinner Japanese gyuto, names nine knives worth buying from makers who publish their specifications, and sets out what to look for so the knife you choose suits the way you cut.

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Quick verdict: which chef’s knife to buy

The rest of this page explains why, and which of the others suits a different kind of cook.

Five chef’s knives compared

Our five standout picks side by side, one for each kind of cook, with the specifications each maker or listing states. All nine knives are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Hardness and edge angles are listed only where the maker or its listing states them; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best chef knife

These nine knives cover the two main families of chef’s knife: the heavier, more curved Western knife from Germany, Switzerland and France, and the thinner, harder, flatter Japanese gyuto. Each review covers who the knife suits, the specifications its maker states, and one honest reason to skip it, so you can match the blade to your hands and your cutting.

Western or Japanese: which chef’s knife profile suits you

Almost every chef’s knife on the market falls into one of two families, and choosing between them matters more than choosing between brands.

Western chef’s knives (Wüsthof, Henckels, Victorinox, Mercer, Made In) have a broad blade with a pronounced curve, or belly, from the middle to the tip. That curve lets you rock the knife through herbs and garlic without lifting the tip from the board. The steel is softer, so the edge rolls rather than chips and is easy to bring back with a honing rod. Forged German knives usually carry a bolster and weigh 7 to 9 ounces.

Japanese gyuto (Mac, Misono, Tojiro, Shun’s chef’s knives) are the Japanese take on the Western chef’s knife. America’s Test Kitchen’s gyuto review explains that they are lighter, about 3 to 6 ounces, with thinner, narrower blades, flatter edges, no bolster on most models, and harder steel, typically 58 to 65 HRC against about 55 to 58 for Western knives. They take a finer edge and hold it longer, but they are more brittle: the same review warns against twisting, scraping, bones, frozen food and dense squash, which can chip the blade.

For a Mexican home kitchen, both work. A Western knife is more forgiving if several people share it, if it occasionally meets a chicken bone or if it goes in the dishwasher. A gyuto is the better tool for fine, even dice for pico de gallo and for slicing grilled meat thin.

How to choose a chef’s knife for your kitchen

1. Length

Eight inches is the standard because it is long enough to slice through a large onion or a cut of skirt steak in one stroke, and short enough to control on a home cutting board. A 10-inch knife suits big boards and big batches; a 6-inch knife suits small hands and small kitchens.

2. Weight and balance

Light knives (5 to 6.5 ounces) are less tiring for long prep and fine work. Heavier knives (8 ounces and up) do more of the work on dense vegetables and meat. Hold the knife at the bolster or heel; if it pulls hard toward the handle or the tip, it will tire your hand.

3. Steel and hardness

Harder steel holds an edge longer but is more brittle and harder to sharpen at home. Softer steel dulls faster but is tougher and quick to hone. A stated hardness around 56 to 58 HRC is typical of German knives; 60 and above is typical of Japanese ones. Be wary of any listing that gives no maker, no steel and no hardness at all.

4. Edge angle

A narrower angle cuts more easily but wears faster. Shun, for example, uses 16 degrees on its Classic chef’s knife and 22 degrees on its Western Cook’s Knife for extra strength. Many makers do not publish an angle; that is not a red flag, but it means you will need to find the angle before sharpening.

5. Handle and grip

A handle should stay secure with wet hands and not press into your palm. Textured plastic is the grippiest; Pakkawood, Micarta and polymer are smooth but durable; untreated wood needs drying after each wash. If you can, try the knife with a pinch grip, thumb and forefinger on the blade just ahead of the handle.

6. Care you will actually give it

Only a few chef’s knives are rated dishwasher safe by their makers, and even those keep their edge longer when washed by hand. If you know your knife will end up in the dishwasher, buy the Victorinox. Every knife here should be used on wood or plastic boards; glass, stone and ceramic dull edges fast. Our guide to the best cutting board covers which boards are kind to an edge.

How we chose these nine chef’s knives

We started from what a working Mexican kitchen asks of a chef’s knife: a blade that dices onions, chiles and tomatoes evenly, chops herbs without bruising them, and slices cooked and raw meat cleanly, and that is comfortable through a long prep session. We then narrowed the field to knives from established makers sold on Amazon in the United States and in stock when we checked, with specifications we could confirm from the maker’s own website or the brand’s Amazon listing (each review says which). We covered both the Western and Japanese families, a range of weights, and stamped and forged construction, rather than padding the list with near-identical knives. We used America’s Test Kitchen’s review of Western chef’s knives and its review of gyuto knives for how these knives perform and how the two styles differ, and we say so wherever we quote them. We left out knives from sellers with no identifiable maker, listings with unverifiable steel or “Damascus” claims, and models that were out of stock or nearly so, including Global’s G-2 and the plain Tojiro DP gyuto. We have not used these products ourselves; where we describe how a knife performs, we say whose findings those are.

Looking after a chef’s knife

Hone often, sharpen rarely. A honing rod realigns an edge that has rolled over in use and does not remove much steel; a few strokes before each prep session keep a Western knife cutting cleanly. Hard Japanese blades roll less and are better served by a ceramic rod or a whetstone. When honing no longer brings the edge back, it is time to sharpen.

Wash by hand with warm, soapy water straight after cutting, especially after acidic foods like lime, tomato and tomatillo, and dry the knife completely before you put it away. Shun’s care guide warns against air-drying for this reason. Store it on a magnetic strip, in a block or in a guard, never loose in a drawer.

Chef’s knife questions, answered

What is the best chef knife for everyday use at home?

A light, sharp, easy-care 8-inch knife you will reach for every day. For most home cooks that is the Victorinox Fibrox Pro, America’s Test Kitchen’s top pick in its review of Western chef’s knives. If you prefer a thinner, harder blade, the Mac MTH-80 is the step up.

Which chef knife brands are worth buying?

The makers that publish their specifications and stand behind their knives: Victorinox, Wüsthof, Henckels and Mercer for Western knives; Mac, Misono, Tojiro, Shun and Miyabi for Japanese ones; and Made In for French-forged. Be cautious of brands that sell only on marketplaces and make big claims about steel or layers without naming a maker.

Is a Japanese or German chef’s knife better?

Neither is better for everyone. A German knife is heavier, more curved and tougher, which suits rocking cuts and heavier jobs. A Japanese gyuto is lighter, flatter and harder, which suits precise push cuts and slicing, but it can chip if used on bones or twisted. The section above explains the difference.

What does America’s Test Kitchen recommend as the best chef knife?

In its review of 8-inch Western chef’s knives, America’s Test Kitchen names the Victorinox Fibrox Pro its top pick, the Mercer Millennia its Best Buy, and the Shun Classic Western Cook’s Knife its upgrade pick. In its separate gyuto review it recommends the Mac MTH-80 and the Misono UX10 among others.

Is an expensive chef knife worth it?

Up to a point. A more expensive knife usually brings harder steel, a finer edge, better fit and finish and a more comfortable handle. It will not cut better than a well-sharpened budget knife if you do not keep it sharp. If you will not hone and sharpen regularly, spend less and get it sharpened professionally once in a while.

What size chef knife is best for a home cook?

Eight inches suits most people and most cutting boards. Choose 10 inches if you have a large board and often cut big batches, or 6 inches if you have small hands or a small kitchen.

Our pick for your cutting board

Buy the Victorinox Fibrox Pro if you want one chef’s knife that is sharp, light, grippy and easy to care for. Choose the Mac MTH-80 for a thinner, more precise Japanese-style blade with a familiar handle, or the Wüsthof Classic if you want a heavy, forged knife that will take decades of rocking and chopping. The Shun Western Cook’s Knife is the upgrade if you want Japanese steel with a German curve.

A chef’s knife does most of the work, but not all of it: a paring knife handles limes, chiles and garnishes, a bread knife takes care of bolillos and teleras for tortas, and if you would rather buy the pieces together, see the best knife set.

A good chef’s knife is the start of a Mexican kitchen. Our guide to Mexican cooking tools covers what goes alongside it, and the best molcajete covers the stone mortar for grinding what you have just chopped. For what to do with all those diced chiles and tomatoes, see salsa roja vs salsa verde, Mexican chiles explained and Mexican herbs explained.

Keep the edge you paid for: our guide to the best knife sharpener compares electric, pull-through and whetstone options.

Drawn to layered steel? Our guide to the best Damascus chef knives explains what the pattern does and doesn’t mean.

Got large hands? See our guide to the best chef knives for big hands.

More specific guides: the best large chef knives and the best chef knives for professional cooks.

On a budget? See our guide to the best value chef knives.

Want a 9-inch blade? See our guide to the best 9-inch chef knives.

Loyal to ZWILLING? See our guide to the best ZWILLING and HENCKELS chef knives.

More specific guides: the best chef knives for beginners and the best cleavers for meat and vegetables.

Related guide: Best chef knife gift.

Related guide: Best wusthof knives.

Related guide: Best mercer knives.

Related guide: Best victorinox kitchen knives.

Related guide: Ceramic vs steel kitchen knife.

Related guide: Forged vs stamped knives.

And if you would rather leave the chopping to someone else tonight, see the menu or call to order.