A quality kitchen knife set is a must for any home cook. Whether you’re looking for a professional-grade knife set or an affordable gift for a new cook, these best-selling knife sets from Cuisinart, J.A. Henckels, Wusthof, and more on Amazon have rave customer reviews describing why they’re so great. This article compiles the top 10 best cheap knife sets for 2025, focusing on affordability without compromising quality, based on real user feedback and expert testing.
Why Choose a Budget-Friendly Knife Set?
For most people, a reliable high-quality knife set is worth it. As we mentioned above, it’s all about what you plan on using it for. Even a smaller set with three knives will give you a much wider range when preparing food. If you’re enthusiastic about cooking but aren’t in a position to buy a dozen styles and sizes of high-end knives, a quality larger set will have you cooking up a broader range of culinary delights. Once you’ve become acquainted with the sizes and styles of knives that you use most often, you can start taking a look at individual knives that suit your tastes and customize your collection further.
Key Features to Look for in a Budget Knife Set
- Blade Material: Virtually all high-quality knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel. The carbon makes them easy to sharpen and helps them keep their edge while the stainless prevents discoloration and rusting.
- Handle Comfort: Look for a knife rated excellent or very good for handle comfort and balance.
- Storage: The cost of a knife set includes the storage block, case, or magnetic bar. It’s worth making sure that the included storage option is what you want and that it will suit your kitchen.
- Versatility: A good starting set may include a chef’s knife ¨C potentially the most versatile knife ¨C or similar, plus a paring knife for fruit and vegetables and a serrated knife for tomatoes, cheese and soft fruits.
Top 10 Best Cheap Knife Sets for 2025
Below is a curated list of the top 10 budget-friendly knife sets for 2025, compiled from real customer reviews and expert testing. Each set is evaluated for performance, design, and value.
1. Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set
Best Overall: Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-piece Forged Knife Block Set. Owners report how easy the knives are to use, as well as how beautiful (and sharp!) they are. “Seriously, these are the best knives I’ve ever used as a set,” wrote a shopper. “The knives are perfectly balanced and just the right weight for my hands. They are also super sharp and stay sharp for a long time.” The Mercer Genesis 6-Piece is another set that we loved. It surprised us with how high quality it felt, and it even comes with a unique-looking knife block style. It scored just below the Victorinox 8-Piece in that particular price range, but if you want a beautiful glass knife block on your countertop, it’s worth considering.
- Pros: High-quality steel, great edge retention, exceptionally comfortable handles, one of the best knife sets for small kitchens.
- Cons: Some testers noted that the knives don’t sit perfectly straight in the block and are noticeably lopsided.
- Testing Scenario: We used every set in our own kitchens to chop up pounds of onions and potatoes, dozens of loaves of bread, and more steaks than we can count.
2. Victorinox Swiss Classic Knife Set
Look, new cooks should learn with the basics-but you want those basics to be exemplary. That’s where this 4-piece Victorinox set comes in. Beloved by professional chefs like David Chang and Ina Garten, the Swiss-made blades are designed with a bolster-less edge, which means you can use the entire blade for chopping, slicing, and dicing. Plus, the comfortable handles are textured for a non-slip grip, even when wet. This set comes with a chef’s, bread, utility, and paring knife, which can handle virtually every kitchen task but still leaves the door open for cooks to add to their collections as their skills improve.
- Pros: High-quality steel, great edge retention, exceptionally comfortable handles.
- Cons: Though the blades outweigh the handles, they held up in testing.
- Testing Scenario: The Victorinox 8-Piece is also a standout for value, although this was no surprise given the brand’s reputation.
3. AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Kitchen Knife Block Set
Overall, we found the AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Kitchen Knife Block Set to be a nice starter set for those testing the kitchen knife set waters. But we think more serious cooks will likely want sharper tools. When variety is key to your cooking game, but staying on budget is too, you’d be wise to consider picking up the AmazonBasics 18-Piece Premium Kitchen Knife Block Set, a basic but useful set. Besides the fact that you get a whole lot of knives – 8-inch chef’s, 7-inch santoku, 8-inch slicing, 8-inch bread, 5 1/2-inch utility, 6-inch boning, 3 1/2-inch paring and eight steak knives – plus kitchen shears, a sharpener and a pine storage block, the quality here for the price is respectable. The full-tang stainless steel blades are matched with triple-riveted, ergonomic handles. And while we had to put more elbow grease into our chops than we did with higher-end models, they generally performed well, especially the chef’s knife.
- Pros: Produces even slices; versatile for home cooks and professionals; classic design; good value.
- Cons: And while we had to put more elbow grease into our chops than we did with higher-end models, they generally performed well, especially the chef’s knife.
- Testing Scenario: In tests, this set was a favorite of Allstar Faith Nettles, who appreciated their basic, well-made design that would match any kitchen aesthetic.
4. Cuisinart Advantage Color Collection 12-Piece Knife Set
Best Nonstick: Cuisinart Advantage Color Collection 12-Piece Knife Set. When it came to performance during testing, these knives in the Vremi 10-Piece Knife Set are pretty much worth their budget price tag. They didn’t feel especially sharp out of the box, our fingers smashed against the cutting board as we chopped and the blades felt heavy compared to the plastic handles, which threw off the balance of the knives in our hands. If you know a college student who moved from the dorm to their first apartment, the Vremi 10-Piece Knife Set would make a fine housewarming gift. And as that student may have learned during a leadership course, it’s best to offer some words of praise first. These knives are pretty. They’re BPA-free and come with matching sheaths so they can be easily stored in a drawer, saving precious counter space. They’re also stainless steel and nonstick, and the set includes a chef’s knife, paring knife, carving knife, serrated knife and utility knife.
- Pros: Best Color-Coded: Cuisinart Advantage Color Collection Kitchen Knife Set at Amazon $30.
- Cons: They didn’t feel especially sharp out of the box, our fingers smashed against the cutting board as we chopped.
- Testing Scenario: We gripped the handles of many different models to determine which knife sets were actually worth the money, and after testing some top-rated brands, we found an option for every space and budget.
5. J.A. Henckels International Statement Knife Block Set
Best for Gifting: J.A. Henckels International Statement Knife Block Set. A reliable budget buy, it would suit students or anyone looking to equip a kitchen for the first time. This knife set is thoughtfully designed to give you a better cooking experience. There’s a tool rest built in to each knife, so the blade doesn’t touch the work surface, and the handles have a good weight and length to them. Our experts also appreciated that the box indicated what each knife is intended for, making the set ideal for budding chefs. While the santoku, paring and serrated knives performed well, the chef’s knife wasn’t as much of an all-rounder ¨C testers had to apply extra pressure to achieve a clean cut through steak. The bread knife was similar, requiring more effort than we’d have liked to cut through the crust. The built-in sharpener will help keep your knives at their best, though.
- Pros: Best Value: Henckels Statement Knife Block Set at Amazon $119.
- Cons: While the santoku, paring and serrated knives performed well, the chef’s knife wasn’t as much of an all-rounder.
- Testing Scenario: At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts took to the kitchen and tested 26 different knife sets.
6. Chicago Cutlery Fusion Block Set
Best with Steak Knives: Chicago Cutlery Fusion Block Set. Sage McHugh, who tested the Chicago Cutlery Fusion Block Set, previously worked as a content editor for the Kitchen section at ConsumerSearch.com and has been writing about kitchen appliances since 2008. We tested 21 knife sets in our dedicated testing lab and in our own kitchens, using each knife from each set. After the testing period, we assigned ratings for each attribute based on our observations and added insights based on our own expertise and kitchen knowledge.
- Pros: Includes a diverse set of prep knives, plus a half-dozen steak knives and a block to hold everything.
- Cons: The knives all showed minor flaws in testing.
- Testing Scenario: We tested 21 knife sets in our dedicated testing lab and in our own kitchens, using each knife from each set.
7. Vremi 10-Piece Knife Set
When it came to performance during testing, these knives in the Vremi 10-Piece Knife Set are pretty much worth their budget price tag. They didn’t feel especially sharp out of the box, our fingers smashed against the cutting board as we chopped and the blades felt heavy compared to the plastic handles, which threw off the balance of the knives in our hands. If you know a college student who moved from the dorm to their first apartment, the Vremi 10-Piece Knife Set would make a fine housewarming gift. And as that student may have learned during a leadership course, it’s best to offer some words of praise first. These knives are pretty. They’re BPA-free and come with matching sheaths so they can be easily stored in a drawer, saving precious counter space.
- Pros: They’re BPA-free and come with matching sheaths so they can be easily stored in a drawer, saving precious counter space.
- Cons: They didn’t feel especially sharp out of the box, our fingers smashed against the cutting board as we chopped.
- Testing Scenario: We tested 17 top-rated kitchen knife sets by chopping, dicing and slicing meat, fruit and veggies, finding three winners that would please any home chef.
8. Paudin Knife Set
Paudin is proudly a budget knife brand, with dozens of blades in many styles for a small fraction of the cost of more famous names. Most knives this cheap are not high quality, but Paudin is an exception. At less than $20 per piece, its set is reliable and will fully outfit any kitchen and dining room. It includes a diverse set of prep knives, plus a half-dozen steak knives and a block to hold everything. The knife handles are quality Pakkawood, with surprisingly smooth seams at both ends.
- Pros: At less than $20 per piece, its set is reliable and will fully outfit any kitchen and dining room.
- Cons: The knives all showed minor flaws in testing.
- Testing Scenario: In our never-ending quest to find the best kitchen tools, we’ve tested 49 of the best knife sets, evaluating each one’s sharpness, design, and overall value.
9. Sabatier 21-Piece EdgeKeeper Pro Forged Cutlery Set
Donna Currie, a food writer and cookbook author, has tested well over 100 products for The Spruce Eats. She tested the Sabatier 21-Piece EdgeKeeper Pro Forged Cutlery Set in her own kitchen. We tested 21 knife sets in our dedicated testing lab and in our own kitchens, using each knife from each set. After the testing period, we assigned ratings for each attribute based on our observations and added insights based on our own expertise and kitchen knowledge.
- Pros: Includes a diverse set of prep knives, plus a half-dozen steak knives and a block to hold everything.
- Cons: Low-performing sets lacked variety: A majority of the knife block sets that we left off the roundup were missing serrated bread knives, for example, which are arguably one of the more important knives to have in your kitchen.
- Testing Scenario: We tested 21 knife sets in our dedicated testing lab and in our own kitchens, using each knife from each set.
10. Joseph Joseph 10-Piece Multicolour Knife & Utensil Set
Best knife set for drawer storage: Joseph Joseph 10-piece Multicolour Knife & Utensil Set, ¡ê90. This knife set is thoughtfully designed to give you a better cooking experience. There’s a tool rest built in to each knife, so the blade doesn’t touch the work surface, and the handles have a good weight and length to them. Our experts also appreciated that the box indicated what each knife is intended for, making the set ideal for budding chefs.
- Pros: There’s a tool rest built in to each knife, so the blade doesn’t touch the work surface, and the handles have a good weight and length to them.
- Cons: While the santoku, paring and serrated knives performed well, the chef’s knife wasn’t as much of an all-rounder.
- Testing Scenario: Sharpen up your skills in the kitchen with our tried and tested picks of the best knife sets, rated by our reviews experts for a range of budgets.
Comparison Table of Top Knife Sets
| Knife Set | Price (Approx.) | Number of Pieces | Blade Material | Storage | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer Culinary Genesis | $150 | 6 | High-carbon stainless steel | Glass knife block | Sharp, balanced, comfortable handles |
| Victorinox Swiss Classic | $100 | 4 | Stainless steel | No block, drawer storage | Bolster-less edge, non-slip grip |
| AmazonBasics Premium | $61 | 18 | Stainless steel | Pine block | Versatile, includes steak knives |
| Cuisinart Advantage | $30 | 12 | Stainless steel, nonstick | Sheaths | Color-coded, BPA-free |
| J.A. Henckels Statement | $119 | Varies | Stainless steel | Block with sharpener | Tool rest, labeled knives |
| Chicago Cutlery Fusion | $100 | Varies | Stainless steel | Block | Includes steak knives |
| Vremi 10-Piece | $25 | 10 | Stainless steel, nonstick | Sheaths | Colorful, drawer storage |
| Paudin Knife Set | $80 | Varies | Stainless steel | Block | Pakkawood handles, affordable |
| Sabatier EdgeKeeper | $120 | 21 | Stainless steel | Block | Diverse set, includes steak knives |
| Joseph Joseph Multicolour | $90 | 10 | Stainless steel | Drawer storage | Tool rest, labeled knives |
Buying Guide for Budget Knife Sets
There’s a lot to think about when investing in a knife set, but comfort is key; every knife should act and feel like an extension to the user’s hand. Here’s a detailed guide to help you choose the best budget knife set:
- Consider Your Cooking Needs: All the sets on our list contain at least five knives, which should be ample for most home cooks. Consider the dishes you tend to cook and look for a selection of knives that will prove the most helpful. Vegetarians, for example, are unlikely to need a carving knife. However, for roast devotees, it will be essential.
- Set a Budget: The knives on our list range from ¡ê33.45 to $649 (for the Hast set, which is only available in the US). You don’t need to buy the most expensive to enjoy high quality though ¨C ¡ê200 is plenty for most kitchens.
- Check Blade Quality: Low-cost knives use stamped metals. They can be kept sharp but will dull quickly, creating extra effort. The best value of performance and durability begins around $50-100 per knife and have forged stainless steel.
- Evaluate Storage Options: Magnetic knife bars are my first choice because they allow you to see the knives and limit wear to the blade (unlike most wooden blocks, the slots can dull the blade).
- Look for Extras: Some also come with integrated sharpeners, though for those that don’t, you can refer our guide on the best knife sharpeners to buy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best budget knife set for beginners?
The Victorinox Swiss Classic Knife Set is highly recommended for beginners due to its simplicity, high-quality stainless steel blades, and ergonomic handles that ensure a safe and comfortable grip.
How often should I sharpen my budget knife set?
Budget knife sets should be sharpened at least once a year, or more frequently if used daily or for tough ingredients like root vegetables. Regular honing with a steel can maintain the edge between sharpenings.
Are budget knife sets durable?
Yes, many budget knife sets, like the Mercer Culinary Genesis or J.A. Henckels Statement, are made from high-carbon stainless steel, offering durability and rust resistance when properly maintained.
Can I store budget knife sets in a drawer?
Yes, sets like the Cuisinart Advantage or Joseph Joseph Multicolour come with sheaths or are designed for drawer storage, making them ideal for small kitchens.
Do budget knife sets include steak knives?
Some sets, such as the AmazonBasics Premium and Chicago Cutlery Fusion, include steak knives, which are great for those who frequently prepare meat dishes.
Conclusion
Investing in a budget-friendly knife set doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. The top 10 knife sets listed above, from the Mercer Culinary Genesis to the Joseph Joseph Multicolour, offer a range of options for every kitchen budget in 2025. By considering your cooking needs, blade quality, and storage preferences, you can find a set that enhances your culinary experience without breaking the bank. For more kitchen gear recommendations, check out Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen Gear Guides or Food & Wine’s Kitchen Tools.