Best Chef Knives under 50 – Ultimate budget guide

The knife can be described as the wand of the chef. It is a versatile kitchen tool that every home cook needs. That is why having a good chef’s knife can take your cooking to another level, making your family and guests gaze at those beautifully bruise carrots. Similarly, having the wrong chef’s knife can cause a terrible kitchen experience, with the worst case being hurting yourself. That is why we have created this list of the best chef knives under 50 so that you can find the perfect cutting instrument for your kitchen. We hope you will find this guide useful and find the chef’s knife that meets all your requirements. Good luck, and happy cooking!

please do check out our articles on best kitchen knife sets under 200 or best kitchen knives under 200.

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Editor’s Picks: Best Chef Knives under 50

Features

• Weights 0.47 lbs.
• 8 inch
• Made from high quality European stainless steel
• Handle designed for long term use and to protect against hand and wrist fatigue
• The blade is long and sloping, for effortless “rocking motion”
• The spin is flat, so you can apply extra pressure for hard-skinned items
• The handle has non-slip pattern
• National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) compliant and safe clean in a dishwasher
• Has lifetime warranty against original manufacturing defects

Features

• Weights 0.425 lbs.
• 8-inch blade
• Built with metal with 58 Rockwell hardness
• 15-degree bevel and 0.25mm edge
• Steel alloy that has chromium and molybdenum
• Ergonomically shaped handle
• Comes in a high-quality gift box
• Has lifetime warranty against defects in any material or workmanship

Features

• weights 0.8 lbs.
• 8-inch blade
• Ergonomic 5-inch pakkawood handle
• High quality German steel that comes in at 56-58 on the HRC
• High carbon and chrome, leading to anti corrosion and anti-tarnish properties
• Comes in attractive box, ideal for gifts
• Comes with lifetime warranty

Features

• Weighs 0.496 lbs.
• 8-inch blade and full tang
• The metal is German high carbon 4116 stainless teel
• Has an HRC of 56+
• Rust and stain resistant blade
• The knife has a non-stick coating so food won’t stick when cutting
• TPR coated polypropylene handle
• Ergonomic design
• Comes with a gift box, sheath, finger guard, and knife sharpener

Features

• The knife weights 0.75lbs.
• 8-inch blade and 6-inch handle
• Uses 3-layer steel with chromium and molybdenum blend
• Has an HRC rating of 60 +/-2
• Octagon shaped handle made from African rosewood
• Balance point runs heel to spine, opts towards the blade
• Dimpled decoration on blade for nonstick properties
• Replacement guarantee for manufacturing defects
• Comes in a beautiful box and polishing cloth

Features

• Weights 0.55lbs.
• 8-inch blade
• Made from precision forged high carbon steel
• Has a shortened bolster that exposes the entire edge of the blade
• Rounded spine
• Triple rivetted ergonomically designed handle
• NSF certified
• Limited lifetime warranty

The hollow edge design of this blade also makes cutting easier, as food does not stick to the blade. In fact, this blade is so sharp and well designed, it is said that the knife can slice through the sticky rice of sushi without pushing a single grain of rice out of place!

Features

• Weights 0.43 lbs.
• 7-inch blade
• Made from premium high carbon German steel
• Has anti rust and anti-corrosion properties
• Double sided grooves designed to stop food from sticking
• Premium Pakkawood handle
• Handle is ergonomically shaped for comfort and safety
• Comes in a high-quality black gift box

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What to consider when buying a chef’s knife

A chef’s knife is something that every chef needs. A chef should know everything there is to know about his/her most important tool before making a decision on which chef’s knife to buy. When evaluating the best chef knife under 50, we considered a large number of factors which are relevant to a chef. Below, we have outlined the most crucial factors to being happy with your chef’s knife purchase, so you know exactly what you are paying for when you buy the perfect chef’s knife for yourself

Sharpness

Is the blade razor sharp when you open the packaging? The initial sharpness of the blade is a sign of the quality of the manufacturer and the knife itself. The sharper it is, the more points for the manufacturer, as blade makers tend to take great pride in the sharpness of their metal. On the chance that the blade is dull, you could sharpen it yourself, but why should you have to do it in the first place? A sharp knife out of the box is a sign of high quality. The best way to check how sharp the edge is, is to try and cut a piece of A4 paper. If the blade is razor sharp as it should be, the knife should effortlessly glide through the paper.

Edge retention

Does the blade keep its edge? Its all fine if the blade is sharp out of the box, but it has to stay sharp. If a knife loses its edge frequently, it can be quite the hassle. Its extremely annoying when you have to resharpen a knife every day or even in the middle of cook sessions. Hard steels tend to have better edge retention. However, if the metal is too hard, the edge of the blade may chip or wear away quickly. Furthermore, an overly hard blade is extremely difficult to resharpen, especially for the home cook. The best made knives are flexible enough to avoid taking any damage but hard enough to retain their edge for a large number of uses. 

Ease of sharpening

Can you resharpen the blade easily? This is a crucial question as a knife will eventually dull. It is perfectly natural for any knife to lose its sharp edge over time. This happens due to normal using, sheathing and unsheathing, banging around in the kitchen drawer, inserting into knife blocks, rubbing against other metal objects in a rack, etc. Since there are so many ways your knife can dull, you will need to resharpen it fairly often. The ease of sharpening mainly depends on how the hardness of the steel. If it’s too hard, sharpening with standard tools will be quite a hassle. To check if a knife can be easily resharpened, try using it on a whetstone for a few minutes or a dozen or so swipes across a sharpening tool. After these processes, the knife should be razor-sharp

Weight

How heavy is this particular knife? The weight of a knife is a crucial factor when choosing a piece. Most chef’s knives tend to be a little below 0.5 lbs. The knife should be heavy enough to effortlessly glide through food but light enough that it will not cause stress on the hand after prolonged use. Heavier blades tend to work better for heavy use such as breaking down poultry while compromising long time use comfort. On the other hand, lighter blades offer comfort and are excellent for cutting up things like vegetables, but are not as effective when breaking down a chicken. We recommend you either pick a chef’s knife depending on what you intend to use it for or pick a chef’s knife that is slightly below 0.5lbs, which would be suitable for both jobs.

Balance

Where do you feel the weight of the knife? It doesn’t matter if a knife weights the perfect amount, the weight has to be in the correct position as well. For example, a knife with the weight concentrated at the tip will be difficult to maneuver and cause tremendous stress on your wrist. On the other hand, if the weight is at the bottom of the handle, the knife will not cut very effectively.

The best position for the weight of a knife is slightly above the point where the handle meets the blade, typically at the thickest point of the knife. To check the balance position of a knife, first lay it flat on 2 fingers, with on finger at the tip and one finger at the bottom of the handle. Then, bring your fingers closer together until they touch and the knife balances on your 2 fingers. That point is the balance of the knife. Please be extremely careful when doing this, as knives are sharp, and being careless will lead to injury. It’s best if you wear anti-cutting gloves before doing this test.

Handle

How comfortable is the handle? The handle is the point where the chef connects to the blade. This is why the handle of a chef’s knife is so crucial. The shape of the handle should ensure that it fits comfortably in the palm and does not cause fatigue after extended periods of use. As for the material of the handle, this tends to vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. Some manufactures use plastic and rubber for a strong grip, while others opt for using premium materials such as wood. The handle material is mainly personal preference and varies from chef to chef.

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FAQs on Best Chef Knives under 50

What knives should every chef have?

Every chef should have at least 3 knives. First, A chef’s knife, for daily kitchen use and usual kitchen tasks. Next, a paring knife, which is a small blade ranging from two to four inches. This knife is used when a chef’s knife is too large and would get in the way. Lastly, a serrated knife, which is used for things like bread and tomatoes. Serrated knives are basically used for foods that have different textures on the inside and outside. Having these three knives will allow you to easily cut anything in the kitchen.

What is a chef knife used for?

A chef knife is typically the most important knife in the kitchen. it is used for pretty much everything you can think of. The Chef’s knife is used for chopping and dicing foods such as fruits, herbs, vegetables, etc. It can also be used to breakdown poultry and other raw meats. The chef knife is further be used for some smaller tasks such as opening packages, etc.

It is also important to know what NOT to do with a chef knife. Do not try to peel small produce with a chef knife, as the blade is too large to offer the precision needed. Use a paring knife instead. Also, do not use a chef knife to carve cooked meat.

What knife does Gordon Ramsay use?

Gordon Ramsay is a fan of Wüsthof and Henckels knives. Similar to most professional cooks, he has a like to use the J.A. Henckels International classic chef knife. This blade is also listed on our best kitchen knives under 100.

What chef knife does Jamie Oliver use?

Jamie Oliver prefers to use I.O. Shen chef’s knives. This particular brand of knives is built from extremely hard stainless steel. The hard steel makes it difficult for the home chef to easily resharpen, but offers excellent cutting and edge retention. I.O. Shen knives are also known for their excellent balance and quality.

Why are chef knives so expensive?

The price of a knife mainly comes from the steel that has been used in that piece. Higher quality steel and complex manufacturing techniques typically cost a lot of money. If you are looking for something cheap, try looking the above list for best chef knife under 50 or our lists of best kitchen knives under 100 and best chef knives under 200.

Which is the better Santoku or chef knife?

Santoku knives are better suited for making small precision cuts and use a forward-backward slicing motion rather than the rocking back and forth motion used in chef’s knives. If you cook plenty of fruits, veggies and fish, then the Santoku knife is a good way to go. If you cook lots of meat or just prefer an all-rounder knife over a specialized knife, a chef knife is the best choice.

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Final thoughts on best chef knives under 50

After comparing plenty of attributes of over a dozen knives, we have come to a list of 7 best chef knives under 50. Each one of these knives has its own strengths and weaknesses. That is why it is crucial that you pick the knife that is best suited for your style, habits, and preferences. Use our list to get the perfect knife for yourself or a loved one and take the kitchen experience to another level. Keep that blade sharp, and Happy Cooking!

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