Whenever a chef is planning to cook, A chef knife is one of the most important tools that can’t miss in his disposal. This tool is very important more especially when the chef wants to chop, dice or slice different ingredients that makes the food even more delicious. Therefore, Chefs should not only have a knife but also look for one of the best in the market that costs relatively cheap.
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Wusthof 4862-7/20 Pro Cook’s Knife
This knife meets all the qualifications that a chef knife requires to provide efficiency in kitchen work. Its relatively cheap to even less than 50 but it convincingly delivers quality services.
Sharpness
Wusthof 4862-7/20 Pro Cook’s Knife is purely made up of stainless alloy steel, this is why it serves for a long period of time.its blade length is 8” this allows it to provide leverage for cutting easily. Its handle is made up of polymer hence it provides a much more stronger grip. Its design is unique beyond reasonable doubts since it is entirely egornomic
Design and usability
It is designed with a three-riveted polymer handle which is very smart. Its 6-inch model increases balance and ensures that it can slip easily from your hands. All the Wusthof knives are made in Solingen. Its blade is hand honed and it is made from authentic German high carbon stainless steel.
Weight and build material
This Germany Company makes use of the technology of their signature precision edge for forging a blade which has a hardness of 58 on the Rockwell scale. It is made up of a triple-riveted polymer handle. It has a high carbon stainless steel blade.
Quality and performance
Despite them being of high quality, users have had some few Q.A. issues.
If you are not a fan of a 6-inch knife, you can still find the same knife in a 4-5- inches version or even up to 12-inches
Pros
- This knife is excellent when cutting
- It is simple to sharpen
- It has a relatively excellent weight
- It has a remarkable balance
Cons
- It can fail to hold a sharp for a long time
- Other reviews show that they are packed unsafely at times
Why we choose it
You desire uniqueness. You go for this type of knife only because it offers exceptional qualities ranging from the balance levels, sharpness to its unique style of signature precision for forging the blade.
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The Imarku Chef Knife
This is the most suitable chef knife for beginner chefs who want an extremely high-quality knife that performs almost all tasks in the kitchen. Its durability is unmatched.
Sharpness
Its blade is made up of German stainless steel known to be of high quality, making the knife extremely sharp and durable. Chef knives are designed to help cut various foodstuffs for easy cooking, but this knife brings more quality since it can cut almost everything in your kitchen setup. Beginning from soft vegetables to boning chicken without much strain.
Design and usability
This knife is probably the best to the beginner cooks. Its quality is commendable hence can last longer than expected. It has an 8 inches blade, and this is what makes it a little bigger than the normal once, but this can be highly recommended to anyone who wants a high-quality beginner knife that is expensive.
Weight and Build material
It is made up of high-quality materials, making it one of the recommended chef knives under 100 dollars. It has a Rockwell hardness that ranges from 56 to 58. Its carbon content amounts up to 0.75%, contrary to the industry average of 0.3%. Its blade can last for a longer time so long it is taken care of properly. It a good balance ratio since the thinness of the blade is around 2.3 mm. However, this poses a risk of breakage sometimes.
Pros
- Its blade does not corrode nor tarnish
- It is capable of holding on well hence retaining for a more extended period
- Its weight and balance are satisfying. it is multinational
- It is simple to maneuver
Cons
- Going by the previous reviews, the blades tend to break more often
- The handle is poorly made, and this leads to cracking and discoloring.
Why we choose it
This is the best knife that beginners have recommended because they are cheap but can still offer high-quality services.
3.Shun Sora Chef’s knife
This knife has a blade of a Japanese chef’s knife. It comes with one of the most amazing designs. It is characterized by tough steel than anything else.
Sharpness
This knife is sharp due to the presence of a single type of metal that runs through its blade. It has two metal for the bottom and top halves of the blade hence making it incredibly sharp. Its flat spine allows it to cut through easily.
Weight and build material
It has an 8” blade, and this is almost the longest among other knives. However, when held, it feels comfortable and lightweight. Its handle is made up of a thermoplastic elastomer just like those of western blades. It is made up of metals in both halves, which makes the blade sharp and unbreakable.
Design and usability
It is made in Seki City, Japan. Its design attracts a lot of chefs since it is exceptional. It is made in a way that its entire length of the blade gets in contact with the cutting board. It has a reasonably straightforward design with a slightly curved belly and a straight top
Quality and performance
This knife is of high quality, and it is easy to use and handle. It is enjoyable when cutting due to its lightweight. Its durability is relatively high. It is easy to clean, and it is recommended that you clean manually instead of dishwashing.
Pros
- Its material is of high quality
- Its design is exceptional
- It is lightweight
Cons
- It has a handle that is sup-bar
Why we choose it
We highly choose this type of knife because it guarantees quality services due to its lightweight, sharpness, and easy maneuverability. Take your chances and enjoy it.
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Victorinox Fibrox Pro chef’s knife
For a professional chef, this name must be familiar. It has an impressive array of products of the kitchen cutlery. Its qualities include the best design and a top-grade stainless-steel blade.
Sharpness
This knife is exceptional since it has a slightly tapered; hence it allows long and deep cuts. It is incredibly sharp hence cuts through foods smoothly like butter. It has a razor-sharp blade that chops or slices effortlessly, be it in small or large kinds of kitchen tasks.
Weight and build material
This knife is a little bit heavy as compared to others. It is designed in a way that it cannot slip easily even when your hands are wet.
Design and usability
This is an 8-inch chef’s knife that is affordable for cooking. It has sharp blades that assist while chopping or slicing ingredients in the kitchen. Generally, this knife is designed to handle various small kinds of kitchen jobs, be it large or small. It is also ergonomically designed for non-slip with the assistance of the Fibrox Pro technology.
Pros
- It has dishwater materials for safety purposes
- It is arguably the top-rated knife in the market
- It is exceptional as it can handle all the kitchen tasks
- It can be used by both the home chefs and professional chefs
- Its handles are made from thermoplastic elastomer
Cons
- One outstanding con is that it is a little bit heavy
Why we choose it
We highly recommend it because of its exceptional capabilities in terms of sharpness, durability, and the ability to maneuver even further.
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J.A. Henckels 31161-201
This is one of the best knives that will leave your budget below 100 dollars. It is based out of Solingen, Germany. It adopts the western-style knives in the world. Some processes escape during manufacturing, such as ice-hardening, making it durable, and assisting in edge retention.
Design and usability
A company first made this knife in Germany (J.A. Henckels). It is an 8-inch chef knife that is three-riveted and has a polymer handle that doesn’t slip. It is made up of stainless steel. It is also high in carbon. It has a full-length tang responsible for balance and precision through be it you are dicing, mincing or chopping your ingredients.
Sharpness
Customers have been attesting that this knife is incredibly sharp despite raising eyebrows that the spine does not get filled down correctly. It is spectacularly a superstar in the kitchen as it tends to perform all everyday tasks with ease.
Weight and build material
This type of chef knife is relatively heavy and contains the tang for balancing purposes. Its full bolster gives joy while cutting, mincing, or chopping as this is done at an ideal weight while preparing different kinds of meals. It is made up of a high carbon stainless steel from German, full tang construction, precision-forged blade, and a dishwater-safe.
Pros
- This type of knife is characterized by extreme sharpness. It is an all-purpose knife and is reliable
- It is well balanced. a lifetime warranty covers it by the J.A. Henckels
Cons
- Its spine has a poor finish
- Its edge sometimes fails to resist
Why we choose it
This knife is a well-rounded chef’s knife, and their prices have been lowered to meet the demands contrary to their competitors. Its design is also exceptional, and you are likely to get the best out of it. It also comes from a well-known brand and is durable and comfortable to handle.
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CUSIBOX Ceramic CB-CK003
These are knives that had a bad reputation in the past due to their sharpness standards and proneness to breakage. However, this one has some outstanding features that you will love .
Sharpness
Many chefs get in denial when they get advice to buy any knife that is not made up of stainless steel. The main reason being that they were not sharp enough, broke down quickly, and were considering it not safe for food. However, this ceramic knife is one that you will never fail to love.
Weight and build material
It has a blade that is heated at +2700°F temperature during hardening. Consequently, it is made up of a 6-inch Zirconium Oxide blade. It also has a safe ABS+TPR handle that makes it suitable for gripping.
Design and usability
This knife impresses its unique design, and when it comes, it is covered with an extra fair-fitting plastic sheath. This adds extra safety. It has a blade made up of high-tech and expertly engineered Zirconium Oxide, which is of high quality, making it more user-friendly like that of a stainless steel
Quality and performance
If you take proper care of this knife, it is bound to exceed your expectations despite its being associated with the blade’s chipping in case of improper use. Those who have used this knife have complimented its performance more, especially on vegetables and fruits.
Pros
- It is easy and comfortable to maneuver
- Its specially made handle allows it to be safe and lightweight.
- It has an aesthetical design that is quite pleasing.
- It is easy to use and clean
Cons
- It has a blade that is sensitive to chipping hence might break easily
- It lacks the expected sharpness.
Why we choose it
This knife comes with a lot more goodies that you will like, and its lightweight allows easy maneuvering while performing kitchen tasks.
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KUTT B01LZJ68GE
Despite this knife being relatively cheap, it looks like a high-end chef knife. It has a very clean and conspicuous logo that is printed tastefully on its 8-inch blade. It is packed in a beautiful box alongside all its requirements when ready to use it.
Sharpness
It is incredibly sharp hence can boost your cooking speed. It can be used directly after purchase without necessarily having to sharpen it again. It has the finger guard that is meant to protect you and keep you safe while slicing.
Weight and build material
It has an 8-inch blade that enables it to maintain the balance. It has an ergonomic Pakka wood handle, 57 Rockwell hardness. Its finger guard is made up of a metal and a 7Cr17 Mov stainless steel blade.
Design and usability
It has an exceptional design that includes a well-printed logo on its blade. The knife comes in a gift box that is lined with all you will require to use it. The unpleasant odor can be comfortably be removed by a stainless soap bar after cutting. they have a marvelous customer service making it among the best knives below 100 dollars
Quality and performance
In terms of performance, it is one that stands by its lifetime warranty. This knife can be used straight out of the box, and small businesses reach out to customers who may be unsatisfied and tries to offer possible solutions to their problems.
Pros
- It has a fantastic value that is backed up by the added accessories
- Presence of an adequate odor removing detergent (soap bar) together with the finger guard.
- Its design is exceptional, and its packaging is outstanding.
- It is characterized by excellent customer service. it s budget-friendly
Cons
- They have been complaints about handle handling
- At times it might get dull easily
- If not taken care of properly, it might develop rust spots.
Why we choose it
We recommend this knife because of its outstanding features, including the other accessories that come with try and you will never regret it.
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The MAD SHARK Santoku-style chef Knife
This knife is characterized with holes on its blade which are very important when the knife is on use. This knife is more advantageous as compared to the traditional Japanese high quality one. It almost resembles that of the Germany technology.
Sharpness
The MAD SHARK Santoku-style Chef Knife is sharp enough during the purchase and promises quality services.
Weight and build material
It has a 5.9-inch blade that brings strength and sharpness. The knife’s stability and durability is ensured by its full-tang design of the knife. The military-grade polymer is used to make its handle. This gives you a comfortable feel on the hand as well as a good grip.
Design and usability
This is yet another amazing Santoku style knife with massive advantages. It does not originate from Japan, but it resembles that from the Germany technology. It highly recommended that you get this knife due to its exceptional style, as it will do some decent work for you.
Pros
- The knife is resistant and durable
- It has an impressive sharpness
- It is relatively cheap
- Its design is sleek and exceptional
Cons
- The holes are tough to clean
- It is limited to some tasks due to its small size
Why we choose it
This knife has a design that you will like. It is suitable for one who does not to spend a lot of money and also durability is impressive.
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The Mac Knife Series Hollow Edge 8″ Chef Knife
This is among the best chef knives there is under the budget of 100 dollars. It originates from the Japanese makers who are not used to making their knives from the materials used herein. Here, they use metal alloys to make these knives this being the reason why they get outstanding and exceptional in their quality.
Sharpness
The metal alloys used to make these knives make them extremely sharp and magnificent. When paired with the incredible holes that are on the blade, you are likely to the best and unique chef knife of high quality.
Weight and build material
It is made up of Molybdenum material, which gives the stainless steel so many attributes. This material provides enough corrosion and resistance to many acids, which are rampant in the kitchen like citrus acids. It gets strength and durability from the higher amount of carbon on the blade.
Design and usability
One of the things that you will realize on this blade are the little holes. They are the air pockets that assist when cutting food. These holes ensure that the food does not stick on to the edge of the knife. You include the incredible sharpness, and you will love to always work In the kitchen
Quality and performance
This knife is exceptionally of high quality going by the material used to make it ( Molybdenum) The higher amount of carbon used also symbolizes high quality.
Pros
- This knife is a professional-grade one. it is durable
- It has an excellent sharpness.
- It is designed ergonomically
Cons
- It is relatively high in the price range
Why we choose it
We recommend that you choose this knife because it has proved beyond reasonable doubts that it can deliver quality kitchen services but, most importantly, to a more experienced chef. Moreover, its durability is good hence can be trusted for longer periods.
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Skylight c-662
This is a knife that has a German-style silhouette. It is extremely beautiful to look at. Its quality is outstanding, and it makes maneuvering even more easy. Its triple-riveted handle makes pretty and gives it enough balance.
Sharpness
As cheap as it sounds in our list, this knife can surprise you when it comes to sharpness. It cuts as smoothly as expected, and with the design it has, it is easy to maneuver.
Weight and build material
It is triple-riveted in its handle hence allows it to have the maximum balance it requires. It has a Rockwell hardness, a hand-polished blade, and a 15-degrees knife edge angle.
Design and usability
It has a Germany style, which makes it beautiful to look at. It has a satisfying grip that is aided by its triple-riveted handle and an all-around balance when cutting.
Quality and performance
It has the best quality you can think of. It cuts smoothly and maneuvers with ease due to its style. Indeed, you will find an easy time working with this type of knife.
Pros
- It is extremely cheap
- It is easy to handle
- It easily cuts food.
Cons
- Its durability is questionable.
Why we choose it
We recommend this type of knife because it is relatively cheap but offers services the same as the other types of knives, so you are assured that you will save some money after purchase try it out.
Differences Between the Chef Knife and the Cook’ Knife.
A chef is one who is trained on the cooking skills, and normally works in big hotels and restaurants. Out of many cooks in a hotel, a chef is the most important whereas a cook is basically a person who is tasked to prepare and cook at home or in a hotel either in specified ways or as matter of a job.
There are no clear differences between a chef knife and a cook’s knife. However, basing on their definitions, we can say that a chef knife is capable of performing all the tasks in the kitchen whereas a cook ‘s knife only performs a few functions
Consequently, we can say that a chef knife is likely to be of high quality than that of a cook’s knife because it is meant to work in big hotels and restaurants, and the chef who go out buying them are skilled and will never settle for nothing less than high quality whereas a cook’s knife can only be used in the homestead hence quality might not be a great considerations.
We can also denote that a chef knife performs greater tasks as compared to the cook’s knife.
There are several types chef knives in the market but you only need to get the cheapest and most affordable one that can service you well. Here are a few genuine reviews about the best cheap chef knives under 100 dollars that you should consider. Discussed below also is their pros and cons which guide you when choosing the one that suits your needs.
How to pick the best one
There are quite a several chef knives up for grab in the market, but you need to consider some of the factors to choose one of the best but cheap chef knives. Some knives might cost up to a thousand dollars, but because many might not afford, they should go for the cheap but best chef knives which deliver stunning performances. Here are some of the essential factors to consider before choosing the right chef knife for you.
Sharpness
It is so frustrating getting to start your cooking duties with a knife that is not as sharp as expected. Ensure that your knife is sharp enough and that it can retain the sharpness for an extended period. This will assist you to save more time as efficiency is increased.
The material of the blade
A good knife comes from better material. This means that a good knife that is relatively cheap should come from the right blade materials. A bad blade material symbolizes a poor quality knife. A good number of blades are made up of alloys of metals. With these alloy metals, durability is guaranteed as well as sharpness and lightweight.
When trying to choose from the material factor, consider the following materials that are recommended.
. Stainless steel
. Damascus type
. Carbon steel
.Ceramic
. High carbon stainless steel
Size of the knife
The average length of most chef knives is around 8”. However it will depend on the length required. Some may require longer, while some shorter is okay depending on the kind of task you intend to subject it to. Longer knives are good at cutting a large amount of food at a particular time. On the other hand, shorter knives tend to provide easy maneuverability although they don’t cut much volume of food compared to the longer one.
The handle of the knife
After carefully considering the best blade, you still need to consider this essential factor about the handle of it. Its shape and design are essential, as well as the type of material the handle is made up of.
Various materials are used to make knife handles, as shown in the reviews above. They are ranging from the wooden handles to plastic or composite handles.
Some have rubber or metal handles.
When choosing the right handle, you should physically get hold of the handle so that you can feel its comfortability levels. Take a lot of concern on the handle if you don’t want to hurt your kitchen experience. Some manufacturers name them as dishwater safe, but it is recommended that you manually wash them because of the handles.
Ease of use and maintenance
Ensure you avoid complications during cooking by choosing an easy to use a knife. Take into consideration the maintenance procedures and costs before you purchase one. Bear in mind that knives made up of carbon blades need more maintenance than those made up of stainless-steel blades. Remember to keep your knife in a dry and safe place when you are not using it.
FAQ
Which is the best chef knife under $100?
There is no single best knife, the options are many, but you should consider factors such as size, design, durability, sharpness, and price to settle on the one that best suits your needs.
Where can this type of knives be purchased from?
You can easily purchase these knives either from stores or online on Amazon. Check them out and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Are the chef knives durable as denoted?
Most of the chef knives’ durability depends on the materials that are constituted11 in making it vary. Still, you should be keen, and maintenance should be essential for durability purposes.
Conclusion.
It is hard to find the right chef’s knife, but finding a good one that is under $100 is even harder. It is therefore recommended that you prioritize the essential features such as price, size, design, brand, and style. The facts herein will guide you to narrow your choices once you have settled on an essential feature. All the knives discussed here have their pros and cons, but you can weigh them off and settle on one that offers excellent quality and will last for many years.