This Japanese

It aced the test for crushing and mincing garlic, too.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Food & Wine / Dera Burreson

A chef’s knife is one of the most essential knives in any kitchen. It expertly executes a wide variety of kitchen tasks, including cutting, slicing, chopping, and crushing. That’s why it’s imperative to choose one that is sharp, well-balanced, and comfortable to hold for hours of prep work.

Lucky for you, we’ve spent hours testing over 20 chef’s knives to find the best of the best. While we chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, and cubed butternut squash, we also evaluated blade sharpness, balance, weight, grip, and cleaning difficulty. Global’s Japanese knife earned the title of the best lightweight chef’s knife, and we’re delighted to see that right now, it’s on sale for over 50% off at Amazon.

Amazon

The Global 8-inch chef’s knife is handcrafted from high-carbon stainless steel and has a few unique design features. Unlike other knives on the market, this one is made from a single piece of metal; without rivets or wood pieces on the handle, you can expect this to be a longer-lasting and well-balanced knife. Its sleek and ergonomic handle also has a textured dimpled design for easier gripping and is hollow and filled with sand for balance.

This chef’s knife is a mere 7.8 ounces (that’s less than ½ a pound) and features a razor-sharp edge that Global is known for. Both sides of the blade’s edge are sharpened, producing a thin acute angle that stays sharper for longer. The brand recommends hand-washing these only and using a diamond steel or ceramic sharpener if the blade needs sharpening.

The Global brand is high on our list of favorites for knives and is also featured in our best high-end knife sets guide and our best bread knives guide. We were particularly impressed by how well this chef’s knife felt in our hands, describing it as feeling “sleek and ergonomic” and “perfectly balanced from heel to tip.”

This knife aced our tomato-slicing test, showing off its ability to make paper-thin cuts, and it easily chopped and minced garlic too. After using this knife, we found that it was a simple task to clean it, although we did notice after we cut some ingredients some spots stubbornly remained that did not come off.

When it came to cubing the butternut squash, it was able to cut through the tough, dense skin; however, we think a heavier knife might be a better option when slicing these types of ingredients.

A good chef’s knife is vital to have on hand in the kitchen, so don’t miss picking up one of our top picks, Global’s 8-inch chef’s knife, on sale right now for $73 at Amazon.

Amazon

At the time of publishing the price was $73.

Blog