Steak knives worth the money are a great value, allowing you to carve into your favorite cuts of beef. Who can resist a fat, juicy steak cooked to perfection with sides of mashed potatoes, buttered bread rolls, and a nice dollop of gravy? Oh, such are the pleasures of eating red meat. While there may be naysayers out there that frown on a carnivorous diet, the hard truth is that there are very few pleasures that can approximate the gastronomic experience of a good steak.
To enjoy a meal of any of the cuts of beef, you need one indispensable tool. The veritable steak knife. With a quality blade, you will able to cut thru any chunk of meat with ease. Enjoy its tender juiciness as you carve every bite. So what exactly are the qualities that we are looking for in a blade, and what constitutes an exemplary one?
Steak knives are distinct and labeled explicitly as such. They can be serrated or straight and resemble other cutting utensils, but steak knives are made specifically to slice through steaks with ease. A knife not meant to cut steak can result in shreds of meat, and it will also detract from you enjoying your meal. Having a true steak knife can avoid frustration at the dinner table and help you get more pleasure out of a meal. It will also ensure that your beef is cut with the utmost precision.
| Product Image | Product Name | Expert Rating | Check On Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Laguiole California Steak Knives Natural Wood Set |  | Check Price |
 | WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON |  | Check Price |
 | Shun Classic 4-Piece Steak Knife Set | | Check Price |
 | Cangshan TS Series Swedish Sandvik | | Check Price |
What Differentiates a Steak Knife from Other Knives
There are a few distinct characteristics that steak knives have from other blades that make them ideal for cutting meats.
The Best Steaks Knives Are Balanced
These kitchen utensils typically have a good balance between the weight of the blade and the handle. When you pick one up, the handle will feel natural in your hand. If it does not feel like it is a quality handle, then chances are the blade probably is not worth the money too. A quality steak knife should work flawlessly, guiding your hand through a piece of meat with ease, so each part has to be balanced with the whole instrument.
More On the Handle
Steak knives worth the money should fit immaculately in your palm. Some handles are more for the aesthetic while others focus on performance. Sometimes there will knives that combine both. If the task of cutting steak means more to you than showing off your knives in the kitchen, then you can opt for a set with a decent handle size formed for a good grip on the knife. There are houseware stores that have handles without the blades on display for specific sets so you can get a feel for the cutlery.
Make use of these displays to get an idea for the feel. Hold it in your palm naturally and make sure it feels natural to your grip. Fine restaurants even offer a choice of different kinds of steak knives, demonstrating how quality restaurants recognize that a large part of the performance of a knife is its feel to the user, which differs from one person to another.
To discover the best knife for you, go to a well-stocked kitchen store where you can try holding a range of knives. You will also get an idea of what handle of material you like and what a really good knife feels like compared to the middle of the road ones.
Appearance
Eating a good steak is almost an event. When a steak is properly plated and presented with all the trimmings, it should be picture perfect. A steak knife’s aesthetic should complement the entire presentation. Steak knives worth the money should look good enough to be on display. They should be handsome and look like quality artisanship.
Many people like showing off their cutlery sets in the kitchen or dining area. It is not uncommon to come across a quality steak knife set with some of the most eye-catching handles.
Detailed Quality
Finally, a steak knife will have a seamless design and flawless construction that leaves no visible gaps between the blade and handle or anywhere else. This also gives each knife a more rigid structure that contributes to its ability to cut through the meat.
The Best Steak Knives For The Money Will Feature These Attributes
Consider the Blade Type
Serrated Blades
The vast majority of steak knives have serrated blades. A serrated blade has a jagged edge that resembles a saw. A serrated knife is one that has teeth on its cutting surface This kind of blade can cut slice most meat textures with ease, and you do not have to struggle very much. When you use a serrated knife, the motion you use is akin to a small saw as it carves into your food with full force, moving back and forth.
Almost all kitchens have at least one serrated knife, as they are useful for various foods. The ideal use for a serrated knife is anything hard on the outside but soft inside, which is why they are typically great for cutting bread. When it comes to eating steak serrated knives are also widely popular as they allow you to saw through the meat no matter how well it is cooked, and with little effort, if it’s sharp enough. Here are the main advantage of serrated steak knives.
- They require little to no maintenance compared to a plain edge knife, so they are great if you do not want too much effort.
- A serrated blade remains sharp longer so sharpening it is not the main concern.
- These knives perform well doing downward cuts to items like meats, bread, and some fruits and they can be quite versatile.
Non-Serrated Blades
These are straight-edge knives that glide, instead of saw through the meat. This results in smooth, pieces that also hold on to flavors well. Straight-edged knives can also be sharpened, as it is the sharpness that is key to cutting through meat without effort. Straight, non-serrated blades also do not create jagged edges, so if the aesthetic of your steak is important to you, you will want to use a straight blade. To recap here the benefits of non-serrated or straight edge knives.
- A straight edge knife will result in a clean cut compared to the serrated edge knife. They are ideal for cutting steak and other meat without losing juices or flavors.
- The manner of cutting with a plain edge knife requires less effort in comparison to a serrated knife, as there is no need to saw back and forth.
- One can sharpen these knives if they seem to become dull-edged.
Steak Knife Best Blade Materials
Vintage steak knife sets were usually made from carbon steel, a very sturdy material that is also easy to sharpen. Today’s sets have blades mostly of stainless steel, which is the material to look for in your next set. Stainless steel is famous for its ability to resist rust, an extremely important quality if you want your knives to last for years to come. It is also very durable and helps structure the rigidity of each tool.
How The Blade Is Made
To a certain extent, the price of knives also depends on what they are made of and how they are made. Stamped knives are punched out of a sheet of steel. Forged knives on the other hand are made by heating a thick piece of steel in a furnace and pounding it to shape with a hammer. The forging process creates a heavier knife that holds a sharp edge longer. A forged blade involves a more belabored process. This however results in a more expensive knife that is almost always of premium quality.
OUR TOP PICK
Product Name: Laguiole California Steak Knives Natural Wood Set of 6
Product Description: These premium knives have razor-sharp, durable 2.5mm thick polished stainless-steel straight blades combined with a handcrafted natural wood handle. They pay homage to an old-world technique, set in an Oakwood gift case. Exquisite at the dinner table or on display the set of 6 knives is a beauty. They are dishwasher safe, and hand-wash recommended. The steak knife set is expertly crafted in a classic Laguiole style displaying an embossed “Laguiole California” logo on the blade and a debossed rivet pattern that hold the authentic wood handle. The handle design features elegant cuts of wood inlaid into polished stainless steel. It has the mark of its design source, a laser-cut stainless-steel “Laguiole Bee.” The blade length is 4 3/8 inches, while the entire knife length is 9 inches. This combined effort of California and France is reflected handsomely in a cutlery set that elegantly embodies the aesthetics of both renowned places.
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Performance
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Build Quality
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Value For Money
Overall
Summary
Expertly crafted with artisan precision. This set is of heirloom quality that will last decades.
Pros
Beautiful design and finish
Extremely sharp
Great value with heirloom level artisanship
Cons
None
The Runners Up
WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON Precision Forged High-Carbon Stainless Steel
WÜSTHOF’S CLASSIC IKON knives have a distinctive double bolster design for professional balance and beauty. The handle is constructed of a sturdy synthetic material called Polyoxymethylene (POM) – which has a tight molecular structure that will resist discoloration over time. The gorgeous handle is designed for a comfortable, yet firm grip.
The blade is forged from a single block of High Carbon Stainless Steel. It is tempered to 58-degree HRC for maximum strength. The blade is 20% sharper with double the edge retention compared to previous models. The CLASSIC IKON is a Four Piece Steak Set that includes four 4 1/2″ blade Steak Knives. WÜSTHOF Cutlery is made so that it will resist corrosion and dulling even after many years. This German-made Kitchen Knife set has a limited Lifetime Warranty.
Family-owned for centuries with seven generations of artisanship, WÜSTHOF was founded in Solingen, Germany over 2 centuries ago. WÜSTHOF’s cutlery bears the Solingen name, a distinction reserved for products that comply with the strictest quality standards.
Shun Classic 4-Piece Steak Knife Set
These knives are the original Shuns, the first Japanese-style knives accessible to a broader audience in North America. Rather than heavy and bulky blades, Shun Classic blades are light with razor-sharp edges and produced from advanced steel. Unlike burdensome, Western handles, Shun Classic offers the graceful agility of a traditional Japanese handle.
These lovely steak knives cut with precision and bolster any table setting’s aesthetic. They bring elegance to suppers, dinner parties, date nights, brunch, lunch, or any meal and occasion like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Japan handcrafted, they feature premium VG-MAX blade steel with 68 micro-layers of Damascus cladding. The blades are sharper, thinner and lighter, for optimum control and precision cutting.
Handsome ebony PakkaWood handles complement the gorgeous look of these extraordinary dinner knives. Infused with resin, PakkaWood is sturdy, very easy to maintain, is moisture-resistant, and durable. Elevate the flavor and enjoyment of prime steaks with first-class kitchen knives.
Cangshan TS Series Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel Forged 4-Piece Steak Knife Set
These handcrafted full tang knives are forged from fine-grained, Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel for unparalleled strength, stain resistance, and excellent edge retention. Every single blade goes through a stage heat treatment guaranteeing that every blade retains its strength and beauty. These blades have an edge up to 5 times longer compared to German Steel.
They are well-balanced with a 4.75″ handle and 5″ blades that come as a set of 4 Steak knives. They feature Cangshan’s serrated edge with a precision tapered blade from base to tip. These steak knives are no doubt an impressive presentation you can pair with grilled meats, slicing with precision through everything from roast beef to the thickest cuts.
FAQs
Q. Are there steak knives that are heirloom quality?
Answers: Absolutely. Many knives from reputed companies will last generations. Countries like Germany, Japan, France, and Switzerland are just a few countries that create excellent steak knives.
Q. Can I sharpen a steak knife?
Answer: Yes and no. Yes if you have straight or plain edge knives. No, if your knife is serrated edged.
Q. How long is the blade of a steak knife?
Answer: A steak knife’s blade can range anywhere from 4.25 inches to 7 inches.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Steak Knives Worth The Money
We hope this post helps you to choose the right set of steak knives for your kitchen arsenal. You will surely have a richer experience the next time you have a porterhouse or rib-eye steak. If you are into aesthetics and want to display your set in the kitchen, just keep in mind that performance is still supreme, so be smart about selecting the right elements in a set of steak knives. However, many knife enthusiasts say that if the knife is handsome, chances are it cuts a mean slice.
