Sharp for Less: Finding the Best Paring Knife Budget Buyers Can Trust

The paring knife is the hardest-working small knife in a Mexican kitchen and one of the cheapest to buy. It stems jalapeños, scrapes the veins out of dried guajillos, cores Roma tomatoes for salsa, trims tomatillos and cuts lime wedges by the dozen. Prep cooks lose them, drop them and wear them out, which is why restaurant kitchens tend to buy plain, inexpensive ones in quantity.

This guide looks only at the entry tier of each maker’s range: stamped blades, plastic, aluminum and wood handles, and two-packs, rather than forged or Japanese showpieces. We do not quote prices, because they change daily on Amazon. Instead we explain what makes a cheap paring knife good value, using makers’ specifications, the Amazon listings and America’s Test Kitchen’s published paring knife review.

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Quick verdict: which budget paring knife to buy

The table shows our five standout picks, one for each kind of cook. All eight knives are reviewed in full below it.

Five budget paring knives side by side

Blade and care for our five standout picks, as each maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Specifications as stated by each maker or Amazon listing; blade and spine measurements credited to America’s Test Kitchen are its own. Check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best paring knife budget buyers can trust

These eight knives are the entry-level paring knives from established makers: Victorinox, Mercer, Henckels, Rada, OXO, Kuhn Rikon, Cuisinart and Opinel. They cover straight and serrated edges, stainless and carbon steel, plastic, aluminum and wood handles, and three that come with a sheath or guard. We judged each one as a prep knife for the small, wet work of a salsa station, and on the things that decide value over years: sharpness, grip, care and what the maker promises.

How to judge value in an inexpensive paring knife

A paring knife is small, so the steel in it costs little; what you pay for higher up the range is mostly forging, finish and handle materials. These are the points that decide whether a cheap paring knife is a good buy.

1. Sharpness and a thin spine

In ATK’s paring knife review, sharpness separated the good knives from the bad more than anything else, and the two knives it rated Not Recommended, the Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe and Opinel’s No. 112, were both marked down for dull blades. ATK also wanted spines under 1.5 mm, because thicker blades wedged into apples, cheese and shallots. Few budget listings give a spine thickness, which is one reason a knife ATK measured, like the Mercer slim, is a safer bet.

2. Length: three to four inches

ATK found that 3 to 3.5 inches “gave us a bit more control and precision”. A 4-inch knife reaches further on the board but is a little less nimble in the hand. If you only buy one, choose about 3.5 inches.

3. A handle that grips when wet

Your hands are rarely dry at a salsa station. ATK preferred handles about 4 inches long, in textured plastic or wood. Textured polypropylene, as on the Victorinox, and soft rubbery handles, as on the OXO, hold best; smooth metal is the slipperiest.

4. Care and warranty

Dishwasher-safe knives (Victorinox and Henckels here) are worth more to a busy kitchen than hand-wash-only knives that end up in the dishwasher anyway. A stated lifetime warranty, which Victorinox’s line, Henckels, Cuisinart and Opinel offer, is the best sign a cheap knife is meant to last. Carbon steel, as on the Opinel, must be dried every time.

5. Buy two

Paring knives go missing, get thrown out with the peelings and lose their tips in drawers. Two-packs like the Rada and Opinel, or a second knife with a serrated edge, often give better value than one pricier knife.

How we chose these eight budget paring knives

We started from what a prep station needs from a small knife: a sharp edge, control in the hand, a grip that holds when wet and care that suits a busy kitchen. We limited the field to the entry tier of each maker’s range: stamped, plastic-, aluminum- or wood-handled knives and multipacks rather than forged premium or Japanese lines. We kept only knives from identifiable makers that showed as in stock on Amazon in the United States when we checked, and confirmed each specification against the maker’s Amazon listing. Where a listing is silent we write “Not stated”.

We read America’s Test Kitchen’s paring knife review and cite its measurements and verdicts by name, and we say when ATK reviewed a different size or model. We do not quote prices because they change; we explain instead how to judge value. We have not used these knives ourselves for this guide. We left out the Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe 3¼-inch paring knife, which ATK rated Not Recommended for an “extremely dull” blade; Tojiro’s paring knife, which was not available to ship; and the Kiwi paring knife, whose listing gave too little detail to describe it fairly.

Budget paring knife questions, answered

What is the best cheap paring knife?

For most kitchens, a Victorinox Swiss Classic. ATK named the 3.25-inch Swiss Classic its Best Buy, and the 4-inch version here shares its handle, dishwasher-safe care and NSF approval. The Mercer Millennia slim is the other inexpensive knife ATK recommended.

What is the best value paring knife?

Value comes from a sharp, thin blade, a grippy handle, easy care and a stated warranty, not from the lowest price. Victorinox and Henckels tick most of those boxes; the Rada two-pack gives you a spare.

Is an inexpensive paring knife worth buying?

Yes. ATK’s Best Buy is an inexpensive knife, and restaurant kitchens buy cheap paring knives in quantity because they are replaced often. What you give up is mostly finish and, on some listings, published detail. Not every cheap knife is good, though: ATK rated two knives Not Recommended for dull blades.

Straight or serrated for a budget paring knife?

Start with straight. It peels, trims and cuts cleanly and is easy to sharpen. Add a serrated knife, such as the Kuhn Rikon Colori, if you cut a lot of tomatoes and limes.

Should I buy carbon steel?

Only if you will dry it every time. Carbon steel takes a keen edge but rusts and stains when left wet, and acidic foods like limes and tomatoes mark it.

Our final pick for a paring knife on a budget

If you buy one inexpensive paring knife, make it a Victorinox Swiss Classic: grippy, dishwasher safe and from the line ATK named its Best Buy. Add the Mercer Millennia slim for fine work, the Rada two-pack if you want American-made knives, and the Kuhn Rikon Colori Serrated for salsa day.

For forged and premium knives, see our full guide to the best paring knife. If your knives live in a drawer, our paring knives with a sheath guide covers covered options, and our Japanese paring knives guide covers harder steel. For what to do with the knife, our guide to Mexican chiles and salsa roja vs salsa verde are good places to start.

Related guide: Best tomato knife.

And when you would rather someone else did the chopping, see the menu or call to order.