A cook or chef's knife as claimed by the manufacturer. There's no clear definition between the two categories, with each available at a variety of price points. Though not entirely meaningless, they're usually interchangeable terms, and 'chef' doesn't necessarily mean better quality.

We recommend kitchen knives with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 80% or more.

This CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of cutting performance (70%) and sharpness (30%).

We assess the knives' performance by slicing and dicing various foods including tomatoes (full slices), carrots (julienne), onions (half-moon slices) and steak (diced).

Made up of the initial sharpness score (30%) and sharpness after blunting (70%).

An external specialist laboratory assessed the knives for their sharpness when new and unused. The higher the score, the sharper the knife.

Each knife is subjected to three cut depth tests with two 50-cycle burnishing processes in between them,slicing strokes into a galvanized steel rod using a purpose-built mechanical burnishing machine. Models with higher scores are more resistant to blunting from repeated use.

Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. The rating ranks from A (highest) to F (lowest); N/A means there is no rating for that company.

This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price. Prices are generally flexible, so shop around both online and in bricks and mortar shops for options.

As claimed by the manufacturer.

Size of the knife, including the handle, in centimetres.

Weight of the knife in grams.

The back of the blade adjacent to the handle in centimetres. This is the strongest part of the knife and it’s proximity to your hand makes it ideal for tough cutting.

A unit of measurement used for calculating a material's hardness, as claimed by the manufacturer. A higher rating helps retain edge sharpness for a longer period of time but this also leaves the knife prone to damage as it increases the brittleness. A lower rated knife may last longer but will need to be sharpened more often.

As claimed by the manufacturer. Forged knives are made from a single piece of steel that's been heated, moulded, hardened, tempered and then ground into a cutting edge. Stamped knives are machine-stamped out of a piece of steel and then ground, polished and honed.

This is a matter of personal preference.

As claimed by the manufacturer.

The point between the handle and the blade, designed to add weight and balance between these parts of the knife.

As claimed by the manufacturer. Some manufacturers still recommend hand-washing and drying dishwasher safe models.