The 4 Best Steak Knives of 2020

Steak knives are a versatile addition to any kitchen. Not only can they cut through thick, juicy steak, but you can also use them to cut fresh bread, other meats, fruit, and vegetables. When looking for a steak knife, you need to consider blade type, handle construction, weight, balance, and fit.

We used to use regular knives for eating steak, thinking that steak knives were a waste of money. Oh, how wrong we were, especially when we read steak knife reviews!

Our research has shown that the best steak knives are:

  1. J.A. Henckels — 8-Piece Stainless Steel Steak Knife Set — Best Overall
  2. DALSTRONG — 8-Piece Set with Folding Block — Runner-Up
  3. Wüsthof — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set — Best for Luxury
  4. KitchenAid — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set (KKFTR4OB) — Best Budget Set

Want to learn more? Read on…

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Are Serrated Steak Knives Better?

Steak knives can have serrated, straight, or hollow blades. Whether or not you choose one with a serrated edge will come down to personal preference. Consider what you’ll be using it for and how much maintenance you’re willing to do when compared to the different types:

  • Serrated: Great for cutting roasts or bread. The many small edges mean serrated knives stay sharper for longer than straight-edged knives.
  • Straight: Give a nice, clean cut to your meat without any tearing. They need to be sharpened more often than serrated knives, but this is generally easy to do.
  • Hollow: Have indentations along the blade that create air pockets between the meat and the blade. This prevents food from sticking to the blade, allowing for a smoother cut.

How to sharpen a a steak knife

Are Laguiole Steak Knives Any Good?

Laguiole is a style of knife invented in France. Laguiole knives are slim but ultra-sharp — making them ideal for cutting steak at the dinner table.

They’re small compared to other steak knives, so we don’t recommend them for carving meat. They’re perfect for kids or people with small hands, though, and are a treat for cutting individual portions of steak.

A genuine Laguiole will have the brand name and either “France” or “Made in France” printed on the blade. If your blade doesn’t have this, it may be a counterfeit.

What Factors Drove Our Ratings?

  • Full tang blades: We looked for blades that run to the end of the handle, as this makes knives more durable.
  • Balance: The weight of the handle is proportional to the weight of the blade.
  • Comfort: Knives that fit snugly in your hand without discomfort.
  • Fit: No gaps between the handle and the blade — it should look and feel like one cohesive unit.

Our Top-Rated Best Steak Knives — Overall

J.A. Henckels — 8-Piece Stainless Steel Steak Knife Set

Customer Rating
4.5/5

Includes

  • Eight stainless steel knives.

Features

  • Dishwasher safe.
  • Durable stainless steel blade and handles.
  • Full tang.
  • Lifetime warranty.

In our opinion, the J.A. Henckels — 8-Piece Stainless Steel Steak Knife Set is the best steak knife set on the market. Customers agree, with 80 percent giving this product a 5-star rating as of the date of publishing. J A Henckels International is an expert knife-designing company, trusting its designs so much that it provides a lifetime warranty.

With a durable stainless steel handle and blade, these knives are dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup a breeze. Also, the serrated blades make cutting steak and other tough meat easy.

We gave these knives our #1 spot because of their one-piece construction that’s dishwasher safe and corrosion resistant while providing a full metal tang.

In December 2019, Ann (a verified customer) said: “The sharp serrated edge was perfect for slicing turkey and ham. They have a stylish, sleek design for the table setting, and they take up less room in the cutlery drawer than traditional steak knives with large handles.”

Negatives? Some users reported receiving defective or tarnished knives, although they were able to return or replace these easily.

Some home chefs said the knives had slim handles, so this might not be the best fit for people with big hands. Most customers did not mention this, so we believe this only will impact larger individuals.

Our Top-Rated Best Steak Knives — Runner-Up

DALSTRONG — 8-Piece Steak Knife Set with Folding Block - Gladiator Series

Customer Rating
4.5/5

Includes

  • Eight straight-edged steak knives.
  • Oak convertible storage block.

Features

  • Full tang steel blade.
  • Hollow indentations along the blade allow for a smooth cut.
  • Durable, military-grade wood handles.
  • 100 percent money-back guarantee.

The DALSTRONG — 8-Piece Set with Folding Block is a premium steak knife set with full tang blades made from high-carbon German steel. Eighty-five percent of customers had given this product a 5-star rating when we carried out our research. 

Users love the comfortable, ergonomically designed handle that allows for safe handling and cutting. The knives are also easy to clean by hand — make sure you don’t put them in the dishwasher, though, as this can damage the otherwise lovely wood handles.

These knives nabbed our #3 spot thanks to their premium materials, ease of use, and ergonomic handle. The set comes with eight steel knives and an oak storage block with sheaths for each knife. The block can be stored upright or in a drawer.

In February 2020, Christina Eaves (a verified customer) said: “I’m super pleased with how the weight is and the sturdiness. The construction is strong, and they clean beautifully. Each has its own sheath, and they look great on the table!”

Negatives? Some users complained that the steel knives started rusting after several uses, but this may be a user error. Most customers found that, with proper care, their knives held up well and didn’t show any signs of rusting.

Unfortunately, these knives are not dishwasher safe. Fortunately, they are super easy to clean by hand.

Our Top-Rated Best Steak Knives —Luxury

Wüsthof — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set

Customer Rating
4.5/5

Includes

  • Four 4.5-inch steak knives.

Features

  • Ultra-sharp stainless steel blades.
  • Easy to clean and sharpen.
  • Comfortable and durable handles with full tang blades.
  • Limited lifetime warranty.

Wüsthof is a trusted name in the knife industry, and for good reason. At the time of writing, 94 percent of customers have given this Wüsthof — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set five-star reviews.

Made with German steel blades and triple-riveted polypropylene handles, these knives are durable, easy to clean, and heat resistant.

Customers rave about how easy it is to cut meat, bread, and anything else you can think of with these knives. The straight-edge stainless steel blades stay sharp and make ultra-smooth cuts.

We gave this our #2 spot thanks to its premium quality and ongoing customer enthusiasm for the product and brand.

In May 2019, Ryan (a verified customer) said: “Wow! Incredibly sharp, feel fantastic in your hand, and cut through meat like nothing … Yes, they’re expensive, but I see this as a lifetime purchase, especially since they can be sharpened, unlike serrated knives.”

Negatives? With only a handful of negative reviews, we couldn’t identify any major trends. The obvious factor, of course, is the price, which is considerably more than other sets on this list. Customers agree, however, that the quality is well worth the money. Since the set comes with a lifetime warranty, this is definitely an investment piece.

These knives are pricier than the others we have recommended.

Our Top-Rated Best Steak Knives — Budget

KitchenAid — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set (KKFTR4OB)

Customer Rating
4.5/5

Includes

  • Four top quality steak knives with serrated blades.

Features

  • Affordable.
  • Made from high-quality German stainless steel.
  • Serrated blade makes it easy to slice through tough meat.
  • Dishwasher-safe.
  • Limited lifetime warranty.

The KitchenAid — 4-Piece Steak Knife Set is perfect for those on a budget. Eighty-three percent of customers have given this product 5/5 stars at the time we put this review together.

The blades are made from high-carbon stainless steel, and users report that they’re ultra sharp. Also, the serrated blade is easy to sharpen, thanks to the small ridges. We really like that they’re dishwasher safe, which makes them safe and easy to clean.

We rated these steak knives #4 on this list for their affordable quality and durable construction. 

In January 2020, M. Chomer (a verified customer) said: “Great quality! Feels perfectly balanced and weighted … I used to cook in a restaurant as a teen and used knives daily and never had one that held sharpness like this.”

The most common complaints seem to be about the size and shape of the knives. They’re quite small, so if you have bigger hands, you may want to opt for a larger set. Also, the connection between the handle and the steel blade is rounded; this increases the danger of accidentally cutting yourself if your hand slips.

Negatives? Some people with bigger hands found the handles too small and said the rounded handles may make the knife slippery.

Additional Helpful Tools

If you are cooking steaks, then you will likely want to have a great cutting board like this one. It’s a large (17″x12″) organic bamboo cutting board with juice groves and three built-in compartments.

And, I personally love pepper on my steak. This is a great grinder that helps those flavors really come to life!

Conclusion

best steak knives

For us, the best steak knives set is the J.A. Henckels — 8-Piece Stainless Steel Steak Knife Set. Not only are these great steak knives, but you can pop them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. They’re so durable that they come with a lifetime warranty!

With so many great options, we hope that you’ll be sinking your teeth into your favorite cut of steak in no time.

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Bubba Li-Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife

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American Angler PRO Electric Fillet Knife Set

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Mike

Mike

Hi! I’m Mike. I’m happily married and have a young daughter. I’ve lived all over the world and have learned a lot from seeing others’ perspectives. I’ve also had many life altering health challenges. Fortunately, my lovely and brilliant wife helped save me by finding a new and better way for us to live. We started The Healthy Treehouse to share what we’ve learned and to learn from others, too.