Having a quality set of kitchen knives is a great benefit to the home cook. If you’re just getting started in stocking up your kitchen tools, or you want a freshen up of the old utensils you already have then a knife set can be the perfect way to collect a wide range of different knives and accessories quickly, easily and usually at a much lower cost than if you were to purchase each knife individually.
It can be tricky to know you’re buying a quality knife set, especially if you don’t want to splash out a lot of money on it. Quite frankly, some knife sets can be pretty terrible. They can often be made from low-quality materials, leading to easy to break handles and blades which begin to rust at the slightest hint of water.
But there are many great knife sets out there, and you can get them for less than $100. In the article, I’m going to run through 10 different knife sets. Each one of the knife sets I recommend comes with a great selection of knives, made using quality materials so you know you’ll be buying something which will last.
I would recommend the Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set. It has a beautiful design that looks far more expensive than it really is. It also uses high-quality German steel (X50CrMoV15), usually found in much more expensive knives.
View My Top Recommendation
You can take a look at the Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set on Amazon here.
When it comes to style, I know everyone has different tastes. so I’m going to offer a selection of knife sets with a different look and feel so hopefully anyone can find a knife set which suits their style and their kitchen.
On top of that, every one of these knife sets is available for under $100, so have a quick look at my recommendations below and I hope you find something you like.
The best knife sets under $100
This is my list of recommendations for the best kitchen knife sets you get for under $100. It’s common that they will have different promotional offers throughout the year so I’ve added listed the price range for each knife set, as well as a link where you can find the current price which might just help you find a bargain.
| Name | Price | Check current price |
| Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set | $90 – $100 | Link to Amazon |
| OOU 8 Piece Knife Set | $90 – $100 | Link to Amazon |
| Master Maison 18 Piece Knife Set | $90 – $100 | Link to Amazon |
| Chicago Cutlery 12 Piece Knife Set | $80 – $90 | Link to Amazon |
| McCook 14 Piece Knife Set | $70 – $80 | Link to Amazon |
| KitchenAid 14 Piece Knife Set | $70 – $80 | Link to Amazon |
| Emojoy 15 Piece Knife Set | $60 – $70 | Link to Amazon |
| Alltripal 18 Piece Knife Set | $60 – $70 | Link to Amazon |
| Ailuki 19 Piece Knife Set | $50 – $60 | Link to Amazon |
| Homever 15 Piece Knife Set | $50 – $60 | Link to Amazon |
These are all quality knife sets so I’ve put them in order of price rather than any kind of ranked score order. I think your choice should be based on whether you think the knives included will fill all your cooking needs and whether you like the individual style of the knife set.
To help you find the one which is right for you, I go into further detail about each of these 10 knife sets below, so if you want to know more then read on.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for in this list, I’ve done another list of 10 brilliant knife sets under $200. There are some incredibly high-quality knife sets on it so take a look if you’re interested. Click To View My Best Knife Sets Under $200
Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | 57 |
| Handle material | Polymer |
| Pros | Durable materials and sleek design |
I have to say, I think this 16 piece knife set by Emojoy is absolutely stunning and for the quality of the knives that you get and the beautiful design of the knife block itself make this knife set an absolute bargain. In my opinion, anyone visiting your house could easily assume this is a $200+ knife set.
Emojoy produces a large range of kitchen knife sets and I actually feature them again on this list. They have a keen eye for unique design and the quality of the knives included in their sets is very high. These knives are made from high carbon stainless steel.
The high carbon content makes the steel harder and these knives won’t go rusty very easily. The actual steel used has the catchy name X50CrMoV15, don’t worry if that doesn’t mean much, all you really need to know is that that particular steel is a steel produced in Germany which is commonly used for kitchen knife manufacture due to its resistance to rust and a good balance of hardness and durability.
The knives have a lovely design, each full tang, with a bolster and sleek handle. The handle is rounded to a cylindrical oval shape which means no part digs into your hand and each knife fits comfortably into the palm of your hand. The selection of knives in the block is very well thought through and I’m sure you would find a use for each one without ever really being without the type of knife you need.
One thing to note is that the honing rod is marketed as a ‘sharpening steel’. A word of warning on that; this rod will only hone your knives it will not sharpen them. The difference between honing and sharpening is distinct and often items will be labeled as ‘sharpening steel’ when they are really honing rods. This is pretty common throughout the industry so I don’t really blame Emojoy.
If you don’t know the difference between honing and sharpening then I’ve written an article on it which you can check out here. Trust me, if you’re investing in a good set of knives then it pays to know the difference in the long run.
OOU 8 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
OOU 8 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | Stainless steel with unique Oxidation layer preventing rust |
| Rockwell hardness | 55 |
| Handle material | Ebony |
| Pros | Lightweight and sleek design |
Here’s another knife set with a stunning design. This 8 piece knife set is made by OOU, which stands for Origin Of Utopia. Again, I think this knife set looks far more expensive than it actually is.
The knives come in a beautiful wooden knife block. The steel of the full tang knives has a distinctive dark look. The steel is high carbon stainless steel and each knife is coated in an Oxidation surface created a black oxide layer to create an even greater level of rust and corrosion protection.
The blade edges are sharpened to a 16-degree angle which is extremely sharp for a western-style knife. Most western-style german and french knives will be angled to around 20 degrees so you will get an exceptionally sharp edge on these knives.
Each knife has an ebony wood handle with a triple rivet. There is no bolster but the appearance is one of quality. The set includes five different knives and I should cover the majority of your needs. Also included are a pair of scissors and a small pull-through knife sharpener with a coarse and fine grit option.
This is a truly beautiful knife set with an attractive wooden block from which the knife handles point out vertically. The ebony handles give a real look of elegance and the black oxide layer on each knife is both practical and stylish. This is a great knife set for those who want to add something of a design piece to their kitchen as well as have a set of quality and durable knives, all for under $100.
Master Maison 18 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Master Maison 18 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | 3Cr13 (Chinese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 54 |
| Handle material | Polymer |
| Pros | Robust design and good value per knife |
Time for something with a bit more of a classic look. This 18 piece knife set by Master Maison certainly gives off the aura of a professional kitchen. It’s a huge knife set and if you’re going for the robust professional look then this might very well be the one for you.
The knives are made from 3Cr13, a Chinese steel. It isn’t the greatest steel in the world but it has a decent level of rust protection and is easy to sharpen. Each knife has a bolster and full tang designed into a classic synthetic handle, black in color and triple-riveted.
The handles have been ergonomically designed to fit comfortably into your hand with a curved back and a humped underside which rests nicely in your palm.
There is a great selection of knives here including all the classic western styles you would expect like a chef’s knife, paring knife and carving knife, along with a few Japanese influenced knives like the Santoku.
The knife block is bulky and black in color. Like the knives themselves, it gives off the professional, robust vibe. This knife set is a great option for those who want a comprehensive set of classically designed knives which also features some useful Japanese inspired blades. Another word of warning on the ‘sharpening steel’ which is included. Again, this is actually a honing steel, but it’s still a super useful addition.
Chicago Cutlery 12 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Chicago Cutlery 12 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X30Cr13 (German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 54 |
| Handle material | Polymer |
| Pros | Sleek and comfortable design |
The Chicago Cutlery 12 piece knife set offers a great array of knives is a sleek and attractive design. This knife set actually comes in 17 piece and 18 piece versions; however, they are both over $100, with this 12 piece version sneaking just below. For your money, you get a top-quality product and the 6 styles of knives that come with it should cover most of your cooking requirements.
These knives use X30Cr13 steel. This is reasonable steel that requires a minimum 12% Chromium content, the element that makes stainless steel resistant to rust. The knives are made using forged steel, with bolsters and a full tang.
The design of the knives is a mix of western and Japanese influences. Whilst the blade designs are also western, including styles such as the chef’s knife and a paring knife, the handles of the knives are clearly Japanese influenced, using a tapered oval cylinder design, giving a slightly modern twist on the more straight cylindrical handles traditional in Japan.
The material of the handles is a sleek black polymer. This material is very resistant to temperature and has slight flexibility about it meaning that it provides a great grip surface. This gives you more control when chopping and slicing and ensures the durability of the knives.
All in all, this is a great knife set including the major western knife styles that you’ll need in the kitchen. The knives also come in an attractive caramel-stained woodblock which to me has a slight bamboo influence, again hinting to the Asian influence in the design.
McCook 14 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
McCook 14 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Rockwell hardness | 54 |
| Handle material | Steel |
| Pros | Good value for money |
The 14 piece knife set by McCook gain has that professional look about it. The appearance is bold, with just the two colors of the black knife block and sleek silver knives. The knives are mainly from western design although it does include a Santoku knife which is a Japanese style.
The knives use high carbon stainless steel, combining both strength and durability which is always important for these kinds of large knife sets. I’ve chosen this particular knife set for this list because of the various features which I think make the knives extra durable and low maintenance.
Firstly, the knife block has a built-in sharpener, which does actually sharpen! Unlike 95% of knife advertising which market steel knife sharpeners which are actually honing devices, this sharpener is made from ceramic, a material harder than steel which will actually sharpen knives. I’m not going to go into loads of details about the difference but if you’re interested, I wrote an article on the difference between honing and sharpening here.
Ceramic is a great material for sharpening knives as it is not too abrasive on the steel can so you can sharpen your knife without much risk of damaging it. Having this built into the block is really handy, but don’t get too carried away, you’ll probably only need to actually sharpen your knives every 6 to 12 months, otherwise, you risk grinding away unnecessary amounts of the blade steel.
The second benefit of these knives is that the knives are made from one piece of steel, handle and all. That makes them particularly durable as often it can be the handles of the knife which start to deteriorate before the blade.l.
There’s no chance of this handle breaking or deforming as it’s made from the same steel as the blade, hollowed out to reduce weight. The downside to this is that I don’t think steel handles provide the same grip qualities as other materials, but if it’s durability you’re after then you can do much better than an all-steel handle.
It’s a great knife set, built to last and contains a great selection of different knife types.
KitchenAid 14 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
KitchenAid 14 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X30Cr13 (German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 54 |
| Handle material | Steel |
| Pros | Well designed with a good range of knives |
Here’s another super durable knife set with similar ideas as the McCook knife set I mentioned above. This KitchenAid 14 piece knife set again features full steel knives with the blade and handles being made from the same block of steel.
The steel used is X30Cr13, a German stainless steel with a good combination of strength and durability. The steel forms the whole knife, from blade to bolster and handle and this really helps increase the durability as the handle can often be the first element of a knife to deteriorate, this just won’t happen with an all-steel knife.
The knives themselves offer a good array of different knife types all designed is a simple but practical style. The bamboo knife black is very attractive and combined with the light color of the steel knives the whole set brings a refreshing uplit to the kitchen.
The knife block also includes a built-in sharpener which is a great little addition, allowing you to give your knives a quick and easy sharpen whenever needed, this is usually every 6 to 12 months.
One thing I would mention about the sharpener is that it’s a diamond-encrusted sharpener. Diamond will certainly sharpen knives well but it can be very abrasive, often a little too abrasive. The grit (coarseness) of the sharpener is 600, which again is quite an abrasive grit, so I would certainly be careful not to over sharpen your knives with this sharpener as it may end up taking off more steel from your blade than actually necessary. Nevertheless, it’s a great set of knives presented in an attractive knife block with the great feature of an inbuilt sharpener, if you like the style and you’re after ease of use, then I’d highly recommend it.
Emojoy 15 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Emojoy 16 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | 57 |
| Handle material | Pakkawood |
| Pros | Durable materials and sleek design |
This is the second Emojoy entry on this list and once again the quality on show for the price you have to pay is fantastic.
The steel of the knives is made from the same material as the first Emojoy knife set I listed earlier in the article. Its technical name is X50CrMoV15 but you only really need to know that it is a popular german steel used commonly in quality kitchen knives.
It’s known for its high resistance to rust and corrosion making it very durable whilst its high carbon content also makes it hard, allowing for a sharp blade with good edge retention.
This large knife set includes a great array of kitchen knives that should fulfill the majority of your cooking needs. Each knife has a bolster and full tang with a triple-riveted handle. They are well built and the pakka wood handle not only looks attractive but is a wood commonly used for quality kitchen knives due to its natural durability.
The knives are also stored in a pakkawood block and the overall look of the set is very attractive, utilizing the natural beauty of the pakka wood. A steel knife ‘sharpener’ is also included, as I’ve mentioned in this article previously, a steel rod will not sharpen your steel knives; however, they will hone it so it’s actually still a very useful tool to have. To learn more about the difference between honing and sharpening tools check out my article on the topic here.
Alltripal 18 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Alltripal 18 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50Cr15 (German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 56 |
| Handle material | Pakkawood |
| Pros | Classic design and great value |
If you’re after a lot of knives for a really good price then this Alltripal 18 piece knife set might just fit the bill.
The steel is high carbon german stainless steel, so they are very rust and corrosion resistant and the high carbon content increases their strength giving a sharper and longer-lasting edge. All the knives are quite classic in appearance, with a range of western-style knives and one Japanese style Santoku. Since it’s such a large set there are also a couple of knives in here which a lot of the other sets are missing such as the peeling knife and boning knife.
The knives all have a bolster and full tang with triple-riveted handles. The handles are made using pakka wood, a great durable wood often made for kitchen knife handles, it also gives off a beautiful natural aesthetic.
The knives come in a wooden block and a steel ‘sharpening’ rod is also included. As before, this rod doesn’t actually sharpen because you can’t really sharpen steel knives using steel sharpeners. But it does hone the knife which is arguably more important.
Ailuki 19 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Ailuki 19 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50Cr15 (German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 56 |
| Handle material | Polymer |
| Pros | Great range with a selection of handle colors |
You want knives? you got knives! This is a huge 19 piece knife set which should cover the vast majority of your needs. Along with the usual knives, you would expect this set also includes a carving fork, sharpening steel and shredder claws which are used to pull apart soft food to make things like pulled pork or pulling the flesh of a fish apart into flakes.
The knives use german stainless steel, giving durability as well as good strength in the blade. The knives have a bolster with a full tang giving the whole knife more strength, right through to the handle.
The handles are made from a thermoplastic polymer making them durable and they have a non-slip quality to make holding the knives easier and safer.
The knife designs are simple and recognizable, the sleek handles give them a slightly more modern look than the classic all-black riveted handle.
The knives are stored in an attractive dark wooden storage block which would easily fit the design of most kitchens.
Overall it’s a well-designed knife set, sticking to basic principles of classic designs and durable steel and mixing a little modern handle design into it as well. It’s available at a bargain price for what you get and I think it’s a great choice for any value-focused home cook.
Homever 15 Piece Knife Set
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Homever 15 Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | 5Cr15MoV (Decent quality Chinese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 55 |
| Handle material | Polymer |
| Pros | Classic design with a very low price |
This is a simply designed knife set which delivers just what you need for a truly fantastic price. It uses slightly lower quality steel to give you a full range of knives at a low price.
This 15 piece knife set has a selection of western style knives which should cover most of your needs in the kitchen. A sharpening steel is also included, as I’ve said before the steel ‘sharpeners’ don’t actually sharpen steel knives but they do hone them. To sharpen a knife you need a material made of a harder substance than steel.
To learn more about the difference between honing and sharpening tools check out my article on the topic here. Don’t worry, honing rods are advertised as sharpening steel 95% of the time and they are still really useful so it’s a great addition to any knife set.
This knife is made using a Chinese steel, 5Cr15MoV. 5Cr15MoV is a decent steel due to its rust resistance and durability. It’s not a great steel but at this price range, it’s better than what many other brands will use.
The knives have bolsters with a full tang going into the handle. The handles have been ergonomically designed and are made using pakka wood, this is a durable wood often used for kitchen knife handles.
The darkened wooden block is made from pine wood and providers a sleek storage unit for the knives.
Overall this is a well-rounded knife set that contains most of what you will need in the kitchen. A slight compromise in steel quality compared to the other sets on this list has been made in order to offer this knife set as the lowest cost item on this list. For the price, I think it’s a great buy.
