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The Best Chef Utility Knife

Last updated on March 8, 2024

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There’s a saying that says you should always use the right tool for the job, as the right tool will make the job easier and take less time. The saying is as true as ever when it comes to the kitchen and deciding what knife you need to use for each step of your cooking process.

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Whether you are a professional chef who dices up thousands of vegetables every day or a home-chef who simply needs to chop up a handful of things each night for dinner, you’ll find out very fast that a knife too large or too dull will have you in a snit as you fight to prep the food you intend to cook.

One of the handiest prep-work knives that a chef can have in their repertoire is a chef utility knife. A utility knife is one of the smaller knives you’ll find in the kitchen, similar in size to a steak knife, but it will usually be a total workhorse that is picked up for a multitude of tasks.

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Chef utility knives are sometimes called “petty knives,” according to culinary expert Julie Chernoff, the dining editor of Better, a lifestyle website and print magazine.

“The utility knife is generally 5 to 9 inches long and thin,” says Chernoff. “Because it is a more agile knife, with a thinner though still stable blade, it’s excellent as a carving knife, or for peeling, slicing meats and mincing.”

Stainless steel is the primary metal used in the construction of most of the blades you’ll find in a chef utility knife, though sometimes they have small additives that enhance their strength or flexibility. The hardness of the blade has a big impact on how well it can be sharpened, so products like the Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Utility Knife, 5 Inch take this into account by forging high-carbon stainless steel for their blades which allows them to be something you can count on for many years with regular sharpening. While we’re on the topic, it’s extremely important to keep a chef utility knife very sharp. 

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“A sharp knife is safer than a dull one, so keep your knives sharpened, either with a whetstone, electric or hand-held sharpener, or a honing steel,” says Chernoff.

When trying to decide on which utility knife is best for your kitchen, it’s best to think about how you plan to use it and what features of a knife are the most important to you. If you have larger hands or even just want more of a thick handle to hold onto, an option like Zelite Infinity 6-in Utility Knife could satisfy this need due to having a more robust handle that feels solid in your hands.

Considering how sharp the blade will be on your utility knife, it might make sense to purchase one that has a protective cover that slides over the blade when it’s not in use. The DALSTRONG 6-in Shogun Utility Knife is another 6-inch blade in our lineup that includes a protective cover that helps the beautifully forged blade stay sharp while also protecting you from inadvertent cuts and slices on your hands.

The length of the blade will have an impact on how you use your chef utility knife. The difference between a 5-inch blade and a 6-inch blade may seem small, but it’s not trivial. The 20% increase in length that makes the 6-inch blade means that it will be heavier and allow for longer slicing motions, while the smaller 5-inch blade will have you making precision cuts with slightly higher detail and accuracy.

Full-tang construction is what you want to find in a utility knife. Full-tang means that the metal from the blade extends as one solid piece all the way through to the bottom of the handle. This is a largely western-style of knife handles and it provides some of the sturdiest and most durable constructions because the handle will never fall off of the knife.

As you head into shopping for the right utility knife for you and your kitchen, keep in mind when you’ll be using it as well. Having a beautiful knife in your hand, like the PAUDIN 5-in Utility Knife, with its rustic wooden handle and elaborate blade, can have people impressed with your cooking abilities before they even taste your food. When making a purchase that will last many years, which this utility knife should easily do with proper care, some of us like to know it will look nice and fit into our kitchen aesthetics. If that’s not a priority to you, that’s great too, just make sure you take into consideration all the factors that go into this new knife and you’ll be well on your way to finding the best product for you.

Our Picks For The Top Chef Utility Knives

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Best Basic

Mercer Culinary 5-in Forged Utility Knife

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Mercer Culinary

5-in Forged Utility Knife

This chef utility knife stands out as a highly functional kitchen knife with a good blade that doesn't cost a fortune. The 5-inch size makes it great for common tasks like dicing onions or making thin slices of meat.

Overall Take

Well-Rounded Utility KnifeThis chef utility knife is sharp and well-made, ensuring great performance in the kitchen.

 Great for Slicing

Zelite Infinity 6-in Utility Knife

Zelite Infinity

6-in Utility Knife

We like how ergonomic the handle is on the this chef utility knife. Using this fine blade to do most of your prep-work won't leave your hand tired and the knife looks visually appealing to boot.

Overall Take

Sturdy Kitchen Utility KnifeThis chef utility knife has a comfortable handle and very sharp blade for a great addition to the kitchen.

 Best Classic

PAUDIN 5-in Utility Knife

PAUDIN

5-in Utility Knife

This chef utility knife is stunning to look at, as PAUDIN added design elements to the blade itself that couples nicely with the wooden handle. The knife is also made of high quality stainless steel that ensures a good edge.

Overall Take

Beautiful Utility KnifeThis chef utility knife looks good and cuts well enough to be one of your most used knives.

 Also Great

DALSTRONG 6-in Shogun Utility Knife

DALSTRONG

6-in Shogun Utility Knife

Combining the highest quality manufacturing process with good looks, this chef utility knife is a fantastic all-around kitchen utility knife. We like how solid it is for its size and applaud the classy design.

Overall Take

Reliable Utility KnifeThis chef utility knife is well-rounded and does everything well while looking good.

Our Expert Consultant

Julie Chernoff
Culinary Expert

Julie Chernoff is a long-time member of Les Dames d’Escoffier (past president of the Chicago Chapter, and current co-chair of the LDEI Legacy Awards Committee), the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Chernoff is the dining editor of Better, a lifestyle website and print magazine. Her journalism started in the test kitchens of Weight Watchers Magazine. She holds a BA in English from Yale University and is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. She has spent the last few decades styling, photographing, teaching, developing recipes, editing, thinking and writing about food.

What to Look For

  • Hand-wash your sharp kitchen knives to maintain their sharp edge and finish. The jetting force of the water can dull a blade and if the knife starts moving around it can hit other items in the dishwasher and potentially damage them.
  • Keep your utility knife sharp by using proper sharpening methods that can be found online. A sharp knife does its job well, while a dull knife fights against you and creates potential problems as you use it.
  • If you end up loving your new chef utility knife, look at the same brand to fill in any needs for other knives. You can build a set of high-quality knives one at a time until you have the full, matching set.

More to Explore

Kitchen utility knives were not originally a specific style of knife, rather the utility knife came about to fill a gap between a small paring knife and a larger chef’s knife. While it can do a lot of precise work that a larger chef’s knife can do, it won’t do it as well as the smaller paring knife. Similarly, it can slice through things much bigger than what the smaller paring knife can do, but it might be a little light or short for some of the beefier tasks that the larger chef’s knife can do. Basically the utility knife was designed to make sure you actually do have the right knife for any job.

More to explore