How much do you need to spend to get good kitchen knives?

A good set of kitchen knives is crucial to help prepare your meals without added stress. After lots of slicing and dicing over a number of years testing, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to buy the best for your food prep. 

Our extensive testing includes chef's knives for all your food prep tasks, as well as sharpeners that will keep your knives slicing well for longer. 

While it can be tempting to buy a matching set from just one manufacturer, our tests have discovered Best Buy recommendations across a variety of brands.

If you don't fancy shopping around and want everything in one package, we've also tested sets.  

New knives can be a big investment, but our tests reveal that you can get Great Value kitchen options for less than £20. Here's what else you need to know before you buy.

Chef's knives

If you only buy one, make it a chef's knife. These versatile blades can be used for most food prep tasks, from slicing fruits and vegetables to dicing or carving meat and poultry.

If you're wondering whether expensive options stay sharp for longer, the good news is that you don't need to spend big. Our latest tests revealed you can get some of the best for around £20 and less. 

See our reviews of the best chef's knives, including all our recommendations. 

Need to knows:

• Chef's knives are between 12cm and 20cm long. Choose the size that feels most comfortable in your hand. A longer blade can cut more volume, but it won't be worth it if it doesn't feel right. You might be more agile cutting with a shorter one, but it won't be as useful for slicing through something bigger, such as a butternut squash.
• Learn how to chop safely and correctly. Your thumb and index finger that hold the knife should be on opposite sides of the blade, closest to the bolster (or guard). The fingers on your hand that isn't around the knife should be tucked into a claw grip: fingers curled inwards, gripping the food with your fingernails. 
• Even if it says its dishwasher safe, we'd recommend washing it by hand. The high heat in a dishwasher can dull the cutting edge after repeated cycles.

Discover the best saucepan sets for cooking and durability

Knife sets 

A set gives you all the tools to tackle your food prep, from carving a joint of beef to peeling potatoes. 

The sets we tested started from £25 and went up to £600. We've found it's worth paying a bit more for the quality – our Best Buy recommendations come in at more than £100.

However, we also discovered a commendable set for less than £100, which got our Great Value recommendation. 

See our pick of the best knife sets to find out which impressed for less. 

Need to knows:

• A block set typically includes a chef's knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife (basically a mini chef's knife) and a carving knife. 
• Larger sets may also contain scissors and steak knives. 
• It's an investment to buy a knife set, so to ensure that you get longevity out of your knives, you should regularly sharpen them. Some we tested come with an integrated sharpener to make this task even easier. 

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Electric carving knives

A good electric carving knife makes for smooth, even and easy-to-cut slices of meat and bread.

Electric carving knives typically cost between £14 and £33.

Need to knows:

• Check how long the power cable is. Will it be long enough for you to plug it into the socket nearest your food-prep area? We've seen more than 40cm difference between the longest and the shortest cables. 
• How stiff is the button? For safety, most electric knives require you to hold down the button to use them. If you get one with a stiff button, it can quickly become uncomfortable. 
• Most electric carving knives connect to their electrical cable through their back, but some connect via the side. This can make it uncomfortable for left-handed people to use.

Knife sharpeners

No knife stays sharp forever, which is why if you want yours to last, you'll also need to invest in a sharpener or a whetstone.

A handheld knife sharpener is the easiest and safest sharpening option. We test manual and electric options. 

Generally speaking, manual sharpeners are simpler to use but require more effort, whereas electric sharpeners are more powerful but take some practise to ensure that you don't wear your knife blade down. 

You can also use a whetstone to sharpen your knives, but they can be difficult to master and, if used incorrectly, can end up damaging the cutting edge of your blade.

When testing sharpeners, we found two that stood out enough to get our recommendation, one of which costs less than £20.  

See the best knife sharpeners and how to use them.

Need to knows: 

• Not all sharpeners can be used on knives with serrated edges, such as bread knives. Our reviews tell you which of those we tested are suitable.
• We also tell you which knife sharpeners give you the opportunity to buy a replacement sharpening wheel rather than having to buy a whole new one once yours needs replacing. Popular brand Robert Welch recommends changing your sharpening wheel every 12 to 24 months.
• Handheld manual sharpeners are designed to keep your blade fresh and you should use them to 'top up' the blade after every few hours of use. For fully dulled knives, use an electric sharpener or whetstone.