One of the fanciest items you will ever find in any kitchen is the kitchen knife. Yes, one has to agree that it has tremendous utility.
However, if it is so useful, why do you call it a fancy item? It is because the kitchen knives are among the most recent appliances to enter the Indian kitchen.
Most knife experts will tell you to never buy a knife set. I’m here to say that a proper knife set is a cook’s best friend and kitchen’s best asset. Here’s how to decide if a knife block is right for you, find the perfect knife set, and maintain it for a lifetime. Here are the Top 10 Best Knife Sets For Indian Kitchen!
Top 10 Best Kitchen Knife Sets 2019
- 9-piece knife set includes 8-inch chef's, 7-inch Santoku, 8-inch slicing, 8-inch bread, 6-inch boning, 5-inch utility, 3.5-inch paring, 8-inch sharpener, and wood block
- Precision-formed blades have finely sharpened edges for exceptional use
- Made of high-quality stainless steel
- Weighted knives for effective use, balance, and control
- Triple-riveted, ergonomic handles for a secure and comfortable grip
- ABOUT THE BLADES: The Swiss Made set of 3 Knives come with 136L surgical grade, rust-free stainless steel blades and can retain their sharpness for a long period of time. These food grade knives are easy...
- ABOUT THE GRIP: The ergonomic design of the polypropylene handle complements the blade to fit perfectly in the curve of your palm. The textured handle is less slippery offering a comfortable grip that...
- BEVELED TIPPED STRAIGHT EDGE KNIFE: While the 8 cm long straight edge of this knife is ideal for cutting fruits, the beveled tip helps you easily remove the seeds.
- ROUND TIPPED SERRATED EDGE KNIFE: Ideal for slicing bread and cutting thin slices of juicy/pulpy fruits and vegetables, sausages, salami, cheese, etc. The round tip is ideal for applying spreads. Thus,...
- BEVELED TIPPED SERRATED EDGE KNIFE - While the 8 cm long serrated edge of this knife is ideal for fine chopping your garnishes, it is equally competent for cutting vegetables. The beveled tip of this knife...
- ABOUT THE BLADE: This Swiss Made Knife has a 11 cm wavy-edged blade made with 316L surgical grade, rust-free stainless steel. This food grade blade is easy to re-sharpen and maintain over a lifetime.
- ABOUT THE GRIP: The ergonomic design of the polypropylene handle complements the blade to fit perfectly in the curve of your palm. The textured handle is less slippery offering a comfortable grip that...
- FUNCTIONALITY: Ideal for slicing bread and cutting thin slices of juicy/pulpy fruits and vegetables, sausages, salami, cheese, etc. The round tip is ideal for applying spreads. Thus, making this knife your...
- COLOURS: This knife is also available in red, green, pink, orange and yellow colours to suit the interiors of your kitchen.
- THE VICTORINOX GUARANTEE: This Victorinox knife comes with a lifetime guarantee against any defects in material or workmanship.
- Made from high-quality stainless steel
- Contoured handles for soft grip
- Hollow ground edges
- Colour: Assorted, Material: Stainless Steel
- Package Contents: 1-Piece chef knife (8 inch/20.3 cm), 1-Piece utility knife (5 inch/12.7 cm) and 1-Piece paring knife (3.5 inch/8.9 cm)
Best Kitchen Knives In India For Home Use
Kitchen knives come in a set of 3 to 8 knives, not all the knives are made for the same purpose. Different knives are used for different purpose, for example, for peeling fruit or vegetables, deveining shrimp or creating garnishes paring knife are mostly used. For chopping meat and cutting hard foods Chef’s knife is suitable. Well, It doesn’t mean that you can’t use the same knife for all of the purposes, you can but if you want to have a good cutting session it is always better to select the right knife for the right purpose.
Types of Kitchen Knives
Here are some of the most commonly used kitchen knives.
Chef Knife
If you regularly watch chef shows on TV, you will find the expert using this particular knife to cut vegetables as well as meat. You can also find the restaurant chefs using these knives in their kitchens. This knife has a large, smooth blade for crushing items like onion and garlic.
You can also use this knife for slicing and dicing all kinds of vegetables. These knives are useful for slicing meat as well. Hence, you can call it a multi-purpose knife. These knives are comparatively expensive to the others.
However, one knife can do a lot of kitchen jobs for you. Hence, it is not only part of the best knife set for chefs but also an integral part of every kitchen.
Paring Knife
A paring knife is a smaller version of the chef’s knife. It is useful for smaller cutting tasks. You can use this knife in your kitchen for cutting vegetables while entrusting the job of cutting meat to the larger chef knife.
The pairing knives are less expensive than the chef’s knives. Therefore, it qualifies as the best knife for cutting fruit and vegetables. You can also use such knives for peeling activities.
Serrated Knife
You can find it difficult to slice through bread using a paring or a chef knife. The serrated knives do a better job. These knives are more suited to cutting up soft fruits like tomatoes. Chopping onions and garlic is also easy with a serrated knife.
Therefore, the serrated knife is the ideal knife for cutting tomato, onion. There is a disadvantage to the serrated knives as you cannot sharpen them easily at home. The best option is to replace them when they lose their edge.
Santoku Knife
The Santoku Knife resembles the chef’s knife in many ways but has a slightly different design. It has a wider blade that some cooks prefer to use for chopping vegetables. The design is such that can use it to get thin slices of vegetables. However, if you have an expensive chef’s knife in your kitchen, there is no point in investing in a Santoku knife.
Carving Knife
The carving knife is a long instrument that is excellent for slicing marge chunks of meat. This knife has a sharp tip to make it easy to cut pieces for serving. Not every kitchen in India would require this carving knife. However, if you are a person that prepares non-vegetarian food frequently, you can have one of these carving knives in your kitchen armoury.
Boning Knife
Usually, Indians buy their meat directly from the butcher. He ensures that the meat is neatly cut by discarding the bones. However, the boning knife can come in handy in cutting through bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Typically, these knives have blades about 4 to 6 inches in length. It is a flexible instrument that can supplement the carving knives.
Filleting Knife
You will find the filleting knife in almost all Indian kitchens that cook fish on a frequent basis. This knife has a sharp edge and a flexible blade. The design allows you to reach inside the bony structure of seafood. Therefore, the filleting knife is the perfect knife for cutting fish and meat, especially in the Indian kitchens.
Things to Consider When Buying Kitchen Knife Sets
The situation demands that every kitchen should have a set of knives to help you in preparing food for the family. We have seen the different types of knives and their uses. You should consider these factors as well while purchasing kitchen knives.
1. How You Cook
When selecting a kitchen knife set, consider how you cook. You don’t want to purchase a set that contains knives that you don’t need or won’t use. That being said, all kitchen knife sets should have the following essentials.
- Chef’s Knife – The 8-inch chef’s knife is the workhorse of the kitchen and is used for chopping, slicing, and dicing.
- Paring Knife – Usually 3 to 4 inches long, the paring knife is used to pare, core, and peel fruits and vegetables. It can also be used to devein shrimp or cut small garnishes.
- Serrated Knife – Also known as a bread knife, this 10-inch long knife is ideal for cutting bread as well as cakes and vegetables like tomatoes.
- Santoku Knife – The santoku is the Japanese version of the chef’s knife. Designed to slice, dice, and mince, the santoku is shorter and thinner than a chef’s knife. Some chefs prefer them to the classic chef’s knife.
- Kitchen Shears – Although not a knife at all, kitchen shears are an essential part of your kitchen knife set. Kitchen shears are used to cut chicken or vegetables and snip herbs.
- Honing Steel – Although some knife sets come with built-in sharpeners, the more critical piece is the honing steel, which is used to tune up (or realign) your knife blades.
Contrary to popular belief (and the marketing used by some manufacturers), a honing steel doesn’t sharpen your knives, but it does keep them in good shape. You can hone your knives daily to keep them in the best shape.
Depending on the type of food you cook, you might also seek out additional knives, such as a boning knife (for separating meat from bone), a cleaver (for chopping through bones and meat and hard fruits and vegetables like pumpkins and squash), or a fillet knife (for cutting thin fish slices).
However, if you’re not a big fish eater or processing large pieces of meat, these knives may very well sit untouched for years. Most knife manufacturers sell “open stock” knives, which are specialty knives from the same lines as the knives sold in kitchen sets. This allows you to expand on and grow your knife set according to your needs.
2. Construction
Knives are either forged or stamped, and the method of construction affects their price and weight. Forged knives are made from a single piece of molten steel that is heated and then beaten into shape. By contrast, stamped knives are stamped out of one sheet of metal.
Forged knives are usually considered to be higher quality, but excellent quality knives can be found using both means of construction. Here are the characteristics of each type.
Forged Knives:
- More expensive
- Weigh more
- Have a bolster (thick junction between the knife blade and handle)
- Thicker blade
- More durable
- Less flexible
Stamped Knives:
- Cost less
- Lighter weight
- Usually don’t have a bolster
- Thinner blade
- Tend to bend when cutting harder materials
- More flexible
3. Blade Materials
Kitchen knives are usually made from steel, although ceramic knives have become popular recently. (Most experts don’t recommend ceramic knives due to chipping and breaking.) However, not all steel is created equal.
The highest quality steel is carbon steel, which holds its edge longer and is easy to sharpen. However, carbon steel can rust easily, and care must be kept to keep the blade as dry as possible.
Most home cooks opt for stainless steel, which resists stains and corrosion. However, stainless steel knives can dull quicker and are more difficult to sharpen. Even though stainless steel doesn’t have the same maintenance needs as carbon steel, kitchen knives should still be hand washed instead of tossed in the dishwasher. This is because the harsh chemicals used in dish washing detergents can affect even stainless steel.
Signature stainless steel alloys combine the best qualities of both carbon and stainless steel. You’ll mostly find these alloys in Japanese blades. Because these alloys are specially formulated, they are often quite pricey.
4. Handle Materials
Kitchen knife handles can be made of various materials, with the most common being composites (e.g., plastics) and stainless steel. Both materials offer strength and longevity.
Many high-end knife sets come with wooden handles, which many value for their style and sophistication. However, wood handles must be kept dry or wood rot can set in, which results in unpleasant odors and splitting of the wood. Only buy wooden handles if you can care for them properly as these knives cannot be tossed in the kitchen sink.
5. Comfort and Safety
When shopping for kitchen knives, choose a knife that feels balanced and comfortable in your hand. Some knives might be too heavy or the handle too large for you to hold comfortably. Many knives are designed with ergonomic handles, which can significantly increase their comfort.
Kitchen knives are very sharp by design, so you don’t want to drop them or have them slip while cutting. A non-slip or textured grip (as well as a knife that feels balanced and comfortable) will help to increase safety.
Finally, consider purchasing sheaths for your knives if you’re storing them loose in a drawer.
6. Care and Maintenance
All good quality kitchen knives will require some degree of care and maintenance. Almost all kitchen knives should be washed by hand, and high-end knives with wooden handles need special care as the handles cannot get wet and the blades are prone to staining and rusting.
For safety reasons, it is good practice to wash, dry and put away your knives immediately after use.
All knives will require professional sharpening at some point. For most home cooks, knives will only need to be professionally sharpened once a year. However, regularly honing your knives will extend their lives and the time between sharpening. The materials of your cutting board (see below) will also affect the life of your knife blades.
7. Cutting Board Materials
You’ll extend the life of your knives by using wooden cutting boards. Harder materials such as plastic, glass, and ceramic will dull the blades. The only exception should be if you are working with raw meat. A plastic cutting board should be used for raw meat so it can be disinfected in the dishwasher afterward.
8. Storage
Consider storage for your knives before purchasing. Many kitchen knife sets come with a wooden block for storage. Magnetic strips are also an option and are an excellent choice for kitchens with limited space. If you’re storing your knives in a drawer, purchase sheaths for the blades to avoid getting cut. Another option is an in-drawer knife block.
9. Kitchen Décor and Space
A final consideration is the amount of space in and the appearance of your kitchen. Kitchen knives come in a wide variety of materials and finishes, so choose a set that compliments your kitchen décor.
You can choose from storage blocks in a variety of shades and stains to coordinate with your cabinets or countertops. Storage blocks also come in glass, wood/glass combinations, or stainless steel.
Consider how much space a knife block will take up on your counter. If you have limited counter space, measure the block to ensure it will fit on your counter. If you don’t have the space to store knives on the counter, store your sheathed knives in drawers or hang them from a magnetic strip.
Top kitchen knives available in India
Here are the best knife sets brands in India.
Amazon Basics Premium Stainless Steel Knife Set with Block
- 9-piece knife set includes 8-inch chef's, 7-inch Santoku, 8-inch slicing, 8-inch bread, 6-inch boning, 5-inch utility, 3.5-inch paring, 8-inch sharpener, and wood block
- Precision-formed blades have finely sharpened edges for exceptional use
- Made of high-quality stainless steel
- Weighted knives for effective use, balance, and control
- Triple-riveted, ergonomic handles for a secure and comfortable grip
The 9-piece set includes an 8-inch Chef’s knife, 7-inch Santoku, 8-inch slicing knife, 8-inch bread knife, 6-inch boning, 5-inch utility, 3.5-inch paring knife, 8-inch sharpener, and a wood block. These knives, made of stainless steel have great balance and control. The ergonomic handles are comfortable to hold.
Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife Set
- ABOUT THE BLADES: The Swiss Made set of 3 Knives come with 136L surgical grade, rust-free stainless steel blades and can retain their sharpness for a long period of time. These food grade knives are easy...
- ABOUT THE GRIP: The ergonomic design of the polypropylene handle complements the blade to fit perfectly in the curve of your palm. The textured handle is less slippery offering a comfortable grip that...
- BEVELED TIPPED STRAIGHT EDGE KNIFE: While the 8 cm long straight edge of this knife is ideal for cutting fruits, the beveled tip helps you easily remove the seeds.
- ROUND TIPPED SERRATED EDGE KNIFE: Ideal for slicing bread and cutting thin slices of juicy/pulpy fruits and vegetables, sausages, salami, cheese, etc. The round tip is ideal for applying spreads. Thus,...
- BEVELED TIPPED SERRATED EDGE KNIFE - While the 8 cm long serrated edge of this knife is ideal for fine chopping your garnishes, it is equally competent for cutting vegetables. The beveled tip of this knife...
These 3 paring knives are the perfect ones to cut steak as well as vegetables. They have undergone laser testing to enhance the sharpness of their edges. The longest knife is 27.6 cm long making it perfect to cut large pieces. The smaller blades are serrated ones capable of chopping onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables easily.
Victorinox Classic Round Tip Wavy Tomato Knife
- ABOUT THE BLADE: This Swiss Made Knife has a 11 cm wavy-edged blade made with 316L surgical grade, rust-free stainless steel. This food grade blade is easy to re-sharpen and maintain over a lifetime.
- ABOUT THE GRIP: The ergonomic design of the polypropylene handle complements the blade to fit perfectly in the curve of your palm. The textured handle is less slippery offering a comfortable grip that...
- FUNCTIONALITY: Ideal for slicing bread and cutting thin slices of juicy/pulpy fruits and vegetables, sausages, salami, cheese, etc. The round tip is ideal for applying spreads. Thus, making this knife your...
- COLOURS: This knife is also available in red, green, pink, orange and yellow colours to suit the interiors of your kitchen.
- THE VICTORINOX GUARANTEE: This Victorinox knife comes with a lifetime guarantee against any defects in material or workmanship.
The blade length of 22.2 cm makes this Victorinox knife as an ideal knife for cutting tomatoes and onions. It comes with an ergonomic handle thereby making it comfortable to hold and use. The steam sterilised blade makes it one of the safest kitchen knives to use.
Amazon Brand – Solimo Premium High – Carbon Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Set
- High-carbon stainless-steel blades for sharp edges
- Triple-rivet handles ensure a comfortable, stable & secure grip
- Chef's knife & Utility knife is ideal for slicing, mincing & chopping vegetables & meat
- Paring knife is ideal for peeling and cutting small garnishes
- Chef's knife: Size of blade - 8 inches; Size of handle - 5 inches
This set comprises of an 8-inch Chef’s knife, 5-inch utility knife, and 3.5-inch paring knife made of high-carbon stainless steel. The three-rivet handles ensure a high degree of stability and provides excellent grip. It is an ideal knife set for chefs and homemakers alike.
Pigeon Stainless Steel Kitchen Knives Set
- Made from high-quality stainless steel
- Contoured handles for soft grip
- Hollow ground edges
- Colour: Assorted, Material: Stainless Steel
- Package Contents: 1-Piece chef knife (8 inch/20.3 cm), 1-Piece utility knife (5 inch/12.7 cm) and 1-Piece paring knife (3.5 inch/8.9 cm)
These knives made of stainless steel are of high quality. The contoured handles offer a soft and comfortable grip. The hollow ground edges are perfect for scraping coconut. The pack comprises of a 3.5-inch paring knife, 5-inch utility knife, and an 8-inch Chef’s knife.
Prestige Tru-Edge Kitchen Knife set with wooden block and free peeler
- Content: Prestige Trueedge Knfie Set (Consisting Of : Chef's Knife -1U, Cook's Kinfe-1U, Paring Kinfe-1U, Utility Kinfe-1U, Vegetable Knife -1U, Wooden Block-1U and Free Peeler -1U)
- Knives that do not need sharpening , Knives with stainless steel blades and attractive handles , Net Quantity: 7 Unit
- Tempered steel blades for strength, sharpness and durability
- High definition serrations for everyday food preparation
- Ergonomic handles for comfortable cutting
You get a chef’s knife, a cook’s knife, a paring knife, a vegetable knife, and a utility knife in this 5-piece kitchen knife set. Also, you get a free peeler along with a wooden block. The tempered steel blades are strong, sharp, and durable. The ergonomic handles provide an excellent grip.
Kitchen knives are critical appliances. Every house needs a couple of knives on hand. As the days of the Aruvamanai have gone, people are switching over to knives for cutting vegetables, fruits, scraping coconuts, and even for mincing non-vegetarian food like meat and fish. This buying guide will help you procure the best knife set for Indian cooking.
