If you’re a budding chef then having a set of kitchen knives that are professional quality is vital. They will be put through plenty of strain and wear, so investing in a set of knives that are robust and durable is important.
Even if you’re just an enthusiastic home cook, having a quality set of kitchen knives makes cooking a much more enjoyable experience, and professional-standard knives will last for decades.
In this article, I’ll show you my recommendations for the best professional chef knife sets, focussing on brands which are world-renowned for their quality professional standard knives.
But first, let’s cut to the chase and look at my personal top pick for a professional knife set.
My personal recommendation would be the Wüsthof Ikon 7-Piece Set. When it comes to western chef’s knives Wüsthof really are the kings and they have been making high-quality, traditional chef’s knives for decades. Their Ikon set is the best they make, with the more modern design adding more comfort for those long kitchen shifts.
View My Top Recommendation
You can take a look at the Wüsthof Ikon 7-Piece Set on Amazon here. (opens new tab)
If the Ikon set isn’t your style, then I’m sure one of my other favorites below will suit your needs.
My Professional Knife Set Recommendations
Here is a summary table of my favorite professional knife sets, if you want a more detailed review of each then take a look at my full reviews below.
| Name | Price | Check current price |
| ZWILLING Pro 10-Piece Set | $600 – $700 | Link to Amazon |
| Wusthof Ikon 7-Piece Set (My Top Pick) | $550 – $650 | Link to Amazon |
| Wusthof Classic 7-Piece Set (Best For Home Cooks) | $400 – $500 | Link to Amazon |
ZWILLING Pro 10-Piece Set
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ZWILLING Pro 10-Piece Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (Very durable German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 57 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | POM (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable materials and lightweight |
Zwilling is one of the world’s giants of German-style chef’s knife manufacture. They make knives which are quite classic in design and their Pro set has that traditional western style design with a bit of a modern twist.
The steel used for their Pro set is a friodur steel using X50CrMoV15. This is the process of ice-hardening steel by putting it through a four-step process in which it is frozen to -94°F.
This process makes steel harder and corrosion-resistant. These features combine to make an extremely durable blade that can be sharpened to a fine angle and has fantastic edge retention.
Talking of the edge, the blades are sharpened to a 15-degree angle which is pretty much as good as you can get on a western-style knife and it will feel razor-sharp.
The blades have a half bolster and full tang going into the handle. The handle is very classic in design with rounded edges so no single part digs into your hand. It is triple riveted and black in color and made from a thermoplastic called POM, this makes it very resistant to any water damage or temperature changes and adds to the durability of the knife.
The balance between the blades and the handles is perfect and although each knife has a half bolster and full tang the knives don’t feel particularly heavy. These are knives purpose built for comfort and durability, both essential qualities in the professional kitchen.
Wüsthof Ikon 7-Piece Set (My Top Pick)
(My Top Pick)
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Wüsthof Ikon 7-Piece Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (Very durable German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 58 |
| Factory edge | 14 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | POM (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable materials and extremely high build quality |
This superb knife set from Wüsthof has a comprehensive set of knives using very durable materials.
Wüsthof are one of the most well-known and respected brands in the knife world. They produce their knives in Solingen, Germany, also known as The City of Blades due to its long history of knife making.
The steel used is a German steel called X50CrMoV15. You’ll often find this steel used in quality western knives.
The reason for its popularity is because it’s durable. The 15 in the name stands for its 15% Chromium content. Chromium is the element that makes stainless steel resistant to rust and a quantity of 15% makes this a high-quality stainless steel.
The Carbon content is 0.55%, that’s not enough to make it high carbon (I only consider knives above 0.9% at least to be truly high carbon), but the advantage of that is again that it makes the steel more durable, steel with a higher carbon content tends to be more brittle and the 0.55% content is still enough for a 14 degree cutting edge which is very sharp.
The handles are all made using a thermoplastic called POM. It’s a material often used for quality, western-style knives as it’s very durable and resistant to the type of moisture and heat fluctuations you would expect in a busy kitchen.
This knife set will be able to withstand the heavy use of a professional kitchen environment, and the beautiful modern design of the knife handles makes them comfortable and lightweight.
Wüsthof are widely considered as the best manufacturer of western-style knives and are often a first-choice for professional chefs. The Ikon set is their top-of-the-line product, but if you’re looking to spend just a little less then I would very highly recommend their Classic set below.
Wüsthof Classic 7-Piece Set (Best For Home Cooks)
(Best For Home Cooks)
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Wüsthof Classic 7-Piece Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (Very durable German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | 57 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | POM (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable materials and traditional design |
I have picked the Ikon set as my top pick for a professional knife set, but the Classic Wüsthof range is actually my overall favorite chef’s knife range of any brand. It’s a classic design but it’s perfectly executed.
The Ikon knives are slightly better built, but they do cost a little more. For a professional that cost difference is pretty minimal, considering it’s your main work tool, but for the home cook it may be worth looking at the Classic range.
The build quality is still extremely high and since the home kitchen doesn’t have the same workload as a professional one, you wouldn’t really notice much difference between the Ikon and Classic built quality as a home cook.
The steel used is the same german steel used in the Ikon range, X50CrMoV15. So it’s super durable and ideal for knives that are being frequently used.
The blade is perfectly curved for rock chopping and goes full tang into the handle, with a full bolster.
The handle is triple-riveted and made from the same thermoplastic as the Ikon range, making it extremely durable and resistant to temperature change, moisture, and really anything that could harm it in a kitchen environment.
Chef Knife Roll Bags
The knife sets which I’ve listed above come with knife blocks to store them in, but professional chef’s often need a roll bag to store their knives and make them easier to transport. This is even more important for chef’s who travel often such as those in the catering and events industry.
Here are a couple of the best knife roll bags I know about.
Aaron Leather Knife Roll Bag (Premium bag)
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This is a very durable, easy to carry, hand-stitched leather roll bag. It can carry 10 kitchen knives along with a range of other utensils.
I think it’s pretty good value for the quality and overall it’s an attractive and practical roll bag.
Hersent Canvas Roll Bag (Budget bag)
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The budget option, this Hersent bag is made from canvas, which brings the price down a little. It can still hold 11 knives but doesn’t have as many additional pockets for other utensils like the Aaron bag above does.
Still, it’s cheap and very practical so if you’re only on the road occasionally this roll bag should suit your needs.
