A Santoku knife has a lot of features that make it so coveted and deserving of the title of the best knife. Not only is it razor sharp but it’s also durable and strong. That’s not all, the knife is ergonomic and well balanced too.
But there are a lot of santoku knife models available in the market and while these features are enticing but you should choose your knife with care. To help you out, here is a whole list of the best Santoku knives for 2022.
Best Santoku Knife for 2022
#1: Zelite Infinity Santoku Knife
This santoku knife is perfect not just for your kitchen but also for impressing your guests. It looks amazing and along with its high-class performance, it adds style and refinement to your kitchen.
It is made out of premium Japanese AUS10 Super Steel with 67-layer High Carbon Stainless Steel that uses a hollow ground blade.
This means that the blade is non-stick, rust, and stain-resistant and allows for minimum slicing resistance. But it’s not just all work, it is visually appealing too with the Tsunami Rose Damascus Pattern carved on it.
The blade is also tempered with liquid nitrogen that ensures long-lasting performance in your kitchen with everything you do. The handle is triple-riveted as well as rounded to the full tang which allows for durability and extra strength.
Apart from this, the rounded handles ensure that you can get a secure and good grip because without a comfortable grip, you won’t be able to put your knife skills on the show for guests nor work your magic in a rush-hour kitchen.
The tapered bolster is rare for santoku knives but it’s given here to ensure that you work with a knife that is perfectly balanced and comfortable to use. The handle is also adorned with a 3-Metal Mosaic Rivet. This adds to the design and style as well as the balance.
This swift and powerful blade can be used for cutting anything you want. You can use it on fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, and more to get that thin, precision slice. There will be none of that usual squishing or tearing that you find when using another kind of knife.
The knife will also come in premium packaging that will allow you to gift it to others as well. You can gift it to someone’s birthday, wedding and more. This knife is perfect for professional chefs, home cooks, culinary students, and everyone else in between.
What we like
- Made of premium Japanese AUS10 Super Steel with 67-layer High Carbon Stainless Steel
- Riveted and rounded handle
- Balanced and comfortable to use
- Liquid nitrogen tempered
- Can cut anything
#2: Shun Cutlery Premier 8” Chef’s Knife
This 8-inch chef’s knife is perfect for adorning your kitchen as well as using for your best culinary treats. Made out of VG-MAX steel, this knife has a double-bevel, quick taper, and flat ground along with a 16-degree cutting angle.
It also has 34 layers of Damascus cladding. All of it comes together to offer maximum performance and corrosion resistance. The knife is lightweight and comes with a very comfortable grip.
This is important if you are working for long hours in the kitchen of a restaurant or have to work to make the prep work for a special event. The knife is also very agile and all these features combined ensure that you will never want to set the knife down.
You will find that the blade of the knife is razor sharp and is perfect for slicing anything you like. This means that using this knife you will be able to slice, chop and dice a whole range of vegetables, fruits, meats, and other different kinds of foods. So you can prepare any kind of food you like now no matter the precision you need to decorate or make the dish.
The knife is so sharp that there won’t be any kind of squelching sounds. All you will get are perfect cuts and slices. Also, since the blade is light and thin so you will be able to get a lot of work done without getting tired easily.
The handle of the blade is walnut-colored and contoured. It is comfortable for use and you will find that the hammered Tsuchime finish given to the knife ensures that it releases food easily when you are looking for a fast but smooth and clean cut.
Overall, you will find that your prep work is a lot less demanding and heavy due to this swift, sharp and balanced knife.
The grip also ensures that it won’t slip easily from your hands. So your prep won’t go to waste and you won’t hurt yourself or anyone else as well.
Everyone from culinary chefs and home cooks to everyone else in between can use this. Since the knife comes in a beautiful black gift box so you can gift it to your friends and family too.
What we like
- Made out of VG-MAX steel
- The handle has hammered Tsuchime finish
- Corrosion-resistant
- Balanced and comfortable to use
- Non-slip handle
#3: Zwilling J.A. Henckels 30749-183 TWIN Signature Santoku Knife
This Zwilling knife is made from a singular piece of German steel which ensures that you get lightweight knives without compromising on their sharpness.
This is especially important if you work for long hours in the kitchen of a restaurant. Having a lightweight but incredibly sharp knife aids in quick prep work.
It also allows you to show off your knife skills to your guests or customers with ease. Made out of a special proprietary formula and ZWILLING’s signature ice-hardening method, the blades are sharper and harder than any other knife.
This hardness ensures that the blades don’t chip or stain easily and retain their sharpness for a long time. Such features ensure that the blade can be used for rigorous work without it breaking.
The edge of the blade is incredibly sharp and made from a laser cut. The edge is hand finished and honed to ensure that you get the ideal cutting angle of 10 degrees per side. The 57 Rockwell Hardness of the edge allows for excellent edge retention.
All these features make sure that you get the kind of slice you want and with the thickness you want. Such an edge ensures that you can prepare the meals or salads just like you want.
The handle is three rivets embedded which ensure its durability. It’s made out of ergonomic polymer which is fully bonded to the full tang. All these features come together to make a comfortable handle with a good grip.
This will allow you to work for long hours in the kitchen without getting tired or getting aching palms. The good grip makes sure that the knife doesn’t slip out from your hands easily and ruins your prep work.
More importantly, it ensures that the knife doesn’t fly out to hurt someone else or even yourself. This knife is so well rounded that it can be used by anyone ranging from professional chefs to home cooks. The knife also comes with beautiful packaging so you can certainly gift it to someone you love.
What we like
- Made from a singular piece of German steel
- Is lightweight and sharp
- The handle has a good grip
- Excellent edge retention
#4: Wusthof Gourmet 8″ Chef Knife
This is a whole knife set at less than $100 for your kitchen or restaurant. If you love to cook or have to operate a restaurant then this set will be very useful.
If you are cooking alone just in your kitchen then this full set will give you the freedom to let your skills out. In restaurant settings, the full set will give many people the freedom to carry out different kinds of prep work.
This set comes with a trimming knife of 2-1/4″, a pairing knife of 2-3/4″, steak knives of 5″, spear point paring knife of 4-1/2″, peeling knife of 3″, Spreader knife of 5″, a bread knife of 8″, a hollow edge knife of 8″, a come apart kitchen shears and a Cook’s knife of 9″.
These gourmet laser-cut knives are made in Germany. Made out of high carbon stainless steel, these knives are well-balanced and durable. These features are important because you will be able to use them for long periods and be able to put them to rigorous use in your everyday life.
The handles of these knives are made of a highly durable substance called Polyoxymethylene (POM). This material comes with a tight molecular structure that is resistant to discoloration and fading.
So you will be able to show off the knife as being brand new even after a long time after purchase. The handle will remain the same when you bought it even after daily use.
The chef knife in here can be engraved and you can opt for having both sides of the 8-inch knife to be engraved. You can even add in a stainless steel faceplate with full 2 lines of text.
You can do this engraving to distinguish your knife from others or to make it your own. The faceplate comes with a 3m adhesive but it won’t be affixed, just included.
You will have to peel off the backing and then use it in the position you want. But the engraving won’t be color-filled or done using a laser. It will diamond etched but you will get to put in it whatever you want.
Overall, this set is perfect for professional chefs or culinary students. The set is packed in a beautiful box and this full knife set can certainly be gifted to your family and friends.
What we like
- Full set of knives
- Made of high carbon stainless steel
- Balanced and durable
- Discoloration and fading resistant handle
- Chef knife can be engraved
#5: Cangshan TN1 Series 1021769 Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Santoku Knife
This 5.5-inch handle and 7-inch hollow ground blade knife are forged from high alloy Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel which makes it extra sharp.
So sharp that its edge can hold up 5 times longer than German steel. It can reach a hardness rating of 59 ±2 on the Rockwell Hardness Rating Scale.
This is a huge feat for a knife. It also means that this quality makes it more durable as well as sharp, which is the ideal combination that any chef wants. You can use it to do prep work for anything and long periods.
No matter how rigorous your work is, the sharp edge will get it done swiftly and without fail. The matte finish adds to its durability and gives it superior strength so that it can sink into the meat and cut it easily.
The design of this knife focuses on the metal structure of the knife. Each knife is put through a precise 6 stage heat treatment process which brings out the fine grain of the material and allows for a better internal structure.
This allows for more stability and durability of the knife. After its crafting, the knife goes through a traditional 3 step sharpening process to get that razor-sharp edge.
That’s not all, the subsequent ice-hardening process allows for the blade to maintain its sharpness. Additionally, the knife comes with a carbonized solid ashwood half-open magnetic sheath.
This makes for a great gift to anyone. This knife can be used by everyone from professional chefs to home cooks and for versatile purposes.
The handle of the knife is minimal and sleek. This makes it both aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable for use. There is an ergonomic matte finish to the handle as well. This allows for a comfortable grip and in turn ensures that the knife won’t fly out of your hands.
This makes it easier to work fast on the prep and show off your knife skills to guests or customers without worrying about the knife flying out of your hands and injuring anyone.
Essentially, the knife is well balanced and seamlessly constructed to allow for heavy kitchen work. The sharp knife and comfortable handle allow you to get the knife cuts you want but without any kind of wastage or squelching.
What we like
- Forged from high alloy Swedish Sandvik steel
- Can hold up 5 times longer than German steel
- Ergonomic matte finish handle
- A carbonized solid ashwood half open magnetic sheath
- Durable and extra sharp
Also Read: Best Ceramic Knives for 2022
#6: Wüsthof Classic 7-Inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
This 7″ Santoku razor-sharp, finely crafted knife is worthy of sitting in your kitchen. It’s made out of quality high-carbon stainless steel and hand-forged in Germany. This ensures its durability and strength. This strength combined with the sharpness allows the knife to slice through anything easily.
It’s generally used for making sashimi and sushi. You can use this for anything which needs to be sliced into perfectly paper-thin slices or pieces. But along with this, you can use the knife for slicing, dicing, and chopping too.
But there is one persistent concern whenever food is sliced or diced and that is about it sticking to the knife. But with alternating hollows on the blade’s sides, it prevents food from clinging to it.
The whole tang, blade, and bolster are made out of just one singular piece of stainless carbon steel. The ensuing handle is made out of touch polypropylene and has a full tang with the traditional three rivets.
This ensures that there’s a comfortable grip and the knife won’t fly out of your hands while you are using it, no matter how fast you are operating or how slipping the handle has been. The matte finish also prevents blisters on your palms from using the blade for a long time.
What we like
- Razor-sharp
- Made out of quality high-carbon stainless steel
- Matte finish handle
- Good grip on the handle
- Durable and strong
#7: Kessaku Santoku Knife
Part of the samurai series, this knife can tackle any of your culinary needs. It is made using the finest materials and by using cutting-edge materials.
Made in Japan this knife is constructed using specially formulated High Carbon 7CR17MOV Stainless Steel. This offers durability as well as resistance to rust and corrosion.
The razor-sharp blade is hand sharpened to allow for a 16° angle per side. This allows for a sharper and long-lasting blade edge. It has a Rockwell hardness of 58 as well which ensures its strength and durability.
The handle of the knife is made out of smooth Pakka wood and is mirror polished as well. It has a full tang for additional strength. All this allows for both strength and comfort. So you can get a good grip and work on your food prep without worrying about aching or blistering palms.
The handle is also moisture, heat, and cold resistant. This ensures that the knife won’t fly off if you are using it too fast and with sweat or slippery hands.
The entire seamless build of the knife ensures that no dirt or debris sticks to it. It is well balanced and the ergonomics of the knife help decrease fatigue and aches.
Since the knife comes in a beautiful box with magnetic closure, so you can give it as a gift as well. It can be used to cut, chop, slice or dice anything ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat.
What we like
- Made using high carbon stainless steel
- Corrosion and rust-resistant
- Handle made out of mirror-polished smooth Pakka wood
- Cold, heat, and moisture resistant handle
- No dirt sticks to it
Next Read: The Top Bread Knives in 2022
Best Santoku Knife Buying Guide
The list above contains some of the top Santoku knives available in the market. But so many features might confuse you. So to help you out, here are the features which you should primarily focus on while buying one:
Material
The material out of which the knife is constructed is very important. Ideally, you should opt for a high carbon steel knife because it’s stronger, sharper, and more durable.
Corrosion
A Santoku knife will not corrode easily. But it’s always better to check before buying. Get the knife that is anti-corrosion since knives tend to corrode easily due to repeated use.
Balance
A great distinguishing feature of santoku knives is that they are very well balanced. This balance ensures that the edge sinks easily into the food and your hand doesn’t ache while usinghttps://www.dinnersanddreams.net/best-paring-knife/ it for a long time. So while buying make sure that you get a well-balanced knife.
Handle
A Santoku handle is always made out of smooth and reliable wood. More often than not, it’s also matte finished ensuring a comfortable grip. So while buying one, make sure you check these features.
The list of knives, as well as the list of features, must have given you a good idea of what you should ideally expect and loom out for while buying a Santoku knife. What you choose will ultimately depend on what you like and what your kitchen wants.
