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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 still using the kitchen knives your parents dropped you off at uni with, (guilty) it’s time for an upgrade. Having a good set to use in the kitchen is going to make cooking SO much easier.
Whether you’re a budding chef or prefer 15-minute meals, we’ve found the ones that will make you look like a pro and some of our favourites are currently on sale in Amazon's Spring Sale. Here’s a quick lesson on what you’ll be working with...
Types of knives explained
There are so many different types of knives out there and many look pretty similar. So what are they supposed to do, and which ones are the must-haves? Here’s a quick guide:
- 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.
All of the sets included below have a minimum of three knives and some even come with a block or sheaths for storage. Feel like a pro chef now? Here are our top 11 recommendations for the best knives sets in 2024...
*You must be over 18 to buy kitchen knives*
Jess is the Deputy Digital Editor of Red, covering everything from fashion and beauty to interiors and wellbeing. 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 enjoying live music, making her first house a home and planning her next travel adventure.
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Stacey is our Senior Food and Drink Editor, looking 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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