The Best Kitchen Knives, According to 16 Local Chefs and Cooking Pros

A great knife makes you want to cook. But finding “the one” is notoriously difficult – and if you want to get a handle on your home cooking, it’s worth the search.

It’s a personal process: one cook’s precision tool is another’s clunky cleaver. Kazuki “Kaz” Hanzawa, who offers a curated range of Japanese blades at his two Melbourne stores, has compared finding the right knife to Harry Potter finding his wand.

To help you find your perfect match, we asked some of the country’s best chefs to share their daily drivers. These blades are a cut above the rest, spanning various shapes and materials – from sturdy stainless steel numbers to blue steel beauties (not the Zoolander kind). They share humble workhorses on sale for under $100 and handmade heirlooms with years-long waitlists.

The experts agree on one thing: if you invest well and maintain the knife’s edge, it will last a lifetime. “Although it can be an investment, a great knife is definitely worth it,” says pastry chef, chocolatier and cookbook author Kirsten Tibballs. (The non-stainless ones are more susceptible to rust, so steel yourself for a little extra upkeep.)

Ready to upgrade? Shop the cutting-edge styles loved by Ho Jiak’s Junda Khoo, Six-Eyed Scorpion’s Sandra Seah, Enter Via Laundry’s Helly Raichura and more. You’ll be casually dropping words like mirepoix and santoku before you know it. Here are the best kitchen knives to shop now.

Ibrahim Kasif, group executive chef at Esca (Nour, Besa and Henrietta)

What do you love about this knife?

After experiencing waves of Japanese and German brands for decades, Victorinox has consistently been reliable and the easiest to use – both at work and home. The straight-edged, pointed-tip chef’s knife is my preference, and their paring knife range is the best. It’s also easy to find the size of knife you like, with lots of options.

It stays sharp and is easy to resharpen on a stone or steel. It’s great for heavy-duty prepping. I prefer it for everyday chopping usage. It handles onions, carrots and hearty veggies well. Breaking down poultry or fish is easy, and carving cooked meat.

Sandra Seah, chef and founder, Six-Eyed Scorpion

What do you love about these knives?

The santoku handles most jobs without fuss. It’s low-maintenance thanks to the VG1 stainless blade, which offers strong rust resistance with minimal upkeep. The thin blade makes it easy to sharpen, and it holds an edge well, allowing for clean, precise chopping.

It basically lives on the chopping board. I use it for fruit and veg, prepping mirepoix or chiffonading herbs. I wouldn’t use it for bones, anything tough like pumpkin, or frozen ingredients. It’s not built for brute-force jobs.

Do you have any advice before buying?

The blade is thin, so it needs some care. It’s not the kind of knife you can be rough with. If you drop it, there’s a chance of chipping (already happened to me), so it’s more of a “treat it nicely, and it will love you back” situation.

Jason Staudt, executive chef at Stokehouse

What do you love about this knife?

Thinner Swedish steel stays sharp for a long time with little maintenance. It’s great for daily prep jobs – from chopping herbs to veggies and cooked protein. It can be a great workhorse knife without rusting, breaking, or [needing you to be] delicate with it.

Do you have any advice before buying?

If dropped, it can chip due to its Rockwell C hardness rating being higher than average. Also, there are better knives for boning or cutting raw fish.

Handwashing, maintenance and sharpening are important. My mum was notorious for this. As soon as a knife went dull, she’d buy a new one. We’ve become so wasteful as a society – always happy to buy something new.

Kirsten Tibballs, pastry chef, chocolatier, cookbook author, founder of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School, Melbourne

What do you love about these knives?

Between these two and the breadknife, I can do pretty much everything I need to. The balance and feel are great; they’re not too thin, but also not too heavy. They also hold their edge, so I’m not constantly stopping to sharpen.

Although it can be an investment, a great knife is worth it, especially if you look after it properly.

What do you use them for?

The serrated knife is perfect for cakes and pastries. It gives you a clean cut without squashing anything, which is crucial in pastry work. The utility knife is perfect for precision. I use it for peeling. The santoku is my go-to for almost everything else.

I avoid cutting frozen foods. It’s not great for the blade and can dull or damage the edge.

Jung Eun Chae, chef-owner Chae, Melbourne

What do you love about this knife?

It’s an excellent all-rounder and handles most day-to-day kitchen tasks with ease. The sharp, pointed tip offers great precision, making it ideal for detailed knife work. It feels light and comfortable in my hand, which is important for long prep sessions.

What do you use it for?

I use it with vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and fish, and on smaller butchery tasks. Bunka knives have a flat profile, making them perfect for push-cutting or vertical chopping. I wouldn’t use it on hard ingredients like frozen foods, bones or anything requiring forceful chopping.

Junda Khoo, executive chef and founder Ho Jiak, Sydney

What do you love about this knife?

It’s an all-rounder. I cut pretty much everything with it, like meat, veg and fruits. It has balanced weight and is precise – so it’s good for long prep sessions. With the right weight, you don’t need to use much energy to slice or cut. I love its craftsmanship and sharpness. It’s just a beautiful knife with the birchwood handle.

Reki Rei, chef-owner Sachi, Atsu and Common Cuts, Melbourne 

What do you love about this knife?

It’s easy to use, and the less pointy tip makes it safer for everyday use. It’s versatile and can be used for almost anything. I use it for basic protein and vegetable preparation – like slicing fish, cutting meat and chopping vegetables.

When I trained under traditional Japanese chefs, they always said that the cook is more important than the knife. Because of that, I try to be able to use any knife for any task, and the santoku is easy and comfortable to use for most jobs.

Do you have any advice before buying?

Avoid high-carbon steel if you’re not used to maintaining knives, as it can rust easily if not wiped and dried properly. Stainless steel or stainless-clad knives are easier to maintain for home use.

It’s not the best knife for deboning whole proteins or heavy butchery work. It can be done, but it’s harder and not what the knife is designed for.

Helly Raichura, owner-chef Enter Via Laundry, author of The Food of Bharat, Melbourne

What do you love about this knife?

The grip is what I absolutely love. The size is perfect for me, and it makes a big difference. Then there is, of course, the sharpness of the knife and the shape. I use it for most things, except for going through bones. It’s versatile; I portion fish, cut through venison like butter, and finely shred coriander.

Do you have any advice before buying?

Once, my dad used it to crack a coconut and chipped the blade. So maybe don’t leave the knife around with Dad and a coconut. (It’s been restored since.)

Jason Saxby, executive chef at Raes Dining Room

What do you love about this knife?

It’s handcrafted locally from recycled steel, which gives it character. Despite its size, it’s incredibly light, and it holds a sharp edge that’s easy to maintain. It’s ideal for fine slicing, dicing and detailed work, like brunoise.

Each knife comes with its own natural imperfections, giving it a wabi-sabi feel. They’re slightly more rustic, but that’s part of the charm. They can be difficult to source, but are worth the effort.

There’s no website – it’s best to find him via Instagram or at knife shows.

Ayse Moonen, head chef at The Fold, Two Good, Sydney

What do you love about this knife?

Japanese santoku knives are great for everyday use. Santoku means three virtues or three uses, referring to slicing, dicing, and chopping a wide variety of ingredients. This blade is best for veggies, herbs, boneless meats, and general slicing when you want clean and controlled cuts.

This knife is seriously sharp – you don’t have to fight with your vegetables or herbs – and it holds its edge. It’s light and easy to handle. The blade is thin, so it cuts smoothly and food doesn’t get crushed. I like this knife so much, I got a tattoo of it on my hand.

Do you have any advice before buying?

The light feel isn’t for everyone, if you prefer a solid, weighty knife, this might feel a bit too floaty.

Don’t use it on bones, frozen food, or anything rock-hard straight from the fridge. The thin Japanese edge isn’t made for impact like that and can chip. Skip tough jobs like hacking hard squash or anything that needs lots of force or twisting while cutting – this can damage the edge. It’s not a “throw anything at it” knife. If you want something that can take rough punishment, there are heavier options.

Steven Sinclair, head chef, Bistro George, Jacksons on George, Sydney

What do you love about this knife?

I like the balance and steel quality in Japanese knives. This is the perfect all-rounder that I use every day. It handles everything from fine veg prep to breaking down proteins and portioning. [Because it’s carbon steel], I avoid cutting highly acidic ingredients, like citrus or tomatoes.

It’s incredibly sharp and thin, so it glides through the product. It also has a nice balance in the hand, making it easy to use all day. The hammered finish helps with food release, so things don’t stick as much when you’re slicing. Lastly, I love the look. The kurouchi and tsuchime [ hammered] finish gives it a raw, forged look. It’s a beautiful knife, but it’s built to work.

Do you have any advice before buying?

It’s carbon steel, so it requires a lot of care. It can react with acidic ingredients, develop oxidation, and rust over time if it’s not looked after.

Anything like bone, frozen products, crustacean shells or hard veggies like pumpkin could chip it if you’re not careful. For fish work, I use more specialised knives: a deba for whole fish, a sujihiki for portioning or carving cooked fish, or a yanagiba for slicing raw fish. It’s better to use the right tool for the right job.

Mitch Velo, group executive chef at Yolk Group (Ophelia, Terror Twilight, Convoy, Hi Fi)

What do you love about this knife?

This is a jack-of-all-trades knife. It’s hefty enough for bulky vegetable and meat prep, yet delicate enough for chopping herbs and filleting fish. It’s also long enough for carving roasts.

It’s lightweight without being flimsy. The Western-style handle is also easy to wield and comfortable.

Daniella Guevara Muñoz, owner-chef La Popular Taqueria, Port Adelaide 

What do you love about this knife?

It doesn’t need much maintenance and it resists rust. It’s one of those knives that makes prep feel easier and more efficient. It’s light, nicely balanced, and feels comfortable – even during long prep sessions. The stainless steel edge is easy to sharpen and holds well, which makes a difference day-to-day.

What do you use it for?

It’s best used for clean slicing and chopping rather than heavy-duty work. It handles harder produce, like carrots and potatoes, well, but it’s also precise enough for finer work. I’d avoid using it on hard materials like bones or frozen foods, as that can damage the edge.

Liam Lee, head chef Ronin Omakase, Melbourne 

What do you love about this knife?

Firstly, the knife is exceptionally light and offers an excellent grip. Despite its lightness, it remains remarkably strong. Overall, it serves as a highly practical tool for daily use and is well-suited for extended periods of food preparation

Stephen Nairn, founder Portside, culinary director LK Hospitality (Omnia, Yugen), Melbourne

What do you love about this knife?

[One of the] most important things for me is the weight distribution of blade and handle, allowing for precision cuts with ease. [I love] the quality of the craftsmanship in terms of how the handle is attached to the blade. Knives can be dropped and bashed and this quality won’t break easily. The longevity after sharpening is impressive. The blade stays razor sharp. It also looks beautiful and is a pleasure to look after. 

What do you use it for?

This is my main knife, I only switch tools for more detailed tasks. I’ll complete most prep, like cutting vegetables or preparing family-style recipes, [with this knife]. For slicing through meat or fish, I’ll switch to a long slicer.

Julian Hills, co-owner and executive chef, Navi, Melbourne

What’s your favourite knife and why?

Lee at Migoto Cutlery put me in contact with Robert to have this knife made. It’s my everyday knife as it’s versatile and all-purpose – I use it for much of my daily prep work.

I love the weight and feel in my hand. It has an ancient red gum Western-style handle and an aogami (blue steel) two-core that stays incredibly sharp.

Do you have any advice before buying?

The blue steel needs to be hand washed and dried to avoid rust, and for care to be taken with the blade to avoid chipping. Get your knives sharpened by a professional a few times per year. If it’s a quality knife, avoid storing it on knife magnets.

Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Additional reporting by Zenon Misko.

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