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Close-up of a knife set and a hand model chopping a tomato. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Best Knife Sets Under $100 of 2023

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Close-up of a knife set and a hand model chopping a tomato. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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Editor's Choice Product image of Cuisinart C77TR-15P Triple Rivet Collection 15-Piece Knife Block Set
Best Overall

Cuisinart C77TR-15P Triple Rivet Collection 15-Piece Knife Block Set

We’re impressed that this set bundles so many knives for such a low price. The chef's knife has a great balance and a nicely-shaped handle. Read More

Pros

  • Great value
  • Good design
  • Includes a 5-inch Santoku knife

Cons

  • Knives not as sharp as other sets
Product image of  Victorinox Swiss Classic Kitchen Knife Set, 5 Pieces

Victorinox Swiss Classic Kitchen Knife Set, 5 Pieces

While the knives in this set are lightweight and sharp, it replaces the chef's knife with a long carving knife and doesn't come with a storage block. Read More

Pros

  • Good value
  • Knives are light weight

Cons

  • Doesn't include a chef's knife
  • Doesn't include a storage block
Product image of Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set

Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set

This 15-piece knife set provides a lot of bang for the buck, but they’re not the sharpest or most well-balanced knives we’ve tested. Read More

Pros

  • Good value
  • Lightweight
  • Set comes with steak knives

Cons

  • Not very sharp
  • Not well balanced
Product image of AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set

AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set

The set is of good value but the knives aren't as well made as the others we tested. Read More

Pros

  • Good value

Cons

  • Needs too much effort to use regularly
Product image of Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12-Piece Ceramic Coated Stainless Steel Knives

Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12-Piece Ceramic Coated Stainless Steel Knives

While this ceramic coated knife set from Cuisinart might not last you a lifetime, they are a great pick for people looking for a good knife set at a great price. Read More

Pros

  • Sharp
  • Great price
  • Color coded

Cons

  • Scratch easily

You might think it’s impossible to find a quality knife set for under $100. I’ve bought single kitchen knives that cost more than that. So how could it be possible to find a budget set that’s easy to work with and also won’t break the bank?

While we can’t speak to the longevity of these sets, it’s safe to assume that they may not last as long as higher-priced sets. But we can say that these knife sets meet the standards for top-notch performance while also providing great value. Based on our research, these are some of the best affordable knife sets.

Editor's Note:
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
Cuisinart knife block set next to a cutting board with sliced onions and tomatoes on a countertop.
Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

This Cuisinart knife set is the best knife set under $100 that we've tested.

Best Overall
Cuisinart C77TR-15P Triple Riveted Collection 15-Piece Knife Block Set

Is the steak knife in your drawer no longer cutting it? The Cuisinart C77TR-15P Triple Riveted Collection 15-Piece Knife Block Set is an excellent choice if you’re on a tight budget. The chef’s knife has great balance and a comfortable, nicely shaped triple riveted handle. It was well suited for a variety of chopping tasks and took down onions with ease.

In addition to the full-sized chef’s knife, the set also includes a few bonus knives, including a 5-inch Santoku knife. That smaller, wide-bladed knife always comes in handy for quick-prep items or for those with smaller hands.

We’re impressed that this set bundles so many knives for such a low price. Because it meets our quality standards, we would certainly recommend it for anyone looking for an affordable knife set.

This set includes six knives (an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 5-inch Santoku knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, an 8-inch serrated bread knife, a 4.5-inch utility knife, and an 8-inch slicing knife) along with a honing steel, kitchen shears, 6 steak knives, and a large, wooden block.

Pros

  • Great value

  • Good design

  • Includes a 5-inch Santoku knife

Cons

  • Knives not as sharp as other sets

Product image of  Victorinox Swiss Classic Kitchen Knife Set, 5 Pieces
Victorinox Swiss Classic Kitchen Knife Set, 5 Pieces

While we wish the higher-rated Victorinox Fibrox Pro set came with a serrated bread knife, we found ourselves yearning for a chef’s knife with this Victorinox Swiss Classic 5-Piece Kitchen Knife Set. Instead of the classic wide-blade chef's knife, this set comes with a long, thinner “carving knife.” While it does perform all the essential functions of a chef’s knife, we like a wider blade for chopping tasks.

On the other hand, we're happy with how light these knives are, and they're definitely sharp. You can’t go wrong with the price, either, although we’re not sure why they decided to provide two paring knives–one serrated and one straight-edge blade. It’s also important to keep in mind that this set doesn’t come with a wooden block, so you’ll have to find your own storage solution.

This set includes five knives (a carving knife, a bread knife, a serrated tomato and table knife, a serrated paring knife, and a straight-edge paring knife).

Pros

  • Good value

  • Knives are light weight

Cons

  • Doesn't include a chef's knife

  • Doesn't include a storage block

Product image of Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set
Cuisinart C77SS-15PK Stainless Steel Hollow Handle 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set

We liked that you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Cuisinart 15-Piece Stainless Steel Hollow Handle Block Set, but we weren’t impressed with the performance of the knives.

Their high carbon stainless steel blades aren’t as sharp as the other knives on this list, and their lightweight construction wasn’t very well balanced when using the knife. We like that this set comes with a large storage block, but it’s heavy and it takes up a lot of space on the countertop.

As a bonus, this set comes with six steak knives. Considering the sheer number of knives and the bonus steak knives, the price makes this a great starter set for a beginner cook or for stocking a rental property.

This set includes seven knives (an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch slicing knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, a 5.5-inch serrated utility knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, and a 3.5-inch tourne knife) along with a honing steel, kitchen shears, six steak knives, and a large, matte black block.

Pros

  • Good value

  • Lightweight

  • Set comes with steak knives

Cons

  • Not very sharp

  • Not well balanced

Product image of AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set
AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set

You get a startling number of knives for a great price with the AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set. That being said, it really isn't my favorite in the group. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of knives you find in the drawers at a vacation rental property.

They aren't effortless to use like some of the other sets are, but they certainly get the job done. As a chef, I would go a little crazy using these knives on the regular, but this set would work just fine for someone who doesn't cook very much.

This set includes seven knives (an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 7-inch Santoku knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, an 8-inch serrated bread knife, a 5.5-inch utility knife, a 6-inch boning knife, and an 8-inch slicing knife) with a honing steel, kitchen shears, eight steak knives, and a large, wooden block.

Pros

  • Good value

Cons

  • Needs too much effort to use regularly

Product image of Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12-Piece Ceramic Coated Stainless Steel Knives
Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12-Piece Ceramic Coated Stainless Steel Knives

While this ceramic-coated knife set from Cuisinart might not last you a lifetime, they are a great pick for people looking for a good set at a great price. These knives are extremely sharp, with an array of colors that represent each knife, reducing the risk of cross-use during food preparation. Most customer reviews mention how sharp they are, making it easy to cut through anything in the kitchen.

Upon further research, we think this set might be better for those with bigger hands, as the knife handles are said to be a bit large, and the blades are long.

This set comes with the following: an 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch slicing knife, 8-inch serrated bread knife, 7-inch santorum knife, 6.5-inch utility knife, and 3.5-inch paring knife. All of the knives include blade guards.

Pros

  • Sharp

  • Great price

  • Color coded

Cons

  • Scratch easily

What is a good knife set?

Before buying a knife set, ask yourself this question: What kind of knives do you like? You may not know yet, but it's worth exploring before you spend money on a set.

For example, I know I have a proclivity towards Japanese-style knives (like Shun and Global) while I know a great number of chefs who prefer German steel (like Wüsthof and Zwilling J.A. Henckels). I even know a chef who only buys inexpensive ceramic knives and replaces them every three months when they get dull.

So it’s impossible for us to know what your personal preference is, and we tried to keep that in mind as we ranked and rated. At the same time, there are a few steadfast rules to follow when looking for a knife set.

First of all, it needs to include the three core knives: a chef’s or Santoku knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife. The Shun and Victorinox sets get major points taken off for not including that all-important bread knife.

The set should also include a honing rod made of steel for keeping your edges sharp and a pair of kitchen shears always come in handy. If the set comes with a utility knife, that’s good–you may find this smaller knife handy for slicing cheese or small vegetables. I consider boning knives, carving or slicing knives, smaller serrated knives, tourne knives (often called peelers), or steak knives as bonus items.

Finally, you’ll need some way to store these knives. Most sets come with a block, but that may not be important if your kitchen is short on counter-space like mine. In which case, I can’t recommend a space-saving magnetic wall strip enough.

Please, whatever you do, don’t just throw your knives in a drawer unless they have a plastic cover. They could bang against each other and chip, or worse you might hurt yourself when reaching for one.

Meet the tester

Lindsay D. Mattison

Lindsay D. Mattison

Professional Chef

@linzdmattison

Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.

See all of Lindsay D. Mattison's reviews

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