Best German Knives and Brands for 2022

What are the best German knives? How do you know which brand is right for you? There are so many options to choose from, it can be hard to make a decision. That’s where this guide comes in.

Here, we’ll give you an overview of what makes these knives special, as well as some popular brands that offer them. I hope that by the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear idea about what kind of knife would work best for your needs–and who offers the quality products to meet those needs! 

Quick Summery:

Product image Product name Editor's rating Price WÜSTHOF Classic 8 Inch Chef’s Knife 4.9 See latest price Wusthof Classic Two Piece Prep Set 4.8 See latest price ZWILLING Professional S, Chef Knife, Kitchen Knife 4.7 See latest price ZWILLING Pro 10-pc Knife Block Set 4.7 See latest price Messer meister Oliva Elite 8 Inch 4.6 See latest price

Top 5 Best German Knives and Brands for 2021:

1. WÜSTHOF Classic 8 Inch Chef’s Knife:

WÜSTHOF knives are the choice of professionals who demand only the best. For generations, our classic line has been made with German precision and care.

The WÜSTHOF 8” Classic Chef’s Knife is essential for preparing any meal. This all-purpose cook’s knife can be used for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing with effortless accuracy. 

The full Tang, Triple Riveted handles of the classic line offer a wide range of cutlery that satisfies every home cook or professional chef’s needs – whether they prefer to chop vegetables or thinly slice meat for an elegant presentation.

Due to its lightweight design and balanced distribution of weight across the length of the handle, it feels like an extension of your arm. This knife sports a scalloped bone edge that helps make cutting tasks easy by guiding the knife through soft foods like tomatoes or delicate herbs (like parsley).

Like all WÜSTHOF Knives, this one has precision-forged blades made from high carbon stainless steel that is tempered to 58° HRC – resulting in blades 20% sharper than previous models.

2. Wusthof Classic Two Piece Prep Set:

Our Professional Kitchen Starter Set comes bundled with two essential knives that will be perfect for an aspiring chef. The Paring Knife is 3 ½ inches long, which means it’s the perfect size to slice small fruit and vegetables like onions, mushrooms, or radishes.

It also has a thin blade that can make incredibly precise cuts. The Cook’s Knife features a taller (6-inch) blade length and is bristling with versatility; this knife can efficiently cut through meats like steak, chicken breast, pork loin chops, and more!

Plus you’ll appreciate the professional feel of these durable handles as they resist fading, discoloration from heat, or impact damage. What are you waiting for?! Start your culinary journey now with Wusthof Classic Knives.

3. ZWILLING Professional S, Chef Knife, Kitchen Knife:

The ZWILLING Professional S is an excellent chef knife made in Germany that features high-carbon steel components with a laser-controlled edge.

This blade is forged from one piece of high-quality metal which means it’s strong, doesn’t stain, and has superior resiliency over other cutlery types. It can be sharpened the same day with our patented pull-through sharpener or with the ZWILLING Precision Electric Sharpener, which you have at home!

The ergonomic polymer three rivet handle is perfect for any hand to use it with ease, even if not the most capable of us! A 57 Rockwell measurement permits this fine blade to retain its sharpness evenly across the whole surface due to its angle of 15° per side.

Durable long-lasting long edge retention given by ZWILLING guarantees quality cut after cut… but don’t forget your protective gloves!

4. ZWILLING Pro 10-pc Knife Block Set:

Whether you’re a pro in the kitchen or an amateur cook, this Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set will provide everything you need for any occasion.

Featuring 9 chefs and 3 paring blades designed with experts to make quick work of your favorite culinary creations, the set includes knives created from high carbon steel that stays sharp longer and does not stain.

As if these features weren’t enough, we also included a 16 slot hardwood block meaning all of your blades can be neatly stored and nothing will come between you and lots of peaceful cooking time.

Sharp, shiny knives. The whole set includes everything you need when cooking a lavish meal. The 10-piece ZWILLING pro knife block is made from high-quality materials that will last a long time before eventually giving way to rust and tarnish.

Tired of needing to sharpen your knives? SIGMAFORGE blade is made from the highest grade stainless steel which makes it sharper for longer, so no more having your dinner ruined by dull blades!

5. Messermeister Oliva Elite Chef’s Knife (8-inch):

The Messlermeister Elite Chef Knife is an 8-inch knife that offers maximum control while chopping, slicing, and dicing through difficult ingredients. The bolster’s heel simplifies all cutting tasks by leaving the entire blade fairly blunt giving it more durability.

Manufactured with German high-carbon steel alloy, this knife resists stains and corrosion for a Razor-sharp edge that can’t be beaten on round or serrated blades. It is ideal for professional chefs who want the best of the best in their kitchen knives kit!

All kinds of high-quality materials are utilized to make this elite kitchen knife kit stand out among its competition sets. This kit manufactured with POM grips means that these grips offer exceptional stability during use which will aid in your control when you’re trying to perfectly dice up food.

The 8-inch blade is made from German high carbon steel alloy which makes it slightly harder than most blades for extended durability and sharpness that can’t be beaten.

This knife set operates with a bolster-less heel design that provides exceptional control when chopping, slicing, and dicing through difficult ingredients.

Buying Guides:

1. What does German steel alloy mean?

A knife is considered to be made in Germany if the knives are manufactured, sharpened, and packaged in Germany. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it was completely made there! It may have been only assembled there.

German-made knives try to meet high standards of quality by using carefully selected German steel alloy. This ensures the sharpness and durability of your knives for years to come.

2. What is the Difference Between a Chef Knife and a Paring Knife:

A chef’s knife is used for chopping, mincing, and slicing. A paring knife, on the other hand, is ideal for small tasks like peeling fruits or vegetables or cutting out blemishes.

You can use your chef’s knife to cut through larger ingredients by using the blade to apply more pressure than you would with a paring knife. However, a chef’s knife is too large for small tasks like peeling fruits or vegetables. If you need to peel fruit, use a paring knife instead of your 8-inch chef’s knife!

Chef’s knives are typically between 8 and 14 inches long. Paring knives usually measure around 3-4 inches.

3. What’s the Difference Between a Santoku and a Chef’s Knife?

A santoku is similar to a chef’s knife, but it has a straighter edge instead of the slight curve that you see on most chefs’ knives which allows for more precise cuts when mincing, chopping, and dicing.

Chef’s knives are heavier than santoku knives, which means that they’re better for cutting through denser ingredients like root vegetables or meats on a chopping board. A santoku knife is lighter and more flexible, making it ideal for dicing, slicing, and mincing.

4. Why Stainless Steel Blades Are Better Than Carbon Steel Blades:

While carbon steel offers a sharper edge and is more durable, it also requires a lot more to maintain. Carbon steel blades tend to stain easily and require frequent sharpening because they wear out quicker than stainless steel blades.

Stainless steel knives are made up of a combination of chromium, nickel, manganese, silicon, and carbon. Chromium is responsible for giving the stainless steel knife its corrosion resistance while nickel gives it more stain and rust resistance. Manganese boosts hardness and durability, and silicon reduces brittleness in the blade.

Carbon blades are typically made up of 1060 carbon alloy which makes it harder than stainless steel alloy that only usually consists of chromium, nickel, and carbon. This means that carbon blades are more likely to stay sharper for longer than stainless steel alloy.

However, because carbon blades are harder than stainless steel alloy blades, they tend to be a lot more brittle which makes them more prone to chipping or cracking.

Additionally, carbon steel stains easily and requires frequent maintenance. It is very difficult to remove the stains from carbon steel blades so you’ll have to clean your blade immediately after every use to prevent it from staining.

5. Tips on Choosing the Right Knife Set for You:

Blade Types:

Chef’s knives are great for chopping, dicing, and mincing. Paring knives are perfect for small tasks like peeling fruits or vegetables or removing blemishes from a fruit. Santoku knives have a straighter edge compared to the slight curve of chef’s knives which makes it easier to make precise cuts.

Knife Shapes:

If you require more flexibility, go with a santoku knife. However, if you need to move through denser ingredients like root vegetables or meat on a cutting board, get a chef’s knife instead since it is heavier than the santoku knife and therefore has more downward force when chopping or slicing.

6. Different Types of Cutting Techniques with an Example Recipe Using Each Technique (e.g., Julienne, Chiffonade, Dice):

Julienne:

This is a technique that will give your ingredients long, thin strips. To cut vegetables into julienne, first cut them into the desired length and then stack them on top of each other. Cut all of the veggies together in one long strip or repeat multiple times until you’ve reached the size of julienned strips that you desire.

Chiffonade:

This is a technique that gives ingredients a shredded appearance similar to confetti or ribbons. To cut vegetables into chiffonade, first stack the leaves of the vegetable on top of each other and roll them up tightly together. Hold onto one end of the rolled leaves and use your other hand to slice through the vegetables in thin strips.

Dicing:

This is a technique that gives ingredients small cubes about 1/2-inch wide. The main difference between dicing and chopping is that when you shop, you cut ingredients into different sizes whereas, with dicing, all of your ingredients are cut into the same size.

To dice, first cut the vegetables into strips. Next, place the individual pieces on their side and slice them with a sharp knife into cubes as thick as you desire.

7. Benefits of buying high-quality blades like Wusthof or Henckels (ease of use, sharpness):

Wusthof and Henckels are both high-quality Knife brands which means that they are much easier to use, maintain, and sharpen. Using a low-quality knife will make your cuts more difficult because it’s not sharp enough or the blade is too heavy that you end up using more strength than necessary.

-Wusthof and Henckels both have a lifetime warranty that covers their products from any manufacturer defects which makes them more reliable compared to cheaper knives that dull after the first use or the blades get chipped.

-High-quality knives are also easier to use since they’re lighter weight, narrower, and feature a better grip handle.

8. Tips on how to care for and maintain your knives:

-Never put your knives in the dishwasher as this will cause the handle material to warp and the blade edge to become dull.

-After cleaning, dry off your knife with a towel or let it air dry. Putting a wet knife away can make it rust so don’t forget this step.

-If your knife is made of carbon steel, you have to dry it off immediately after washing it, or else the blade will rust.

-Never leave a knife in the sink before going to bed as someone can accidentally grab onto it and get injured. Always put knives away in a drawer or knife block after use.

FAQs:

1. What is a right-handed chef’s knife?
A right-handed chef’s knife has a handle that will allow you to hold it with your right hand and use the blade with your left hand. For this to work, the edge of the blade needs to be on top as you slice downwards. The opposite would be a left-handed chef knife.

2. What is the difference between a Chef’s knife and a Santoku knife?
A Santoku knife has a straight blade instead of one that curves at the end like a Chef’s knife does.

The main difference between these two blades is that while a chef’s knife can slice through tough foods, a Santoku knife slices through softer ones. The Santoku knife is also perfect for cutting vegetables since it has a flat blade.

3. What are the benefits of using ceramic knives?
The material used to make ceramic knives is harder than steel so it can stay sharp for longer periods which means you won’t have to sharpen them as often.

Also, they are lighter weight, and oftentimes you can use them to cut meats or bread because of their non-stick coating. The downside is that they’re more expensive than traditional steel blades and will break if dropped on a hard surface.

Conclusion:

Knives are one of the most important kitchen tools you can buy because they’re used for almost everything. When buying knives, it’s important to consider the level of expertise that you have in cooking and how often you plan on using your knife.

Selecting a knife that is too big or too small will not only make the cut more difficult, but it will also cause your food to come out uneven. The most important things to look at when selecting a knife are its material, blade size, handle style, and warranty since all of these factors affect the ease of use and durability of your chosen knife.