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11 of the best kitchen knife sets starting at under £25
Don’t know your chef’s knife from your santoku knife? Here’s the lowdown...
If you’re at the stage of life where shopping for a knife set sounds exciting, congratulations: You’re officially a fully fledged adult. Jokes aside, having a good knife set to use in the kitchen does make cooking much easier. There are sooo many different types of knives out there and many look pretty similar, so if you’ve got no idea what they’re supposed to do and which ones are the must-haves, you’ve come to the right place.
Shop the best knife sets on our radar RN
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Types of knives explained
Only just graduated to chef-dom? Here’s a quick lesson on what you’ll be working with...
- Chef’s knife - a must-have. This multi-purpose knife will cope with anything you throw at it, especially hard veg, potatoes and meat.
- Utility knife - a smaller version of the chef’s knife, used on smaller ingredients like chicken breast or mushrooms. Another must-have.
- Paring knife - another essential, this one’s for fiddly tasks such as peeling, coring and finely slicing.
- Carving knife - the roast isn’t going to slice itself!
- Bread knife - tackles everything from crusty loaves to burger buns.
- Peeling knife - the blade curves inwards to make taking the skin off fruit and veg easier.
- Santoku knife - originating in Japan, this is another useful multi-purpose knife.
Whether you’re a budding chef or prefer 15-minute meals, we’ve tested a bunch of knife sets to pick out the cream of the crop. All of the sets below include a paring knife and a multi-purpose knife and some even come with a block or sheaths for storage. Ready to chef up like a pro? Here are our top 11 recommendations for the best knife sets in 2025...
*You must be over 18 to buy kitchen knives*
We love a bit of copper in our interiors, so this knife set is the perfect upgrade to any kitchen set up. The five knives come with a clear acrylic block and are made from stainless steel. Lovely.
With over 2,400 reviews and an average rating of 4.6 stars out of five, this 14 piece knife set with an built-in sharpener is bound to upgrade any kitchen set up. Chopping? Slicing? Dicing? Cutting? No problem.
With a non-stick black colour coating and a blade from stainless steel, this 15-piece kitchen knife set has everything you could need for your cooking desires.
Let’s face it, sharpening knives isn't something most of us remember to do – not until they’re fully blunt and dangerous, anyway. So praise be that this set's smartly designed block sharpens each knife as you remove or insert it!
It's quite bulky, so bear that in mind if your kitchen's a bit cramped, but it feels high-end, impressed on test and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Our testers rated the neat inclusion of scissors, too.
Key specs
Included: Chef’s santoku, paring, utility, serrated utility
Blades: Stainless steel
Handles: Plastic
Storage: Block
For under £40, this knife set is a real bargain, and it comes with a five-year warranty to boot. No, it’s not as good as our pricier picks, but it ain’t half bad either.
Knives chopped well when faced with the most common ingredients, and they didn’t trap any dirt. Our testers found them a bit flimsy, but this is a great starter set.
Key specs
Included: Chef’s, bread, carving, utility, paring
Blades: Stainless steel
Handles: Plastic
Storage: None
Copper’s always cool, and these knives sit pretty on a magnetic block. Our testers found them robust to use and raved about how precisely the paring knife tackled fiddly jobs like peeling and fine slicing.
The soft grips became a bit slippery and the bread knife tore our loaf a tad, but this is another decent good value buy.
Key specs
Included: Chef’s, bread, carving, utility, paring
Blades: Stainless steel coated with copper titanium
Handles: Plastic
Storage: Magnetic block
Containing every knife you’ll ever need (probs), this colourful, affordable set is more serious than it looks. They cut through everything our testers threw at them, the handles are reassuringly grippy and they come with matching individual sheaths for storing safely in a drawer, saving precious countertop space. Plus, the colours make them quick to identify; you'll always know to grab the yellow one for peeling spuds and the green one for chopping herbs.
Key specs
Included: Santoku, chef’s, paring, serrated paring, utility, peeling
Blades: Japanese Stainless steel
Handles: Plastic
Storage: Sheaths
Ooft, this one’s a looker. So sleek! So stylish! So perfectly formed for ‘bijou’ kitchens! Our testers found the grippy knives safe and comfortable to use, with the bread knife earning particular kudos for its slicing skills.
Everything feels well-made – that’s quality Japanese steel for ya – and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The block marks easily, but it’s a minimalist beauty.
Key specs
Included: Chef’s, bread, slicing, serrated utility, paring
Blades: Japanese stainless steel
Handles: Plastic
Storage: Block
If you’re as partial to an artisan loaf from your local bakery as we are, you’ll need a trusty bread knife. This set delivers just that, helping you make sublime sandwiches for delish return-to-the-office lunches.
The rest of the knives are also decent too. They’ll be rated by beginners and pro chefs alike.
Key specs
Included: Chef’s, bread, carving, utility, peeling, paring
Blades: Stainless steel
Handles: Wood
Storage: Block
It may be a case of all the gear and no idea with this comprehensive set (or maybe that's just us...). Known for its Swiss army knives, Victorinox has collated all the knives you're most likely to use, plus a bonus carving fork and peeler.
The bread knife is a must for neat sourdough slices and they're so perfect for everyday use. They're not cheap, but worth the extra dollar.
Key specs
Included: Santoku, paring, serrated paring, carving, bread, swivel peeler, carving fork
Blades: Stainless steel
Handles: Plastic
Storage: None
Sharp Hast Selection series 2-piece Japanese Steel Knife Set
Minimalists, prepare to swoon. This two-piece knife set ships from the States, costs around £90 and is perfect if you’re short on space – there’s one all-purpose 8-inch chef knife and one 3.5-inch paring knife. Both knives are made from one continuous piece of Japanese carbon steel, making for easier cleaning, and we love the ultra-thin blade and ergonomic handle for quick, comfortable cutting.
Key specs
Included: All-purpose knife, paring knife
Blades: Japanese carbon steel
Handles: Japanese carbon steel
Storage: N/A
Jess is our Acting Multiplatform Editor, directing our digital content strategy across all sections and platforms, as well as editing and writing about fashion, entertainment, wellbeing and travel.
Jess joined Red as Deputy Multiplatform Editor in 2023, having spent the previous six years freelancing for a wide range of leading publications, including Good Housekeeping, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Stylist, The London Standard and The i Paper. Prior to this, she was Senior Culture Reporter at The Independent, covering TV, film and music. Jess has an Interactive Journalism MA from City University London and an English Literature BA from Durham University.
When she isn't busy scouring the new collections, sales and preloved marketplaces for beautiful pieces to add to her wardrobe, Jess can be found binge-watching the latest buzzy series, immersed in a good book, entertaining friends, enjoying live music or planning her next holiday (usually to her favourite Spanish hideaway).
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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