Finding the best chef knife under $200 would be a little bit challenging if you have a very limited budget. A chef’s knife is always an important tool for kitchen purposes, but it’s not easy to find the best one on a small budget.
Because it is one of the best versatile tools that can handle all cutting, slicing, mincing, and chopping everything you want. Even it’s easy to use than other kitchen knives, so any professional chef or home cook can handle it easily.
Choosing a chef’s knife under $200 can be a little bit tricky, especially if you are a newbie to the cooking world. For these reasons, I have done the footwork and reviewed some of the best quality chef’s knives for under $200.
I have also included an extra buying guide so that you can easily understand what features you should consider before buying. So get started!
My Favorite $200 Chef’s Knife Summery
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Best Overall
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WÜSTHOF |
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Best Premium
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Mac Knife |
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Global |
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| Best versatile |
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Dalstrong |
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Shun Cutlery |
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HENCKELS |
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Victorinox |
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Zelite Infinity |
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Mercer Culinary |
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Tojiro |
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01. WUSTHOF Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife
The WUSTHOF is a classically German-made knife that is extremely well-balanced and precision-forged from a single high-carbon steel bar.
The blade material is resistant to stain and rust. Furthermore, it has a brushed finish that gives it a nice look to complement your cutlery.
The blade is hardened into 58 RW and then sharpened with PEtec Technology. This technique yields blades with twice edge retention capabilities compared to their preceding models.
The blade features a broad face, which encourages proper cutting technique against the knuckles.
The handle is 4.5 inches long and has a nice shape to it that is ergonomically constructed to offer maximum grip.
The full tang handle and triple rivets add to the sturdiness and robustness of the handle. Polyoxymethylene is the material used in making the handles, and it’s easy to clean, and food fiber does not stick to it.
For safety features, the knife features a full bolster to protect your fingers. The handle weighs just under 8.5 ounces, and it’s well balanced; this enables it to take on heavy-duty tasks like cutting through thick veggies and meat.
02. Mac Professional 8-inch Chef Knife
The Mac is an 8-inch Japanese-made chef knife. It has a blade thickness of 2.5mm and weighs about 195 grams, making it easier to handle.
It features a pronounced belly that allows easy rocking movement. The surgical sharpness of the blade will slice through any food in your kitchen.
The blade creates small air pockets that allow it to cut through sticky foods like apples and tomatoes without the particles sticking on the blade.
They used chrome molybdenum vanadium high carbon cutlery steel to make the blade wicked sharp and rust-resistant.
The Mac knife professional hollow edge chef knife features a comfortable Pakkawood handle that feels great in the hand. The handle has a half bolster that provides a smooth transition between the handle and the blade.
And the full tang and triple-riveted handle offer stability and durability to the handle. For extended product life, you are advised to hand wash the blade and avoid dishwashing.
03. Global 8-inch Japanese Chef’s Knife
The legendary razor-sharp 8-inch Japanese chef’s knife is only to make any kitchen job easier. It is cleverly well-balanced and lightweight.
The blade comprises Cromova 18 stainless steel, a combination of vanadium, molybdenum, and chromium. This combination of materials makes the blade to be resistant to rust and corrosion.
In addition, the blade has high sharpness retention. The handle design of the Global chef’s knife is a bit unique compared to other knives.
It is made of stainless steel. Both the blade and the handle are made from a single piece of material, eliminating any weak joints.
More so, the handle is dimpled to offer a non-slip grip. The holes on the handle also make the knife pleasing to look at.
Inside the handle, sea sand is filled to balance the handle and the blade. Global Chef’s knife is a knife well designed as a substitute to customary European-style cutlery.
Its lightweight nature and small handle make it perfect for cooks with smaller hands. Here I would recommend this article about chef knives for small hands if you are really looking for a small-size kitchen knife.
04. Dalstrong 8-inch Knife for Cooking
The DALSTRONG Shogun series X is an 8-inch chef knife with a scalpel-like edge. The edge is hand-finished at 8º-12º per side using the Honbazuke method to overcome all culinary challenges. The staggering edge retention at 62 RH minimizes the sharpening intervals.
The core of the blade features an AUS-10V Japanese steel core for peak performance.
The Tsuchime finish minimizes food sticking on the blade in addition to giving it an admirable look. The height of the blade is 55 mm; this encourages the cutting technique against the knuckles.
The full tang handle is triple-riveted to offer maximum support and total control over the blade.
The handle is made of G-1o material, which guarantees extended product life. Even this premium handle material offers maximum grip and comfort even with wet hands.
Furthermore, it is highly impervious to heat and moisture. Your fingers are well protected from the blade, thanks to the tapered bolster that gives some clearance between your fingers and the ruthlessly sharp blades.
In addition to providing a perfect balance, the intricate copper mosaic and engraved endcap add admiration to the blade.
05. Shun Classic 8-inch Premium Chef’s Knife
The Shun Classic is a multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife that can handle various cutting tasks. It easily rocks due to its slightly curved blade. The size of the blade makes it a perfect knife for preparing proteins, fruits, and veggies.
The blade is made of VG-Max steel material which is enriched with chromium to make it corrosion-resistant. The presence of Tungsten makes the blade to be sharper.
There is also a mixture of cobalt and carbon for added strength. The handle of this chef’s knife is made of Packwood; this is wood infused with resin to make it water-resistant and durable.
There are no rivets for support, but the knife does feature an end cap to offer additional support on the handle.
The Pakkawood finish makes the handle look appealing, and in addition to that, the handle feels smooth and comfortable in hand.
06. ZWILLING Classic 8-inch Kitchen Knife
The J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-inch is a lightweight kitchen knife designed for smooth cutting. Its 8-inch blade has been fashioned from stainless carbon steel. That makes the knife quite durable.
Its satin finish gives the knife a professional aesthetic. This, coupled with the scalpel-like blade design, makes this the ideal knife for accurate and chip-free cuts.
It also has high sharpness retention, durability, and performance. I would say, if you have a limited budget then it would be the best chef’s knife for $100 that you can choose for your kitchen.
However, the knife has a triple-riveted handle that articulates perfectly with the blade. Not only is the traditional design solid, but it also assures a firm yet comfortable grip.
The 4.72-inch handle contributes to the ergonomics of this brand. The bolster compliments the solid grip handle, ensuring that your fingers are protected at all times.
07. Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-inch Chef’s Knife
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro is an all-purpose kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade. Its straight-edge blade is highly durable, rust and corrosion-resistant. This is a testament to Swiss manufacturing standards.
The blade is wider than the conventional blade. This gives the knife great cutting depth and higher single-motion cutting. The weight is also perfectly distributed across the blade for better cutting consistency.
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro features a non-conventional texture handle. This unique handle is quite ergonomic and comfortable.
Since the handle has been designed from a non-slip material, it is quite safe to use. Unlike riveted handles, this one does not allow water to penetrate it, making it durable.
08. Zelite Infinity 8-inch Damascus Chef Knife
This is a great Damascus chef’s knife from Zelite Infinity which is 8-inch long. The blade is made from pure 67-layer carbon at its core. The industrial-grade AUS-10 stainless steel blade is really a premium quality that looks very attractive.
This double-beveled chef knife features a full tang construction, making it a premium pick. It’s a quite sharp blade because it has a 12 degrees angle edge which is perfect for small or heavy-duty jobs.
The Zelite knife comes with a durable Military-grade handle, which is designed with a triple rivet to make it highly durable.
The back of the handle has a smooth glove to ensure the knife rests perfectly in your hand as you cut. Even its non-slip design makes it safe to use even when it is wet.
09. Mercer Culinary 10 3/5-inch Gyuto Chef Knife
The Mercer Culinary is a robust, heavy-duty knife with a 10.6-inch blade. The blade is classified in the 60-62 HRC range. This in itself is a testament to its ability to retain its sharpness after long periods of extensive use.
The VG-10 quality blade has been fashioned from carbon, vanadium, and cobalt. This makes the blade quite durable. Especially the 14-degree blade angle makes it efficient and accurate.
This is a single-piece model with a triple rivet handle. It happens to be fairly wide, which is reasonable considering the length of the blade.
The non-slippery handle gives you a great grip, even when working in wet environments. The handle is built tight to be waterproof and also for the sake of durability.
The Mercer Culinary MX3 Premium chef’s knife has built for heavy-duty cutting like a butcher knife.
It is a functional tool that certainly gets the job done with high efficiency. Even it is recommended for cutting meat even small bones.
10. Tojiro DP 8.2-inch Gyutou Chefs Knife
The Tojiro DP is a classic Japanese Gyutou knife with an 8.2-inch blade. This blade is made of carbon, vanadium, and cobalt.
The V.G. 10 blade meets the highest quality standards of manufacturing. This makes it a reliable and durable knife.
Being of V.G. 10 quality, the blade offers maximum corrosion resistance. The blade arches slightly on its upper surface, making it great for incisions and cutting meat. The 1.7-inch height on the blade gives it a good cutting depth as well.
This knife features a triple-rivet handle to make sure a confident grip and balance. The full tang design gives it excellent weight distribution and good working versatility.
The handle has further been laminated and waterproofed. Especially it has a bolster that adds safety while you are working. Its lightweight design is especially for those who want to learn cooking.
What Things You Should Consider?
The market is filled with plenty of chef’s knives but you have to choose the best one in your budget.
This has made it quite challenging for cooking enthusiasts, especially the newbies, to choose the right knife for their needs.
Below, I have discussed some factors that will help you to choose the appropriate knife for your daily kitchen tasks.
Blade Materials and Performance
The blade is the most important part of any knife. It greatly determines the efficiency and performance of the knife.
Most knives are using different materials; the most common ones include; high carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel.
While blades made of stainless steel tend to be rust-resistant, they will need some effort when re-sharpening. Blades made of high-carbon steel are not only easy to sharp but also rust-resistant.
Handle Design and Comfort
The handle of the knife is going to determine how efficient your task will be. A good handle is well-balanced and gives you maximum grip and total control over the knife. There are currently three types of knife handles, including; wood, plastic, and metal.
Each type of handle has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, the plastic handles do not have the best grip but are dishwasher safe, and cleaning them is a bit easier.
On the other hand, the metal handle is a bit heavier but highly durable. But the wood handle always has a good finish for aesthetics but is not as durable as those made of metal. The handle design should feel comfortable in your hands and give you a maximum non-slip grip.
Weight and Balance
This is perhaps an important factor for beginners to take note of. For newbies, a chef’s knife that is lightweight would be easy to handle. In addition, lighter knives flow more freely, giving total control to maneuver the knife skillfully.
When it comes to heavier knives, they tend to cut through foods much easier due to their weight. Such knives are suited for cooks with some experience. To find the right knife weight, you are going to have to try out a few options.
Knife balance is also an important factor to consider. You can determine the balance of a knife by gripping the handle.
You should feel the balance between the blade and the handle of the knife. An unbalanced knife can be a nightmare for a newbie.
Full Tang or Half Tang
There are three types of knife handles; full tang, partial tang, and half tang. Knife tang is also referred to as shrank. Before I go any deeper, you should know what is tang?
This is the unsharpened part of the blade, usually unexposed, and extends down the handle. In full-tang handles, this part extends the entire length of the handle. Half tang is when the unexposed, unsharpened section only extends halfway through the knife handle.
Lastly, in a partial tang handle, the tang is usually narrow and is inserted into the handle. Of the three types of tang, full-tang handles are the best as they offer maximum support and strength. This makes them suitable for heavy-duty tasks as they easily resist bending.
The Bolster
A bolster is the thick section of the metal where the blade and the handle meet. There are two types of bolsters; a knife can either have a full bolster or a half bolster. Some knives may also lack a bolster. The bolster adds strength and stability to the knife.
Furthermore, it offers a counter-balance. Since the blade is heavier than the handle, the bolster contributes to a better balance. It allows a smooth transition between the blade and the handle.
The bolster also acts as a finger guard and protects your finger from the razor-sharp blade by acting as a separation from the blade. One advantage of knives that lack bolster is that they can be sharpened the entire length of the blade.
Edge Type
The design and state of the edge right out of the box matter. A good knife needs to be sharp right out of the box. You can then evaluate the level of sharpness of the blade by slicing through foods.
Your cutting techniques should also guide you on which knife edge to go after. If you prefer the rocking technique, you should definitely look for knives that are curved from tip to heel as they allow for proper rocking movement.
A knife may have any of the following edges, Vedge, hollow edge, convex edge, chisel edge, compound edge, or asymmetrical edge. The hollow edge design is known to minimize drag and prevent food particles from sticking on the blade.
Safety Features
Safety should always be your priority number one. Especially for the newbies, handling chef knives can be very dangerous as they are razor sharp. The good news is that many brands are now manufacturing knives with customers’ safety in mind.
For instance, some knives feature bolsters that separate the fingers from the blades, thus preventing you from cutting your fingers. Most knives also come with a storage sheath for safe storage when not in use.
Cleaning Opportunities
No one likes spending hours cleaning knives. For this reason, you need to factor in the ease of cleaning your blade. While some blades can be cleaned by hand washing, others are dishwasher safe.
Dishwasher-safe knives are easy to clean, although the downside of dishwashing is that it reduces the blade’s performance this is due to the high temperatures and harsh detergents.
Knives with Granton edge tend to be easy to clean, thanks to the air pockets that prevent the food particles from sticking on the blade.
Final Thoughts
There you have the list of the best chef’s knives under $200! A good number of them are all-purposed and should allow you to perform multiple cutting tasks in your kitchen.
Whether you are an amateur trying to get into the world of cooking or a professional. You are sure to get the best knife for your needs on the above list.
I have built kniveswow.com because as a home chef I know how important kitchen knives are. I use different kitchen knives every day and they always save my time. Here I share my thoughts, experience and knife maintenance tips with you. You can find more info about me.