Best knife sets

No kitchen is complete without the best knife set. Knife sets include everything you need to slice bread, carve meat, and finely chop vegetables and fruit. Some also feature kitchen knives, and come in attractive knife blocks that will look great on your kitchen counters. 

Our favorite option is the Home Hero Stainless Steel Knife Set. It comes with six steak knives, as well as a pizza knife, cheese knife, vegetable peeler, and other useful extras, all with a rust-free non-stick finish. We've also found budget options and sets that offer quality over quantity for travel or small kitchens. Keep reading to find the best knife set for you.  

The Home Hero Stainless Steel Knife Set is the best you can buy. It's a 17-piece set and it comes with 13 professional knives as well as kitchen scissors, a peeler, a premium-quality two-stage knife sharpener, and a stand. The 13 knives include a carving knife; utility knife; cheese knife; pizza knife; chef knife; bread knife; paring knife; and six steak knives.

Each knife is stainless-steel and coasted with non-stick paint, also they have ergonomic PP handles. The best part? They are rust-free and the stand that comes with is see-through so you can show off your new knives.

The AmazonBasics 14-Piece Kitchen Knife Set is cheap yet cheerful. This 14-piece set comprises of six 4.5-inch steak knives; an 8-inch chef knife; an 8-inch slicing knife; an 8-inch bread knife; a 5.5-inch utility knife; and a 3.5-inch peeling knife. As well as some kitchen shears, a knife sharpener and a pair of scissors. Each knife fits in an exact place in the pine wood block that comes with, too.

Each knife boasts a superior high-carbon stainless steel blade, while they are unfortunately not dishwasher safe. With triple-rivet plastic over-molded handles, they are also easy to grip making for fewer accidents. That and they are compact so great for those with a small amount of worksurface space.

On a budget? The Ginsu Kiso Dishwasher Safe Set is a great knife set at an affordable price. It comes with 14-pieces and in three different colors, from black to purple and red. In the set, there's a chef knife; a slicer knife; a santoku knife; a boning knife; a utility knife; six steak knives; a paring knife; and a pair of premium shears, all of which sit inside a black wooden block.

These knives boast composite handles that are comfortable, easy to hold, and easy to clean. They're also sleek-looking, especially considering the price tag. All knives feature a patented Ginsu serration pattern so that they stay sharper for longer. They're all dishwasher safe, too.

The Royal Doulton Gordon Ramsay Block Knife Set is Ramsey-approved. It comes with six knives: a Chef Knife, Bread Knife, Santoku Knife, Utility Knife, and Pairing Knife. The included filament block is compact and makes travel easy, so this is a great choice for smaller homes or even RVs or camping. 

Other blocks come with more knives, but we think all the bases are covered here, and the tapered blade means that these knives are designed to last. They are hand wash recommended which could be a downside, but if you want a more minimal kit that still has everything you need, this is the one for you. 

Buy The Pioneer Woman Cowboy Rustic Linen Cutlery Set if you're after a good looking knife set to jazz up your worktop. It comprises 14 pieces: a chef knife; a bread knife; six steak knives; a utility knife; a paring knife; a Nakiri knife; and an 8-inch sharpening steel. The lovely wooden block that comes with it looks the part, too.

These knives are constructed of durable stainless steel, and feature ergonomic handles for aesthetic appeal and comfort. These handles come in four different colors: white, black, brown, and turquoise. These knives are hand wash only.

This Sabatier Knife Block Set is our pick of the best luxury knife set. This set includes 16-pieces: a chef knife; a slicer knife; a serrated utility knife; a chef knife with kullens; a fine edge utility knife; a paring knife; eight steak knives; and a pair of all-purpose shears – all inside a bamboo storage block that features a built-in universal sharpener.

Each knife is crafted from high-carbon stainless steel and is corrosion-resistant as well as lightweight. The stainless steel handles are durable and sanitary, boasting a satin finish. The handles are also designed with a comfortable grip in mind and are perfectly weighted. Hand wash them with warm water and mild detergent, and dry immediately. 

Inject some personality into your kitchen with the Marco Almond Rainbow Titanium Cutlery Knife Set. The knife blades are metallic rainbow, and the handles are a striking blue. This could be useful for those in house-shares, who want to avoid confusion over whose knives are whose. Because they're a reasonably priced option, this could also be a fun set for college students or amateur chefs. 

The set includes six steak knives, a chef knife, slicing knife, bread knife, santoku knife, utility knife, paring knife, and all-purpose kitchen shears. 

Our cutting-edge verdict

We think the Home Hero Stainless Steel Knife Set is the best you can buy. It's packed with 17 striking pieces that also have a non-stick finish. Also striking is the Marco Almond Rainbow Titanium Cutlery Knife Set, which comes finished in a metallic rainbow. For traditional luxury, check out the Sabatier Knife Block Set, or for more of a rustic look, The Pioneer Woman Cowboy Rustic Linen Cutlery Set is a great option. 

If you want something more pared-back, the Royal Doulton Gordon Ramsay Block Knife Set would be our top pick. It's not the cheapest though - for that, check out the AmazonBasics 14-Piece Kitchen Knife Set or the Ginsu Kiso Dishwasher Safe Set.

Why trust us?

At Real Homes, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money.

We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

I absolutely love a good set of knives in a totally non-creepy way. My kitchen is full of different knives for many different tasks and trying them out is a highlight of my day.