Last Updated on December 4, 2020 by TheMealPrepNinja

Do you want to know what are the Best Japanese Chef Knives to use in the kitchen?

Japanese chef knives are indeed some of the best knives in the world. They are truly captivating and are made with real quality. They make the cooking experience so much more enjoyable. Therefore, you will enjoy the information in this article that is presented about the best Japanese chef knives to use in the kitchen.

Having a Japanese chef knife in the kitchen is a great tool to have for a very long time. The quality of the knives are top notch. That is why most sushi chefs use a Japanese Chef knife. They cut very smooth and stay sharp for a very long time. We will go over some of the best knives to use.

Now it’s time to find the best Japanese chef knives that fits you needs.

Best Overall Japanese Chef Knife

The best overall Japanese chef Knife goes to Yoshihiro VG-10 46 Layers Hammered Damascus Gyuto Japanese Chefs Knife (Octagonal Ambrosia Handle) (8.25″ (210mm))

This is a Japanese chef knife that is made in Japan and is not mass produced. This knife is complimented with traditional Japanese Wa-style handcrafted octagonal handle that is lightweight and ergonomically welds to the hand for seamless use. This is a great overall knife if you were a professional chef or just someone who loves to cook at home. Great knife for meal prepping in the kitchen.

Every knife from the Yoshihiro is handcrafted by master artisans. This is the most versatile and essential of all knives a cook can have is a Japanese Chefs Knife.

• The Blade: The blade is 46 layers hammered Damascus with VG-10 gold steel core. This Chef knife combines performance, beauty, and extraordinary value. The exceptional hardness of the steel means that the cutting edge can be constructed thinner and therefore sharper.
• Protective magnolia knife sheath: This knife comes with a protective wooden sheath called a Saya. This Saya protects the knife and adds to its appearance when not in use.
• Customer satisfaction: Customer reviews on this knife is 4.8 out of 5. This knife is scary sharp straight out of the box. Perfect for literally every cut
• Light and easy to maneuver: This knife is made for dicing, slicing, and chopping fresh produce. Even the simplest tasks are elevated with this handcrafted knife.

This is the overall knife because of the quality of the knife. This is not your mass-produced low-quality knife. This product is proudly made in Japan with Japanese traditions.

Con: This is the best overall Japanese Chef knife but it is a little on the more expensive price range. Next we will cover the best on a budget.

Best on a Budget Japanese Knife

The best on a budget Japanese chef knives goes to Professional Damascus Chefs Knife, 67-layer Handmade 8″ Damascus Chef Knife, Japanese VG10 Super Steel Core

This is an incredible Knife if you are on a budget. This quality and price make this chef knife the best on a budget knife. This knife is 67-layer handmade 8-inch Damacus chef knife with a super steel core. The total size of the knife is 13 inches long with the blade being 8 inches. The quality of this knife is hard to believe when you see the price. This is a very affordable chef knife.

• Craftsmanship: This knife is made of a single piece of ultra-premium Japanese VG-10 and is cladded by 67 layers of soft steels folded over repeatedly.
• Customer satisfaction: This knife is rated and reviewed 4.5 out of 5. What customers are saying: This is a well-rounded package with a gorgeous Damascus steel pattern and comes in a nice box.
• High-quality handle: The handle is meticulously constructed with ultra-premium G-10 Garolite handle.

This Chef knife is your best bet if you are looking for a great quality knife and don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for it. It comes in a great gift box if you are looking to give it out as a gift. This is a great overall choice if you are on a budget. This Japanese chef knife is the best bang for your buck.

Best Runner Up Japanese Chef Knife

The best runner up knife goes to Shun Classic 8” Chef’s Knife with VG-MAX Cutting Core and Ebony PakkaWood Handle; All-Purpose Blade for a Full Range of Cutting Tasks with Curved Blade for Easy Cuts; Cutlery Handcrafted in Japan

This Japanese chef knife could have easily been the best overall knife if it would have come with a sheath cover. This the best runner up knife because of the quality of the knife and blade. The blade is made of VG- max steel that provides a sharper edge, more chromium for corrosion resistance.

• Shun: Shun is a concept at the very heart of Japanese cuisine. Shun cutlery is known for its exquisite beauty and ultra-premium performance.
• Handcrafted in Japan: This knife is handcrafted but also used premium materials that are state of the art technology to provide that traditional quality.
• Customer satisfaction: This chef knife gets a 4.7 out of 5 reviews. This is a totally awesome Knife, the hammered blade metal-work is beautiful and it cuts like a dream.

This is a beautiful high-quality knife that is a staple kitchen utensil. The quality of this knife is the best of the best. The only think is that it does not come with a sheath cover like most high end chef Knives comes with.

Best under 35 dollars Japanese Knife

The best under $35 dollars chef knife goes to Imarku Chef Knife – Pro Kitchen Knife 8 Inch Chefs knife High Carbon German Stainless Steel Sharp paring knife with Ergonomic Handle

This is a great Japanese knife for under $35 dollars. Most Japanese chef knives are expensive because they are handmade in Japan. This knife uses German technology and quality materials. The Imarku 8-inch gyatou knife is designed for professional chefs or for people who looking for a quality chef knife to use at home in their kitchen. This knife is manufactured from high-quality stainless steel.

• Price: This is a great chef knife for the price. This is a well-balanced knife, with an ergonomic grip and a 7Cr17Mov German stainless steel Blade. Strong and durable for the price.
• Versatile: Being a multi-functional chef knife, the Imarku 8-inch knife is suitable for most cutting applications in the kitchen.

This is a great starter Japanese chef knife for the price. It comes in a beautiful chef box for storage. Great knife for under $35 dollars

Best Japanese Chef Knives Set

The best Japanese Chef Knives set goes to Yarenh Chef Knife Set Professional 5 Pcs, High Carbon Japanese Damascus Steel Blade, Dalbergia Wood Handle, Sharp Kitchen Knife Set HTT-Series

If you are looking for a set of high-quality Japanese chef knives then this is the set are you. You will get a total of 5 professional Yarenh chef knives. You get a 8-inch chef knife, 7-inch santoku knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch sashimi knife, and a 5 inch kitchen utility knife.

• Damascus Steel Blade: The blades are made of high-quality 73-layer Damascus steel. This steel is an extremely high harness to unsure excellent sharpness and wears resistance.
• Dalbergia Wood Handles: Dalbergia is natural solid wood.

If you are looking for a high quality set of knives than these are for you. In this set of knives you get a total of 5 professional chef knifes. These knives come in a beautiful storage box.

Con: The only issue with these knives are that they are designed in Japan but are manufactured in China. They are still high quality but some people assume they are made in japan and get upset when they find out that they are made in China.

What makes a Japanese chef knife special

A Japanese chef knife is truly special due to being so detailed in the way that it is made as well as being characteristically beautiful. But more importantly, it produces amazing and precise cuts every time during usage.

The blade of the Japanese chef knife is particularly thin with real delicacy. This makes the knife able to perform superior thin cuts that are precise and that add to the beauty of exquisite food presentations. This is the type of knife that is used in a top class sushi restaurant.

Indeed, what makes these knives so special is that they are integrated into the art of Japanese cuisine. They are in the homes of most Japanese people. They certainly are used in Japanese restaurants. Therefore, these knives are also used around the world by those who enjoy cooking Japanese cuisine.

Different types of Japanese chef knives are there?

The gyutou is a wonderful chef’s knife. It functions as an all-purpose knife for various tasks in the kitchen. The direct translation of the word gyutou refers to beef knife. But it can be used for many things.

The santoku is a multipurpose knife for chefs. The word means three virtues. It does have three virtues in that it is able to cut meat as the first virtue, it is able to cut fish as the second virtue and it is able to cut vegetables as the third virtue. It is a great choice for chopping.

The suijihiki is a slicing knife. It provides real precision. It is a terrific knife to use when you need to make fillets of fish. It is also good for when there is a need to perform some carving. It is a good knife for many general purposes.

The petty knife is a type of paring knife. It is used when the larger Japanese knives are too enormous for finer work, such as herbs and produce that are noted as being delicate in essence. The petty knife is preferred for vegetables and fruits that are small in size.

Benefits of a Japanese chef knife

It cannot be denied that there are benefits to using Japanese knives. A Japanese chef knife is light in weight, which makes it comfortable in the hand of the user. Since it is lightweight and comfortable to use, this allows for many hours of usage.

This knife is superbly sharper in comparison to many other types of knives. This allows for fine cutting and also the removal of bones from meat. It is ideal to use to cut thick pieces of meat and to finely cut vegetables or fish.

Moreover, another highly praised benefit is that the Japanese chef knife possesses a single edge. This allows for finer cutting with higher levels of masterful precision in comparison to other knives that possess two edges.

Japanese knives are recognized as being made with the top best possible steel. Japanese knives are made by hand, which ensures that only the best steel is always used when they are made.

It is realized that many Japanese knives are crafted with the usage of high-carbon steel that employs the adding of other elements as well in order to ensure better resistance to corrosion, to ensure increased hardness and to promote a higher level of durability. These elements that are added to the high-carbon steel, therefore, are noted as being tungsten, vanadium, nickel or chromium.

Another benefit is that Japanese knives will last for a long time if they are cared for properly. They maintain a high level of sharpness as well as their shape for a truly long period of time. That is why having Japanese knives is such a valuable investment for any kitchen.

Downside to a Japanese chef knife

A downside to using a Japanese chef knife is the fact that a Japanese chef knife can tend to break with relative ease. This is due to the fact this type of knife has a blade that is delicately thin.

These knives will tend to break if they are not cared for in a proper manner. Therefore, a chef who is not agile should refrain from using such a knife, as clumsy chefs do break these knives.

Also, it is noted that the blade of a Japanese chef knife is much harder than the blades of many other kinds of knives. With this being the case, it is realized that a Japanese chef knife is not as flexible as other knives. This can result in damage to the knife if the knife is not used properly.

Moreover, another downside is that this type of knife can sometimes rust. This is due to the fact that a Japanese chef knife is made of steel.

What can you cut with a Japanese chef knife

A Japanese chef knife can be used to cut meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. With this being the case, this demonstrates that this knife is highly versatile and very valuable when it comes to the preparation of Japanese cuisine.

Take into consideration for example that when sushi or sashimi are prepared, there are some very skilled cutting techniques that are applied with the usage of a Japanese chef knife. Katsumarki is noted as being a splendid technique that engages in the cutting of long thin sheets from round vegetables such as cucumbers or daikons. This can also be performed with carrots and eggplants.

The Bottom Line

Japanese chef knives are some of the best knives in the world. The quality of these knives are remarkable. If you can get your hands on one of these amazing knives, you will not be disappointed. This article provided different options for the best Japanese chef knives for people with different budgets and needs.

Japanese chef knives are great from meal prep because they cut meat and vegetables effortlessly. Using one of these chef’s knives is like cutting through butter.

I hope this article helped you make a decision on what type of Japanese chef knife is best for you.

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