A Cut Above: The Best Budget Knives for Your Kitchen

September 3, 2018 by Alyce Vayle No Comments

If you love to cook, then working out what the best budget knives are in your local area is something you need to think about. The Boyf and I love to cook, but we only have one really good knife between us, and we keep it in a special place, so it doesn’t get lost.

Knowing your way around the kitchen is one thing, but having the right equipment is just so important. You really need to know what the right tools for the job are, and invest in them. Having a great kitchen knife on standby is one of the most important things you can have.

To prepare a delicious and nutritious meal, you need a set of good kitchen knives. Most people tend to believe that price equals quality. While this is true for most things, you don’t really need to spend that much to get your kitchen ready for cooking awesome meals.

What are the best budget knives that are readily available online?

There really are only a few basics of buying the best budget knives. ChefKnives has listed the best 10 budget chef knives under $50 that you can buy, and have a really good list of the best budget chef knives, as well as their pros and cons, specs, Amazon ratings, and approximate retail prices. Contrary to popular belief, a good chef knife won’t cost an arm and a leg.

Probably the best piece of advice is to hunt for bargains, and to not get too focused on price tags. If you see a knife that way out of your price range, the chances are that you will be able to buy it at a decent price if you have a little patience. Check reviews online, compare prices and even pick up the phone and speak to local suppliers when you can. If you are looking for the best budget knives, it’s a good idea to do lots of research.

After speaking to the experts, here are my favorite pocket-friendly kitchen knives. I’d love to hear what you think about them in the comments section. All prices are correct at time of publication but please do your own research.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife

You are probably familiar with the name of Victorinox. They are a Swiss company that does the best budget knives. They don’t only manufacture durable utility knives, but kitchen utensils also. The Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife is made from high-carbon stainless steel, meaning that it is very low maintenance.

Its 8-inch blade is more than enough to chop, mince, slice, and dice any kind of ingredients. The handle is made from thermoplastic elastomers. In other words, no matter how wet the handle is, it will not slip out of your hands. The good news is that the Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife has a price tag of $45, depending on the retailer.

Mercer Culinary Genesis 7-inch Forged Santoku Knife

And because no kitchen’s complete without a good Santoku knife, the Mercer Culinary Genesis 7-inch forged knife is pretty much the best companion a chef or even home cook could hope for. The knife’s blade is made from high-quality, no-stain German high carbon. The best budget knives come from the best materials.

This means your knife will not suffer from corrosion, will be low maintenance, and should have a long lifespan. The handle is made of ergonomic Santoprene (an advanced, non-slip material that stays in your hand whatever the circumstances).

The knife’s 7-inch blade is ideal for chopping and dicing hard-shelled vegetables and even slicing tougher meat like game. Mercer’s amazing Santoku knife comes with a price tag of $30, depending, of course, on the retailer.

Mercer Culinary Millenia 10-inch Wide Bread Knife

So now you have a chef’s knife and a Santoku. You know what else is missing? A trustworthy bread knife, of course! My mother always used to tell me how important it was to have a professional bread knife; so add one to your collection too. Mercer’s Culinary Millenia 10-inch bread knife is more than enough to slice any type of bread as the knife’s blade is made from high-quality Japanese steel.

More specifically, it’s made out of one big piece of steel. This material ensures that the blade retains its sharpness longer compared to other knives made from stainless steel. Furthermore, your Mercer Culinary Millenia bread knife will require little maintenance. The knife costs around $25.

Dexter-Russel Cleaver

Why rely on your local butcher for fine cuts when you can prepare them in the comfort of your own kitchen? It is very easy to get a great cut, provided that you have the right tools. The Boyf is currently into smoking meats on his smoker and barbeque, so having a great knife to use is an essential as it just makes things so much easier.

The Dexter-Russel cleaver is a unique 6-inch flat blade meat cleaver made of high-quality stainless steel. The blade and the tang are made of one big piece of steel. Everything’s kept in place by the wooden handle. The Dexter-Russel cleaver costs around $25.

Wusthof Gourmet 3-Inch Paring Knife

One other item you need to consider for your kitchen is the paring knife. If you are not familiar with the name or with the knife’s utility, paring blades are very small and extremely sharp knives used to peel, chop, or carve vegetables and fruits. If you prepare lots of delicate, ornate dishes, then a paring knife comes in very handy, as it gives you the ability to make very fine cuts. Most professional chefs and cooks want something like that by their side; especially when they are preparing stuff like crudités, or deveining prawns.

The Wusthof Gourmet 3-inch paring knife is based on a time-honored German knife forging technique. the Gourmet 3-inch model is made of a combination of high-carbon steel and stain-resistant alloy. The handle’s made from synthetic polypropylene, meaning that the knife won’t slip through your fingers. The Wusthof Gourmet paring knife costs around $50.

Take your cooking to the next level with a great kitchen knife

As you can see, a complete kitchen knife set doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You just need to know where to look for it. Remember this useful tip on knife maintenance – don’t put your chef knives in the dishwasher, wash them by hand. The Boyf always gets me in trouble when I use harsh scrubbing brushes on good kitchen equipment – so treat your chef knives well and they will last a long time.

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